Josh McDaniels Prefers 49ers’ HC Job
Contingents from the 49ers, Jaguars and Rams will travel to Massachusetts on Saturday to interview Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels regarding their head coaching vacancies. Of the teams courting McDaniels, the 49ers interest him the most, a source told Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Niners are enticing to McDaniels for several reasons, including CEO Jed York’s willingness to patiently rebuild, according to Branch. The club is also looking for a general manager, and it could land one who’s already on good terms with McDaniels if it tabs ESPN analyst Louis Riddick or Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio. The 49ers will meet with Riddick next week, though it’s unclear whether they’ll speak with Caserio.
McDaniels, who will spend the next month vying for his fifth Super Bowl ring as an assistant, already has prior head coaching experience. That stint, which lasted from 2009-10 with the Broncos, included a mere 11 wins in 28 games. However, the 40-year-old offensive guru has rebuilt his stock since returning to the Patriots in 2012.
If McDaniels does depart New England again for a head coaching job, the 49ers would ostensibly be a logical choice. While the franchise has plummeted to the league’s cellar since parting with Jim Harbaugh after the 2014 season, it’s in position to rebound with 11 picks – including No. 2 overall – in this year’s draft and the most cap space in the NFC. San Francisco probably doesn’t have an answer at quarterback on its roster, especially if Colin Kaepernick opts out of his contract, but the new GM and McDaniels could perhaps find one in the draft or even swing a trade for Pats backup Jimmy Garoppolo.
Vince Wilfork Mulling Retirement
Texans nose tackle Vince Wilfork is preparing for the team’s wild-card round game against the Raiders on Saturday, but he’s also contemplating his future in the NFL. The 13th-year man revealed Tuesday that he could retire after the season.
“I’ve been thinking about it,” Wilfork said (via Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com). “I’m not saying I will do it, and I’m not saying that I won’t do it. But it’s definitely not off the table.”
The 35-year-old Wilfork just wrapped up a regular season in which he started in all 15 appearances and finished second among Texans defensive linemen in snaps (507). However, the 325-pounder’s overall performance didn’t draw rave reviews from Pro Football Focus, which ranked him 99th among 123 qualified interior defenders. Wilfork was a much more imposing presence as a member of the Patriots from 2004-14, earning five Pro Bowl nods and winning a pair of Super Bowls during that span.
Wilfork, who entered the league as a first-round pick from Miami, left New England in March 2015 to sign a two-year deal with the Texans. That contract will expire after the season, so Wilfork’s career might not continue in Houston even if he does return in 2017. In the meantime, he’ll spend the coming weeks trying to earn a third Super Bowl ring.
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Coaching Rumors: Lynn, 49ers, McDaniels
The latest news on the league’s coaching vacancies:
- For a complete rundown of every interview scheduled for the teams in search of a new coach, check out PFR’s 2017 NFL Head Coaching Tracker.
- Anthony Lynn‘s interview with the 49ers will take place today (Wednesday), according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will interview with the Rams, Jaguars, and 49ers all on the same day, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe writes. McDaniels will huddle up with all three teams on Saturday in separate rooms at a hotel near Gilette Stadium. Those three teams will be permitted to interview McDaniels again in the week after the AFC title game, if the Pats make it to the Super Bowl.
- The Chargers won’t force assistants on a new head coach, but they value their offensive staff, Rapoport tweets. There’s a good chance offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and his fellow offensive coaches stay put.
- The Broncos are expected to talk to Lynn at some point and will interview Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph as soon as the rules allow, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com tweets.
- Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin is scheduled to meet with the Rams on Thursday and the Bills on Saturday, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
- Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub will interview with the Broncos on Friday and then he has the Chargers on Sunday, Rapoport tweets.
Patriots Try Out Rob Housler, Tharold Simon
- The Patriots worked out a pair of free agents – tight end Rob Housler and cornerback Tharold Simon – on Tuesday, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. New England didn’t sign either, but the team could keep the veterans in mind as emergency options in the playoffs or circle back to them in the offseason, notes Reiss.
Chargers Ask To Interview Pats’ Matt Patricia
The Chargers have requested permission to interview Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Patricia is the first known target of the Bolts in their coaching search. 
Patricia has also been linked to the Rams’ head coaching vacancy and he’s a popular name this offseason, even if he’s not as hyped up as colleague Josh McDaniels. The Chargers just fired an offensive-minded head coach in Mike McCoy, so Patricia could offer a change in philosophy. The Pats finished the regular season with the fewest points allowed of any team in the league. Meanwhile, the Bolts allowed 423 points, the fourth-highest in the NFL.
The Chargers are one of six teams now in search of a new head coach.
49ers Targeting Tom Cable, Others For HC Job
Josh McDaniels isn’t the only candidate on the 49ers’ list. The team is also looking to bring in Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable, Bills interim head coach Anthony Lynn, Jaguars interim coach Doug Marrone, and Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, according to CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco.
The Jets interviewed Cable for their head coaching vacancy before the 2015 season, but he did not receive any interviews last offseason. Cable, of course, offers head coaching experience after nearly three years at the helm in Oakland. From 2008-2010, the Raiders went 17-27 under Cable and never finished higher than third in the AFC West.
Meanwhile, the top GM candidates right now are Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, Vikings assistant GM George Paton, and Seahawks co-player personnel directors Trent Kirchner and Scott Fitterer.
CEO Jed York and executive vice president of football operations Paraag Marathe are leading the search to fill both vacancies. After witnessing years of discord between former coach Jim Harbaugh and former GM Trent Baalke (and perhaps some disagreement between Baalke and recent ex-coach Chip Kelly), the 49ers may opt for a ready-made GM/coach combo like McDaniels and Caserio. McDaniels appears to be one of the hottest coaching candidates on the market this offseason and Caserio has been viewed as a rising front office star for the last couple of years.
Rams To Interview Sean McVay
In a league that is continually going younger on the field, the Rams might take that trend to the sidelines and hire a babyfaced coach. Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay, who is still just 30 years old, will interview with the Rams this week, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. That meeting will likely go down on Thursday, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Josh McDaniels To Interview WIth Rams]
McVay is widely credited with developing Kirk Cousins into a top quarterback and the Rams are eyeing him as someone who could help groom Jared Goff into a franchise guy. Cousins himself has praised McVay for his leadership skills and offensive knowledge.
“I could be here a long time talking about Sean’s help in my development and his ability to call plays for our offense and lead our offense,” Cousins said in August. “In the 2015 offseason I was coming off a year when I had been benched halfway through and was going into the next year with the chance to really only compete as a backup. I was a little disappointed with that and Sean was a great encourager through that process, challenging me to stay the course. I think his belief in me and his support and his encouragement was what enabled me to eventually have the opportunities that I had.”
Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is also a likely interview candidate for Los Angeles, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. All in all, the Rams are expected to interview 8-10 candidates.
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McDaniels To Interview With Rams, Jags, 49ers
Josh McDaniels is a popular man. As the Patriots offensive coordinator gears up for the playoffs, he’ll interview for three vacancies towards the end of this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Rams, Jaguars, and 49ers will all speak with the highly sought after coaching candidate.
[RELATED: Three Teams Reach Out To McDaniels]
Over the weekend, we learned that all three teams reached out McDaniels and we now have confirmation that he will meet with all three. McDaniels is reportedly likely to take a head coaching job this offseason and each of these openings have their perks. The Rams job could be particularly appealing for the Pats’ OC, provided that he has a high opinion of quarterback Jared Goff. McDaniels could instead prefer the idea of resurrecting Blake Bortles‘ career or starting fresh with a quarterback of his choosing in San Francisco.
Last week, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen wrote that McDaniels is not a likely fit for the Jaguars. Regardless, Jacksonville will meet with him this week since this could be the last chance for all interested teams to meet with McDaniels if the Patriots reach the Super Bowl.
Three Teams Reach Out To Josh McDaniels
As the AFC’s top seed, the 14-2 Patriots will be on a bye during the first week of the playoffs, but offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could be busy. Three teams with head coaching vacancies – the Rams, 49ers and Jaguars – have reached out to the 40-year-old, reports Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). It’s unclear if McDaniels will interview with any of those teams, but the upcoming week will be his last chance for a while if the Patriots advance to the Super Bowl.
McDaniels is reportedly likely to take a head coaching job this offseason, which would mean doing so for the second time in his career. He was previously atop the Broncos from 2009-10, but they went just 11-17 on his watch despite starting 6-0. McDaniels has rebuilt his stock in his second stint as the Patriots’ O-coordinator, though, and could be on his way to securing a fifth Super Bowl ring as an assistant.
Of the clubs showing interest in the quarterback guru, San Francisco is the only one without a recent first-round pick under center. The 49ers might not have an answer at quarterback on their roster at all, depending on what happens with Colin Kaepernick, though they are armed with the second pick in the 2017 draft and a boatload of cap space.
The Rams, meanwhile, have last year’s No. 1 overall selection, Jared Goff, who struggled in six games as a rookie. Jacksonille’s Blake Bortles hasn’t lived up to his draft status (third overall, 2014), but it’s possible he’d realize his potential under McDaniels. In the event McDaniels is bearish on him, the Jags wouldn’t force him to stick with Bortles.
Coaching/GM Notes, Pt. 1: Pagano, Payton, Kelly
We heard earlier today that Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak is likely to step down while the Bears are expected to retain head coach John Fox and GM Ryan Pace. Let’s take a look at some other coaching and GM rumors from around the league, which are so abundant that we will split this post into two parts. Part 2 can be found here.
- Colts owner Jim Irsay has attempted to downplay the notion that head coach Chuck Pagano and/or GM Ryan Grigson are on the hot seat, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Irsay has been “very unhappy” with his team’s performance, and coaches within the organization believe that change is coming. It appears as if Pagano’s job is certainly in jeopardy, although it remains unclear whether Grigson could be fired as well. Irsay could not be reached for comment.
- There is “mutual interest” between the Rams and Saints head coach Sean Payton, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who reports that the ball is in New Orleans GM Mickey Loomis‘ court. If Loomis decides he’s willing to part with Payton for moderate compensation, Payton would be the clear front-runner to take over in Los Angeles. And if the Saints do move on from Payton, Jaguars interim head coach Doug Marrone would be a strong candidate to replace him in New Orleans, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Marrone could also take over the Jacksonville job on a permanent basis.
- The Jaguars will not, however, consider Chip Kelly, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
- La Canfora tweets out a list of names who could be in contention for the 49ers‘ GM job, a list that includes Louis Riddick, Scott Pioli, and George Paton. Meanwhile, San Francisco is said to be high on Patriots OC Josh McDaniels and Dolphins DC Vance Joseph as head coaching candidates.
- Peter Schrager of FoxSports.com tweets that Panthers DC Sean McDermott is lined up for multiple head coaching interviews.