Giants Hire Steve Spagnuolo As DC
4:05pm: The Giants have officially announced the hiring of Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator, along with Tim Walton as their secondary coach, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
3:34pm: Six years after leaving the Giants to become head coach of the Rams, Steve Spagnuolo will be returning to New York to reclaim the defensive coordinator job he previously held with the team, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, who reports (via Twitter) that Spagnuolo is the Giants’ DC pick.
Spagnuolo, who has worked for the Rams, Saints, and Ravens in various roles since he was last employed by the Giants, acted as Baltimore’s secondary coach in 2014. Given all the injuries sustained by members of the Ravens’ secondary, particularly at cornerback, Spagnuolo did an admirable job holding the unit together. Per Football Outsiders, the Ravens finished 15th in DVOA against the pass.
Pepper Johnson, Raheem Morris, and Dennis Allen had also been under consideration for the Giants’ defensive coordinator position, though Johnson was ruled out earlier today. The decision appeared to come down to Allen and Spagnuolo, with the latter having been considered the frontrunner to replace Perry Fewell throughout the process. For Allen, a defensive coordinator job may still be a possibility if and when John Fox lands the Bears’ head coaching position.
NFC East Notes: Washington, Linehan, Giants
There’s still no action on Washington‘s defensive coordinator hunt, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (all Twitter links), who hears that the team does indeed have interest in Vic Fangio, though it remains unclear if an interview is being scheduled. As Jones notes, Washington could still end up hiring Joe Barry, as had been previously reported, but it appears the team has pumped the brakes a little on making a final decision — as more candidates become available, the process of making a hire is perhaps lasting a little longer than expected.
Let’s round up a few more notes from around the NFC East….
- As I speculated earlier today, Scott Linehan‘s new deal with the Cowboys will indeed include the official offensive coordinator title, since Bill Callahan is expected to leave the team, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Linehan, who is signing a three-year contract, essentially played the role of OC in 2014, since he called the club’s plays while Callahan primarily worked with the offensive line.
- Owner Jerry Jones believes the Cowboys are capable of being major players in free agency, but isn’t sure exactly how active they’ll be, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I’d love to have the opportunity to improve that pass rush in the range of something that we could afford and make sense logically,” Jones told reporters.
- The Giants have informed Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson that they’re going a different direction with their defensive coordinator hire, a source tells Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (Twitter link).
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap previews the Giants‘ offseason, examining the team’s cap situation and potential approach to free agency.
Coach Updates: Linehan, Gase, Rams, Falcons
The Cowboys and offensive play-caller Scott Linehan have agreed to terms on a new contract that will keep him in Dallas, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). On the heels of Jason Garrett‘s extension, Linehan is the second assistant – along with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli – to come to an agreement with the team on a new deal.
What remains to be seen is whether Linehan will keep his current job title — as Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets, offensive coordinator Bill Callahan is exploring potential options with other teams and has “multiple big-money offers,” so if Callahan doesn’t return to the Cowboys, perhaps his OC title goes to Linehan for the 2015 season.
Here’s more on coaching openings around the NFL:
- The Rams have requested permission to interview Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their own OC opening, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Gase has primarily been a head coaching candidate this offseason, but didn’t end up landing with the 49ers, who were viewed as his most aggressive suitor. Gase is reportedly still under consideration as a head coaching option in Denver.
- While Dan Quinn is considered the frontrunner for the Falcons‘ head coaching vacancy, don’t rule out Teryl Austin, who has a “legit chance,” says Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, adding that Austin’s second interview with the club is happening now (Twitter links).
- Speaking of the Falcons, they’re “blocking a raid” on their coaching staff, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution details, having denied the Jets permission to interview special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong and having also turned away the Raiders, who wanted to speak to offensive line coach Mike Tice. Despite not having a head coach in place yet, the club wants to make most of the current staff available to the new coach.
- With Todd Bowles headed to New York, the Cardinals intend to promote one of their current defensive assistants to the defensive coordinator position, though the team isn’t sure yet which assistant will get the job, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Somers adds that the new DC should get some help from Dick LeBeau, whom the Cards want to hire as a senior assistant.
- 49ers players had overwhelmingly positive reactions to news that Jim Tomsula would be promoted to head coach, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, rounding up the most notable comments from Niners players.
- Candidates for the Giants‘ defensive coordinator opening – including Dennis Allen, Pepper Johnson, Raheem Morris, and Steve Spagnuolo – expect a decision by week’s end, per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
NFC East Notes: Giants, McAdoo, Eagles
Giants owner John Mara told ESPN 98.7 FM that offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is not the coach in waiting, but he won’t hide his affinity for him, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets. “I’m not going to deny that I like him and he could possibly be a candidate at some point in the future,” the owner said (link). More from the NFC East..
- Mara was also complimentary of GM Jerry Reese (link). “I don’t have any doubt about Jerry Reese. He’s the right guy to lead the organization going forward,” said Mara.
- It has been nearly two weeks since the Eagles gave coach Chip Kelly total control of personnel, announcing in the process that Kelly would be hiring a new day-to-day personnel executive. After the shakeup, agents aren’t quite sure whether they should reach out to Kelly, GM Howie Roseman, or someone else, writes Les Bowen of the Daily News.
- Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News ranked the Cowboys’ draft needs. He feels that Dallas needs a defensive end, then a safety, and then the best difference maker they can get, regardless of position.
- Nate Davis of USA Today looked at the teams most likely to pursue Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. While the Eagles seem like a fit, it would take a ton for Philly to move up from No. 20 to No. 1 to make that a reality.
NFC East Notes: Murray, Giants, Cowboys
While the Professional Football Writers of America’s awards aren’t official, they often foreshadow the results of the AP voting, and if that’s the case this year, that’s good news for Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray. The PFWA selected Murray as the Offensive Player of the Year after a season in which he ran away with the NFL’s rushing title by nearly 500 yards (Twitter link). Murray joins MVP Aaron Rodgers and Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt as today’s PFWA honorees.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- Appearing on WFAN Sports Radio in New York today, Giants co-owner John Mara said he hasn’t discussed a new contract with head coach Tom Coughlin yet, though he expects those discussion to take place “fairly soon.” Mara also identified the Giants’ offensive line as the position most in need of an upgrade (Twitter links via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News).
- The Giants have hired former Rams defensive coordinator Tim Walton as their defensive backs/secondary coach, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- Former agent Joel Corry examines the upcoming offseason decisions for the Cowboys in a piece at CBSSports.com, focusing on the club’s cap situation, along with its two notable free-agents-to-be, Dez Bryant and Murray. While Corry views the franchise tag as a near-lock for Bryant if no long-term agreement is reached, he’s less certain the team will retain Murray, pointing out that while running backs haven’t done well on the open market recently, one of Murray’s caliber hasn’t become available for quite some time. Earlier today, we heard that Murray was a good bet to reach the open market in March.
- Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan will pursue other possibilities so he’s unlikely to re-sign with Dallas during the exclusivity period, according to ESPN.com’s Ed Werder (via Twitter).
Minor Moves: Williams, Wade, Cleary
Today’s minor moves..
- The Cowboys confirmed that Ryan Williams has been signed to a two-year contract extension, according to Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Williams signed with Dallas last offseason, but never stepped foot on the field. The former member of the Cardinals has not been on the gridiron for in-game action since 2012.
- The Giants signed defensive back Trevin Wade, a former member of the Browns and Saints, to a reserves/futures deal, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Wade, an Arizona product, has 15 career NFL games to his credit.
- The Eastern Athletics agency (via Twitter) announced that client Emmett Cleary has signed a futures deal with the Giants. The tackle previously spent time with the Bengals.
Beckham, Donald Named Top Rookies
Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. has been named the NFL’s 2014 Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year, the Professional Football Writers of America announced today in a press release. The PFWA also voted Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald as 2014’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Beckham, the 12th overall pick last May, got off to a late start, missing the Giants’ first four regular season games due to hamstring issues, but made up for lost time the rest of the way, compiling 1,305 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 91 receptions. In his final nine contests, the LSU product averaged an incredible 133 yards per game, helping to rejuvenate a passing game that was without Victor Cruz.
As for Donald, the Rams rookie was selected 13th last spring, one pick behind Beckham. The former Pittsburgh defender made a strong Rams line even better, recording nine sacks and grading as the league’s best defensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required).
Here are the full All-Rookie teams, per the PFWA:
Offense:
QB: Teddy Bridgewater (Vikings)
RB: Jeremy Hill (Bengals), Tre Mason (Rams)
WR: Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants), Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
TE: Jace Amaro (Jets)
C: Corey Linsley (Packers)
G: Joel Bitonio (Browns), Zack Martin (Cowboys)
T: Taylor Lewan (Titans), Ja’Wuan James (Dolphins)
Defense:
DL: Aaron Donald (Rams), Timmy Jernigan (Ravens), Kony Ealy (Panthers), Justin Ellis (Raiders)
LB: Chris Borland (49ers), Khalil Mack (Raiders), C.J. Mosley (Ravens)
CB: Kyle Fuller (Bears), E.J. Gaines (Rams)
S: Deone Bucannon (Cardinals), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Packers)
Special teams:
K: Cody Parkey (Eagles)
P: Pat O’Donnell (Bears)
KR: Jarvis Landry (Dolphins)
PR: De’Anthony Thomas (Chiefs)
ST: Trey Burton (Eagles)
Coach Notes: Meyer, Browns, Fangio, Raiders
Wins over Alabama and Oregon in the NCAA’s first College Football Playoff created plenty of buzz for Urban Meyer, but the Buckeyes head coach quickly dismissed any speculation that his success at Ohio State would result in a jump to the NFL this offseason. “Not right now. I have a commitment to Ohio State and these players,” Meyer said when asked about the possibility of an NFL job, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
Let’s check in on several coaching situations from around the league, as a handful of teams look to hire new head coaches and/or coordinators….
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links) provide an update on the Browns‘ hunt for an offensive coordinator, with Rapoport noting that Marc Trestman interviews tomorrow and Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo meets with the team on Friday. Per Schefter, the Browns have also requested permission to talk to Jets running backs coach Anthony Lynn about the position.
- Raheem Morris‘ meeting with Washington about the team’s defensive coordinator vacancy is expected to be the last of the club’s interviews, tweets Rapoport, who believes either Morris or Joe Barry will land the job.
- Michael Silver of NFL Network (Twitter links) hears that the word in coaching circles is that 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio may want to leave the team unless he (or Mike Shanahan) is hired as the head coach. In that case, writes Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, the Raiders should kick the tires on Fangio as a potential head coaching candidate.
- Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, who is working on a new deal of his own, says defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli has told him he wants to stay with the team, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Per Archer, talks on new contracts for the team’s coaches are ongoing.
- In a tweet, Kawakami also suggests keeping an eye on Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver, who has multiple options, and would likely be Jim Tomsula‘s top choice for defensive coordinator if he lands the 49ers‘ head coaching job.
- If Todd Bowles is hired as a head coach, he’d like to take Cardinals linebackers coach Mike Caldwell with him as a defensive coordinator, tweets Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910.
- The Giants are interested in talking to former Raiders head coach Dennis Allen about their defensive coordinator position, says Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, adding that it’s not clear whether an interview has been scheduled yet.
Coach Updates: Spags, Quinn, LeBeau, Tucker
The Giants will interview Ravens assistant (and former employee) Steve Spagnuolo for their defensive coordinator position this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Facebook link). Spagnuolo, 55, was New York’s DC from 2007-08. Per Schefter, the club also spoke with its own defensive backs coach, David Merritt, about the job. Here’s more news on the coaching front…
- After parting ways with John Fox earlier today, the Broncos want to interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, tweets Schefter. Quinn is viewed as the favorite for the Jets head coaching position, and has also been linked to the vacancies in Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco.
- We heard earlier today that the Jets wanted to bring in Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles for a second interview, and now Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets that the meeting will take place on Wednesday, the same day Bowles will speak with the Falcons for a second time. The Atlanta interview will happen first, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- Cowboys offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Bill Callahan is a popular man, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). He’s drawing interest elsewhere, which could lead to a promotion of Scott Linehan. Bills head coach Rex Ryan is among those with interest, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
- LSU has been in contact with Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker about their opening at the same position, according to Ross Dellenger and Scott Rabalais of The Advocate. Tucker, who was rumored to be on the hot seat in Chicago, remains under contract with the team.
- While ex-Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has discussed joining the Cardinals coaching staff (Twitter link via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), it will not be as DC, tweets Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910, who adds that LeBeau could be brought aboard in something of an advising capacity.
- Meanwhile, the Steelers have not met with any outside candidates to replace LeBeau, meaning it’s increasingly likely that linebackers coach Keith Butler will be promoted to DC, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Butler has been in his current role since 2003.
- The Giants met with Washington secondary coach Raheem Morris on Friday about their open DC position, but will go in another direction, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (Twitter link). Per Russini, Morris will now interview for Washington’s defensive coordinator job.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
East Notes: Mariota, Eagles, Washington
When he was the head coach at the University of Oregon, Eagles coach Chip Kelly had to be convinced that Marcus Mariota was the right quarterback for him rather than Johnny Manziel, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Some feel that Mariota would be an ideal QB for Kelly today, but moving up from No. 20 to No. 1 would require a lot in the way of assets. The latest from the AFC and NFC East..
- New Washington GM Scot McCloughan says that he won’t draft for need but Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com wonders if he’ll give some attention to the team’s biggest needs.
- Pepper Johnson is interviewing for the Giants‘ defensive coordinator job today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter).
- The Eagles interviewed Texans director of pro personnel Brian Gaine for their GM job on Sunday, a source tells Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter).
- Should the Eagles do whatever it takes to get Mariota? The analysts at CSNPhilly.com (video link) debated the pros and cons of such a move.
- Several Bills players, including center Eric Wood and running back Fred Jackson, took to social media to express their excitement over the hiring of Rex Ryan, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News writes.