HEADLINES

Draft Notes: QBs, Colts, Browns, Chiefs

January 22nd, 2015 at 7:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Every NFL team hopes to find its franchise quarterback in the draft, but there’s also a risk that comes with selecting a high-profile signal-caller, as Connor Orr of NFL.com explains. “Everyone is fearful,” one NFC coach said of picking a QB high. “When they draft one, what if they make a mistake? It’s not going to work out too well. The GM, the coach and the quarterback are tied together.” Orr points to Geno Smith, whose failure, along with other mistakes, lead to ex-Jets general manager John Idzik’s firing. But regardless of the risk, the draft offers more promise than does the free agent QB market, where the top options are Mark Sanchez and Brian Hoyer, so clubs will presumably keep trying to hit on college quarterbacks. Here’s more news from the draft arena…

  •  The Colts spent a lot of time with Clemson linebacker Stephone Anthony at the Senior Bowl, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. CBSSports.com ranks Anthony as the eighth-best inside linebacker available.
  • The Browns seem to be set on improving their blocking up front, according to Pauline, who reports that Cleveland met with both Hobart offensive lineman Ali Marpet (link) and Delaware tight end Nick Boyle (link) at the Senior Bowl.
  • Miami receiver Phillip Dorsett interviewed with the Chiefs, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). As Paylor adds, Dorsett excels at separating from defensive backs, a skill Kansas City could surely utilize.
  • New Washington general manager Scot McCloughan says he’s interviewed “a ton” of NCAA prospects this week, and though he wouldn’t give an exact number, he did say that the staff spoke to prospects projected to go in the sixth round or higher, according to Zac Boyer of the Washington Times (on Twitter).

Coach Updates: Eagles, Raiders, Bucs, Fewell

January 22nd, 2015 at 6:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ve already seen one club make a defensive coordinator hire today, as the 49ers promoted Eric Mangini from tight ends coach to DC. Let’s take a look at some position coach hires and news from around the league…

  • The Eagles are expected to add Boston College offensive coordinator Ryan Day as their quarterbacks coach, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Day, who’s been at BC for nine years, will replace Bill Musgrave, who left to take the Raiders’ OC position. Day has a history with Eagles HC Chip Kelly, as Day played under and coached with Kelly at New Hampshire.
  • The Raiders have also found a new QB coach, as they are set to hire Bills quarterbacks coach Todd Downing, per Caplan (on Twitter). Downing also interviewed for roles with the Browns and Buccaneers, according to Caplan.
  • Not to be outdone, the Buccaneers have become the third team to hire a new QBs coach, as they’ve brought in Mike Bajakian to fill their vacancy, reports Roy Cummings of the Tampa Bay Tribune (Twitter link). Bajakian, previously the offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee, worked under Tampa Bay head coach Lovie Smith with the Bears. The Bucs have also added ex-Falcons assistant Andrew Weidinger as an offensive quality control coach, writes Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
  • Ex-Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has an interview lined up with the 49ers, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (via Twitter). San Francisco just hired Mangini, so Fewell is presumably a candidate for the Niners’ DB coach job, as Cam Inman of the Mercury News tweets.
  • Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com expects (Twitter link) that Falcons assistant offensive line coach Wade Harman will remain on staff as the tight ends coach; as McClure notes, Harman held that same role in Baltimore from 1998-2013.
  • Former 49ers secondary coach Ed Donatell has accepted the same position with the Bears, but as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes, Donatell might have missed out on other opportunities in the past. In each of the last two offseasons, San Francisco blocked Donatell from accepting interview requests from the Buccaneers and the Saints, per Maiocco.

Broncos, Raiders Still Searching For DCs

January 22nd, 2015 at 5:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Pending the resolution of Dan Quinn’s tenure with the Seahawks, four teams are currently conducting a search for a defensive coordinator, as our 2015 OC/DC tracker shows. Two of those clubs reside in the AFC West, as the Broncos and Raiders are attempting to replace Jack Del Rio and Jason Tarver, respectively, and today we’ve learned a bit more about the DC hunts being undertaken in Denver and Oakland.

The Broncos initially targeted Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph as the top candidate to fill their defensive coordinator vacancy, but Cincinnati refused to release Joseph from his contract. Reports indicated that Denver would subsequently move on to interviewing other options, but we hadn’t heard any more news on the search until today, as Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports that the club has contacted longtime NFL coach Wade Phillips to gauge his interest in the position. Phillips, 67, worked with new Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak in Houston from 2011-13, and many around the league expect a deal to be struck for Phillps to head to Denver, per Legwold.

Phillips, who started coaching in the NFL in 1976 as the Houston Oilers defensive line coach, has decades of NFL experience — he’s served as the head coach of the Broncos, Bills, and Cowboys, and acted as DC for a multitude of other clubs. He’s generally run a 3-4 front, which would require some personnel changes by Denver, who has run a 4-3 look in recent years under Del Rio. The club would have something of a head start on the schematic shift, as Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware are perfect fits as 3-4 OLBs, while free agent defensive lineman has the size to handle nose tackle.

The Raiders, meanwhile, have interviewed Mel Tucker and Eric Mangini (who has since accepted the 49ers’ DC gig) for their coordinator opening, while ex-Falcons head coach Mike Smith has been viewed as the favorite to land the job. However, Oakland might be unhappy with the results of its search, as Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 tweets that the club is now looking to the college ranks to fills its DC void. There’s no word on any specific NCAA candidates, but Bill Williamson of ESPN.com believes (Twitter link) the report means two things — that the Raiders have been turned down quite a bit, and that Del Rio intends to call defensive plays, meaning that the new coordinator would have less latitude.

49ers To Hire Mangini, Sparano

January 22nd, 2015 at 5:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

5:04pm: Mangini’s deal will be for three years, tweets Schefter.

4:22pm: New 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula has begun to fill out his staff, as he’s added both a defensive coordinator and a tight ends coach today. Eric Mangini, who acted as San Francisco’s tight ends coach in 2014, will take over DC duties, while Tony Sparano, who served as the Raiders’ interim head coach for the latter portion of last season, will replace Mangini as TE coach (Twitter links via Adam Schefter of ESPN).

Both of the 49ers’ hires have previous head coaching experience, which will no doubt be valuable to Tomsula as he embarks upon his first HC opportunity. Despite the fact that he’s been an NFL coach since 1996, Mangini is still just 44 years old. After rising through the defensive ranks in New England, Mangini was hired as the Jets head coach in 2006, and accrued a 23-25 in three seasons at the helm. He moved on to Cleveland, where his run was less successful, as he finished with a 10-22 mark before being fired after the 2010 season. Mangini, who’s been with the Niners since 2013, also was considered for the vacant defensive coordinator positions in Oakland and Washington.

Despite being nearly ten years older than Mangini, Sparano has actually spent less time coaching in the NFL, as he broke in as a quality control coach with the Browns in 1999. He most notable time came as head coach of the Dolphins from 2008-11, when he posted a record of 29-32, but only made the playoffs once (during his first season). Sparano spent the ’12 season as the Jets’ offensive coordinator before taking over as assistant head coach/OL of the Raiders in ’13. Following Dennis Allen’s firing in September of last year, Sparano was promoted to interim head coach, and guided Oakland to a 3-9 finish.

Mangini will replace Vic Fangio, who left to take the Bears’ DC job. Mangini always employed a 3-4 front during his tenure as a head coach, so the club shouldn’t be looking at any dramatic changes in terms of scheme. Meanwhile, San Francisco is still in need of an offensive coordinator, and Alabama play-caller Lane Kiffin is considered the favorite for the job. A Kiffin hire, of course, would have Tomsula employing three former NFL head coaches on his staff.

AFC East Notes: Brady, Marrone, Polian, Jets

January 22nd, 2015 at 4:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady adamantly denied that he had any involvement in the deflating of footballs during New England’s victory over the Colts in Sunday’s AFC Championship game. “I didn’t alter the ball in any way,” said Brady. “…I was surprised as anyone on Monday morning when I heard what was happening…I have no knowledge of anything…I’m very comfortable saying that” (Twitter links via Albert Breer of NFL.com). Furthermore, Brady stated that NFL has not yet contacted him as part of their investigation, but allowed that they might do so, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) — per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), Brady would be the last person the NFL speaks to, based on Rapoport’s knowledge of the how the league conducts its probes. Here’s more from the AFC East, including a little more on DeflateGate:

  • Patriots head coach Bill Belichick also spoke to reporters earlier today, and one league source found it “shocking” that Belichick shifted the focus of the scandal to Brady, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Of course, Belichick didn’t accuse Brady of anything improper, but he did say that “quarterbacks…know a lot more than I do,” which struck many as odd.
  • Some league insiders believe that ex-Bills coach (and current Jaguars OL coach) Doug Marrone and Jacksonville executive Chris Polian could be a head coach/general manager pairing in 2016, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link via Mike Rodak).
  • Packers assistant offensive line coach Steve Marshall is expected to join the Jets, presumably continuing to work with the offensive line, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • Kansas State receiver Tyler Lockett interviewed with the Dolphins on Wednesday, and the former Wildcat says the meeting went well, per James Walker of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Thursday

January 22nd, 2015 at 3:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves..

  • The Ravens announced they have signed receiver Aldrick Robinson to a reserve/futures deal, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Robinson, 26, was a sixth-round pick by Washington in 2011. After being waived by Washington on December 6, Robinson joined Baltimore’s practice squad three days later.
  • The Broncos signed quarterback Zac Dysert to a reserve/futures deal, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). Dysert was one of a handful of practice squad players earning more than the minimum salary in 2014. Dysert made $10K per week on Denver’s taxi squad versus the league minimum of $6,300 per week. Dysert, 24, was taken in the seventh round of the 2013 draft by Denver.

AFC South Notes: Chudzinski, Texans, Jags

January 22nd, 2015 at 2:51pm CST by Zachary Links

After blocking interview requests from the Rams and 49ers, assistant Rob Chudzinski could take on a greater role on the Colts‘ staff, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Head coach Chuck Pagano is very high on the former Browns head coach but La Canfora (link) is curious to see whether he re-signs with the club on January 31st when his contract expires of if he’ll seek opportunities elsewhere. More from the AFC South..

  • One of the Texans‘ top priorities during the offseason will be re-signing their most prominent players who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on March 10th, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Houston would like to retain cornerback Kareem Jackson, offensive tackle Derek Newton, and outside linebacker Brooks Reed, but if they’re unsuccessful, they’ll have to find replacements in free agency or the draft. Re-signing quarterback Ryan Mallett is another priority, even though the Texans are expected to pursue another QB who fits with what coach Bill O’Brien and quarterbacks coach George Godsey want to accomplish.
  • The Jaguars are seeking a pass-rushing Leo defensive end and a run-stuffing, pass-rush threat at Otto linebacker, Hays Carlyon of The Florida-Times Union writes. Luckily for Jacksonville, it’s a good class for that. “It’s one of the best drafts I’ve seen recently for edge rushers,” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. “Some are 3-4 guys, some are 4-3 and some can do both. Some juniors that aren’t here are really gifted and will be at the top end. It’s one of the deepest outside linebacker/defensive end groups that we’ve seen in a while.” Louisville’s Lorenzo Mauldin, Oklahoma’s Geneo Grissom, Arkansas’ Trey Flowers, Missouri’s Markus Golden, and Norfolk State’s Lynden Trail could be of interest to the Jags.
  • Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union looked at three defensive tackles that could appeal to the Jaguars in the draft.

Browns Notes: DeFilippo, Manziel, Hoyer

January 22nd, 2015 at 1:05pm CST by Zachary Links

In his 2015 salary cap outlook for the Browns, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes that the team faces an interesting decision with cornerback Buster Skrine. They drafted a replacement for him in Justin Gilbert but Skrine is the more proven commodity and he came up with four interceptions in 2014. Fortunately for the Browns, they have a good amount of cap space and can afford to hedge their bets by retaining him. Here’s more out of Cleveland…

  • At today’s introductory press conference, new Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said he isn’t sure if his starting quarterback “is in the building or not,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Brian Hoyer, of course, is set to hit unrestricted free agency, leaving 2014 first-rounder Johnny Manziel and undrafted rookie Connor Shaw on the depth chart at this time.
  • DeFilippo said hasn’t studied Hoyer much but will meet with him this week, according to Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram (on Twitter).
  • Head coach Mike Pettine admitted that he has had some “healthy debate” with GM Ray Farmer but says that talk of “friction” between the two is overblown, according to Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald (on Twitter).
  • DeFilippo said he and Pettine have discussed having an experienced former play-caller on the staff at quarterback or wide receiver coach, according to Cabot (on Twitter). DeFilippo does not have previous play calling experience in the NFL.
  • Pettine told reporters, including Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter) that he only offered the offensive coordinator job to one person.

AFC East Notes: Pats, Dolphins, Geno, Jets

January 22nd, 2015 at 11:09am CST by Zachary Links

As we head towards the Super Bowl, Deflategate is picking up more and more steam. Today, Patriots coach Bill Belichick addressed the media and, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, he appeared to subtly point the finger at quarterback Tom Brady for the deflated footballs used in the AFC Championship game against the Colts. “I think we all know that quarterbacks, kickers, specialists have certain preferences on the footballs,” Belichick said. “They know a lot more than I do. They’re a lot more sensitive to it than I am. I hear them comment on it from time to time, but I can tell you and they will tell you that there’s never any sympathy whatsoever from me on that subject. Zero. Tom’s personal preferences on his footballs are something that he can talk about in much better detail and information than I could possibly provide.” Brady himself will face the media today at 3pm CT after having his availability moved up from Friday afternoon. More out of the AFC East..

  • Ron Borges of the Boston Herald wonders how much more Patriots owner Robert Kraft can take when it comes to Belichick’s controversies.
  • The Dolphins will face some difficult decisions thanks to their salary cap situation, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. There are nearly a dozen players among the 58 under contract that may be either cut or have their salaries renegotiated to give the team an ability to conduct business in free agency and the draft. The Dolphins are slated to be about $3.3MM over the expected cap of $140MM, which roughly the same situation the Patriots are in. The Pats, of course, have gotten better returns on their (over)investment than Miami has.
  • New Jets coach Todd Bowles won’t commit to Geno Smith as his starting quarterback for 2015. “I think it’s an open slate right now,” Bowles told ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “It won’t be fair to say he is or isn’t the quarterback. Geno obviously is a heck of a football player, but there’s things we’ve got to evaluate and judge as a whole team. It’s not just Geno, it’s everybody. He’s the focus because he’s the quarterback, but everybody is going to be judged the same way. It’s an open slate on everybody coming in.”

NFC East Notes: Murray, Washington, Fangio

January 22nd, 2015 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

Retaining free agents Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray isn’t an either/or proposition for the Cowboys, as David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes. The two aren’t pitted against each other in the financial ring. The question is whether the Cowboys can keep Murray and still have enough room under the salary cap to retain its other key free agents and make needed upgrades to the defensive side of the ball. “Obviously it’s tough when you got a guy like Dez and DeMarco up at the same time and you’ve already paid a guy like Tony Romo and Tyron Smith,’’ executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “We’ve really got to manage our resources and this will be a challenge.’’ More from the NFC East..

  • Last night, it was reported that Vic Fangio passed on Washington‘s defensive coordinator vacancy over their insistence on keeping secondary coach Raheem Morris over his own choice, Ed Donatell. However, Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (on Twitter) hears that candidates for the opening were told they can bring in any assistants they prefer.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears that Washington could still end up changing secondary coaches and it’s hardly guaranteed that Morris will remain in that role.
  • New Washington defensive coordinator Joe Barry spoke with reporters, including Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com, about the virtues of the 3-4 scheme and the versatility that it offers.
  • Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com pressed the rewind button on the 2013 draft to examine Washington cornerback David Amerson. Amerson showed promise in his rookie season but regressed as a sophomore.
  • In a chat with readers, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News touched on whether the Cowboys will be able to find a strong pass rusher with pick No. 27.
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