HEADLINES

Rams Notes: Los Angeles, Hackett, OC

January 22nd, 2015 at 9:07am CST by Zachary Links

The perception that St. Louis has failed to adequately support the Rams is getting on the nerves of the Post-Dispatch’s Bernie Miklasz. Some have been critical of the city waiting too long to conceive plans for a new stadium. That’s a ludicrous thing to say, in Miklasz’s view, and doubly ludicrous when you consider Los Angeles, a city that has stalled on the issue for decades. Here’s more on the Rams..

  • Former Bills offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett interviewed for the Rams’ offensive coordinator opening yesterday, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Hackett interviewed for the Jaguars‘ OC opening earlier this winter and was considered a top candidate.
  • The Rams’ offensive coordinator search continues to drag on as several names initially linked to the Rams have accepted NFL offensive coordinator jobs elsewhere, Miklasz writes. That list includes Kyle Shanahan (new OC with Falcons), Greg Roman (new OC with Bills), and Adam Gase (new OC with Bears). Even with attractive coordinator candidates landing in other places, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Fisher is getting shut out or will fail in his bid to hire someone he covets. At the same time, there are factors that have made the Rams’ opening less attractive than others, and Miklasz lays them out.
  • While the Rams will continue to look outside, they feel they have a pair of strong in-house candidates in tight ends coach Rob Boras and quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.
  • More from Thomas, who looks at Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion as a possibility for the Rams.

East Notes: Cowboys, Romo, Fangio

January 21st, 2015 at 10:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys face a tough decision on whether to bring back right tackles Doug Free and Jermey Parnell, as Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News writes. Free started eleven games for the Cowboys in 2014. Parnell started seven, including the two playoff games while Free was out with injuries. “I think Jermey played really well and I think a lot of teams will throw on the tape and watch him play and probably a lot of people will consider him a starter,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “So we’ll have to make a tough decision there with Doug and Jermey. Hopefully we’ll at least keep one of them.” More from the East divisions..

  • The Cowboys will use some trickery with Tony Romo‘s contract to carve out extra cap room this offseason, writes David Moore of The Dallas Morning News. Romo is scheduled to make $17MM in 2015 with a whopping $27.7MM cap hit. However, Dallas will convert a large portion of that salary into a signing bonus, allowing the QB to get the money in a lump sum and allowing the team to break it up and spread it out over the remainder of his contract.
  • Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that Vic Fangio wanted to bring Ed Donatell with him to Washington, but they wanted to keep Raheem Morris instead. As a result, Wright hears, Fangio passed on Washington and joined the Bears.
  • Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter) hears that Washington wanting to keep Morris wasn’t a sticking point for Fangio.
  • Running backs coach Anthony Lynn has been plucked from the Jets to join Rex Ryan‘s staff with the Bills, according to Kimberly Jones of WFAN (on Twitter). He impressed in offensive coordinator interviews, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Rapoport expects Lynn to get more consideration next year.
  • Doug Marrone‘s shocking departure from the Bills earlier this month left the majority of his assistant coaches out of jobs, but at least one of Marrone’s former position coaches doesn’t have any hard feelings toward his old boss. “That’s the business. He’s taking care of himself, his family. That’s the No. 1 thing you do as a man, all right?” Fred Pagac, who served as linebackers coach for the Bills last season, told Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Pagac, 62, went on to say that he’d work for Marrone “tomorrow,” given the opportunity.
  • Former Vikings tight end coach Jimmie Johnson is expected to join Todd Bowles‘ staff as the new Jets tight ends coach, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter). Johnson was with Minnesota from 2006 through 2013.

Extra Points: 49ers, Gase, Phillips

January 21st, 2015 at 9:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers continued to pursue Adam Gase as offensive coordinator after bypassing him for their head coaching position, a source told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. They were not successful, however, as Gase landed with the Bears earlier tonight. More from around the NFL..

  • Former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips could draw interest from the Broncos and Raiders as a defensive coordinator candidate, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Raiders are hiring Marcus Robertson as their new defensive backs coach, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The team is still on the hunt for its next defensive coordinator, however. Veteran Charles Woodson pushed for the hire, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter).
  • Former Raiders interim head coach Tony Sparano interviewed with the 49ers for their tight ends coach position, a league source told Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Bears met with a pair of Chicago natives at the Senior Bowl, according to Adam Jahns of the Sun-Times (on Twitter). Defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat (Iowa) and guard Laken Tomlinson (Duke) met with reps from the team.
  • Long rumored to be headed across the Bay, former Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver is joining the 49ers as the team’s linebackers coach and senior defensive assistant, reports Jim Trotter of ESPN (via Twitter). While Tarver may have some input on the play-calling, the Niners are still on the lookout for a defensive coordinator.

South Notes: Saints, Wayne, Buccaneers

January 21st, 2015 at 8:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Years ago, Saints owner Tom Benson designated granddaughter Rita Benson LeBlanc as his handpicked successor. Tonight, he told Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune that he will instead transfer ownership of the city’s two major pro sports franchises (Saints and the NBA’s Pelicans) to his wife, Gayle, when he dies. As for LeBlanc, her offices at the teams’ Metairie headquarters recently have been vacated and her company-issued Mercedes-Benz and cell phone have been seized. More from the South divisions..

  • Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne still isn’t sure if he’ll return for another season as Zak Keefer of the Indy Star writes. “Once I hit Nashville, I’ll figure out the rest,” the wide receiver said. “I’ll make my outline and go from there. I don’t have a plan. I’ve never had one. I just gotta make a couple phone calls, say a couple of prayers and see what route the good Lord sends me.” While it’s uncertain whether the Colts want the aging wideout back, Wayne reiterated on several occasions late in the season that he can’t imagine himself suiting up for any other team.
  • The Saints are just two hours from the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, but no member of the team’s coaching staff is in attendance to scout potential draft prospects, writes Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune. “He has his hands full in New Orleans,” Loomis said of head coach Sean Payton. “It’s just the normal activity that you would do,” Loomis said. “Sean felt like the staff would be better served to stay in New Orleans and work on those aspects as opposed to being here.”
  • Heavy-hitting linebacker Denzel Perryman could be a target for the Buccaneers in this year’s draft, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times writes. The University of Miami standout, who is just shy of 5’11”, could potentially be in the mix for Tampa Bay at No. 34. Perryman is often knocked for his pass coverage skllls, but he says he’s determined to show off his improvement in that area.

NFC North Notes: Raiola, Bears, Zimmer

January 21st, 2015 at 8:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of the NFC North, where Adam Gase has reunited with John Fox..

  • Longtime Lions center Dominic Raiola confirmed today that the team has told him he won’t be back for the 2015 season. Raiola added that he’s “obviously disappointed” by the news, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
  • The Bears announced (on Twitter) that they have reached agreement with Ed Donatell to become their new defensive backs coach. He replaces Jon Hoke, who has been let go. Donatell was released from his Niners contract at the same time as new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and the duo was widely viewed as a package deal.
  • There’s still a possibility that the Bears could have a holdover or two from Marc Trestman‘s old staff, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Not every assistant was released from his contract following the firing of Trestman and others.
  • The Vikings have one hire to make to fill out their coaching staff for the 2015 season, but it appears the rest of the group is intact for the long haul, as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. Coach Mike Zimmer said the Vikings plan to extend the contracts of most of their assistant coaches through the 2016 season. When asked about his own deal, Zimmer said that it runs beyond the 2016 season.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Bears Hire Adam Gase As OC

January 21st, 2015 at 7:05pm CST by Zachary Links

7:05pm: The Bears have officially announced the hire, according to Jahns (on Twitter).

6:48pm: The Bears have hired Adam Gase as their new offensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a three-year pact, according to Adam Jahns of the Sun-Times (on Twitter).

It has been a strange couple of weeks for Gase, who entered the offseason as one of the hottest head coaching candidates in the NFL. The former Broncos offensive coordinator interviewed in Denver after John Fox was ousted and also met with the Bears before they chose Fox for their own head coaching vacancy. Now, Gase reunites with Fox in his previous role in Chicago.

The 36-year-old Gase served as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator for the last two seasons. Gase worked closely with Peyton Manning to help turn the Broncos into one of the league’s most feared offenses. Now, he travels to Chicago, a team that used to boast a top-end scoring attack. Last season, the Bears were dreadful on offense and it’ll be Gase’s job to get them back on track.

At this juncture, it’s not clear who Gase will work with at quarterback. Incumbent Jay Cutler is there, but after a rough 2014 it’s not clear if he’ll still be in the fold. For what it’s worth, Cutler texted Fox to welcome him to Chicago, so it appears that there is interest in continuing the union on the player’s end.

Gase also met with the 49ers about their head coaching vacancy and spoke with the Ravens and Jaguars about their offensive coordinator positions.

Draft Notes: Perryman, Dolphins, Lions

January 21st, 2015 at 5:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Senior Bowl means plenty of draft speculation and talk of the Dolphins tapping local star Denzel Perryman has been a hot topic in recent days. However, drafting Perryman is going to require a long and thoughtful debate in Miami, as Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald writes. While GM Dennis Hickey doesn’t often mind drafting players that do not meet prototypical size and speed requirements (see: Jarvis Landry), assistant GM Eric Stokes does not feel the same way. Perryman, unfortunately, does not have the size one would usually want in a middle linebacker. More draft news..

  • Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin could wind up as the next coach of the Falcons, but he’s not neglecting his duties in Detroit, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Austin booked interviews with Washington nose tackle Danny Shelton, Ohio State cornerback Doran Grant, Miami (Ohio) cornerback Quinten Rollins, and Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty last night.
  • East Carolina wide receiver Justin Hardy said he a great meeting with the Ravens at the Senior Bowl, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • Penn State linebacker Mike Hull and defensive end Deion Barnes have each met with the Eagles at the Senior Bowl, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter). Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith and USC cornerback Josh Shaw have also met with the Eagles (link).
  • The Giants met with wide receivers Sammie Coates and Devin Smith, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter).

Browns Hire John DeFilippo As OC

January 21st, 2015 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

4:51pm: The Browns have officially hired DeFilippo, the team announced this afternoon in a press release.

1:14pm: DeFilippo’s deal with the Browns will be for three years, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, who hears that coaches and execs around the league view the hire as a “home run” for the Browns (Twitter links).

9:55am: The Browns have made a decision on their new offensive coordinator, according to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is hiring former Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo to fill the position. According to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (via Twitter), DeFilippo could be formally introduced by the team by the end of the week.

Since parting ways with previous offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, the Browns have conducted an extensive search that saw the team linked to current and former coaches like Marc Trestman, Jim Hostler, Brian Angelichio, Anthony Lynn, Frank Cignetti, Tom Clements, and Mike Martz, among others. Reports within the last 24 hours indicated that Cleveland would no longer be interviewing Al Saunders and Marty Mornhinweg, as had been expected, which was a sign that a decision was close.

While DeFilippo was never identified as the frontrunner, he also interviewed for the job a year ago when the team chose Shanahan, and had an “outstanding” interview at that point, per head coach Mike Pettine (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).

Improbably, DeFilippo is the second offensive coach from the 2014 Raiders to be hired as an offensive coordinator today — former Oakland offensive coordinator Greg Olson landed the same job in Jacksonville. As I pointed out when discussing Olson’s hiring, the Raiders’ offense wasn’t overly effective in recent years, finishing 30th overall in DVOA in 2014.

Still, Olson and DeFilippo were working with a first-year quarterback in David Carr, and didn’t have a ton of playmakers at their disposal. Now, both coaches will get the opportunity to work with other top 2014 draftees, as Olson is paired with Blake Bortles in Jacksonville while DeFilippo will join Johnny Manziel in Cleveland.

Steelers Notes: Roethlisberger, Defense, FAs

January 21st, 2015 at 4:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Steelers co-owner and president Art Rooney II met with several Pittsburgh reporters today, addressing a number of topics of interest for the team as the 2015 league year approaches. Via the Twitter accounts of Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, here are a few of the highlights from Rooney’s session:

NFL Investigates Patriots, Deflated Footballs

January 21st, 2015 at 3:12pm CST by Rob DiRe

3:12pm: According to a report from WEEI.com, the 11 Patriots footballs determined to be below the acceptable inflation level were tested and removed from circulation at the half. During the second half, the team’s 12 backup game balls were subbed in — those balls were at an acceptable inflation level. The WEEI.com report indicates that testing was completed just as the second half was getting underway, which is why officials stopped play and swapped out the kicking ball on the first play in the third quarter.

An earlier report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk confirmed that the 11 underinflated balls were tested before the game and were at an acceptable level of inflation at that point.

In other words, while the inflation level of the balls likely had no impact on the outcome of the game, it seems something happened to that original set during the first half, since they had significantly less air at halftime than they did during the pre-game check.

WEDNESDAY, 7:40am: The NFL has determined that 11 of the 12 game balls used by the Patriots on Sunday were underinflated by about two pounds per square inch of air, reports Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. According to Mortensen, the investigation is ongoing as the league attempts to determine how the balls became underinflated, but a source described the league as “disappointed” and “angry.” The NFL has not yet determined what, if any, sanctions or penalties will be imposed upon the Patriots.

MONDAY, 9:01am: The Patriots posted an impressive performance against the Colts last night in the AFC Championship, winning 45-7 at home on a rainy, windy Foxboro night. The victory stamped a sixth trip to the Super Bowl for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

Of course, a trip to the Super Bowl without controversy just wouldn’t be the “Patriot way.”

The NFL is currently investigating the Patriots because of their alleged use of deflated footballs during last nights game, reports Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (via Twitter).

Ben Volin and Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe confirm the investigation (via Twitter). The story was first reported by Bob Kravitz of WTHR in Indianapolis.

According to NFL rules as tweeted out by the New York Daily News for convenience, the home team is responsible for making a number of footballs available for testing prior to kickoff, to assure they meet the specifications required by the league.

Volin writes that the Patriots could be subject to a $25K fine, plus additional discipline for Belichick and any front office personnel involved. He also notes that WTHR reported the Patriots could face a potential forfeiting of draft picks, much like they were forced to following the SpyGate scandal.

The New York Daily News notes that a deflated football would be much easier to throw and catch in inclement weather such as what was experienced last night. They also put together quotes from Brady dismissing these allegations, stating that they are “ridiculous” and “the last of my worries.”

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk confirms that several abnormal footballs were removed from play throughout the course of the game. He also writes that he believes the league will come out with more information on the matter as soon as this morning.

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