49ers Notes: Beckham, Tomsula, Harbaugh
The 49ers liked Odell Beckham Jr. quite a bit in the 2014 draft, but GM Trent Baalke says the price was just too rich for his blood, as Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. “He’s a heck of talent,” Baalke said. “He was graded as a heck of a talent by our scouts, by our coaches, by all parties. But what it would have taken to make that move would have cost us our first-, our second- and one of our third-round picks and maybe something on top of that. So, in essence, you would have been giving up (cornerback) Jimmie Ward, you would have been giving up (center) Marcus Martin or (linebacker) Chris Borland and you would have given up (running back) Carlos Hyde, plus somebody else. So you would have given up three young quality players to get one. And that was decision that collectively we weren’t willing to make.” Tonight’s look at the Niners..
- The 49ers will be interviewing their defensive line coach, Jim Tomsula, for the head coaching opening, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- Baalke said the 49ers will spend “seven to ten days interviewing” candidates to be team’s next head coach, tweets Lindsay Jones of USA Today.
- Baalke says he will have control of the 53-man roster with the new head coach, according to Christian Gin of Examiner (on Twitter). He went on to say that at least one NFL team contacted him about some possible trade for Jim Harbaugh.
East Notes: McDaniels, Jets, Giants
A look at the AFC and NFC East..
- Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is a popular man. A source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) that the Falcons and 49ers have asked for permission to chat with him.
- The Jets will interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn in Seattle on Saturday, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter). Even though they’ll chat with him about their coaching vacancy, the organization’s preference is to get a GM in place first.
- The Jets have requested to interview Seahawks director of pro personnel Trent Kirchner, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Kirchner is GM John Schneider‘s right-hand man and has been mentioned as a possibility for the Jets in the past.
- Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that Steve Spagnuolo is a possibility for the Giants‘ defensive coordinator job if Perry Fewell is let go. However, it’s not a certainty that Fewell will be fired.
Coaching Rumors: Harbaugh, Coughlin, Gase
There has been plenty of action since our first round of coaching rumors this morning, with five teams – the 49ers, Raiders, Jets, Falcons, and Bears – now in the market for new head coaches. We’ve had enough news and rumors since then to warrant another round-up of the latest coaching-related updates, so let’s dive in….
- Although an agreement appears to be in place between Jim Harbaugh and the University of Michigan, NFL teams like the Bears, Jets, and Raiders continue to make overtures to try to change his mind, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report confirms (via Twitter) that the Raiders are still making a push to try to land Harbaugh, even if it looks like a long shot at this point.
- Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has been told he’ll be back to coach the team in 2015, but has a meeting scheduled for this afternoon with co-owner John Mara to discuss possible changes to the coaching staff, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
- The Falcons and 49ers have already requested permission to speak to Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Coaches who currently work for playoff teams with first-round byes are allowed to interview for jobs this week, so Gase is one coordinator whose name figures to surface frequently in the next few days.
- In addition to Gase, the Falcons may also look to talk to Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has several tidbits for us, tweeting that Jack Del Rio could emerge as a coaching candidate for the Raiders, the Falcons will contact Rex Ryan, and Mike Shanahan could have interest in the Bears‘ job.
- Former 49ers head coach Mike Singletary, who currently serves as an advisor to NFL executive Troy Vincent, would have interest in interviewing for the Bears‘ head coaching job, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Giants Notes: Coughlin, Manning, Kiwanuka
Head coach Tom Coughlin may believe he has the team trending in the right direction, but Dan Graziano of ESPNNewYork.com believes the best thing for the Giants this offseason would be to be honest with themselves.
He writes that Coughlin’s 49-47 record over the last six seasons leaves much to be desired, and that the team has regressed that past two years. He also thinks that defending defensive coordinator Perry Fewell’s job is unrealistic, as Fewell’s unit has been disappointing.
He does not believe the team needs to fire Coughlin, but wants them to take a good look on what they have actually accomplished, as opposed to where they think the team is trending.
Here are some other notes from around Big Blue:
- Gary Myers agrees with Graziano that the team needs to move on from Fewell, according to his article for the New York Daily News. He writes that the defense needs a new voice, but believes Coughlin deserves another year.
- Players will be available to the media on Monday, reports Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter). Coaches, front office executives, and decision makers will likely brief fans on the state of play sometime on Tuesday,
- The schedule for coach Coughlin to speak gives a hint that he will be returning in 2015, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. Schwartz believes if he was going to be fired, the team wouldn’t have announced when he would be available at all, and the organization would not wait until Tuesday to deliver that news.
- If quarterback Eli Manning has any input, he would encourage the team to keep Coughlin anyway, according to Schwartz (via Twitter). “I think coach Coughlin is an excellent coach,” said Manning. “And he deserves to be the coach and we’ve got to play better for him.”
- Graziano adds that Manning will lower his cap hit because the Giants will most likely extend him at some point (via Twitter). He did say he would be willing to play out the final year of his deal, according to Raanan, but after a successful season, the team would be smart to negotiate a longer extension.
- One Giant who will not be returning is Mathias Kiwanuka, according to Raanan (via Twitter). Raanan cites his cap number and high salary as reasons the team will move on from him.
Draft Order Set For Non-Playoff Teams
The 2015 NFL Draft is looking clearer now, after the Ravens clinched the final playoff seed in the AFC. That means the 20 teams to miss the playoffs have their orders set.
The Chiefs will pick right after the Chargers based on divisional tiebreakers.
The first 20 picks are as follows, based on overall record and strength of schedule, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com.
- Buccaneers
- Titans
- Jaguars
- Raiders
- Washington
- Jets
- Bears
- Falcons
- Giants
- Rams
- Vikings
- Browns
- Saints
- Dolphins
- 49ers
- Texans
- Chargers
- Chiefs
- Browns (from Bills, via trade)
- Eagles
NFC Notes: 49ers, Bears, Giants, Eagles
Once Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers inevitably part ways at some point this week, the club will need to begin its search to find his replacement as head coach. Appearing on FOX Sports, Jay Glazer (Twitter link via his colleague, Mike Garafolo) listed several candidates that San Francisco will likely interview: Dan Quinn, Todd Bowles, Jim Tomsula, Teryl Austin, Adam Gase, Josh McDaniels, Kyle Shanahan, and interestingly, UCLA head coach Jim Mora. Mora, who’s held head coaching positions with both the Falcons and Seahawks, was also mentioned as an NCAA coach likely to jump to the NFL by Albert Breer of NFL.com on Daniel Jeremiah’s Move the Sticks podcast two weeks ago. Here’s more from the NFC…
- Bears assistant coaches believe they will believe they will be fired after today’s game, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who notes that “wholesale changes” could be coming to Chicago. In the same vein, David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune examined what the future holds for the Bears, who are expected to fire head coach Marc Trestman and possibly GM Phil Emery.
- Tom Coughlin hasn’t been made aware of his status for 2015, but the expectation is that he will return to coach the Giants next year, per Rapoport (Twitter link).
- Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has been unequivocal in explaining that he won’t give New York a deal when it a comes to negotiations, and today he offered an even stronger, and quotable, declaration of his feelings. “Do you give discounts?” he asked Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (Twitter link). “Do you get discounts when you go to Macy’s?”
- Eagles FB/TE James Casey is due $4MM next season, and Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter) doubts that he’ll return to Philly next season. Per Berman, Casey signed on with the Eagles in the hopes of getting extensive time on offense, but he’s become more of a special teams player.
- 49ers linebacker Dan Skuta is a free agent at season’s end, and Cam Inman of the Mercury News believes (Twitter link) that he’ll follow current San Francisco defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to his next stop.
East Notes: Bills, Spiller, Jets, Giants
Former Bills general manager Bill Polian, who currently works for ESPN, refuted a report suggesting that he could be returning to the organization as soon as Monday, writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News.
“It’s about as wrong as can be,” Polian said. “I’m not going to work for anybody Monday morning except ESPN.”
The Bills aren’t expected to make any changes to their football operations this week, though meetings will be held and there are no guarantees, a source tells Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link). There has been speculation since Terry Pegula and Kim Pegula assumed ownership of the team that changes could be on the way, but for now it looks as if general manager Doug Whaley and head coach Doug Marrone will keep their jobs.
Carucci notes that sources believes there may have been third-party contact between the Bills and Polian to gauge his interest in a role with the organization, perhaps as a consultant. However, “there have been no substantive talks of any kind,” according to those sources.
Here’s more on the Bills and a few other teams from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- C.J. Spiller‘s contract with the Bills does not include a player option, and is set to void at the end of this season, as Jason Fitzgerald explains in a piece at OverTheCap.com.
- If the Jets want to land a top-tier head coach like Jim Harbaugh this offseason, they’ll have to attempt an all-out blitz this week, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. As Mehta notes, current Jets consultant Charley Casserly has previously stated that he believes the value of an elite coach is “two No. 1 picks, plus something else,” so if the team is interested in Harbaugh, Casserly may suggest offering the Niners multiple draft picks.
- After signing a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Giants last offseason, offensive lineman John Jerry, who was involved in last year’s bullying scandal in Miami, has rebuilt his reputation, says Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Jerry’s actual on-field performance hasn’t been great, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required), but if the veteran guard is no longer viewed as a character risk, that will serve him well in free agency this winter.
- In spite of finishing below .500 in back-to-back seasons, the Giants would be making the right call by continuing to employ GM Jerry Reese and head coach Tom Coughlin, in the view of Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
NFC Notes: Bucs, Panthers, Saints, Cutler
Wide receiver Louis Murphy agreed to a three-year extension with the Buccaneers yesterday, and the 27-year-old is thrilled to be sticking around Tampa. The former fourth-rounder said as much to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times:
“I believe in this team, I believe in coach Lovie (Smith), I believe in the organization. I believe in all the guys in that locker room, regardless of what the record says. I believe we’re going to be contenders in the future and I want to be a part of it. I want to see it turn around.”
Murphy, who currently has 31 catches for 380 yards and a pair of scores, reflected on his tumultuous tenure with the Raiders, Panthers and Giants:
“My dad always told me growing up when preparation and opportunity meets, it equals success. So this year, I wrote it on my bathroom wall. Early on in the game, you can drop a ball and say, ‘Oh, I’ll get another chance at this.’ But with the road that I’ve taken and the road I’ve had to go through, I said, ‘No, I’m not going to let anything slip through the cracks.’ And that’s the mind-set I’m going to keep from here on out.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes out of the NFC…
- ESPN.com’s David Newton is skeptical about the return of two key Panthers (on Twitter): running back DeAngelo Williams and defensive end Greg Hardy.
- Saints wideout Marques Colston isn’t thinking about next season. When asked by Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate whether he’s consider returning for less money, the receiver responded that he’d cross that bridge when he comes to it (Twitter link).
- The Saints will enter the offseason over the salary cap, but veteran guard Jahri Evans isn’t worried about his team’s predicament. “(The front office) will figure a way to figure it out. That’s what those guys get paid to do,” he told Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com. “I don’t see myself going anywhere.”
- The Giants have yet to reach out to defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul regarding an extension, tweets ESPN’s Josina Anderson. The lack of communication is not a concern, however, and Anderson notes that the team will start the process following the season.
- If one head coach could help turn around the play of Jay Cutler, ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio believes it would be the man who drafted him: Mike Shanahan. Of course, that would depend on the Bears keeping the embattled quarterback and not shipping him off to another franchise.
Workout Notes: Saturday
We’ll keep track of today’s workout information right here, as well as a couple of notes from yesterday…
- Besides working out wideout Austin Pettis, the Chargers also worked out wide receiver John Chiles, tweets Aaron Wilson. The former Texas standout went undrafted in 2011, and he’s spent time in the CFL and with the Saints and Rams.
- The Giants worked out a pair of former CFL players (via Wilson on Twitter): defensive back Jalil Carter and offensive lineman Brett Jones.
NFC East Notes: JPP, Beckham Jr., Haslett
Giants defensive Jason Pierre-Paul is a free agent at season’s end, and it doesn’t sound like he’s too worried about scoring a large deal in free agency. “I think I’m worth a lot of money,” Pierre-Paul told Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Additionally, JPP isn’t interested in giving New York a hometown discount, despite the fact that he’s spent the entirety of his five-year career with the club. “It’s going to be a business situation,” he said (link). “It’s going to be about my family.” Here’s more from the NFC East…
- Giants GM Jerry Reese had his best draft since 2007 this year, writes Vacchiano in a full article. First-round pick Odell Beckham Jr. is the shining star of the class, of course, but guard Weston Richburg, running back Andre Williams, and linebacker Devon Kennard all look like winners at this point. The same can’t be said for Big Blue this year, but brighter days could be ahead.
- After another disappointing season, John Keim of ESPN takes a look at some of Washington’s veteran free agents and their future with the team. The list is highlighted by two 35-year old players who will likely not return to the team in Santana Moss and Ryan Clark.
- Washington head coach Jay Gruden would prefer that defensive coordinator Jim Haslett returns in 2015, according to Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. The final call on Haslett, however, will be made by upper management. “I have, obviously, input and all that stuff, but ultimately, it will come down to, hopefully, a group decision — and one that we can all live with,” said Gruden. Washington ranks 30th in weighted defensive DVOA.
- In other NFC East DC news, Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell could be coaching his last game for New York on Sunday, writes Tom Rock of Newsday.
Zach Links contributed to this post.