Coach Updates: Henderson, Falcons, Browns
Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson is interviewing for a position on the Falcons‘ coaching staff, but not for the defensive coordinator job — Richard Smith is staying in that role, Atlanta confirmed today (via Twitter).
Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who first reported that Henderson was interviewing for the DC role in Atlanta, tweets that his Cowboys contacts believed that was the case. Henderson has suggested he wouldn’t leave Dallas for a job that wasn’t a promotion, so there’s some confusion about what exactly his role with the Falcons would be.
According to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, the Falcons may view Henderson as a potential defensive pass-game coordinator, a position currently held by Raheem Morris. Morris also has an assistant head coach title, which could give Atlanta the flexibility to bring Henderson aboard and move Morris to another role without technically demoting him.
As we wait to see whether Henderson decides to leave Dallas for the Falcons, here are some other coaching updates from around the NFL:
- Former Giants defensive line coach Robert Nunn, who recently interviewed with the Titans, is being hired by the Browns as their defensive line coach, reports Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
- Marvez passes along another Browns-related coaching update, tweeting that the Packers have hired tight ends coach Brian Angelichio away from Cleveland for the same position on Green Bay’s staff.
- The Giants are expected to hire Packers assistant offensive line coach Mike Solari as their new offensive line coach, a source tells Newsday’s Tom Rock. We learned on Thursday that Solari was a “strong candidate” to join Ben McAdoo‘s staff.
- The 49ers are looking at Titans offensive line coach Bob Bostad for the same job in San Francisco, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. As we heard on Wednesday, the Niners are also considering Pat Flaherty for that position.
- The Saints have hired former Giants defensive backs coach and Rams defensive coordinator Peter Guinta as a senior defensive assistant, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Guinta has been out of the NFL since being let go by the Giants last January.
NFC Notes: E. Rogers, Lions, Cousins, Morstead
Standout CFL receiver Eric Rogers is signing with the 49ers, but it was a visit to the Eagles that helped convince him to choose San Francisco. As he explains to Scott Mitchell of the Calgary Sun, Rogers was impressed at a December workout with the Eagles that head coach Chip Kelly took the time to attend and to meet with him despite Philadelphia having a game to play a couple days later. Kelly’s enthusiasm for the Calgary Stampeders star didn’t dim at all when he became the Niners’ new head coach.
“When he got hired by the Niners, he called me two or three hours after it got announced that they were going to hire him,” Rogers said. “He basically told me, ‘I guess I had to come to Cali to sign you since you’re a Cali boy.’ So he still had that kind of recruitment in him like he was at Oregon. He was like, ‘You’re the first player I called and I want you to be the first player I sign at my new job.'”
As we look forward to seeing if Rogers can earn a roster spot and make an impact for the 49ers this season, let’s check in on a few more items from out of the NFC….
- During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, new Lions general manager Bob Quinn said that he approached the decision of whether or not to retain head coach Jim Caldwell with an open mind (link via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com). “We had a series of meetings,” Quinn said. “It wasn’t just one day or one hour. It was over a couple of days and a dozen hours. Really, get to know you sessions. My philosophy and his philosophy meshed.”
- With Kirk Cousins in line for a new contract, Washington will aim to build its roster around the quarterback, and will have to build its salary cap strategy around his new deal, writes Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post. Former agent Joel Corry tells Tesfatsion that he doesn’t expect Cousins to agree to a team-friendly long-term deal like the ones signed by Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton.
- Mike Triplett of ESPN.com doesn’t expect the Saints to cut Thomas Morstead this offseason, but says the team will have to consider it, since the veteran punter – who has a $4.45MM cap hit in 2016 – may be a luxury the team can’t afford. I suggested as much back in September in my preview of New Orleans’ cap outlook for ’16.
- Former Falcons tackle Lamar Holmes continued to work out for NFL teams this week, auditioning on Wednesday for the Cowboys, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Holmes spent most of the 2015 season on the PUP list before being cut by Atlanta with an injury settlement.
Saints GM Talks Brees, Payton, Roster Depth
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis spoke today to reporters, including Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, about a number of issues related to the team, including the status of the head coach and quarterback. Let’s dive right in and round up several of the more notable quotes from the GM, via Woodbery….
On Drew Brees and how his $30MM cap number will affect the Saints:
“I know this: Drew’s going to be our quarterback. We’ll figure out how we’re going to handle the contract, whether it stays the same and just remains right in place, or whether we do something different. That’s all part of what we’ve got to figure out in the coming weeks.
On the team’s more general cap situation:
“I keep reading how we’re in dire straits with the cap and this, that and the other. It’s not a great cap situations, but it’s not as dire as sometimes I think it’s painted out to be. We know where we’re at, we know what we have to do.”
On the possibility that Sean Payton was going to leave the team this offseason:
“Here’s what I can tell you: I never had a discussion with another team. No one called me and I never called anyone else.
“[Payton’s] first statement when he walked in the room [for the end-of-season meeting] was, ‘Hey, I want to be here. I want to be coach for the Saints.’ It never really went beyond that. Then it was just a matter of how are we going to approach this season, what are the things we need to do, and let’s get going.”
On free agent signings or contract extensions that go south, and the Saints’ depth issues:
“Are there mistakes? Yeah, absolutely there are. We always own them. We’re not shying away from a decision that I’ve made or that we’ve made that didn’t turn out. We also don’t trumpet the ones that do work out, either. That’s up to you guys.
“You know what makes it hard to build depth? Having two draft picks taken away from you [for Bountygate]. That makes it hard. I’d say that’s more impactful than making a mistake on a contract.”
On how long and hard he considered the big Junior Galette extension in 2014:
“Not hard enough. I should have thought harder about that. That’s my mistake.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saints To Hire Dan Campbell, Other Assistants
3:31pm: In addition to Campbell, Joe Lombardi, and Aaron Glenn are joining the Saints’ coaching staff, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
Campbell will be New Orleans’ assistant head coach and tight ends coach, Lombardi will be the quarterbacks coach, and Glenn will be a secondary coach. Current tight ends coach Dan Roushar is expected to remain with the team in some capacity.
12:36pm: Although Campbell met with the Saints all day on Tuesday and feels comfortable joining Payton’s staff, the two sides haven’t finalized a deal yet, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Unless another club swoops in at the last minute with a more attractive offer, it looks like just a matter of time until Campbell and the Saints make it official.
WEDNESDAY, 9:02am: Campbell interviewed on Tuesday with the Saints, and may soon be hired as the team’s assistant head coach and tight ends coach, a source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 8:57pm: The Saints are set to add former Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell to their staff, according to Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter). It’s not immediately clear what Campbell’s position will be, however. 
In his first stint as an NFL head coach, Campbell had mixed results. After taking over for Joe Philbin when the Dolphins were 1-3, the interim head coach led the team to consecutive blowout wins to get back to .500. However, Miami won just three of its final 10 games, finishing with a 6-10 record for the season and a 5-7 mark under Campbell.
Campbell, a tight end himself over the course of his NFL playing career, served as the Dolphins’ tight ends coach prior to his promotion. Dan Roushar is the Saints’ tight ends coach, so that position doesn’t appear to be open for Campbell.
Campbell and Saints head coach Sean Payton have some history together. Campbell, a former tight end, was drafted by the Giants in 1999, when Payton was coaching quarterbacks and later moved up to offensive coordinator. In 2003, Campbell signed with the Cowboys as a free agent and Payton was also there as an offensive assistant. The two were then together in Dallas for another three seasons.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saints Interested In Dan Campbell
The Saints are among teams with interest in Dan Campbell, sources tell Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Vikings, Cowboys, and Chargers were previously identified as teams with interest in the former Dolphins interim head coach. 
After taking over the Dolphins midway through the season, Miami wound up being the only team to give Campbell a head coaching interview. When Adam Gase was hired as the team’s new head coach, Campbell decided to move on and pursue other opportunities.
In his first stint as an NFL head coach, Campbell had mixed results. After taking over for Joe Philbin when the Dolphins were 1-3, the interim head coach led the team to consecutive blowout wins to get back to .500. However, Miami won just three of its final 10 games, finishing with a 6-10 record for the season and a 5-7 mark under Campbell.
Campbell, a tight end himself over the course of his NFL playing career, served as the Dolphins’ tight ends coach prior to his promotion. It stands to reason that he could be in line for another tight ends coaching job somewhere, though that position is not available in New Orleans. Dan Roushar is the club’s tight ends coach, moving to that spot last season after the Saints fired Terry Malone.
Campbell and Saints head coach Sean Payton have some history together. Campbell, a former tight end, was drafted by the Giants in 1999, when Payton was coaching quarterbacks and later moved up to offensive coordinator. In 2003, Campbell signed with the Cowboys as a free agent and Payton was also there as an offensive assistant. The two were then together in Dallas for another three seasons.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
South Notes: Tillman, Titans, Hasselbeck
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.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/8/16
Here are today’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the league. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2016 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ 90-man rosters.
Baltimore Ravens
- Jerrod Johnson, WR (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Miami Dolphins
- Damarr Aultman, DB (Twitter link via team)
New Orleans Saints
- R.J. Harris, WR (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com)
- Phillip Hunt, DE
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/7/16
Here are Thursday’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the league. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2016 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ 90-man rosters in March:
Arizona Cardinals
- T Edawn Coughman (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Cleveland Browns
- OL Conor Boffeli (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal)
New Orleans Saints
- WR Shane Wynn (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune)
New York Jets
- DB Kendall James (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post)
- G Craig Watts (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune)
San Francisco 49ers
- WR DiAndre Campbell (Twitter link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle)
- T Colin Kelly (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com)
- DT Kaleb Ramsey (via Branch)
- DT Garrison Smith (via Branch)
Coach Rumors: Gase, Giants, Roman, Saints
Although nothing is scheduled yet, the Eagles remain interested in meeting with Adam Gase for a second time about their head coaching job, reports Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. A source familiar with Gase’s thinking tells McLane that the Bears‘ offensive coordinator came away from the eight-hour meeting with a “favorable opinion” of Eagles executive Howie Roseman.
With the Eagles and Dolphins both reportedly strongly considering Gase for their respective head coaching jobs, the Chicago OC is in the right place at the right time, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio suggests that Gase is particularly appealing to teams because he doesn’t appear to have much of an ego, meaning he’ll be more likely to stay in his lane and stick to coaching rather than pursuing any sort of other agenda.
While we wait to see where Gase lands, here are a few more of this afternoon’s coaching updates:
- The Giants confirmed today in a press release that they’ve now interviewed defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for their head coaching job, in addition to OC Ben McAdoo. New York’s interviews continue today, as the team meets with Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
- Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman has received interest for head coaching roles in the past, but admits “it’s been pretty quiet on that front” this year, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. During an appearance on WGR 550 in Buffalo, Roman said the lack of interest is “somewhat strange, but that’s how it goes sometimes.”
- While head coach Sean Payton is staying with the Saints, it looks like at least a couple of his assistants – secondary coach Wesley McGriff and quarterbacks coach Mike Neu – are headed for college jobs. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com has the details.
- Former NFL head coach Brian Billick, writing for NFL.com, views the Giants‘ and Eagles‘ head coaching jobs as the two most appealing openings this offseason. The 49ers‘ and Browns‘ positions are the least appealing, in Billick’s view.
Extra Points: Manziel, Brees, Lions
Typically, athletes and celebrities move on from their marketing companies and not the other way around. Unfortunately, in the case of Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, he has been dumped by LeBron James’ marketing agency, as Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes.
“We’ve decided to end our formal business relationship with Johnny,” said Maverick Carter, James’ long-time friend and business partner who runs LRMR. “I will continue to support and advise him as a friend. However, because Johnny needs to focus on personal growth, the next phase of his career and because LRMR continues to expand beyond marketing, we made the mutual decision that it was best to terminate our business relationship.”
Sources close to LRMR maintain that the firm is shifting toward more of a focus on managing James’ other business ventures and that a parting of ways with Manziel as a client has been planned for a while. However, Manziel’s most recent weekend of partying has apparently bumped up that timeline. To read more about LeBron’s on-court business, head to our sister site, HoopsRumors.com.
Here’s a glance at some news from around the NFL:
- If Saints quarterback Drew Brees has his way, then he won’t be going anywhere. “I plan on playing in New Orleans for as long as my career goes…and I don’t plan on playing for another coach,” Brees told WWL (via Saints on Twitter). On Wednesday, the Saints and Sean Payton hammered things out with the coach pledging to stay in New Orleans. Brees, meanwhile, is due a $30MM cap hold as he enters the final year of the five-year, $100MM deal he inked in 2012 and there has been lots of speculation about his future with the team.
- Sheldon White, the Lions‘ interim GM, is scheduled to interview for the team’s GM position on Friday, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
- Having a hard time keeping up with the NFL coaching carousel as it spins? Don’t worry, PFR has you covered with our 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.