East Rumors: Cowboys, Bills, Fins, Giants
The Cowboys are nearly finished revamping their coaching staff, as they’ve promoted Keith O’Quinn to special teams coordinator and promoted Ben Bloom as linebackers coach, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com. O’Quinn, who was previously Dallas’ assistant ST coach, was widely expected to be promoted to the full-time role to replace Rich Bisaccia, who left to join Jon Gruden‘s Raiders. Bloom, meanwhile, joined the Cowboys’ staff in 2011 and had most recently been an assistant coach for special projects. He’s taking over for Matt Eberflus, who is expected to become the Colts’ new defensive coordinator under presumptive head coach Josh McDaniels. Dallas is still planning to fill more two roles, tweets David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, as the club wants to hire a new tight ends coach and an assistant special teams coach to work under O’Quinn.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- While the Bills‘ pass defense finished 12th in DVOA thanks to solid performances from rookie cornerback Tre’Davious White and veteran safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, Buffalo has parted ways with defensive backs coach Gill Byrd, according to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link). To replace Byrd, the Bills have hired former Texans secondary coach John Butler, reports Alex Marvez of the Sporting News. Butler had spent the past four seasons Houston after following Bill O’Brien from Penn State to the Texans.
- The Dolphins have also found a new defensive backs coach, the club has hired Tony Oden to replace Lou Anarumo, per Marvez. Detroit parted ways with Oden last week as the team clears out its defensive staff prior to future head coach Matt Patricia‘s arrival. Oden had been with the Lions since 2014, but his tenure in the Motor City didn’t overlap with that of Miami defensive coordinator Matt Burke, who had left the club the year prior. Oden, who will now work with Xavien Howard, Reshad Jones, and T.J. McDonald, among others, has also coached with the Saints, Buccaneers, and Jaguars.
- One of the least productive units in the NFL has a new position coach, as the Giants have hired Hal Hunter as their offensive line coach, reports Marvez. Hunter boasts a lengthy coaching history that dates back to 1984, but he only first entered the NFL in 2006. He coached the Chargers’ offensive line and subsequently became San Diego’s offensive coordinator, and also had stops in Indianapolis and Cleveland.
Latest On Dolphins, Jarvis Landry
Th Dolphins have not yet presented Jarvis Landry with another offer after his representation made a counter-offer in mid-December, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The wide receiver has already told people close to him that he doesn’t expect to return to Miami, but Jackson cautions that a lot can happen between now and mid-March. As it stands, there is a sizable gap between the two sides.
Jarvis Landry Doesn’t Expect To Re-Sign With Dolphins
Pending free agent wide receiver Jarvis Landry has told those close to him that he is not optimistic he’ll reach a long-term deal with the Dolphins, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
[RELATED: Dolphins, Ravens Discussed Jarvis Landry Trade]
Landry’s contract status has long been the subject of scrutiny in Miami, but the Dolphins didn’t formally exchange contract offers until December. Miami has yet to counter Landry’s latest ask, which is reportedly in the neighborhood of $14MM annually with $30MM in guarantees. The Dolphins have publicly questioned Landry during negotiations, while Landry has in turn called the talks “disrespectful.”
“He’s a Dolphin, he was drafted here, he’s been productive,” Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum said at the Senior Bowl. “[Head coach] Adam [Gase] has used him and he’s produced and he’s gotten better. As the three of us said, we want sustainability. We want to keep as many of our own players, within reason. Draft and develop them. But you can’t keep them all. That’s part of the system that we all live in.”
On the field in 2017, Landry topped his touchdown total from the 2015-16 seasons combined by scoring nine times, but he still didn’t get down the field with any regularity. In fact, his yards per reception was at a career-low of 8.8, down from 12.1 a year ago. Football Outsiders ranked Landry just 59th among 86 qualifiers in DVOA, a metric that grades a receiver on a per-play basis.
As such, league sources tell Beasley that Landry will struggle to reach the $14MM threshold, as that salary range is dominated by outside receivers such as A.J. Green, Davante Adams, and Julio Jones. While Miami does have the option of using the franchise tag on Landry, such a tender would cost more than $16MM.
Ravens, Dolphins Talked Jarvis Landry Trade
The Ravens and Dolphins discussed a Jarvis Landry trade last offseason, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. However, Miami’s asking price was “prohibitive” and the deal did not go down. 
Landry is on the verge of free agency this year and it stands to reason that the Ravens could make a play for him. The Dolphins have interest in re-signing the wide receiver, but the two sides appear to be far apart on numbers. Recently, Landry characterized the talks as “disrespectful.” His agent, Damarius Bilbo, then made it clear that his client will not be taking a hometown discount to remain in Miami.
“How long has this franchise been around?,” Bilbo said. “It’s always going to be here. Take a discount? Absolutely not. This may be Jarvis’ first and last time to set himself up and his family up. He needs to strike and strike while the iron is hot. Plenty of guys that were drafted ahead of Jarvis have not performed to his level. Look at Jarvis’ performance level. If you want to compare him to the T.Y. Hiltons and the Doug Baldwins, those deals were done two or three years ago. It’s his time now. He’s next man up.”
It’s fair to wonder if Landry is actually in line for money that will top Baldwin ($11.5MM/year) and Hilton ($13MM/year). The 25-year-old is not much of a deep threat and there are other quality WRs about to hit the open market, including Sammy Watkins and Allen Robinson. However, Landry has averaged 100 catches for 1,010 yards over the past four seasons with 23 touchdowns over that span. There’s no denying that Landry moves the chains and the Ravens do like him as a player, so Zrebiec will not rule out the possibility of Baltimore making with that kind of cash.
It’s important to keep in mind that the early projections and demands for free agent wide receivers might not match up with what we actually see in March. Last year, there was talk of Alshon Jeffery, Kenny Stills, and Terrelle Pryor getting $12MM/season on multi-year deals. Here’s what actually happened: Jeffery wound up signing a one-year, $9.5MM contract (though he signed a lucrative extension in December), Stills got $8MM/year on a four-year pact, and Pryor signed a one year, $6MM deal. Landry could end up in the $13MM/year range, but don’t be surprised if he settles for seven figures instead.
Dolphins Remain Committed To Ryan Tannehill
The Dolphins will not among the team’s in the market for a quarterback this season. At least, not a starting quarterback. Ryan Tannehill’s health is a concern after he suffered ACL injuries in back-to-back seasons, but the team is “fully on the Tannehill bandwagon,” Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald writes.
That may seem like a no-brainer decision, but the Dolphins would only be on the hook for $4.6MM in dead money if they were to release Tannehill this offseason. Also, this year’s free agent quarterback market is the best its been in a while with players like Kirk Cousins, Drew Brees, and Case Keenum potentially reaching the open market. Rather than overpay for another vet in free agency, the Fins will move forward with Tannehill as their top QB.
Given Tannehill’s knee troubles, the Dolphins know that they have to have a solid QB2 at the ready if Tannehill suffers another injury. Trouble is, backup Matt Moore is headed for unrestricted free agency and Salguero hears that he may be headed for another team.
Moore, 34 in August, felt slighted by the signing of Jay Cutler and wants to explore his options to see if he might be a better fit with another team. Meanwhile, Cutler is also on an expiring contract and it’s hard to see the Dolphins shelling out enough money to keep him as a reserve, particularly given his up-and-down season. If Moore doesn’t return, Miami may want to explore some borderline QB1/QB2 types, like Tyrod Taylor. Alternatively, they could find their Tannehill contingency in the draft.
Opinion: Dolphins Right To Trade Ajayi
- Jay Ajayi has found success with the Eagles, but that doesn’t mean the Dolphins were wrong to trade him, Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders opines. It’s easy to forget, but Ajayi was shipped out of Miami for his perceived lack of work ethic and desire to improve his pass blocking. Meanwhile, the Dolphins still have Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams, who are better blockers and better pass catchers than Ajayi. Drake ran for more than 600+ yards and had two 100-yard games over the last nine games of the season after the trade, illustrating that coach Adam Gase & Co. may have made the right call by dealing Ajayi for a fourth-round pick.
Updated 2018 NFL Draft Order
With the conference championship games in the books, we now know the draft order for 30 of the first round’s 32 picks. Here’s the rundown:
1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)
2. New York Giants (3-13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)
4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)
5. Denver Broncos (5-11)
6. New York Jets (5-11)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)
8. Chicago Bears (5-11)
T-9. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
T-9. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (Note: The Raiders and 49ers have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broken by a coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 9 and the other club receiving the No. 10 pick.)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
13. Washington Redskins (7-9)
14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)
15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)
17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
20. Detroit Lions (9-7)
21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)
22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)
23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)
25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)
31. (New England Patriots (13-3) or Philadelphia Eagles (13-3))
32. (New England Patriots (13-3) or Philadelphia Eagles (13-3))
Dolphins Open To Drafting First-Round QB
The Dolphins are planning to select a quarterback in the 2018 draft, and the club is even amenable to drafting a signal-caller in Round 1, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
Miami, of course, had planned to utilize Ryan Tannehill as its starting quarterback for the sixth consecutive season, but were forced to sign the retired Jay Cutler after Tannehll suffered a torn ACL during training camp. Cutler, 35, finished just 21st in passer rating and 25th in adjusted net yards per pass attempt as the Dolphins posted a 6-10 record.
Given the timeline of Tannehill’s injury, he should be ready for the start of the 2018 campaign. The Dolphins have committed to Tannehill as their starting quarterback for next season, but they haven’t ruled out re-signing Cutler to serve as a backup. However, Cutler would almost surely have to accept less than the $10MM he received for the 2018 season. Cutler, who had originally agreed to serve as a commentator for FOX Sports before inking a deal with Miami, has indicated he wants to play in 2018.
The Dolphins own the No. 11 pick in the first round of April’s draft, so they may not have a shot at Sam Darnold (USC) or Josh Rosen (UCLA) without trading up. However, other options such as Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma), Josh Allen (Wyoming), and Lamar Jackson (Louisville) could be available.
Coaching Rumors: Cardinals, McAdoo, Fins
The Cardinals interviewed two more head coach candidates today, but the search will continue into next week, according to Kent Somers of AZCentral Sports. The Cardinals have met with Steve Wilks and Keith Armstrong twice and will not need to interview current defensive coordinator James Bettcher another time because of his history with the organization. The team will also interview John DeFilippo and Brian Flores next week, per Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com (Twitter link).
In addition, Somer states that the team could look at giving Jim Schwartz a second interview, but Jurecki did not mention the Eagles defensive coordinator in his tweet. The search is mostly continuing because both the Eagles and Patriots will be playing in their respective conference championships, so depending on how the games shake out, Arizona could resolve their head coaching search by the end of next week.
Finally, Somers importantly notes that former Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians has recommended Bettcher and Armstrong among this pool of coaches the front office is considering.
Here are more a coaching notes from around the NFL:
- In more Cardinals coaching staff news, now two former staffers have now left for new opportunities, reports Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link). In addition to former special teams coordinator Amos Jones moving onto the same position with the Browns, former wide receiver coach Darryl Drake has been hired by the Steelers.
- Hue Jackson is adding an offensive coordinator to his staff and have interviewed former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo for the job. He interviewed with the Browns three days ago and apparently “It went fine”, a Browns source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Anderson adds that the source mentioned that they are “Just not going to rush into anything” after speaking to two candidates as of right now. Cleveland is also interviewing a high profile college coach in LSU’s RB coach Tommy Robinson for the same position on their staff, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- The Dolphins announced a slew of coaching moves today. The biggest apart from Dowell Loggains being brought on as offensive coordinator is former OC Clyde Christensen being reassigned as the team’s new director of football and player development. Shawn Jefferson was wide receivers coach, but will now be an assistant head coach working with the offense. They are also are promoting Ben Johnson to WR coach. He got experience with this group of players as an assistant WR coach last season.
- The Bears have named Brock Olivo as the team’s new assistant special teams coach, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Olivo was the Broncos’ special teams coordinator last year and was with Matt Nagy on the Chiefs’ staff from 2014-16 as an assistant to special teams coordinator Dave Toub. He previously was a former running back for the Lions back in his playing days.
- The Texans have promoted Anthony Midget to the team’s secondary coach, according to Mark Berman of Fox26 (Twitter link). Berman also notes that they have also hired Danny Barrett as the RB coach and Tracy Smith as an assistant special teams coach.
Latest On Dolphins, Jarvis Landry
If the Dolphins re-sign Jarvis Landry, it won’t come cheap. The wide receiver’s agent says that his client has no interest in taking any sort of hometown discount to remain in Miami. 
“How long has this franchise been around?,” agent Damarius Bilbo said (via Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post). “It’s always going to be here. Take a discount? Absolutely not. This may be Jarvis’ first and last time to set himself up and his family up. He needs to strike and strike while the iron is hot. Plenty of guys that were drafted ahead of Jarvis have not performed to his level. Look at Jarvis’ performance level. If you want to compare him to the T.Y. Hiltons and the Doug Baldwins, those deals were done two or three years ago. It’s his time now. He’s next man up.”
Landry and Bilbo could be eyeing Davante Adams‘ deal with the Packers, which pays $14.5MM per year. As Bilbo is quick to point out, Adams did not take a hometown discount in those negotiations.
For reference, Hilton earns $13MM/year and Baldwin makes $11.5MM. From the sound of it, Landry’s camp is aiming higher than that since the cap has increased and the WR market has progressed.
Instead of a long-term deal, the Dolphins could retain Landry with either the franchise tag or transition tag. Starting on February 20, the Dolphins can tag Landry at the franchise rate of $16.5MM or the transition rate of $14.2MM. The cheaper transition tag would grant the Dolphins the right to match any offer, but they would not receive any draft pick compensation if they decline. The Fins have until March 6 to apply either tag.
This week, Landry said that Miami’s most recent offer was “disrespectful.”