Coaching Rumors: Giants, Browns, Dolphins, Eagles
If the Giants go the expected route and fire longtime head coach Tom Coughlin in the coming days, his act will be a tough one to follow in New York. Coughlin’s 12-year run with the Giants has been fruitful, likely Hall of Fame-worthy, with the 69-year-old having helped the franchise to 102 regular-season victories and a pair of Super Bowl titles. The Giants’ next coach should be someone capable of that type of success, someone to enliven a disenchanted fan base, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Vacchiano suggests Giants owner John Mara should take a swing-for-the-fences approach and target either Saints coach Sean Payton or Alabama’s Nick Saban to succeed Coughlin.
Vacchiano doesn’t believe the Giants are in position to hire a neophyte as their next coach, though he acknowledges that neither Payton nor Saban will be easy to land. Payton is still under contract with the Saints for two more years and makes over $8MM per annum, but it’s possible he’ll seek another opportunity this offseason. If so, the team that hires Payton will need to give him a similar contract in terms of value and send compensation to New Orleans in the form of one or more draft picks. Saban is similarly paid at $7MM a year. A large price tag shouldn’t stand in the way of hiring either for the big-market Giants, Vacchiano opines.
Elsewhere on the coaching landscape. . .
- Browns head coach Mike Pettine‘s short tenure with the team is likely to end after Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh, Rand Getlin of NFL.com reports (Twitter link).
- If the Browns do fire Pettine, they could replace him with Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Cleveland has done its homework on Gase, as have the Dolphins, according to La Canfora. The Eagles are another possibility for his services.
- Speaking of the Eagles, Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther is an under-the-radar candidate for Chip Kelly‘s former job, per Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link). Guenther, 48, is a native Pennsylvanian whose defense leads the league in points per game allowed (17.5).
NFC Notes: Reiff, Randle, Amukamara, Cutler
The Lions invested a first-round pick in Riley Reiff four years ago, but haven’t found a permanent home for him on the offensive line. He has played both tackle spots, but the team hasn’t decided where his long-term future will be.
Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter hasn’t made an officialy declaration, but he suggested the team was happy with how he locked up the left tackle position down the stretch this season, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I see him locking down our left tackle spot going forward,” said Cooter.
While Reiff finds a permanent home along the offensive line in Detroit, here are a few notes about players hoping to find permanent homes with their current teams this offseason:
- The Giants have Odell Beckham Jr. for two more years on his rookie deal, but they will need to make a decision on a different receiver this offseason, as Rueben Randle hits free agency. Whether or not the Giants prioritize keeping him, Randle says he wants to stay with the team, writes Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Randle’s up and down play might discourage the team from pursuing him.
- Randle isn’t the only Giant who wants to come back, as cornerback Prince Amukamara has also expressed interest in returning to the team in 2016, writes James Kratch of NJ.com. Like Randle, Amukamara has had uneven play on the field, but the former first-round pick at cornerback has also struggled with injuries off the field.
- Jay Cutler has had to answer similar questions on whether he’ll be back with the Bears in 2016. Cutler isn’t a free agent, but his high cap number has made him a candidate for release. He does want to be back, according to Larry Hawley of WGNTV.com. “Why wouldn’t I be [back?,” said Cutler. “I definitely want to be here. I wanted to be here last year whenever things did go bad.”
Coaching Notes: McCoy, Giants, Titans, Dolphins
With “Black Monday” approaching, there should be a number of decisions made on coaches across the league. Kevin Acee of the Union-Times San Diego argues that Chargers head coach Mike McCoy should among those fired at season’s end.
Here are some other notes from around NFL head coaching positions:
- Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly may have taken himself out of the running for the Giants’ head coaching job, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. He said he’d be unlikely to give up full control unless an NFL team was able to offer him the same privileges.
- The Giants haven’t fired Tom Coughlin yet, but the head coach hasn’t turned to the media to make a case for himself, writes Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News. Rather than talk about his future, he’d rather focus on winning in Week 17.
- While the Titans are exploring their next head coaching candidates, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1 has picked out three potential fits among former NFL head coaches. He writes that Jim Schwartz, Chip Kelly, and Mike Smith would all be fits in Tennessee.
- Greg Cote of the Miami Herald plays a similar game as Marvez, picking out potential head coaches for the Dolphins. He puts Sean Payton and Chip Kelly at the top of his wish list.
- Speaking of the Dolphins job, if Chuck Pagano is fired in Indianapolis, Stephen Holder of IndyStar.com believes that Pagano could be a fit in Miami (via Twitter).
- The Eagles have obstacles to climb in order to find a new head coach, as they are looking for a new leader without a quarterback of the future and without a second-round pick, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. If they beat the Giants, they won’t have a top-10 pick in this draft either.
East Notes: Chip, Dolphins, Bills, M. Williams
Hours after being fired as head coach of the Eagles, Chip Kelly released a statement reflecting on his tenure (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports). The statement, which can be read in full at the link, saw Kelly thank both owner Jeffrey Lurie and Philadelphia fans, while expressing regret that he wasn’t able to lead the club to a Super Bowl title.
Here’s a look at more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Alex Marvez of FOX Sports lists three potential candidates for the Dolphins‘ head coaching job, identifying former Lions coach Jim Schwartz, Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula, and UCLA coach Jim Mora Jr. as viable options for Miami.
- Bills safety Aaron Williams‘ season is over, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), who reports that Williams’ practice period has expired. Williams, who was on injured reserve/designated to return, was said to be mulling retirement earlier this month as he deals with a neck injury.
- Former Syracuse offensive tackle Sean Hickey, who has spent time with the Saints and Patriots this year, visited the Bills, according to Wilson (Twitter link).
- Wilson also passes along a workout note on the Giants, tweeting that New York auditioned defensive back C.J. Conway this week. Conway is a familiar face for the Giants, having started the year on the team’s practice squad before being cut in Week 2.
- We learned earlier today that the Bills plan to cut defensive end Mario Williams during the offseason, and that decision won’t disappoint at least of Williams’ teammates, per Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News (Twitter links), who quotes a fellow Bill as saying Williams displays “zero effort,” “doesn’t care about anybody but himself,” and has “totally checked out.”
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/31/15
For the final time in 2015, let’s take a look at the today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
- With Johnny Manziel banged up, the Browns announced that they’ve signed fellow quarterback Pat Devlin, who spent the final preseason game of 2015 on Cleveland’s roster. Austin Davis will start Sunday’s contest as Manziel deals with a concussion, and Devlin will presumably act as the backup. Linebacker Jayson DiManche was waived in a corresponding move.
- The Giants announced that they’ve placed linebacker J.T. Thomas (ankle) and long snapper Danny Aiken (thumb) on injured reserve, ending both their seasons. In their stead, New York has elevated linebacker Nico Johnson from its practice squad, while signing free agent long snapper Tyler Ott.
Giants Interested In Re-Signing JPP
The Giants have gotten past the hard feelings that arose after Jason Pierre-Paul and his agent froze out the team in the offseason, and are interested in bringing back the veteran pass rusher after his contract expires this winter, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The report comes on the heels of JPP indicating he’d like to remain in New York and play out the rest of his career as a Giant.
After injuring his hand in a fireworks accident this summer, Pierre-Paul didn’t report to the Giants, who wanted their doctors to examine him, for about two months, creating some apparent acrimony. Ultimately though, the two sides worked past those issues and agreed to a reworked contract, with JPP returning to the field in Week 9.
As he has adjusted to wielding a club on his injured hand, the former first-round pick hasn’t quite been his usual self, having recorded just 20 tackles and one sack. However, he’s still one of the team’s top pass rushers. Outside of Robert Ayers, who plays primarily in passing situations and has compiled eight sacks, no Giants edge defender has a higher Pro Football Focus grade than Pierre-Paul, who ranks 34th out of 107 qualified players — George Selvie comes in 91st, while Kerry Wynn places 96th.
As he once again nears potential free agency, Pierre-Paul knows that he’s valuable to a Giants team lacking a consistent pass rush. JPP, who turns 27 on New Year’s Day, told reporters on Wednesday that there’s nobody currently on the roster who could step in and replicate his production against both the pass and run for the team.
“They don’t need me, they need a pass rusher,” Pierre-Paul said, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “I feel like that’s what I bring to the table. I’m not just a pass rusher, I’m also a run-stopper. I think I play the run better than I play the pass, it just so happens I can get back there fast enough and disrupt the quarterback. I’m an all-around player.”
Pierre-Paul may not be quite as effective an all-around player as he was prior to his fireworks mishap, but as Vacchiano points out, the defensive end could make the case that he’ll only get better as he continues to learn how to play without the use of all the fingers on his right hand. JPP, who will undergo some additional surgery on that hand this offseason, could end up in the $10MM-per-year range this offseason, based on supply and demand, several agents told Vacchiano.
With Muhammad Wilkerson likely to be franchised by the Jets, Pierre-Paul would be one of the top defensive lineman available if he reaches the open market. And getting to the open market appears likely for JPP if he and the Giants can’t work out a longer-team deal, since the team will be very reluctant to franchise him again with his price tag on the rise.
Workout Notes: 12/30/15
Here are Wednesday’s workouts from around the NFL:
- The Jets worked out defensive lineman Devon Still, receivers Marcus Thigpen and Eric Rogers, linebacker Willie Jefferson and defensive end/LB Tristan Okpalaugo (Twitter links via ESPN’s Rich Cimini).
- The Cardinals tried out center Taylor Boggs, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- The Bills worked out defensive end/linebacker Xzavier Dickson, Wilson tweeted. Dickson ended up joining Atlanta’s practice squad.
- The Bengals worked out quarterback Mike Kafka and tight end John Peters, per Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Browns tried out quarterback Dustin Vaughan, running back Timothy Flanders, receivers Eric Rogers, Ricky Collins and Levi Norwood, and safety Jordan Kovacs (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Quarterback Ryan Lindley, defensive linemen Warren Herring and Eze Obiora, and linebacker Ryan Mueller worked out for the Colts, according to Wilson (Twitter link). They signed Lindley afterward.
- The Giants worked out linebackers Cole Farrand and Glenn Carson – the latter of whom they signed to their practice squad – quarterback Pete Thomas, safety Ty Zimmerman, punter Spencer Roth and kicker Quinn Sharp (Twitter link via Wilson).
- The Steelers tried out two safeties, Ray Vinopal and Jake Hagen, and linebacker Marquis Spruill (via Wilson on Twitter).
- The Chargers worked out receiver Jeff Fuller, defensive end DeAngelo Tyson and linebacker Dexter McCoil, Wilson tweeted.
- The Titans worked out receiver Kenny Stafford, defensive end Freddie Bishop, defensive backs Aaron Grymes, Steven Clarke and Emanuel Davis, long snapper Dax Dellenbach and kicker Swayze Waters (Twitter link via Wilson).
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/30/15
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DE/OLB Xzavier Dickson (Twitter link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: G Leon Brown (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun)
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Manasseh Garner, S Phillip Thomas (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB Daryl Richardson (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DE Michael McAdoo (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Signed: CB Brandon McGee (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Robert Nelson (Twitter link via Wilson)
New England Patriots
- Signed: FB Joey Iosefa (link via Doug Kyed of NESN.com)
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: FB Toben Opurum (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune)
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Glenn Carson, CB T.J. Heath (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of NJ.com)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: CB Richard Crawford (Twitter link via Wilson)
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Justin Hamilton (Twitter link via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Gerod Holliman, CB C.J. Roberts, CB Joel Ross (press release via team)
Coaching Rumors: Meyer, Kelly, Saban, Coughlin
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer told reporters Wednesday that he recently spurned an NFL team’s advances, Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk writes.
Asked if the team was the Browns, Meyer said, “I’m not going there. I’ll just say [a team] reached out.”
Meyer added that he’s content at the college level and expressed wariness toward making the jump to the pros.
“The NFL, Chip Kelly is one of my closest friends, Greg Schiano is one of my closest friends. A lot of times they say college coaches don’t make it very well. I don’t know who makes it well. People are getting fired left and right. Pete Carroll has done very well.”
In other coaching news. . .
- Although Kelly’s career in Philadelphia is over, he could end up with another head coaching job in the league in the coming weeks. With that in mind, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examined some possible landing spots for Kelly. The Titans, Browns, 49ers, Dolphins or Colts could all be his next stop.
- With coaching searches fast approaching, Albert Breer of NFL.com lists the candidates most likely to draw interest. Kelly is one of them. Interestingly, so is Alabama head coach Nick Saban. The Mara family is fond of him, per Breer, which might make the Giants a fit. The Colts are also a possibility, as they could offer Saban control over their roster – not to mention they have a 26-year-old franchise quarterback in place.
- For Saban to end up with the Giants, they’ll first have to fire two-time Super Bowl winner Tom Coughlin. That appears likely to happen, as a source told the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano that plenty in the team’s front office want to move on from Coughlin. It’s believed that one of those people is co-owner Steve Tisch.
East Notes: JPP, D. Jackson, Maccagnan
There were some frustrating moments for the Giants and Jason Pierre-Paul over the summer, when the standout defensive end – having received the franchise tag – refused to report to the team and its doctors for several weeks while he was recovering from a July 4th fireworks accident. The situation, which resulted in the two sides eventually agreeing to a reworked contract, had the potential to create some acrimony, but JPP doesn’t seem too phased by it.
According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (Twitter link), Pierre-Paul said today that he would like to continue playing for the Giants next year, despite the fact that his contract will expire this winter. “I would like to finish my career here,” the veteran pass rusher said.
Contract negotiations between JPP and the Giants – or any other team – should be fascinating, since it’s hard to know exactly how high his ceiling is now that he’ll have to deal with his right hand issue for the rest of the his career. As we look forward to seeing how the situation plays out, let’s explore some other East notes…
- Washington likes wide receiver DeSean Jackson “a lot” and hopes to keep him around going forward, sources tell Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jackson will count against the cap for $9.25MM in 2016, the final year of his contract, though that figure could be reduced with an extension.
- Darrelle Revis‘ pick for executive of the year is Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan, as Seth Walder of the New York Daily News writes. Revis, having received $39MM in guaranteed money from Maccagnan in March, might be a little biased, but he may not be the only one who picks the Jets GM. Within his annual contract awards, former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com identifies Brandon Marshall and Ryan Fitzpatrick as the top two acquisitions of the year.
- After having to deal with health issues again in 2015, Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne will have a lengthy injury history on his résumé if and when he hits the open market this winter. For now, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes, Claiborne isn’t thinking about that, though the former first-round pick hopes to remain in Dallas.