Indianapolis Colts Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Coaching Rumors: Chiefs, Eagles, Colts, Rams

January 17th, 2016 at 4:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters, including Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star (Twitter links), that offensive coordinator Doug Pederson‘s replacement is already on Kansas City’s coaching staff, and also stated that he doesn’t expect Pederson to take any Chiefs assistants with him to Philadelphia.

A report earlier today indicated that Pederson would like to add Chiefs spread game analyst Brad Childress to his staff in some capacity, but Reid’s statements make it seem like that isn’t likely. This is just my speculation, but given Reid’s comments, I’d guess that Childress would be the leading to candidate to succeed Pederson as Kansas City OC.

Here’s more from the coaching circuit:

Former Jets/Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is a likely candidate for the Colts‘ vacant quarterbacks coach job, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Schottenheimer, who boasts nine years of NFL coordinating experience, spent this past season as Georgia’s OC.
It doesn’t sound like Mike Mularkey will retain Titans offensive coordinator Jason Michael, as Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link) reports that Michael is in line to join the Rams‘ coaching staff. Per Kuharsky, Michael would serve as either tight ends coach or passing game coordinator.
Longtime secondary coach — and former UNLV defensive coordinator — Tim Hauck will head to the Eagles to work as assistant defensive backs coach, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

Dolphins Interview Frank Reich, Clyde Christensen

January 16th, 2016 at 4:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins interviewed Frank Reich and Clyde Christensen for their offensive coordinator vacancy, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports tweets.

These are the first two interviews Adam Gase has conducted for this job. Miami hired Vance Joseph this week to run its defense.

Since fired by the Chargers, Reich hasn’t been connected to any coordinator jobs. The injury-plagued Chargers ranked 15th in offensive DVOA this season after slotting in at 11th in 2014. Under Ken Whisenhunt in 2013, the team resided at second in Football Outsiders’ top metric.

Christensen has been on the Colts’ staff since 2002, serving in various offensive capacities, including as OC from 2009-11. The Peyton Manning-led offense helped the Colts glide to 14-0 in ’09, but the franchise began a brief downward spiral after its Super Bowl loss. But the team retained Christensen, who has served as Indianapolis’ quarterbacks coach since 2012.

The Dolphins fired Bill Lazor during their tumultuous 2015 slate.

Colts Hire Joe Philbin As OL Coach

January 15th, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Luke Adams

8:31pm: Philbin won’t be regressing from head coach to position coach entirely. Part of the Colts’ offer includes the title of assistant head coach, which may have been the reason the former Dolphins boss chose Indianapolis over the Giants, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

4:52pm: Former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin has found a new home, and despite the rumors and speculation this week, he didn’t land in New York. The Colts announced today in a press release that they’ve hired Philbin as their offensive line coach.

As recently as Thursday, following the hiring of Ben McAdoo as the Giants’ new head coach, multiple reports indicated that Philbin would likely land on McAdoo’s staff, possibly in the role of assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. However, it seems Philbin – and the Giants – are going in another direction. Mike Garafolo FOX Sports tweets that Philbin strongly considered the Giants before opting for the Colts.

Philbin, who was hired by the Dolphins as their head coach in 2012, led the team to a 24-28 record up until he was fired earlier this season. His tenure in Miami didn’t result in any postseason trips, but he enjoyed success in Green Bay before heading south, serving as the Packers’ offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2011. Prior to that, Philbin coached the team’s offensive line.

In Indianapolis, Philbin will be tasked with coaching an offensive line that may need to be upgraded this winter. Anthony Castonzo and Jack Mewhort look like a solid pairing on the left side, and Joe Reitz played reasonably well this year, but the Colts will want the group of players responsible for keeping Andrew Luck upright and healthy in 2016 to be more than just passable.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/14/16

January 14th, 2016 at 6:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:

The Chiefs signed defensive backs Keith Lewis and Deveron Carr to reserve/futures contracts, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle notes (via Twitter). Teams still alive in the postseason like the Chiefs are free to sign futures deals, but can’t do them yet for players on their practice squad.
The Eagles have signed tight end Chris Pantale, who spend most of the season on the team’s practice squad, to a reserve/futures contract, tweets Wilson.
The Dolphins have signed offensive lineman Charles Tuaau to a reserve/futures deal, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Tuaau, an undrafted rookie in 2015, spent the summer with the Chiefs but didn’t make the team’s regular-season roster.
The Patriots cut guard Torrian Wilson and re-signed wide receiver DeAndre Carter to their practice squad, Wilson tweets.
As first reported by Wilson at the National Football Post, Washington has signed edge defender Willie Jefferson to a reserve/futures contract. Jefferson had 24 tackles and six sacks for the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos in 2015.
The Colts signed defensive end Eze Obiora to a reserve/futures deal, Wilson tweets.

Coach Rumors: Giants, Jags, Titans, Marrone

January 14th, 2016 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

As the divisional round of the NFL postseason inches closer, the coaching carousel continues to spin for many of the clubs that have been eliminated from Super Bowl contention. Here are the latest coaching-related updates from around the NFL:

While there probably won’t be an official announcement until Friday at the earliest, sources expect the Giants to head into 2016 with Mike Sullivan at offensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo at defensive coordinator, and Joe Philbin coming aboard the assistant head coach and QBs coach, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
The Jaguars are interviewing Lou Anarumo, who finished 2015 as the Dolphins’ interim defensive coordinator, for their defensive coordinator opening, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets. Jacksonville is taking its time identifying a replacement for Bob Babich, having interviewed Falcons secondary coach Marquand Manuel earlier this week.
Doug Marrone completed his interview for the Titans‘ head coaching position today, and Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link) hears that the former Bills head coach made a good impression.
The Chargers have hired former Vikings offensive line coach Jeff Davidson for the same position in San Diego, the team announced today in a press release.
In addition to confirming their previously-reported hiring of linebackers coach Jim Herrmann, the Colts have announced that they’ve fired offensive line coach Hal Hunter, per Mike Wells of ESPN.com.

Coach Rumors: Bengals, Titans, Philbin, Colts

January 13th, 2016 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns struck a deal today to bring Hue Jackson aboard as their new coach, leaving five teams with active head coaching searches. Additionally, plenty more clubs are looking to hire assistants to fill out their staffs, so we’ve got plenty of coaching-related notes and rumors to round up this afternoon. Let’s dive in….

According to Michael Silver of NFL Media (via Twitter), before Jackson agreed to join the Browns, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis approached his offensive coordinator with a last-ditch attempt to keep Jackson in Cincinnati. Silver notes that the proposal included a succession plan, which would mean Jackson eventually replacing Lewis as the Bengals’ coach, but it wasn’t enough to keep him from moving on.
The Titans‘ interview with Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will take place on Friday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the club will interview Doug Marrone one day earlier, on Thursday.
The Colts have reached out to former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin to see if he’s interested in the team’s offensive line coach job, a source tells Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post.
Falcons secondary coach Marquand Manuel had a good meeting with Gus Bradley regarding the Jaguars‘ defensive coordinator opening, but Jacksonville has yet to make a decision on the position, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Alex Marvez of FOX Sports has several updates on assistant jobs around the NFL. Here’s the breakdown:
- The Colts have agreed to a deal with former Giants linebackers coach Jim Herrmann for the same position in Indianapolis (Twitter link).
- Former Dolphins head coach and current 49ers assistant Tony Sparano is interviewing today for the Vikings‘ offensive line coach opening and is a strong candidate to get the job (Twitter links).
- Former Vikings offensive line coach Jeff Davidson is interviewing for the same role with the Chargers (Twitter link).
- Former Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle is expected to replace Vance Joseph as the Bengals‘ defensive backs coach (Twitter link).

South Notes: Tillman, Titans, Hasselbeck

January 12th, 2016 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Panthers cornerback Charles Tillman will have ACL surgery on Wednesday, according to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). Tillman is, of course, sidelined for the playoffs and, at this time, he has not decided about his football future. Tillman, who turns 35 in February, had a nice bounce-back season in Carolina this year after playing in just 10 total games for the Bears in 2013 and 2014.

Let’s round up a few more items from out of the NFL’s South divisions….

Multiple Titans GM candidates, if they were hired, would choose against retaining Mike Mularkey as head coach, a source with knowledge of the team’s interview process told Jason Wolf of The Tennessean.
Matt Hasselbeck will wait a few weeks before making a final decision on whether or not to retire, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Hasselbeck’s contract with the Colts is set to expire, so he’ll have to sign a new deal with Indianapolis or another team if he intends to continue his playing career.
On the heels of a five-turnover performance by Brian Hoyer in the game that eliminated the Texans from the postseason, GM Rick Smith and head coach Bill O’Brien recognize that finding a “big-time quarterback like many of the other playoff teams” is the top priority for the franchise, says John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis has exerted greater control of the New Orleans Pelicans recently, but that’s only temporary, with Tom Benson‘s NBA team expected to bring in Joe Dumars to run the front office. Check out our sister site, Hoops Rumors, for the latest on Loomis’ involvement with the Pelicans.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Coach Rumors: Hue, Giants, Saban, Campbell

January 12th, 2016 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

Hue Jackson, who has received legit interest from the 49ers and Browns, will fly to New York this week and will meet with the Giants no later than Thursday morning, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Giants, who will talk to Jackson once the owners meetings in Houston conclude, are “serious” about the Bengals offensive coordinator, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.

Here are a few more Tuesday morning coaching updates:

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if Nick Saban will be any more open to an NFL return after adding another NCAA championship win to his résumé on Monday night. For what it’s worth, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the Buccaneers are considering almost every head coaching possibility, including Saban.
Former Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell is free to seek other job opportunities, and has received inquiries from the Vikings, Cowboys, and Chargers, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. A Monday report indicated that Campbell is likely to move on from the Dolphins.
For now, the Eagles aren’t planning any more head coaching interviews, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who tweets that the club will regroup and assess its options after this week’s owners meetings. La Canfora and ESPN’s Bill Williamson (Twitter link) both identify Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson as a strong candidate for the job.
The Colts are interviewing former Bears defensive backs coach Jon Hoke today, after having spoken to Bills DBs coach Donnie Henderson on Monday, per Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter links). While Henderson may not end up in Indianapolis, he won’t return to the Bills, a source tells Marvez.

Coach Updates: Joseph, Texans, Browns, Bucs

January 11th, 2016 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we passed along a report suggesting that former interim head coach Dan Campbell is unlikely to remain with the Dolphins. Now, Alex Marvez of FOX Sports has another update on Miami’s coaching staff, walking back his weekend report which suggested it was a “done deal” that Bengals assistant Vance Joseph would be joining the Dolphins as their defensive coordinator.

According to Marvez (Twitter links), Joseph can’t sign with another team until next Tuesday unless he’s released from his contract by the Bengals — the Dolphins could request Cincinnati release Joseph from his deal early, but the Bengals wouldn’t be required to do so.

Meanwhile, it’s not an absolute lock that Joseph will join the Dolphins when he’s free to sign with a new team. Per Marvez (Twitter link), there’s still a chance that the Bengals’ defensive backs coach could become Hue Jackson‘s defensive coordinator if Jackson gets a head coaching job, so a bidding war for Joseph’s services could be looming.

As we wait to see where Joseph lands, let’s round up a few more coaching-related updates…

The Texans have fired three assistant coaches, including special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Wide receivers coach Stan Hixon and special teams assistant Anthony Pleasant were also let go.
Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo and three other Browns assistants have been asked to remain with the team if the new head coach wants them, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. That means defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, and several other Cleveland coaches will be free to explore opportunities elsewhere.
According to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, “word on the coaching circuit” indicates Jon Gruden would have listened very earnestly if the Colts‘ head coaching job had become available. Gruden has been linked to the Eagles’ coaching vacancy, but it doesn’t appear the ESPN analyst is going anywhere.
After former NFL GM Mark Dominik (Twitter link) alluded to a coach in the postseason who would be a strong candidate for the Buccaneers‘ head coaching opening, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) identified that coach as Cardinals OC Harold Goodwin. Goodwin interviewed with the Bucs on Friday, but won’t be able to speak to the club again for at least a week, with Arizona still alive in the playoffs.

Coaching Rumors: Dolphins, Giants, McDermott

January 10th, 2016 at 8:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

After hiring Adam Gase, the Dolphins are acting quickly to form their new coaching staff.

But few holdovers are expected. According to Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez (on Twitter), only special teams coach Darren Rizzi to be retained. All of the Dolphins’ other assistants, excepting possibly Dan Campbell, will be fired.

Campbell’s status remains uncertain. The interim coach for most of 2015, Campbell reportedly finished second in the race to become the Fins’ next full-time head coach.

A Marvez report Saturday linked Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph, whom the Fox reporter has set to head to Miami as the team’s defensive coordinator, and a number of position coaches to comprise Gase’s defensive staff.

Here are some more coaching-related items as wild-card weekend concludes.

Although Hue Jackson has emerged as a candidate late in the process, the frontrunners to become Tom Coughlin‘s successor with the Giants are offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and Jaguars assistant head coach Doug Marrone, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports. McAdoo’s familiarity with Eli Manning and his helping the quarterback to a career resurgence is driving his candidacy, with the 38-year-old only having two seasons of coordinator experience. With Vacchiano noting the 51-year-old Marrone may not retain McAdoo if he becomes coach, Big Blue avoiding another offensive reboot will factor into its decision.
Both Vacchiano and the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz report John Mara prefers a candidate with head-coaching experience. Vacchiano points McAdoo in the Eagles’ direction if they are indeed serious about hiring Tom Coughlin. Schwartz believes Mara sees similarities in Mike Smith, who will interview with the team on Monday, and Coughlin. Their ages (Smith is 56; Coughlin was 57 when hired in 2004) and histories as head coaches are similar, and Schwartz notes Smith is one of Coughlin’s top confidants among head coaches.
The Giants, per Vacchiano, have also discussed requesting permission to interview Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, but since they didn’t do so during the Panthers’ bye week, the Giants must wait until either Carolina’s season concludes or the Panthers’ potential Super Bowl bye week.
The Browns did interview the 41-year-old McDermott on Sunday, Andrew Gribble of ClevelandBrowns.com reports. A defensive coordinator since 2009, with the Eagles and Panthers, respectively, McDermott also interviewed with the Buccaneers.
Jackson spoke with the Browns for 3 1/2 hours and talked with the 49ers for five hours Sunday in Cincinnati, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. Cleveland’s now interviewed seven candidates. The 49ers have met with five, according to Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News.
The Colts offered 49ers offensive line coach Chris Foerster the same position in Indianapolis, Marvez reports (on Twitter). The Dolphins offensive coordinator in 2004, Foerster’s been an offensive line coach with the Ravens, Washington and the 49ers since 2005. He’s served multiple stints in San Francisco, presiding over the 49ers’ line from 2008-09 and returning to the Bay Area in 2015 after five seasons in Washington.

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