HEADLINES

Lions Won’t Re-Sign Dominic Raiola

January 19th, 2015 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have informed longtime center Dominic Raiola that they won’t be bringing him back for the 2015 season, a source tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Raiola’s contract with the team is set to expire, making him eligible for unrestricted free agency in March.

Raioala, who turned 36 last month, has been with the Lions since the team drafted him 50th overall in 2001. He became the full-time starter at center in his second year with the club, starting 203 of a possible 208 regular season contests since then. Prior to being suspended and sitting out Detroit’s Week 17 matchup against the Packers this season, Raiola hadn’t missed a game since 2008. As Birkett notes, the veteran lineman indicated at season’s end that he hoped to continue his playing career.

“I’m optimistic,” Raiola said earlier in January. “I think I will be [back], but I’m not going to sit here and tell you I’m not. I still want to play, I still think I have a lot to offer and a lot to offer this locker room. If I could go one more go around, I’d be honored.”

Of course, Raiola was referring to the idea of returning to the Lions for one more year, so it’s not clear whether or not he’ll want to continue playing for another team. In Detroit, 2014 third-rounder Travis Swanson appears poised to take over at the center position for the coming season.

Steelers Sign Shawn Lemon

January 19th, 2015 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers have agreed to terms with former Calgary Stampeders defensive end Shawn Lemon, according to agent David Canter (via Twitter). Scott Mitchell of the Calgary Sun first reported that Lemon had reached an agreement to sign with Pittsburgh.

Lemon, 26, played for multiple teams in the CFL before breaking out for the Stampeders in 2014. In addition to establishing a new career high with 13 sacks, Lemon also tied a CFL record by forcing eight fumbles during the season, playing a significant role on defense for 2014’s Grey Cup champions. The club released him from his contract today in order to allow him to make things official with the Steeelers.

“Shawn has an agreement in place with an NFL club and we are granting him his release in order to allow him to sign a contract immediately rather than waiting until February,” said Calgary GM/head coach John Hufnagel. “We wish Shawn the best of luck and thank him for his contributions to the Stampeders.”

Lemon’s deal will likely be for the minimum salary with a small signing bonus, but he should get the opportunity to earn a spot on the Steelers’ 53-man roster or practice squad in 2015. A year ago, former Stampeders pass rusher Cordarro Law, whose spot Lemon claimed in 2014, signed with the Chargers and ultimately spent most of the ’14 season on San Diego’s taxi squad.

Coach Updates: Texans, Tomsula, Bears

January 19th, 2015 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The case of Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn exhibits a need for the NFL to change its rules when it comes to head coaching hires, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Because Seattle is playing in the Super Bowl, no team can officially hire Quinn as a head coach until February, at which point most top assistants will have found other jobs. The Falcons still appear willing to wait on Quinn, but it would’ve been much more of a sure thing if Quinn were available immediately.

Here’s the latest on a few more coaching openings around the league:

  • Within La Canfora’s piece, the CBSSports.com scribe notes that the Texans could be in the market for an offensive coordinator since the team didn’t have one under Bill O’Brien in 2014. Doug Marrone is a good bet to resurface in Houston, according to La Canfora.
  • Jim Tomsula‘s salary as the 49ers‘ head coach is believed to be about $3.5MM per year, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). That would put Tomsula amongst the bottom five head coaches in the league in terms of annual salary, which isn’t a huge surprise since he wasn’t a high-profile candidate.
  • The Bears have put in an interview request with the Colts in the hopes of speaking to assistant Rob Chudzinski about their offensive coordinator opening, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).
  • Bears general manager Ryan Pace said today that the team has not made a contract offer to defensive coordinator candidate Vic Fangio, but that doesn’t mean Chicago isn’t interested, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Fangio is also considered a strong contender for the same job in Washington.
  • Former Bears special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis is interviewing with the Raiders today and has two other stops lined up after Oakland, per ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright (via Twitter).
  • The Browns‘ offensive coordinator interviews for Anthony Lynn and Al Saunders are expected to take place this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.

Broncos Hire Rick Dennison As OC

January 19th, 2015 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Having been officially announced as the Broncos’ new head coach earlier today, Gary Kubiak has already begun to put together his staff, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Two league sources tell Klis that the Broncos have hired Rick Dennison as their offensive coordinator and Brian Pariani as their tight ends coach.

Though there was some speculation that either Dennison or Pariani would remain in Baltimore, perhaps as candidates for the Ravens’ newly-opened offensive coordinator position, it comes as no surprise that both coaches are following Kubiak to Denver. Both men also worked with Kubiak in Houston before joining him in Baltimore this past season.

As Klis writes, the 56-year-old Dennison is “well-schooled in the zone-blocking, play-action offensive system” that Kubiak prefers to use. With the Broncos, the former Ravens quarterbacks coach will either work with Peyton Manning or Manning’s replacement – possibly Brock Osweiler – if the future Hall-of-Famer decides to call it a career.

With Dennison heading to Denver, the Broncos and Ravens could end up essentially swapping offensive coaches, as former Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase is viewed as a top candidate for Baltimore’s OC job. We heard earlier today that Gase figures to land in either Baltimore or Jacksonville.

84 Underclassmen Declare For 2015 NFL Draft

January 19th, 2015 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

74 underclassmen who met the NFL’s three-year eligibility rule and formally applied to enter the 2015 draft have been granted special eligibility, the league announced today in a press release. In addition to those 74, another 10 players who have graduated with college football eligibility remaining have also entered this year’s draft class.

This year’s total of 84 early entrants is a step down from last year’s record — in 2014, 98 underclassmen were granted special eligibility and four more were eligible after graduating early, for a total of 102.

Here’s the full list of underclassmen eligible for the 2015 draft, in alphabetical order:

  1. Nelson Agholor, WR (USC)
  2. Jay Ajayi, RB (Boise State)
  3. Kwon Alexander, LB (LSU)
  4. Javorius Allen, RB (USC)
  5. Arik Armstead, DL (Oregon)
  6. Deion Barnes, DE (Penn State)
  7. Malcom Brown, DT (Texas)
  8. Alex Carter, CB (Stanford)
  9. B.J. Catalon, RB (TCU)
  10. Sammie Coates, WR (Auburn)
  11. Tevin Coleman, RB (Indiana)
  12. Jalen Collins, CB (LSU)
  13. Landon Collins, S (Alabama)
  14. Amari Cooper, WR (Alabama)
  15. Xavier Cooper, DE (Washington State)
  16. Christian Covington, DT (Rice)
  17. Zach D’Orazio, WR (Akron)
  18. DaVaris Daniels, WR (Notre Dame)
  19. Ronald Darby, CB (Florida State)
  20. Mike Davis, RB (South Carolina)
  21. Stefon Diggs, WR (Maryland)
  22. Lorenzo Doss, CB (Tulane)
  23. Mario Edwards, DE (Florida State)
  24. Durell Eskridge, S (Syracuse)
  25. George Farmer, WR (USC)
  26. Max Flores, LB (Northern Colorado)
  27. Ereck Flowers, T (Miami)
  28. Dante Fowler, DE (Florida)
  29. Devin Funchess, WR (Michigan)
  30. Charles Gaines, DB (Louisville)
  31. Jacoby Glenn, CB (UCF)
  32. Eddie Goldman, DT (Florida State)
  33. Melvin Gordon, RB (Wisconsin)
  34. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR (Oklahoma)
  35. Deontay Greenberry, WR (Houston)
  36. Randy Gregory, DE (Nebraska)
  37. Todd Gurley, RB (Georgia)
  38. Chris Hackett, S (TCU)
  39. Eli Harold, DE (Virginia)
  40. Chris Harper, WR (California)
  41. Dee Hart, RB (Colorado State)
  42. Braylon Heard, RB (Kentucky)
  43. Gerod Holliman, S (Louisville)
  44. D.J. Humphries, T (Florida)
  45. Brett Hundley, QB (UCLA)
  46. Danielle Hunter, DE (LSU)
  47. David Irving, DT (Iowa State)
  48. Jesse James, TE (Notre Dame)
  49. Duke Johnson, RB (Miami)
  50. Matt Jones, RB (Florida)
  51. Nigel King, WR (Kansas)
  52. Tyler Kroft, TE (Rutgers)
  53. Marcus Mariota, QB (Oregon)
  54. Ellis McCarthy, DL (UCLA)
  55. Benardrick McKinney, LB (Mississippi State)
  56. Patrick Miller, T (Auburn)
  57. Tyler Moore, G (Florida)
  58. Rakeem Nunez-Roches, DT (Southern Mississippi)
  59. Andrus Peat, T (Stanford)
  60. Breshad Perriman, WR (UCF)
  61. Marcus Peters, CB (Washington)
  62. Jordan Phillips, DT (Oklahoma)
  63. Darius Philon, DT (Arkansas)
  64. Bradley Pinion, P (Clemson)
  65. Jaquel Pitts, WR (Trinity International)
  66. Jeremiah Poutasi, T (Utah)
  67. Darien Rankin, LB (North Carolina)
  68. Shane Ray, DE (Missouri)
  69. Josh Robinson, RB (Mississippi State)
  70. James Sample, S (Louisville)
  71. Jean Sifrin, TE (UMass)
  72. Donovan Smith, T (Penn State)
  73. Jaelen Strong, WR (Arizona State)
  74. Tacoi Sumler, WR (Appalachian State)
  75. Shaq Thompson, LB (Washington)
  76. Max Valles, LB (Virginia)
  77. Easton Wahlstrom, LS (Arizona State)
  78. Trae Waynes, CB (Michigan State)
  79. Leonard Williams, DE (USC)
  80. Maxx Williams, TE (Minnesota)
  81. P.J. Williams, CB (Florida State)
  82. Trey Williams, RB (Texas A&M)
  83. Jameis Winston, QB (Florida State)
  84. T.J. Yeldon, RB (Alabama)

Coach Rumors: Gailey, Bills, 49ers, Cardinals

January 19th, 2015 at 12:32pm CST by Rob DiRe

It has been presumed that the Jets would hire Chan Gailey to become the team’s offensive coordinator, but it may not be a done deal, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. Costello writes that Gailey has drawn interest from three other teams, and that an agreement with the Jets is far from a lock.

  • As the Jets have cooled on Gailey, they have reached out to other potential candidates for their offensive coordinator opening, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
  • The 49ers have denied the Bills permission to interview Ronald Curry for an opportunity to join Greg Roman’s staff in Buffalo, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).
  • The Bears wanted to consider Broncos wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert for the same position on their staff, but the Broncos have denied them permission, reports Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • The Cardinals have expressed interest in Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan to replace Todd Bowles as their own defensive coordinator, reports Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Nolan’s defenses with the Falcons have been underwhelming, and his stint as 49ers head coach was equally unsuccessful.
  • With the Cardinals considering options at defensive coordinator, Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean notes that former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is in the mix as a senior assistant (via Twitter). Wyatt still believes LeBeau could land with the Titans (via Twitter).
  • 49ers assistant coach Eric Mangini will interview with the Raiders in pursuit of their defensive coordinator job, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • While Mangini is moving closer to the Oakland, former Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver is still expected to rejoin the 49ers, reports Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
  • Former Cardinals and Chiefs defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast interviewed to be the defensive coordinator in Washington, reports John Keim of ESPN.com.
  • The Bears have hired former Broncos assistant coach Jeff Rodgers as their special teams coordinator, reports Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter).

John Fox Introduced As Bears Head Coach

January 19th, 2015 at 11:43am CST by Rob DiRe

John Fox was officially introduced as the Bears head coach this morning. He was introduced by the man who hired him, new general manager Ryan Pace.

Here are a few highlights from his press conference, all links via Twitter:

  • Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune writes that Fox commented on his relationship with Pace, saying that the Bears will be a “we” business.
  • Fox hasn’t spoken with quarterback Jay Cutler directly, but mentioned that the embattled quarterback texted him to welcome him to Chicago, writes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
  • Campbell also writes that Fox is not revisiting what happened with him in Denver, instead preferring to look forward to his future with the Bears.
  • Since being hired, Fox has put all of his energy into the process of hiring his new staff, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. Expanding on that point, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes that Fox has not examined the roster as of yet.
  • Fox has not yet decided whether the Bears will play a 3-4 or a 4-3 for their base defense, according to Wright.
  • When asked about his input on the offense, Fox remarked “As a head coach, my job is to motivate and manage the football team,” according to Campbell.
  • When it comes to current members of the Bears coaching staff, Fox has not decided whether or not he will be retaining their services, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com. Wright does note that they are pursuing candidates to fill their staff.
  • The one assistant that has signed a contract is special teams coach Jeff Rodgers, who Fox says is already in Halas Hall preparing for next season, according to Biggs.
  • Discussing his age, Fox scoffs at the idea that he is too old to be a longtime coach in Chicago, writes Dickerson. “I’m very healthy. I’m very energetic. I stay away from mirrors. I truly feel 36,” said Fox according to Campbell. A number of reporters including Biggs thought they heard he stays away from beers, not mirrors.
  • When asked about what type of quarterback Fox wants in Chicago, he simply stated “one that wins,” writes Dickerson. Cutler’s record under Marc Trestman was a dismal 10-16. “I know everybody makes a big deal about the quarterback, and I get that, but it’s still a team game,” said Fox, according to Campbell.
  • Discussing who would have the final say on roster decisions, Fox believed it will be a group effort, according to Campbell. “If we have a building full of good evaluators…typically you come to the same conclusion,” said Fox.
  • Speaking on the offensive coordinator search, Fox said, “We will hire an outstanding offensive coordinator. We’re not going to predict how he does. We’re just going to go do it,” according to Biggs.
  • Fox also noted he planned on reaching out to two legends of the organization to bring them back in the fold. One is potential Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, according to Dickerson, and Hall of Fame coach Mike Ditka, according to Biggs.

OC Notes: Rams, Ravens, Gase, Bears

January 19th, 2015 at 10:32am CST by Rob DiRe

Many teams still have openings for their offensive coordinator position, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). With seven openings still needed to be filled, he notes that there will be a lot of competition for the top candidates.

Of the seven jobs Zrebiec believes still need to be filled, he has not counted the Falcons, who filled their position last night despite not having a head coach, and the Jets, who have been strongly linked to Chan Gailey (via Twitter).

For a full list of all coordinator hirings and firings check out our Offensive/Devensive Coordinator Tracker.

Here are some notes about potential offensive coordinator hires:

  • The Rams have requested permission to speak with Colts assistant coach Rob Chudzinski regarding their offensive coordinator opening, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • The Rams have also sought permission to interview Packers quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt for the OC opening, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
  • The Ravens are currently interested in a number of candidates, and a list of possibilities has been compiled by Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. The guy he puts as the front runner right now is former Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who has led record breaking offenses in Denver with Peyton Manning.
  • Gase is expected to eventually land with either the Ravens or Jaguars, reports Rapoport (via Twitter). He will interview with the Ravens soon.
  • The Bears have asked for permission to interview Lions quarterbacks coach Jim Bob Cooter for their open offensive coordinator position, reports Rapoport (via Twitter). Unfortunately for them, the Lions have denied permission.

Broncos Hire Gary Kubiak As Head Coach

January 19th, 2015 at 9:53am CST by Rob DiRe

MONDAY, 9:53am: The Broncos have officially announced that they have agreed to terms with Kubiak, according to the team’s official Twitter account. Kubiak will become the 15th head coach in team history.

SUNDAY, 8:17pm: The Broncos have seemingly concluded their head coaching search, as they are currently in the process of negotiating a four-year contract with Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak to coach the team, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

Kubiak is expected to be introduced as early as Tuesday, according to Klis. He is likely to bring Ravens quarterbacks coach Rick Dennison along with him to serve as his offensive coordinator, reports Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Kubiak could also bring tight ends coach Brian Pariani, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com doesn’t believe that it is a lock for either Dennison or Pariani to head to Denver, and writes that either one could be a candidate to take over as the Ravens offensive coordinator (via Twitter). Former Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase could also be an option in Baltimore, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Breer also notes that Kubiak figures to target Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph (via Twitter).

Before the Broncos job opened up, Kubiak announced that he was not interested in pursuing head coaching opportunities, electing instead to remain with the Ravens as the offensive coordinator. However, things changed when the Broncos and John Fox parted ways, prompting Kubiak to change his mind and make himself available to interview in Denver.

Kubiak has a long history with the Broncos, playing for the team for nine seasons as a backup to Hall of Fame quarterback and current general manager of the Broncos John Elway, and losing three Super Bowls as a player. He returned to Denver as a quarterbacks coach for the 49ers, where he won his first Super Bowl as a coach. Kubiak later became the offensive coordinator for the Broncos under head coach Mike Shanahan, coaching Elway to two Super Bowl victories.

As Kubiak became a clear frontrunner for the job, it was reported that he would accept the position should the Broncos offer it to him.

The Ravens have now lost their offensive coordinator in Kubiak, who lead the team to a record-setting year for the franchise. The team will now look to hire its fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons, writes Zrebiec (via Twitter).

This also further complicates the issue of whether or not Peyton Manning will return to the Broncos in 2015. Kubiak is a widely regarded offensive mind, and three years ago when Manning was a free agent he was reportedly interested in teaming up with Kubiak and signing with the Texans. The rumor is that Kubiak did not pursue the idea of signing Manning, instead preferring to continue working with Matt Schaub, writes Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).

Kubiak’s attitude towards coaching Manning would likely had to have changed if the team plans on bringing Manning back. Otherwise, Kubiak will be starting from scratch at the quarterback position, possibly with former second-round pick Brock Osweiler.

NFC Notes: Lucas, Bears, Eagles, Cowboys

January 18th, 2015 at 10:44pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Bears have hired Josh Lucas as the team’s new director of player personnel, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. The team has already hired former Saints executive Ryan Pace to be their general manager, and he dipped into the Saints front office to bring Lucas with him.

Lucas was one of the Saints’ top scouts, and was serving as one of the two regional college scouts, working closely with the director of scouting in New Orleans.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC this Championship Weekend:

  • The Bears have hired former Broncos and Panthers coach John Fox to be their new head coach, but the team still needs to find an offensive coordinator. John Mullin of CSNChicago.com believes that job will put whoever takes it in a win-win situation. The reasoning for this is because Mullin believes that a coaching staff has been fired because of Jay Cutler for the last time, and that the next offensive coordinator will either be given credit for turning around Cutler’s career or will be given the opportunity to move on from Cutler with whatever quarterback Pace picks to replace him.
  • Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie needs to look long and hard at the teams that have had playoff success in recent years in order to turn the team into a consistent winner, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While the Eagles are in the top five in the NFL in winning seasons and playoff berths since he took over the team 21 years ago, they are the only member of that prestigious club never to win the Super Bowl. Brookover wants Lurie to study these final four teams’ strengths and weaknesses, including high level quarterback play and great defense.
  • The Cowboys had a fantastic ground game in 2014, and with running back DeMarco Murray reaching free agency, the team may have to look to replace their star tail back. Jon Machota of DallasNews.com rounds up a few mock drafts to see who the Cowboys could be interested in, and while most chose to select a defensive player, Machota seems to prefer Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, who pushes the team to select the nation’s leading rusher and Heisman Trophy Finalist Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin.
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