Adam Gase Changes Agents
During the Broncos’ bye week, offensive coordinator Adam Gase has decided to change agents, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
Gase is one of the hottest head coaching candidates in the NFL, securing interviews with the Falcons, Bills, Bears, and 49ers.
The 36-year old offensive whiz is a favorite to land one of those jobs, and is among the most sought after assitant coaches in the NFL, after leading a record setting offense in 2013 to a Super Bowl appearance and a 12-4 Broncos team in 2014.
Gase was formerly represented by Bob Lamonte, who also represents Broncos’ coaches John Fox and Jack Del Rio, Gase’s predecessor Mike McCoy, and other notable names such as Chiefs’ coach Andy Reid and Washington’s Jay Gruden.
Gase’s new representation will come from agent James Sexton, whose notable clientele includes Tim Tebow, according to Klis.
Coaching Rumors: Marrone, Phillips, Del Rio
As the carousel continues to spin, we’ll get you caught up on all the latest coaching rumors right here..
- The Jets will formally meet with Doug Marrone today, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips will interview for Washington‘s defensive coordinator opening this week, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- The Raiders asked for permission late last night to speak to Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and an interview could come as soon as today, according to ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (on Twitter). Del Rio, he adds, has to be considered a favorite in Oakland (link).
- Gary Kubiak is generating interest, according to Rapoport (on Twitter). When the Ravens’ season is over, Rapoport expects the 49ers and Jets to talk with him. Of course, if the Ravens’ season extends to February, there’s no guarantee those teams will wait for him.
- The Bills will interview Mike Shanahan and it could take place as early as this weekend, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Facebook).
- Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is interviewing today with the Bills for their head coaching job, according to Rapoport (on Twitter).
- The Bills will interview Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich on Sunday and the Jets will speak with him on Monday, according to NFL.com’s Albert Breer (on Twitter).
- The Bills requested permission to interview Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, a team source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Revis, Raiders, Jags
It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers have opened up their mailbags and are answering questions from readers. Let’s check out some interesting whispers from the AFC…
- Adam Teicher wonders if Alex Smith‘s tendency to be a checkdown quarterback may hurt the Chiefs in their pursuit of free agent wideouts. The writer cites the team’s pursuit of Emmanuel Sanders last offseason, who was originally expected to sign with Kansas City.
- Speaking of the Chiefs and wide receivers, Teicher believes the organization will part ways with veteran Dwayne Bowe if the sides can’t agree on a new contract.
- If cornerback Darrelle Revis doesn’t end up sticking around with the Patriots, Rich Cimini basically guarantees that the Pro Bowler will eventually reunite with Rex Ryan.
- The Raiders and free agent center Stefen Wisniewski have discussed a new deal but are not close to an agreement, writes Bill Williamson. The former second-round pick has expressed interest in staying in Oakland, but the writer believes the lineman could ultimately test free agency.
- As long as the Broncos don’t place the franchise tag on tight end Julius Thomas, Michael DiRocco believes the Jaguars “have a chance” at signing the offensive weapon.
Coach Updates: Cowher, Quinn, Jets, Raiders
Shortly after Doug Marrone opted out of his contract with the Bills, former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher was mentioned as a potential target for Buffalo, but appearing today on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Cowher took himself out of the running for the Bills’ job or any other head coaching openings.
“I’m in a really good place. I really enjoy my job at CBS,” Cowher said. “You’re not going to see me on the sidelines. I enjoy it, you miss it, but not enough to get back.”
Here are a few more coaching-related tidbits that have trickled in since our last round-up:
- Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has a jam-packed schedule today and tomorrow, according to Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Schefter reports that Quinn interviewed for the Jets‘ head coaching job this morning, and will speak to the Bears tonight, the Falcons tomorrow morning, and the Bills tomorrow night.
- In addition to interviewing Quinn, the Jets also completed their interview with Seahawks assistant Tom Cable today, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur interviewed with the Raiders today, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). Shurmur is the second candidate to interview with the club, following Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.
- While the 49ers and Falcons were able to schedule interviews with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels within this week’s allotted window, the Bills were not, says Peter King of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter). That doesn’t mean Buffalo couldn’t try to speak to McDaniels later on, but the team may not want to wait.
- A pair of potential candidates cited early in the process for the two Bay Area teams have yet to set up interviews — Bill Williamson of ESPN.com tweets that the Raiders haven’t requested permission to speak to Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio yet, while Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says (via Twitter) that the 49ers have yet to set anything up with Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
- The Buccaneers interviewed current 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman for Tampa Bay’s OC position today, reports Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) hears that Vic Fangio‘s interview for the 49ers‘ head coaching position lasted more than six hours and was “very impressive.”
- Michael C. Wright and Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com have the details on the coaching recommendations made by the NFL’s Career Development Advisory Panel.
Poll: Where Will Adam Gase Land?
We learned earlier tonight that the Bills requested an interview with Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their surprisingly vacant head coach position. Gase, who also has interviews scheduled with the 49ers, Falcons, and Bears, is quickly establishing himself as perhaps the most sought-after head coaching candidate in the NFL, and the interest in his services is understandable. In each of his two seasons as Denver’s offensive coordinator, Gase has guided the Broncos’ prolific offense to top-three finishes in Pro Football Outsider’s Defense-adjusted Value Over Average metric, and top-four finishes in total points scored (the Broncos were the top-ranked team in both categories in 2013).
Of course, having Peyton Manning and a wide array of elite playmakers at one’s disposal will bolster the resume of any offensive coordinator, but that has not slowed the heavy pursuit of Gase. Given the amount of interest in the 36-year-old, it appears as though head coach John Fox will be replacing his top offensive assistant for the second time in two years, having lost Mike McCoy to division rival San Diego in 2013.
Each member of Gase’s ever-growing list of suitors would present a unique challenge for him, although the San Francisco and Atlanta positions would at least offer the comfort of having a settled quarterback situation, unlike the uncertainty that Buffalo and Chicago face under center. However, no team with a head coaching vacancy offers a quarterback with Manning’s pedigree or the complement of weapons that Denver has boasted over the past several seasons, which will allow Gase the opportunity to prove that he is the offensive architect that much of the league apparently believes him to be. Indeed, Gase was rumored to be the top candidate for the Browns‘ head coaching job last year, before Cleveland ultimately hired Mike Pettine. At the time, however, the Broncos were in the middle of Super Bowl preparations, which allowed Gase to artfully sidestep an undesirable landing spot in Cleveland.
This year, though, figures to see Gase at the helm of his own club, so without knowing which team or teams will ultimately offer him a head coaching position, let’s take a guess at where he might find himself in 2015:
Where will Adam Gase land in 2015?
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49ers 24% (206)
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Falcons 23% (201)
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He will remain the Broncos' OC 21% (181)
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Bears 17% (149)
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Bills 11% (91)
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Another team 3% (28)
Total votes: 856
Coach Notes: Bills, Gase, 49ers, Tomsula
The Bears‘ coaching position is not among the most attractive open positions in the NFL this offseason, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Chicago job ranks well behind the 49ers and Falcons, and just barely ahead of the Jets and Raiders, according to a poll of 16 NFL executives and coaches, which was conducted before Doug Marrone opted out of his contract with the Bills. Speaking of those Bills, we have an update on their coaching search to kick off our latest round of coaching-related notes, so let’s dive in….
- The Bills have become the latest team to request an interview with Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Gase, who already has interviews scheduled with the 49ers, Falcons, and Bears, becomes the first candidate solidly linked to Buffalo, though Frank Reich, Jim Schwartz, and Bill Cowher have been cited as potential targets as well.
- Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula hasn’t yet officially met with the 49ers to discuss the team’s head coaching position, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who tweets that the Niners brass is conducting a round of meetings on the road.
- As the 49ers search for their next head coach, the team will likely prioritize candidates that fit in with GM Trent Baalke‘s vision for a power running game and a dominating defense, writes Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. That means that defensive-minded coaches may have an advantage during the interview process.
- The Eagles‘ dismissal of Tom Gamble shows that Chip Kelly doesn’t have complete authority in Philadelphia, writes Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who wonders how the decision will affect the head coach’s future with the franchise.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
West Notes: Shanahan, Gase, 49ers, Fangio
Adam Gase and Mike Shanahan have several striking similarities — both are sharp offensive minds, have been employed by the Broncos, and most newsworthy, will be interviewed by the 49ers for their head coaching vacancy this weekend. According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, Gase, Denver’s offensive coordinator, will meet with the Niners and the Falcons on Friday, before interviewing for the Bears’ HC position on Sunday. San Francisco’s decision-makers, owner Jed York and GM Trent Baalke, will also visit with Shanahan, who resides in the Denver area. Here’s more from the West divisions…
- The 49ers have a busy weekend ahead of them, as the club will also interview former Jets head coach Rex Ryan on Sunday, according to Kimberly Jones of NFL.com (via Twitter). Ryan, who is also a candidate for the Falcons job, could have leg up for the SF gig because he “loves” Colin Kaepernick, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
- While their focus is on finding a new head coach, the 49ers could be on the verge of losing several key assistants. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio would like to be a head coach, and could opt to pursue other options if he’s passed over for the San Francisco job, reports Matt Barrows of the San Francisco Bee (via Twitter). Washington is interested in interviewing Fangio for its vacant DC position, but as he’s still in the mix for SF’s top job, they haven’t yet been granted permission to speak with him, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Washington wanted to meet with Fangio last year regarding its HC gig, but didn’t get the opportunity because of San Francisco’s extended playoff run, per Barrows (on Twitter).
- Meanwhile, Washington has been granted permission to speak to two other assistant coaches about its defensive coordinator job, and both are currently employed by West division clubs. Chargers linebackers coach Joe Barry and 49ers secondary coach Ed Donatell will meet with Washington as the team looks to replace Jim Haslett, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link).
- 49ers defensive line coach Jim Tomsula is a candidate for the team’s head coaching position, and if he is promoted to the top job, he’ll look to bring in Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver for the same position in San Francisco, reports Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News (via Twitter), who notes that Fangio wouldn’t be interested in remaining on staff under Tomsula.
- Rams head coach Jeff Fisher told reporters, including Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, that he doesn’t expect to make any changes to his coaching staff.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
Coach Notes: Jets, Ryan, McDaniels, 49ers
Not long after he was fired by the Jets, Rex Ryan jumped on a plane to Florida to watch his son’s Clemson Tigers play in the Russell Athletic Bowl, as Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post writes. When asked what it was like to speak with his players for the final time, Ryan said, “It was rough, man. But hey, that’s the way it is.’’ With a vacancy in New York and others elsewhere, here’s a look at the latest coaching rumors..
- Charley Casserly, who is now consulting the Jets, inquired about UCLA head coach Jim Mora‘s buyout clause and contract language last week, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter).
- Former Jets coach Rex Ryan has interviews scheduled with the Falcons and 49ers for their openings, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will interview with the Falcons and 49ers this week, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The 49ers will interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn tonight, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- There may not be a head coaching candidate more sought after this offseason than Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles — according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter), every team with a head coaching vacancy has contacted the Cards about interviewing Bowles. That includes the Raiders and Bears, which hadn’t been previously reported. Since Arizona plays in the Wild Card round, Bowles won’t be able to interview with any teams until next week.
- The Bears are the third team to request permission to speak to Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Falcons and 49ers had previously asked to interview Gase, who can talk to clubs during Denver’s bye week.
- The Titans‘ and Jaguars‘ coaching staffs will participate in the Senior Bowl game, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The 2-14 Buccaneers passed on the opportunity, and Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link) is curious about the team’s motives, considering the benefits of participating in the game. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets that he heard last week from one Jaguars official that the Bucs may pass on the Senior Bowl because they’d be busy looking for an offensive coordinator — of course, as of today, the Jags are in the same boat.
Extra Points: Suh, David, Accorsi, Draft
Lions star Ndamukong Suh has a chance of winning the appeal of his suspension, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes. If Suh can win the appeal, he’ll be in action for Sunday’s playoff game against the Cowboys. While we wait to see how that plays out, let’s take a look at more news from around the NFL..
- Discussing linebacker Lavonte David, Buccaneers GM Jason Licht said the team would “like to lock him up now,” tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, adding that negotiations on a new deal are underway. The 2012 second-round pick becomes extension-eligible this offseason for the first time.
- The Bears announced today that they’ve hired former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi as a consultant as the team searches for a new GM and head coach, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Meanwhile, team president and CEO Ted Phillips confirmed today that besides offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer, whose contract was terminated, all of the other Bears assistants are still with the team (Twitter link). That includes defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.
- Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown and Arkansas defensive tackle Darius Philon may be playing their final college games tonight, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link), who says both players are leaning toward entering the 2015 draft. The two players’ teams square off in the Texas Bowl.
- Former star NFL wideout Cris Carter indicated today (via Twitter) that his son, CFL receiver Duron Carter, will visit the Colts on January 5 and the Vikings on January 9.
- According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (all Twitter links), Carter isn’t the only notable CFL player drawing significant NFL attention. Caplan reports that Hamilton Tiger-Cats cornerback Delvin Breaux has 18 teams interested in bringing him in for a visit and/or a workout, including the Eagles, Patriots, Texans, Jaguars, Dolphins, Cardinals, Steelers, Lions, 49ers, and Broncos.
- Utah offensive lineman Jeremiah Poutasi announced that he will enter the 2015 draft, as Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports tweets. Poutasi projects as a mid-round prospect.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Reserve/Futures Contracts: Monday
Teams have been announcing their reserve/futures deals all day long, but not every club has made those pacts official. Here are the odds and ends from today as we await the full slate:
49ers
- Garrison Smith, DL (via agent David Canter on Twitter)
- Chris Martin, OL (via agent Brett Tessler on Twitter)
Bears
- Conor Boffeli, G
- Jonathan Brown, LB
- Rashad Lawrence, WR
- Jacob Maxwell, TE
- Jason Weaver, T (all via Adam Hoge of WGN on Twitter)
Broncos
- Jeremy Kelley, WR
- Curtis Marsh, CB
- Chase Vaughn, DE
- Kyle Williams, WR (all via Troy Renck of the Denver Post on Twitter)
Buccaneeers
- Matthew Masifilo, DT (via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times on Twitter)
- Shelton Johnson, S (via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times on Twitter)
Eagles
- Josh Andrews, OL (via Tessler on Twitter)
Falcons
- Brandan Bishop, S (via agent David Canter on Twitter)
Saints
- Toben Opurum, FB
- Willie Snead, WR (via Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune on Twitter)
Washington
- Lakendrick Ross, DL (via ESPN 980 on Twitter)