Stadium Updates: Raiders, Rams, Chargers
Let’s take a look at stadium-related news, all of which happens to come from the West divisions:
- Raiders owner Mark Davis told reporters today, including Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com, that the club is planning to sign a one-year lease to remain in O.co stadium for the 2015 season. Despite rumors that the team could move to Los Angeles, Davis spoke as though he’s committed to Oakland. “We’re working hard to stay here,” Davis said. “We’re not using any other city as leverage. It’s not that way. It’s known that, no matter what we do here, it will not be as valuable as if we went somewhere else. That’s known. But we still want to be here. Finances are not the No. 1 goal of this organization.” As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds, Davis says that he’s willing to contribute $500MM to the cost of building a new stadium in the Bay Area. For reference, the new Vikings stadium is set to cost more than $1 billion, so the city of Oakland would presumably foot about 50% of the bill to get a new building started.
- Like the Raiders, the Rams have been tied to the LA area — Rams owner Stan Kroenke has been unequivocal in his plans to build a stadium in the Hollywood area, jeopardizing St. Louis’ chance to keep its club. NFL executive Eric Grubman, who oversees the LA market, met with the St. Louis stadium task force on Thursday, and was blunt in his directive for the city, according to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Take the plan and get it done,” Grubman said, referring to the city’s recent unveiling of stadium blueprints.
- Meanwhile, a third team that’s been linked to Los Angeles — the Chargers — have been growing frustrated with the city of San Diego’s lack of progress on a new stadium, writes Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. Owner Dean Spanos has been working to get city approval for a new building for twelve years, per Gehlken, and the club’s displeased reaction to mayor Kevin Faulconer’s rough stadium agenda could be a sign that the Chargers are aiming to leave San Diego.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Broncos, Wallace, Jets
Addressing reporters at Jack Del Rio‘s introductory press conference today, Raiders owner Mark Davis announced that CFO Marc Badain had been named team president, and indicated that Del Rio “has all the resources he needs” to go out and hire assistant coaches (Twitter links via Ian Rapoport and Albert Breer). And it appears that Del Rio has taken advantage of those resources to land his first offensive assistant — Michael Silver of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the Raiders will hire Falcons assistant Mike Tice to coach their offensive line. The Falcons had previously been reluctant to grant Tice permission to speak to the Raiders, but were convinced to change their stance after Tice pleaded his case, tweets Silver. Oakland is also expected to formally contact Marc Trestman soon about the team’s offensive coordinator position, says Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
Here’s more from across the AFC, as the week winds down and we look forward to championship weekend:
- The Broncos have concluded their head coaching interview with Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph, the club announced today (via Twitter). Having now adhered to the Rooney Rule, Denver is free to hire Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak if this Sunday’s meeting between the two sides goes well. With Teryl Austin and Doug Marrone having canceled their interviews, Kubiak is the only candidate currently scheduled to meet with the team.
- Speaking today to reporters, including Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), Dolphins owner Stephen Ross indicated that he doesn’t think “anyone really knows” whether wide receiver Mike Wallace will be back with the team for the 2015 season. Wallace will count for $12.1MM against the cap in 2015, a significant figure, though not as high as 2014’s $17.25MM cap hit.
- With the status of players like Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas uncertain heading into the offseason, defensive tackle Terrance Knighton recognizes that he may not be the Broncos‘ No. 1 priority among free-agents-to-be, but he has “made it clear” that he wants to remain with the team, as he tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- New Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan has started making changes to the team’s front office, parting ways with senior director of college scouting Terry Bradway and director of college scouting Jeff Bauer, the team announced in a press release. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), personnel executive Rod Graves isn’t expected to return either. Mehta reports (via Twitter) that Maccagnan would like to hire Rams scout Brian Heimerdinger – whom he worked with in Houston – to the Jets’ front office. The new GM is also set to hire former Jaguars GM Gene Smith, as had been previously reported, tweets Mehta.
- The Jets would like to talk to former Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo about the same position in New York, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- Bills quarterback E.J. Manuel, who is still a year away from becoming eligible for a contract extension, has changed agent, signing with Eugene Parker of Relativity Sports, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal.
Coach Notes: Bucs, Bears, Marrone, Coyle
The Buccaneers have parted ways with quarterbacks coach and interim offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Arroyo stepped in to run Tampa Bay’s offense during the 2014 season during Jeff Tedford‘s absence, but hadn’t been mentioned as a candidate to step into the role permanently since the team officially let Tedford go at season’s end.
Let’s round up a few more afternoon news items and rumors on the coaching front….
- One coach the Buccaneers tried to interview for their OC opening was Mike Mularkey of the Titans, but Tennessee turned them down. John Fox and the Bears are expected to seek permission to speak to Mularkey about the offensive coordinator position in Chicago, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter), so we’ll see if the Titans say no to Fox as well.
- Following Teryl Austin‘s lead, Doug Marrone has canceled his head coaching interview with the Broncos, which had been scheduled for Saturday, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Marrone will wait to see what happens with Gary Kubiak, who is set to talk to Denver on Sunday, and is viewed as the frontrunner for the position.
- Despite some initial uncertainty at the end of the regular season, defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle will remain with the Dolphins for the 2015 campaign under head coach Joe Philbin, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- Current and former Falcons coaches are among Jack Del Rio‘s targets for the Raiders, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com and Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 in Washington (Twitter links). Williamson continues to hear that Del Rio has interest in Mike Tice, but Atlanta won’t give the Raiders permission to interview the offensive line coach. Per Russini, Del Rio is trying to hire Mike Smith as his defensive coordinator, but it most likely won’t happen.
- Russini (Twitter link) is hearing that Mike Shanahan may be in play for the 49ers‘ offensive coordinator job under Jim Tomsula.
- Former Bills offensive coordinator Nate Hackett is interviewing with the Jaguars today for the team’s OC opening, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that at least two other clubs are also interested in Hackett.
- We can also add the Jaguars to the list of teams looking to interview Adam Gase for their offensive coordinator opening, tweets Schefter. The Falcons and Rams want to speak to Gase about an OC role as well.
- If Teryl Austin lands the Falcons‘ head coaching job, Packers safeties coach Darren Perry looks like a candidate to become his defensive coordinator, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
FA Notes: Cowboys, Houston, Suh, Rams
Tony Romo and the Cowboys had two of the league’s most dynamic offensive weapons at their disposal in 2014, with Dez Bryant leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns and DeMarco Murray running away with the rushing title. However, both players are eligible for free agency this offseason, and owner Jerry Jones acknowledged yesterday that it’s unlikely both of them return to the team.
“Is it possible [to re-sign both players]? Yes,” Jones said, per DallasCowboys.com. “But if you just look at it from the standpoint of dollars and cents, it probably doesn’t look reasonable.”
Considering Jones has stated in the past that the Cowboys intend to keep Bryant around by any means necessary, including the franchise tag, that doesn’t bode particularly well for Murray’s future with in Dallas. We heard earlier this week that the league’s leading rusher appeared likely to reach the open market.
Here’s more on this year’s free-agents-to-be:
- There have been “zero talks” between the Chiefs and outside linebacker Justin Houston on a new contract since the regular season ended, a source tells Herbie Teope of ChiefsDigest.com. If Houston and the Chiefs don’t work out a long-term deal within the next few weeks, the franchise tag looks like a very realistic possibility for the NFL’s sack leader.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Field Yates examines Ndamukong Suh’s potential free agency, identifying the Raiders, Browns, and Bengals as the best non-Lions fits for the star defensive tackle.
- In his preview of the Rams‘ offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com identifies tackle Joe Barksdale, quarterback Shaun Hill, and wide receiver Kenny Britt as a few potential free agents the team should consider re-signing.
- Ravens quarterback Tyrod Taylor sees his rookie contract expire this winter, making him eligible for unrestricted free agency. He spoke to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun about the next step in his career, suggesting that returning to the Ravens or signing with another club could both be “good options.”
- The NFL will introduce a veteran free agent combine this March, scheduled for a couple weeks after free agency opens, writes Conor Orr of NFL.com, passing along a report from colleague Ian Rapoport. According to a memo sent out by the league, the combine will “serve to isolate and consolidate veteran free-agent talent for more focused evaluation on a comparative basis.”
Coach Rumors: Austin, Kubiak, Broncos
Teryl Austin‘s decision to pull out of the Broncos‘ coaching search was as much about what seems to be happening in Denver as it was about his own situation, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, hinting that Gary Kubiak looks like the odds-on favorite for the Broncos job if he wants it.
Having said that, Birkett adds in a second tweet that Austin’s second interview with the Falcons on Thursday went very well. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link), Atlanta has narrowed its list of targets to Austin, Dan Quinn, and perhaps one other candidate, with Quinn expected to get a second interview next week following the NFC championship game.
Here’s more on coaching openings around the league:
- The Broncos‘ interview with Kubiak is scheduled to happen on Sunday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, before Denver talks to Kubiak, the team will meet with Doug Marrone on Saturday.
- If Kubiak leaves Baltimore to take the Broncos‘ head coaching job, the Ravens‘ contingency plan is to promote quarterbacks coach Rick Dennison to offensive coordinator, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. However, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Sun points out (via Twitter), Dennison would also be a strong candidate for OC in Denver under Kubiak.
- Kyle Shanahan would be another offensive coordinator candidate for both the Broncos and Ravens in that scenario, per Wilson and Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 in Washington (Twitter links). Per Russini, Shanahan turned down the opportunity to interview for the 49ers‘ OC job.
- Sources tell Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com that Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph would be a top candidate for defensive coordinator in Denver if the Broncos hire Kubiak.
- New Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio was interested in bringing Buccaneers defensive line coach Joe Cullen with him to Oakland, but Tampa Bay denied the Raiders permission to interview him, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link).
West Notes: Broncos, Kaepernick, Rams
Despite this year’s disappointing exit, Broncos CEO Joe Ellis still believes that Denver is a top contender and choice destination for prospective coaches. “We’ve got a lot of work to do but we have a good roster, we have depth and talent,” team president and chief executive officer Joe Ellis told The Associated Press. “And we get some of the injured guys back, Danny Trevathan, Brandon Marshall, who wasn’t 100 percent healthy last Sunday, so we should be optimistic. “And I think our fans should be optimistic about where we go next year.” More from the West divisions..
- Colin Kaepernick is the last vestige of the Harbaugh Era in San Francisco and Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com wonders if his time with the 49ers could be in jeopardy. While the seven-year, $126MM deal makes him the face of the franchise on the surface, there is only about $13MM guaranteed in actuality.
- Kaepernick is excited to see Jim Tomsula get the nod as 49ers head coach, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes.
- Cardale Jones going back to school leaves one less quarterback option for the Rams in this year’s draft, writes ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. St. Louis is looking for a QB and the likes of Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston figure to be out of their reach.
- Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is considered one of the top candidates for a head-coaching job but he is unavailable for first interviews until Seattle’s season ends. In the interim, he insists that he’s focused on the task at hand, as NFL.com’s Dan Wesseling writes.
- Raiders wide receiver James Jones told Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) that he’d be elated to have Marc Trestman as offensive coordinator.
AFC Notes: Rice, Browns, Knighton, Jets
A hearing had been scheduled for today for Ray Rice‘s grievance against the Ravens, which alleged that the club owed him $3.5MM for cutting him hours after in-elevator footage of him striking his then-fiancée surfaced in September. However, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the two sides have reached a settlement agreement. While the exact amount that the Ravens are paying Rice isn’t known, the settlement signals the formal end of Rice’s appeals processes and his relationship with the Ravens. The veteran running back has been paid and reinstated, so now it’s just a matter of waiting to see if any clubs will be willing to sign him to a new contract this offseason.
Here’s more from across the AFC:
- Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter links) have a pair of updates on the Browns‘ offensive coordinator search, reporting that Raiders senior offensive assistant Al Saunders and Bills senior offensive assistant Jim Hostler will interview for the job. Saunders will speak to the team on Tuesday, according to Cabot, while Hostler’s interview will happen this week, per Ulrich.
- Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio today (Twitter link), free-agent-to-be Terrance Knighton indicated that he hasn’t gotten from the feeling from the Broncos that they’ll bring him back for next season. With Denver defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio becoming the new head coach in Oakland, the Raiders figure to be linked to the big defensive tackle as he nears free agency.
- New Jets general manager Mike Maccaganan is “strongly considering” hiring ex-Jaguars GM Gene Smith to his front office staff, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Alex Marvez of Fox Sports has another Jets update, tweeting that Falcons defensive backs coach Joe Fanna will be joining Todd Bowles‘ staff in New York.
- Longtime Jaguars fullback Greg Jones, who announced his retirement today, has interest in coaching and said he’d like to eventually become an offensive coordinator (Twitter link via Vito Stellino).
- Bills president Russ Brandon spoke to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News about the Bills’ new front office structure, which will involve GM Doug Whaley having final say on the 53-man roster, while head coach Rex Ryan decides on the coaching staff and active gameday rosters.
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).
Coach Notes: 49ers, Jets, Falcons, Raiders
After promoting one coach earlier today, it sounds like the 49ers will be parting ways with the rest of their coaching staff. Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez reports (via Twitter) that the organization plans on dismissing all assistants except running backs coach Tom Rathman. A member of that coaching staff told CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco that they are “in the dark” regarding the team’s plans (Twitter link). Its unclear if any of the remaining coordinators, including defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, are safe.
Meanwhile, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee tweets that “several” 49ers assistants will likely join former offensive coordinator Greg Roman with the Bills, while others will likely follow Fangio.
Let’s take a look at some more coaching notes from around the league…
- Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is set to interview with the Broncos on Friday, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Austin was late arriving to Atlanta, and D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that his second interview with the Falcons will be pushed back to Thursday.
- The Raiders want to talk to Falcons offensive line coach Mike Tice, but Atlanta is denying them permission, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- Cardinals linebacker coach Mike Caldwell will likely join Jets head coach Todd Bowles in New York as the team’s assistant head coach, tweets Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Phoenix.
- ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson says Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio is “aiming high” in his coaching staff search, and the writer notes that Kyle Shanahan could be among the offensive coordinator candidates (via Twitter).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Raiders Hire Jack Del Rio As HC
3:40pm: It’s a four-year deal for Del Rio, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
3:10pm: The Raiders have officially hired Del Rio, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
2:17pm: A person familiar with the Raiders’ coach search told Steve Corkran of the Bay Area News Group (on Twitter) that a completed deal to hire Del Rio as head coach is “not imminent.” Still, the two sides still working on it.
7:44am: While the Niners pursue Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their head coaching job, the league’s other Bay Area team appears poised to lock up Denver’s defensive coordinator for their own coaching opening. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Raiders are expected to name Jack Del Rio as their new head coach, and an announcement could come as soon as today.
Del Rio’s defense in Denver, where he has been the coordinator since 2012, hasn’t been quite as effective or as heralded as the unit on the other side of the ball. However, after ranking in the middle of the pack a year ago, the Broncos’ defense finished fourth in DVOA in 2014, with Del Rio taking advantage of an influx of free agent talent, including DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and T.J. Ward.
As our head coaching search tracker shows, the Raiders’ list of candidates and interviewees didn’t include as many notable names as several other team’s lists. The team didn’t target highly-regarded coordinators like Dan Quinn or Teryl Austin, or former head coaches such as Rex Ryan or Doug Marrone. While Oakland tried to interview Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, he passed on the opportunity after receiving plenty of interest from other suitors.
Still, Del Rio, who had a long second interview with the team on Tuesday, had been considered a top option for the Raiders since the start of their search. There was a belief in recent days that the team’s choice would come down to the Broncos’ defensive coordinator or interim head coach Tony Sparano. And according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the club decided late last night not to promote Sparano to the permanent role, opening the door for Del Rio.
Del Rio, of course, has previous head coaching experience, having spent the better part of nine seasons with the Jaguars. That stint included a 68-71 overall regular season record, along with a pair of playoff berths, and a single postseason victory, in the 2007 season.
Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group noted last night (via Twitter) that offensive coordinator Greg Olson and special teams coordinator Bobby April actually remain under contract for the Raiders in 2015. However, it’s possible – or perhaps even likely – that they’ll be released from those deals to pursue other opportunities, with Del Rio bringing in his own coordinators.
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com speculates (via Twitter) that Mike Smith, who was Del Rio’s defensive coordinator for several years in Jacksonville and was recently let go by the Falcons, could be a DC candidate. Meanwhile, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link) says he wouldn’t be surprised if another Atlanta coach who worked with Del Rio on the Jags – offensive line coach Mike Tice – follows his former colleague to Oakland.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.