Extra Points: Titans, Schwartz, Kearse, Harrison
A look around the NFL as divisional weekend wraps up. . .
- The Titans’ owners chose Jon Robinson as the team’s general manager and promoted Mike Mularkey from interim head coach to the full-time role largely because neither came at a high price, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. Further, the decision by Titans ownership to skip a recent league meeting in Houston, home of managing partner Amy Adams Strunk, and announce the Mularkey news during a playoff game aren’t sitting well with the NFL, per La Canfora – who notes that the Titans could change hands by 2017.
- The Jaguars have interviewed Jim Schwartz for their vacant defensive coordinator position, Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez reports (on Twitter). Though the Jags (and others) are courting Schwartz, the 49-year-old is being selective about his future and could take a second straight season away from the sideline, La Canfora reports. Schwartz last served as Buffalo’s D-coordinator in 2014, helping the unit to a fourth overall ranking.
- Seahawks receiver Jermaine Kearse just finished a career season, catching 49 passes for 685 yards and five touchdowns. The four-year veteran, a pending free agent, doesn’t want to parlay his successful 2015-16 showing into a job elsewhere; he’d rather stay where he is. ”I mean I grew up in the state of Washington. I would love to be here,” the soon-to-be 26-year-old said Sunday, per The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta (Twitter link). Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap expects Kearse’s next deal to sit in the $3.5MM-per-year range (Twitter link).
- Like Kearse, Steelers great James Harrison also faces an uncertain future. The five-time Pro Bowl linebacker is unsure whether he’ll return next season, which would be his age-38 campaign. “I’ve been doing this for 13, 14 years now, so it’s not something I can easily give a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to right now,” he said Sunday, according to Ralph N. Paul of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Harrison is due a $1.25MM base salary in 2016.
Sunday Roundup: Manziel, Forsett, Jags
As the Panthers have their way with the Seahawks in the early going of this afternoon’s Divisional Round matchup, let’s take a look at some news and notes from around the league:
- We heard just a few days ago that new Browns head coach Hue Jackson was prepared to move on from Johnny Manziel, and the comments he made during a Bleacher Report interview this morning reaffirmed that sentiment. Per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Jackson told Bleacher Report that if Manziel was, in fact, in Las Vegas during the season finale, that would indicate to him that Manziel is not starter material. Jackson then went on to say, “I do believe that this team does need a quarterback.”
- Although it’s certainly not a lock, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com believes the Ravens will bring back Justin Forsett next season. The team would gain only $900K of salary cap space by cutting Forsett, and although the other backs on the team’s depth chart have shown some promise, they have significant flaws and are largely unproven.
- Packers WR Randall Cobb suffered a bruised lung in last night’s heartbreaking loss to the Cardinals, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Jason Wilde of ESPN.com tweets that the team does not yet have an update on Cobb.
- Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley has finally begun his search for a new defensive coordinator in earnest, bringing in Marquand Manuel and Lou Anarumo for interviews last week. Per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, Bradley hopes to have the search wrapped up by January 25, and Manuel and/or Anarumo could join the Jacksonville coaching staff even if they don’t land the coordinator position. O’Halloran adds that current defensive line coach Todd Wash could still be promoted to DC.
- In a separate piece, O’Halloran looks at the issues facing the Jaguars‘ new DC, whoever it may be, including what to do with Jonathan Cyprien and whether the team should pursue an elite corner like Prince Amukamara or Greg Toler in free agency or if it can afford to look for a second-tier option.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com offers his breakdown of the Titans‘ cap situation and free agency outlook.
- Mark Maske of the Washington Post observes that the teams looking for a new head coach this offseason were thinking offensively. Of the seven new hires, five were offensive coordinators, and the other two (Mike Mularkey and Chip Kelly) are of course offensive-minded.
Coach Rumors: Giants, Jags, Titans, Marrone
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
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).
Los Angeles Leftovers: Raiders/Chargers Notes
Earlier today, we rounded up several updates on Los Angeles relocation from the perspective of the Rams and their Inglewood stadium project. Of course, while the Rams have some sense of resolution now, the other two teams involved in the situation – the Raiders and Chargers – remain in limbo.
The Chargers will have to regroup and decide whether they want to attempt to work out a deal with Stan Kroenke at the Rams that puts them in Los Angeles for 2016. As for the Raiders, the official statement from the team in the wake of the NFL’s big Tuesday decision didn’t even mention Oakland, and owner Mark Davis alluded to finding a home for the franchise. So while the Raiders may end up back in Oakland in 2016, the club’s long-term future in the Bay Area is far from secure.
Here are a few updates on the Raiders’ and Chargers’ situation as those franchises look ahead to their next steps:
- If the Chargers end up deciding to move to Inglewood, the Raiders may zero in on San Diego, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter links). Bonsignore adds that there’s no chance the Raiders will try to move to St. Louis, and Jaguars owner Shad Khan told Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link) that his franchise won’t be heading to Missouri either.
- According to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, there are some indications that Chargers owner Dean Spanos will try to strike a deal with Kroenke and the Rams within the next month or two, but that’s not his first preference. King adds that it’s a long shot to think that the Inglewood stadium will ever be a real option for Mark Davis and the Raiders.
- Spanos, who will spend the next few weeks weighing his options, called the process “excruciating, for everyone,” per Bernie Wilson of The Associated Press. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), the Chargers brass was “floored” by Tuesday’s outcome.
- Spanos’ options if he tries to strike a deal with Kroenke will likely come down to putting up $500MM+ for the new stadium to become a partner in the project, or going in as a tenant, says La Canfora (Twitter links). As the CBS scribe observes, coming aboard as a tenant on an affordable lease would be more within Spanos’ price range, but he wouldn’t share in the wealth as much in that scenario.
- Per La Canfora (Twitter links), the Rams can’t sell PSLs and stadium naming rights, among other things, until February 15, 2017, unless they bring a second team aboard before then, so there’s incentive for Kroenke to get something done with Spanos and the Chargers.
Sunday Roundup: Wood, Burfict, Koetter
As the Vikings and Seahawks do battle in frigid Minneapolis, let’s take a look at some links from around the league:
- New Lions president Rod Wood admits to not having any football experience, but no one was especially concerned about that, as Wood is expected to handle the business side of the club while new GM Bob Quinn will handle the football side. But as Kyle Meinke of MLive.com writes, Detroit’s press release announcing Quinn’s hire noted that Quinn would report to team ownership and to Wood, which suggests that Wood could be wielding more power than initially believed.
- Unsurprisingly, Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict is facing a suspension for his hit on Antonio Brown last night, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
- ESPN’s Ed Werder believes it is “unlikely” that the Bengals will part ways with head coach Marvin Lewis (Twitter link), and Mark Maske of the Washington Post lays out the reasons for his belief that Lewis should stay.
- Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel believes the Packers‘ efforts this season have been hampered by GM Ted Thompson‘s lack of in-season roster moves to address the team’s weaknesses. Since 2010, Green Bay has been awarded just two players on waivers, and Thompson has gone to the practice squad 70% of the time to fill vacancies on the 53-man roster.
- Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune tweets that Dirk Koetter is still the leading candidate for the Buccaneers‘ head coaching job, though Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that Koetter “really impressed” the 49ers during his interview with San Francisco yesterday. Tampa Bay also interviewed Panthers DC Sean McDermott yesterday.
- Gus Bradley is taking his time with the Jaguars‘ search for a new defensive coordinator and has yet to establish a deadline for the decision, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union.
- Texans unrestricted free agents Ben Jones and Jared Crick both expressed their desire to remain in Houston, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- Meanwhile, two notable players have declared that they will enter the NFL draft: Arkansas RB Alex Collins (Twitter link via ESPN’s Joe Schad) and Utah State LB Nick Vigil (Twitter link via Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net).
Coaching Notes: Falcons, Patriots, Titans
Some assorted coaching notes from around the NFL…
- The Falcons aren’t expected to let Keith Armstrong join the Jets as the organization’s special teams coordinator, writes Kimberly A. Martin of Newsday.com. The coach has a strong relationship with Todd Bowles, but since Armstrong has two years left on his contract, it’s unlikely Atlanta would let him leave for a lateral move.
- Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will interview for the Browns head coaching gig today, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that despite the amount of interest, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels isn’t expected to interview for any head coaching jobs this week.
- The Titans have requested permission to interview Jaguars assistant Doug Marrone, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team has also asked to interview Vikings assistant general manager George Paton, but that request was denied.
- Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is in the running for both the Eagles and Giants head coaching jobs, tweets ESPN’s Bill Williamson. The writer also passes along that Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is the favorite for his team’s head coaching gig.
NFL Workouts/Visits: 1/8/16
As teams look ahead to formulating their offseason rosters, they’ve begun to bring in free agents for both workouts and visits. Let’s look at the latest:
Workouts
Chargers (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Freddie Bishop, DL
- Euclid Cummings, DE
- Cleyon Laing, DL
Chiefs (Twitter link via Wilson)
- Michael Buchanan, DE
- Jordan Kovacs, S
- Eze Obiora, DE
- Alameda Ta’amu, DT
Jaguars (Twitter link via Wilson)
- Brandon Fields, P
- Marvin Kloss, K
- Spencer Lanning, P
Ravens (Twitter link via Wilson)
- Jeff Fuller, WR
- Eric Rogers, WR (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN)
- Terrell Sinkfield, WR
Steelers (Twitter link via Wilson)
- Freddie Bishop, DL
- Dexter McCoil, LB
- Eric Rogers, WR
- Dustin Vaughan, QB
Washington (Twitter link via Wilson)
- Cleyon Laing, DL
- Eric Rogers, WR
Visits
Cardinals (Twitter link via Wilson)
- Toby Johnson, DT (prior to signing with Vikings’ practice squad)
Chiefs (Twitter links via Wilson)
- Kenny Cook, WR
- Adrian Hubbard, LB
Giants (Twitter link via Wilson)
- Jake Bequette, DE
Steelers (Twitter link via Wilson)
Titans To Interview Chris Ballard For GM
The Titans are scheduled to interview Chiefs director of football operations Chris Ballard for their general manager vacancy on Monday, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). We learned yesterday that Tennessee had requested and received permission to interview Ballard.
[RELATED: Patriots OC Josh McDaniels interested in Titans’ head coaching job]
Ballard, who just completed his third season with Kansas City, has been an NFL personnel man for 15 years, and was considered a strong candidate for the Bears GM job at this time last year. He’s one of several candidates for the Titans position, joining former Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist, Giants exec Marc Ross, and former Lions GM Martin Mayhew. The club also confirmed today that it had interviewed Jaguars director of player personnel Chris Polian and Buccaneers director of player personnel Jon Robinson.
As the Titans seek to replace Ruston Webster, there’s a question as to how their GM search will affect their hunt for new head coach. As Alex Marvez of FOX Sports notes (via Twitter), it’s a little surprising that Tennessee got such a late start; while the Dolphins, for example, have already completed seven head coaching interviews, the Titans have completed zero, as our head coaching search tracker shows.
Coach Rumors: Giants, L. Smith, Bucs, Dolphins
Asked today on The Michael Kay Show if the Giants will consider Lovie Smith for their head coaching opening, team co-owner John Mara said he’s “certainly aware” the former Buccaneers head coach is available. According to Mara, he’ll talk to his fellow decision-makers about Smith, but he isn’t sure yet whether the club will try to bring him in (Twitter links via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News).
For now, New York is targeting highly-regarded assistants, having interviewed their own coordinators, as well as Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
Here are a few more coaching-related updates from around the NFL:
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that he would be “very surprised” if former Falcons head coach Mike Smith doesn’t emerge as a strong candidate for the Buccaneers‘ vacancy. Smith interviewed with the Dolphins this week and has been mentioned as possible candidate for the Titans as well.
- According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), the Dolphins would’ve been one of the teams – along with the Eagles – that had interest in John Harbaugh if he became available, but Harbaugh isn’t going anywhere. The Dolphins continued their head coaching search today by interviewing Dan Campbell and, per a team release, Doug Marrone.
- The Jaguars will interview Falcons secondary coach Marquand Manuel for their defensive coordinator job, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). ESPN’s Vaughn McClure tweets that the meeting will take place on Tuesday.
- As first reported by Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter links), linebackers coach Jeff FitzGerald was fired by the Colts today. Indianapolis hired a new defensive coordinator this week, bringing in former Ravens linebackers coach Ted Monachino, so it looks like he has already started making changes to the unit.
- Meanwhile, on the offensive side of the ball, the Colts are interviewing John Benton (Dolphins), Pat Flaherty (Giants), and Chris Foerster (49ers) for their offensive line coach position, tweets Marvez.