Coach Rumors: Gase, Giants, Roman, Saints
Although nothing is scheduled yet, the Eagles remain interested in meeting with Adam Gase for a second time about their head coaching job, reports Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. A source familiar with Gase’s thinking tells McLane that the Bears‘ offensive coordinator came away from the eight-hour meeting with a “favorable opinion” of Eagles executive Howie Roseman.
With the Eagles and Dolphins both reportedly strongly considering Gase for their respective head coaching jobs, the Chicago OC is in the right place at the right time, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio suggests that Gase is particularly appealing to teams because he doesn’t appear to have much of an ego, meaning he’ll be more likely to stay in his lane and stick to coaching rather than pursuing any sort of other agenda.
While we wait to see where Gase lands, here are a few more of this afternoon’s coaching updates:
- The Giants confirmed today in a press release that they’ve now interviewed defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for their head coaching job, in addition to OC Ben McAdoo. New York’s interviews continue today, as the team meets with Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
- Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman has received interest for head coaching roles in the past, but admits “it’s been pretty quiet on that front” this year, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. During an appearance on WGR 550 in Buffalo, Roman said the lack of interest is “somewhat strange, but that’s how it goes sometimes.”
- While head coach Sean Payton is staying with the Saints, it looks like at least a couple of his assistants – secondary coach Wesley McGriff and quarterbacks coach Mike Neu – are headed for college jobs. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com has the details.
- Former NFL head coach Brian Billick, writing for NFL.com, views the Giants‘ and Eagles‘ head coaching jobs as the two most appealing openings this offseason. The 49ers‘ and Browns‘ positions are the least appealing, in Billick’s view.
Ravens Rumors: Eagles, Harbaugh, Flacco
Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome and head coach John Harbaugh addressed reporters minutes ago in Baltimore. Here’s a look at the highlights:
- The Eagles have not called the Ravens about Harbaugh, owner Steve Bisciotti said, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The Baltimore head coach was viewed as a long shot target for Philadelphia, but it appears the Eagles recognize Harbaugh isn’t leaving the Ravens.
- Newsome is hopeful that team can reduce Joe Flacco‘s cap number in 2016 but he said the team has to have a plan of putting together a roster if Flacco’s cap number remains at $28.55MM, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes.
- Linebacker Terrell Suggs is coming back in 2016, Newsome says (via Hensley). Suggs told him that he doesn’t want to leave game like he left Denver with Achilles injury. The former first-round pick has played his entire career in Baltimore, making six Pro Bowls and winning the defensive player of the year award. Prior to his 2015 injury, the 33-year-old missed only 11 games during his career, including eight in 2012 when he tore his right Achilles.
- When discussing the cap situation further, Newsome explained that the team had dead money with Ray Rice last year and he indicated that tight end Dennis Pitta could call for more dead money in 2016, as Zrebiec tweets. Pitta is dead set on returning to the field next year, despite his constant hip problems. “I’m a football player and that’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” said Pitta back in November. “I have a sense of duty to my teammates, the team and to this organization. This organization has given me a lot over the last few years.” The tight end has played in only three games since receiving a five-year deal with $16MM guaranteed in February 2014. One has to wonder if he might be forced to retire at this point.
- Newsome said trying to extend Justin Tucker is a priority and if it gets to the point where they have to, they will use franchise tag on him, Zrebiec tweets. Tucker, 26, has been a little shakier during the last two seasons than he was in his first two years, missing five field goal attempts in 2014 and seven in 2015. However, all but one of those misses came from 50+ yards, and he converted all 29 of his extra-point tries in 2015, so he’ll be in line for a nice raise from Baltimore.
- Owner Steve Bisciotti said that team exec Eric DeCosta is still committed to the organization, Zrebiec tweets. “He’s got too much at stake here in his relationship with Ozzie [Newsome],” Bisciotti said. The owner added that DeCosta probably could have had 10 different GM jobs by now if he wanted them. Bisciotti said that he doesn’t see either exec going anywhere for “many years” (link).
- Harbaugh said that the team is definitely looking to add a pass rusher, Zrebiec tweets.
- When asked about his free agency approach, Newsome said, “I don’t think we’ll be as busy as some teams are in March. We never have” (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun). Newsome said that the Ravens will have money available if a free agent they like is out there (link).
- Newsome said that he feels the team needs to add one more, if not two more, wide receivers early on in the draft or in free agency (Twitter link via Zrebiec).
Bucs Notes: Lovie Smith, Koetter, Licht
The Buccaneers’ firing of head coach Lovie Smith on Wednesday evening shocked the NFL world, but general manager Jason Licht explained today to reporters that he didn’t think the team had been impatient with Smith.
“I think when you have eight wins in two years, three home wins in two years, we’ve been patient enough,” Licht said, per Jenna Laine of Sports Talk Florida (Twitter link).
The Bucs GM made a few more comments of note during his session with reporters today, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights (all links go to Twitter)….
- According to Licht (via Laine), Buccaneers ownership intended to meet with Smith today to discuss his future – or lack thereof – with the organization. However, Licht warned the head coach on Wednesday night about the impending meeting, and Smith opted to talk to ownership on the phone right away instead.
- Licht called offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who is reportedly the frontrunner for the job, a “very strong” head coaching candidate, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. However, the GM added (link via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times) that Tampa Bay is obligated to allow Koetter to interview with other teams, and multiple teams have put in a request. According to our tracker, those suitors likely include the Dolphins, Eagles, and 49ers.
- While Koetter is viewed as a top candidate, Licht said there has been a lot of interest already from outside candidates in the job, per Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. At the time, Licht hadn’t spoken to any candidates, though he said that the search process would begin immediately after the press conference, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com.
- One factor that any of the Buccaneers’ head coaching candidates will have to take into account: Licht now has control over the Bucs’ 53-man roster, though he doesn’t believe that will hold the team back from pursuing certain candidates (link via Laine).
Coach Rumors: Gase, Eagles, Pederson, Jets
The Eagles have not yet scheduled a second interview with Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their head coaching position, a league source familiar with the club’s thinking tells Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. While Frank suggests that this contradicts a previous report on Gase, that Wednesday report didn’t actually say a second interview had been formally set up by the Eagles — just that the team wanted to bring him back for a second meeting.
Although it hasn’t been scheduled yet, a second interview between Gase and the Eagles could still happen. However, Frank suggests that the club may not finish its first round of interviews and regroup until next week sometime.
In other coaching news out of Philadelphia, Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson will interview with the Eagles on Sunday for their head coaching job, regardless of how Kansas City does in its playoff game, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
Here are several more coaching-related updates from around the NFL:
- The Jets have parted ways with special teams coach Bobby April, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Special teams assistant Steve Hagen and assistant offensive line coach Ron Heller have also been let go by the club.
- If he doesn’t get a head coaching job somewhere, look for ex-Falcons head coach Mike Smith to be a candidate for the Buccaneers‘ defensive coordinator job, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Leslie Frazier is on his way out in Tampa Bay.
- Panthers GM Dave Gettleman says he has talked to several teams looking for a head coach about defensive coordinator Sean McDermott. At the moment, only the Browns have formally asked for an interview, as David Newton of ESPN.com writes. McDermott has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Eagles and Giants as well.
- Per Mike Wells of ESPN.com, the Colts have officially confirmed several previously-reported changes to their coaching staff, including the dismissal of defensive coordinator Greg Manusky. The club also announced it has parted ways with strength and conditioning coach Roger Marandino and running backs coach Charlie Williams.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Eagles Request Interview With Bengals DC Paul Guenther
The Eagles have requested an interview with Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Browns, meanwhile, are slated to talk with Guenther on Sunday, following the Bengals’ Saturday playoff game against the Steelers. 
Guenther was previously identified an under-the-radar candidate for Chip Kelly‘s former job in Philadelphia. Guenther, 48, is a native Pennsylvanian whose defense leads the league in points per game allowed (17.5). Guenther has been with the Bengals since 2005 and has served as their defensive coordinator since 2013. However, his decade of service in Cincinnati could be coming to an end soon as multiple teams eye him for head coaching roles.
During his three seasons as Eagles head coach, Kelly had a solid 26-21 record. However, after consecutive 10-6 seasons, the wheels came off a little this year, as the new-look roster, which was supposedly tailored to Kelly’s vision, struggled to produce on the field. Kelly also served as Philadelphia’s de facto general manager, so we could see some front office changes take place in the coming weeks as well.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bucs Eyeing Dirk Koetter As Head Coach
10:24am: The Eagles will submit an official request to talk to Koetter as well, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.com.
The Buccaneers, meanwhile, have already spoken with Koetter about taking over as head coach, but a formal interview has yet to take place, Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune tweets. That interview could take place today.
9:16am: The 49ers requested permission to interview Koetter on Tuesday and still haven’t gotten an answer back, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. That could be an indication that Koetter already has the Bucs job in the bag.
6:38am: The Buccaneers will conduct a head coaching search, but their next hire might already be down the hall. Even though the team will go through the process of combing through head coaching candidates, it appears that things are pointing towards a “coronation” of offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Koetter is in play as a candidate for the Dolphins vacancy and as Miami’s interest grew, Bucs ownership felt that it had to move quickly in order to keep its highly-coveted OC from jumping ship (link). 
[RELATED: Buccaneers Fire Lovie Smith]
As Pro Football Rumors’ 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, Koetter is among the baker’s dozen of known candidates for the Dolphins’ head coaching job. The two sides have yet to formally set a date for an interview, but Tampa Bay felt that things were heating up between their OC and South Florida’s other football franchise. Presumably, the Bucs are happy with the work Koetter has done with No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston and losing Koetter could be detrimental to his development.
Under Koetter’s guidance in 2015, the Bucs averaged 375.9 yards per game, good for 5th in the NFL. Tampa Bay also placed 5th in rushing yards per contest with 135.1 yards on the ground per game. With Koetter calling the plays, running back Doug Martin managed to get back to his old form while 2014 third-round pick Charles Sims made great contributions as a pass-catching option.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles To Interview Ben McAdoo
After interviewing for the Giants’ head coaching job on Tuesday, New York offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo will meet with another NFC East team later this week. According to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (Twitter link), McAdoo is scheduled to interview with the Eagles on Thursday.
[RELATED: Ben McAdoo interviews for Giants’ head coaching job]
In the wake of Chip Kelly‘s dismissal, McAdoo was mentioned earlier this week as a potential candidate for the Eagles’ head coaching job, given team owner Jeffrey Lurie‘s general preference for offensive-minded coaches.
McAdoo, who was hired as the Giants’ offensive coordinator in 2014, has helped Eli Manning enjoy perhaps the most productive two-year stretch of his NFL career. Although the club has posted a 6-10 record in consecutive seasons, Manning has thrived, averaging 4,423 yards and about 33 touchdowns per season over the last two years, to go along with a 92.9 rating. The Giants finished in the top eight in the NFL in terms of both yards per game (372.3) and points per game (26.3) in 2015.
While McAdoo will get an opportunity to vie for the Eagles’ job, it sounds like the team’s top target might be Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase. A report earlier this morning indicated that Philadelphia is planning on bringing back Gase for a second interview this weekend, after meeting with him for eight hours on Tuesday.
If McAdoo doesn’t land the Giants’ or Eagles’ head coaching jobs, it’ll be interesting to see where he ends up in 2016. Manning has expressed a strong desire to see his offensive coordinator return to the Giants in some capacity, but if the team brings in an outside candidate as its new head coach, it’s not clear if that new coach would keep McAdoo in his current role.
Meanwhile, as McAdoo meets with the Eagles on Thursday, the Giants will interview another one of their assistants, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, confirms Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Plan To Interview Adam Gase Again
The Eagles were the first team to meet with Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, sitting down with him on Tuesday for what was reportedly an eight-hour interview. Despite having spoken to him for eight hours yesterday, the Eagles apparently want to hear more from Gase. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the team plans to bring him back for a second interview this weekend.
Neither the Eagles nor Gase have a shortage of options. Philadelphia has already spoken to two in-house candidates – Pat Shurmur and Duce Staley – and reportedly intends to interview Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, having been linked to several other options as well. Meanwhile, Gase has a full schedule this week, with interviews with the Browns and Dolphins on tap for today and tomorrow.
According to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Gase has added another meeting to his timetable for later this week — he’ll interview for the Giants’ head coaching job on Friday. So if the Eagles interview the Bears’ OC for a second time on the weekend, the club could be competing with an NFC East rival to land him.
After working with Peyton Manning in Denver as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator, Gase joined John Fox in Chicago in 2015, and contributed to a strong bounce-back season for Jay Cutler. A year after leading the league with 18 interceptions, Cutler threw just 11 in 2015, the lowest full-season mark of his career. The Bears also ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in offensive DVOA under Gase.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coach Notes: Dolphins, Gase, Raiders, 49ers
The Dolphins announced on Tuesday evening that they have completed head coaching interviews with former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
The Dolphins have several more candidates lined up this week, including Bills assistant head coach Anthony Lynn, former Bills head coach Doug Marrone, and their own interim head coach Dan Campbell. However, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears that, at the start of the search, team owner Stephen Ross‘s favorite candidate is Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who is scheduled to meet with Miami on Thursday.
Having seen multiple coaches with previous head coaching experience fail in Miami over the last decade or so, Salguero is unconvinced that Gase is the right man for the job, suggesting that the Dolphins need a more seasoned NFL coach for the role. As we wait to see if the team agrees with that assessment and passes on Gase in favor of someone with more experience, let’s round up a few more Wednesday morning coaching notes…
- Speaking of Gase, the Eagles confirmed that they interviewed the Bears offensive coordinator for their head coaching position on Tuesday. Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), Tuesday’s marathon meeting lasted for about eight hours.
- A year after Jack Del Rio took over as the team’s head coach, the Raiders don’t plan to make any changes to his coaching staff, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- There’s a good chance that the 49ers‘ new head coach will be a quarterback-friendly, offensive-minded candidate, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. A few of the candidates already linked to the Niners, including Sean Payton, Hue Jackson, and Mike Shanahan, definitely fit that bill.
- After firing defensive coordinator Greg Manusky on Tuesday, the Colts also parted ways with tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts and secondary coaches Mike Gillhamer and Roy Anderson, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- Earlier today, we recapped the latest updates on the Giants‘ head coaching search.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Giants Request Interview With Doug Marrone
Could a former Bills coach be on his way back to the New York area? The Giants have requested an interview with Jaguars offensive line coach Doug Marrone, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. 
[RELATED: Giants To Interview Panthers DC Sean McDermott]
Marrone, who led the Bills to a 9-7 record in 2014, narrowly missing a playoff spot, opted out of his contract following the team’s final regular season game. Marrone’s agreement with the Bills allowed him to receive his full $4MM salary for 2015 despite the fact that he’s no longer coaching the team. In January of 2015, Marrone agreed to sign on as the Jaguars’ offensive line coach.
When Marrone made his decision to opt out, there was some speculation that he may have had another opportunity lined up, but it doesn’t appear that was the case. The former Bills coach interviewed with the Falcons, Bears, Jets, and the 49ers for their head coaching openings last season and also had a meeting lined up with the Broncos before he canceled it. All five teams ultimately went in other directions.
Marrone has interviews lined up with the Browns and Dolphins, as shown in PFR’s 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker. It was reported at one time that he was expected to chat with the Eagles, but Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter) hears that he is not on the team’s list.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.