Extra Points: NFLPA, Mayo, Van Pelt, Raiders
The NFL Players Association has formally filed a grievance against the league challenging the NFL’s new personal conduct policy, which was adopted in December despite the NFLPA’s objections, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The union contends that it didn’t have an opportunity to collectively bargain many key points of the new policy, arguing that the policy violates the CBA and that it was adopted “without the consent, and over the objections, of the NFLPA.”
While we wait to see what comes of the union’s grievance, let’s round up several items from across the NFL….
- Injured Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo has been prioritizing his rehabilitation after a season-ending knee injury, and fully intends to get back on the field in 2015, but he has also developed an interest in coaching during his time spent on injured reserve, writes Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “I’m just trying to learn as much as I can,” Mayo said. “If I do choose to go down that road, hopefully I can apply some of these principles that I’ve learned from coach [Bill] Belichick in my coaching career.”
- While a previous report revealed the Packers turned down the Rams’ request to speak to Alex Van Pelt about their offensive coordinator job, St. Louis wasn’t the only team rebuffed by Green Bay. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), the Jaguars and Bears were also denied permission to interview Van Pelt.
- The Raiders have officially confirmed a handful of new additions to Jack Del Rio’s staff, announcing in a press release that they’ve hired Todd Downing (QB coach), Marcus Robertson (DB coach), Sal Sunseri (LB coach), and Mike Tice (OL coach).
- The Jets also announced several new assistants in addition to their new coordinators. According to the team, Mike Caldwell (assistant HC/ILB coach), Mark Collins (OLB coach), Joe Danna (DB/S coach), and Karl Dorrell (WR coach) are among the new arrivals.
- Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey isn’t phased by the fact that 2015 could be a make-or-break season for him and head coach Joe Philbin, suggesting that he approaches every season as if it’s make-or-break, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- The Texans have made some front office changes, promoting Jon Carr to director of college scouting and hiring Matt Jansen to the new position of college scouting coordinator, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links).
- We learned yesterday that Kansas State wide receiver Tyler Lockett met with the Dolphins at the Senior Bowl, but Miami is far from the only team to interview Lockett. The wideout, who is generating plenty of buzz in Mobile, tells James Walker of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that he spoke to 28 NFL teams this week.
NFC North Notes: Packers, Cobb, Mathis
With cornerbacks Tramon Williams and Davon House both eligible for free agency this offseason, the Packers must decide whether to retain one, neither, or both, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. For his part, House would like to see both he and Williams work out new deals with the team.
“In a perfect world, we both come back,” House said. “But there’s only two starting corners on each team. Tramon is well-deserving. I feel like my potential is pretty high. So we’ll see, we’ll see.”
Here’s more from around the NFC North:
- A team source tells Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com that he can’t see Packers GM Ted Thompson letting wideout Randall Cobb get away in free agency. However, Cobb says that until he has signed on the dotted line, he “can’t be for certain on anything.”
- Asked at the end of the 2014 season if he wanted to play one more season, cornerback Rashean Mathis suggested that he may have more than one year left in him, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details. Although Mathis turns 35 before the 2015 season, he’s coming off a strong year, and would like to re-sign with the Lions, though he didn’t rule out the possibility of playing for another team.
- Longtime Vikings nose tackle Kevin Williams is playing for the Seahawks now, looking for his first Super Bowl ring next Sunday, but when he eventually retires he wants to sign a one-day contract with Minnesota and go out as a Viking, as he tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Extra Points: Luck, Wilson, Ireland, Chudzinski
With Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson now eligible for extensions, there’s speculation that new high watermarks could be set for quarterback salaries and guarantees, but there’s also “major concern” among rival agents about negotiations for the two star signal-callers, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). As Cole explains, both players are represented by fairly inexperienced agents — Wilson is repped by Mark Rodgers, primarily a baseball agent, while Luck’s uncle William Wilson reps the Indianapolis star.
These two deals are expected to have a significant trickle-down effect on future contracts for players at every position, not just for other quarterbacks. Wilson and Luck already have such impressive resumés that they should be in line for guarantees in excess of $50MM+ on their next contracts, rather than anything close to the limited guaranteed money that players like Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton accepted in their recent extensions, so fellow agents are hoping that neither Luck’s camp nor Wilson’s camp settles for a modest deal, lowering the bar for future extensions.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- After Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reported overnight (via Twitter) that former Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland was expected to become the Saints’ college scouting director, general Mickey Loomis confirmed today to reporters that Ireland had indeed been hired to oversee the team’s college scouting process (Twitter links).
- Having reported earlier that the Colts were denying Rob Chudzinski permission to speak to teams about offensive coordinator jobs, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch adds an important piece of clarification (via Twitter): Chudzinski’s contract is set to expire in a week, at which point he’s free to interview anywhere, meaning he could still be in play for a team like the Bears, 49ers, or Rams.
- In addition to having their attempt to talk to Chudzinski rebuffed, the 49ers were denied permission to speak to Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph about their defensive coordinator opening, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Cincinnati also blocked the Broncos’ efforts to pursue Joseph for a DC job.
- According to Jason Fitzgerald’s projections at Over the Cap, the Patriots, Chiefs, and Bengals appear likely to land third-round compensatory picks in this year’s draft for losing Aqib Talib, Branden Albert, and Michael Johnson – respectively – in free agency a year ago. Fitzgerald also forecasts rookie pool amounts by team for 2015, with the Buccaneers’ rookie cap projected to exceed $8MM.
- While the Rams are often said to be “only” a quarterback away from contention, finding that QB isn’t exactly an easy task, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Wagoner passes along a number of quotes from Rams general manager Les Snead about the team’s quest to identify a long-term answer at the position.
- Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes a look at the upcoming offseasons for the league’s championship weekend losers, the Packers and Colts.
Coach Notes: Browns, Ravens, Rams, Austin
Six of the seven teams changing head coaches this offseason have officially hired replacements, and the Falcons appear fully prepared to wait for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. However, while there may not be much drama left among the league’s head coaching searches, there’s still plenty of intrigue in the coordinator searches, as a number of noteworthy coaches continue to look for jobs. Here’s a round-up of the latest updates:
- The Browns have canceled their offensive coordinator interview with Raiders senior offensive assistant Al Saunders, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The meeting hasn’t been rescheduled, and no reason was given for the cancellation, so it’s not clear why it will no longer happen.
- In addition to not interviewing Saunders, the Browns also won’t speak to former Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). A Tuesday report had suggested Mornhinweg was expected to talk to the club about the job.
- While Mornhinweg apparently won’t interview with the Browns, he has drawn interest from the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Baltimore hired Marc Trestman as its new offensive coordinator yesterday, so Mornhinweg would be a candidate for the team’s quarterbacks coach job.
- The Rams have been denied permission to speak to two of their offensive coordinator candidates, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports that the Colts blocked the Rams from talking to Rob Chudzinski, while the Packers thwarted St. Louis’ efforts to talk to Alex Van Pelt. The Rams still hope to interview Adam Gase, who is in Chicago today to speak to the Bears.
- While Teryl Austin could still technically end up becoming the Falcons‘ new head coach, it sure looks like the Lions defensive coordinator will be returning to Detroit, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details.
- The Broncos will hope for a change of heart from the Bengals on secondary coach Vance Joseph, whom Denver targeted as its top defensive coordinator target, but with Cincinnati refusing to release Joseph from his contract, the Broncos are moving forward on other candidates, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
- Mike Smith has been the Raiders‘ top target for defensive coordinator since Jack Del Rio was named head coach, tweets Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune. If an established coach like Smith lands Oakland’s DC job, he’ll have more autonomy than a younger coach would — Del Rio would be more involved on D in that case, says McDonald.
North Notes: Browns, Martz, Packers, Vikes
The Browns‘ search for an offensive coordinator appears to have been one of the league’s more expansive hunts so far, with nearly a dozen candidates linked to the position at some point, though many have since found other jobs. Still, perhaps no name among Cleveland’s candidates is more surprising than the one Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets today. According to Rapoport, former Rams head coach Mike Martz recently interviewed with the Browns for their OC job. A source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link) that Martz is indeed interested in returning to coaching after essentially being retired since leaving the Bears after the 2011 season.
Here’s more on the Browns and a few other teams from out of the NFL’s two North divisions:
- It’s not clear if the Browns have requested permission to interview him at this point, but Packers offensive coordinator Tom Clements is on the club’s radar, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. While a move to Cleveland’s offensive coordinator job would technically be a lateral move for Clements, he doesn’t currently call the plays in Green Bay, with head coach Mike McCarthy handling that role.
- In the wake of the Packers’ loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, right tackle Bryan Bulaga wasn’t ready on Monday to speculate about whether or not he’ll be back in Green Bay next season, as Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. “Right now, I’m really not even thinking about it to be honest with you. That’s really the last thing on my mind,” Bulaga said. “It’s a ‘we’ll see what happens’ kind of deal. This just ended yesterday. It’s kind of hard to look at it right now.”
- With 14 players, including Bulaga, eligible for free agency this offseason, the Packers almost certainly won’t be able to retain everyone, but the “dream scenario” is to re-sign as many of those potential FAs as they can, says Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a look at some of the notable upcoming offseason decisions facing the Vikings, identifying Greg Jennings‘ deal as one worth restructuring, and Adrian Peterson and Chad Greenway as likely cap casualties.
- In addition to working out Shawn Lemon, who signed a contract, and Delvin Breaux, whose tryout was previously reported, the Steelers also auditioned offensive linemen Brett Jones and Erle Ladson, punter Kasey Redfern, and kicker Jake Rogers, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Extra Points: Browns, Carter, Cobb
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Monday evening…
- Jets assistant head coach/running backs coach Anthony Lynn will interview for the Browns offensive coordinator opening tomorrow, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
- CFL wideout Duron Carter is likely finished with workouts, tweets ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling. The writer notes that the player’s agent is currently talking with the Vikings, Colts and Browns.
- While Sunday’s crushing loss could be Randall Cobb‘s last game with the Packers, the potential free agent made it clear after the game that his first choice is to return to Green Bay, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com.
- Former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi is currently a consultant for the Bears, but Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets that the executive’s last day with the organization is Tuesday.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
OC Notes: Rams, Ravens, Gase, Bears
Many teams still have openings for their offensive coordinator position, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). With seven openings still needed to be filled, he notes that there will be a lot of competition for the top candidates.
Of the seven jobs Zrebiec believes still need to be filled, he has not counted the Falcons, who filled their position last night despite not having a head coach, and the Jets, who have been strongly linked to Chan Gailey (via Twitter).
For a full list of all coordinator hirings and firings check out our Offensive/Devensive Coordinator Tracker.
Here are some notes about potential offensive coordinator hires:
- The Rams have requested permission to speak with Colts assistant coach Rob Chudzinski regarding their offensive coordinator opening, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- The Rams have also sought permission to interview Packers quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt for the OC opening, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
- The Ravens are currently interested in a number of candidates, and a list of possibilities has been compiled by Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. The guy he puts as the front runner right now is former Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who has led record breaking offenses in Denver with Peyton Manning.
- Gase is expected to eventually land with either the Ravens or Jaguars, reports Rapoport (via Twitter). He will interview with the Ravens soon.
- The Bears have asked for permission to interview Lions quarterbacks coach Jim Bob Cooter for their open offensive coordinator position, reports Rapoport (via Twitter). Unfortunately for them, the Lions have denied permission.
Coach Notes: Capers, Fangio, Bills, Kubiak
Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers is not planning on retiring anytime soon. The 64-year-old has had to work some overtime since he joined the organization in 2009, as the team’s made the playoffs in each of his six seasons. However, the former Panthers and Texans coach isn’t tiring.
“I would like to coach as long as I enjoy it and feel I have something to offer,” Capers told Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel. “If I didn’t feel I have something to offer I wouldn’t do it anymore.
“I’m enjoying it. My health’s excellent. You can talk to anybody here… who spends the most hours here? And I’d like to think (I have something to offer).”
Other coaching notes from the around the league:
- Following reports that the Bears had requested permission to interview Vic Fangio, Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 in D.C. tweets that the team will indeed meet with the former 49ers defensive coordinator. Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets that Fangio will then travel to meet with Washington this evening.
- In the same tweet, Barrows notes that former 49ers defensive backs coach Ed Donatell will likely follow the coordinator wherever he goes.
- Aaron Kromer has signed a two-year deal with the Bills to become the team’s offensive line coach, according to ESPN’s John Clayton (via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak on Twitter). The former Bears offensive coordinator was fired in late December.
- Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post says Gary Kubiak is the right choice for the Broncos head coaching opening. The writer believes the coach’s communication abilities will allow him to flourish with Peyton Manning. Reversely, if Manning decides to retire, the coach would also be the “perfect man” to groom a young, developing quarterback.
2015 Proven Performance Escalator Raises
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time in said snaps for the duration of his first three years in the league. If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s restricted free agent qualifying offer — that figure was $1.431MM last year, and will inflate commensurate with the salary cap increase. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their 2015 salary rise due to the PPE, courtesy of Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap.
Bengals: George Iloka, S; Mohamed Sanu, WR
Bills: Nigel Bradham, LB
Broncos: Malik Jackson, DL; Danny Trevathan, LB;
Browns: Billy Winn, DL
Cardinals: Bobby Massie, T
Chargers: Johnnie Troutman, G
Colts: Dwayne Allen, TE; T.Y. Hilton, WR
Dolphins: Lamar Miller, RB; Olivier Vernon, DE
Eagles: Brandon Boykin, CB; Nick Foles; QB
Falcons: Lamar Holmes, T
Jets: Demario Davis, LB; Antonio Allen, DB
Packers: Mike Daniels, DL
Panthers: Josh Norman, CB
Patriots: Alfonzo Dennard, CB
Raiders: Miles Burris, LB
Rams: Chris Givens, WR; Trumaine Johnson, CB
Ravens: Gino Gradkowski, C
Saints: Akiem Hicks, DT; Corey White, CB
Seahawks: J.R. Sweezy, G; Russell Wilson, QB
Steelers: Kelvin Beachum, T
Texans: Brandon Brooks, G; Jared Crick, DL; Ben Jones, G
Titans: Coty Sensabaugh, CB
Vikings: Robert Blanton, S: Rhett Ellison, TE; Josh Robinson, CB; Jarius Wright, WR
Washington: Alfred Morris, RB
Coach Notes: Bucs, Bears, Marrone, Coyle
The Buccaneers have parted ways with quarterbacks coach and interim offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Arroyo stepped in to run Tampa Bay’s offense during the 2014 season during Jeff Tedford‘s absence, but hadn’t been mentioned as a candidate to step into the role permanently since the team officially let Tedford go at season’s end.
Let’s round up a few more afternoon news items and rumors on the coaching front….
- One coach the Buccaneers tried to interview for their OC opening was Mike Mularkey of the Titans, but Tennessee turned them down. John Fox and the Bears are expected to seek permission to speak to Mularkey about the offensive coordinator position in Chicago, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter), so we’ll see if the Titans say no to Fox as well.
- Following Teryl Austin‘s lead, Doug Marrone has canceled his head coaching interview with the Broncos, which had been scheduled for Saturday, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Marrone will wait to see what happens with Gary Kubiak, who is set to talk to Denver on Sunday, and is viewed as the frontrunner for the position.
- Despite some initial uncertainty at the end of the regular season, defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle will remain with the Dolphins for the 2015 campaign under head coach Joe Philbin, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- Current and former Falcons coaches are among Jack Del Rio‘s targets for the Raiders, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com and Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 in Washington (Twitter links). Williamson continues to hear that Del Rio has interest in Mike Tice, but Atlanta won’t give the Raiders permission to interview the offensive line coach. Per Russini, Del Rio is trying to hire Mike Smith as his defensive coordinator, but it most likely won’t happen.
- Russini (Twitter link) is hearing that Mike Shanahan may be in play for the 49ers‘ offensive coordinator job under Jim Tomsula.
- Former Bills offensive coordinator Nate Hackett is interviewing with the Jaguars today for the team’s OC opening, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that at least two other clubs are also interested in Hackett.
- We can also add the Jaguars to the list of teams looking to interview Adam Gase for their offensive coordinator opening, tweets Schefter. The Falcons and Rams want to speak to Gase about an OC role as well.
- If Teryl Austin lands the Falcons‘ head coaching job, Packers safeties coach Darren Perry looks like a candidate to become his defensive coordinator, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).