Brandon Staley

Coaching Rumors: Contracts, CBA, Broncos, Bears, Rob Ryan, Browns, Packers

We’ve been hearing for the past few months that both the NFL and NFLPA think there are increasingly high odds of a lockout during the next round of CBA negotiations, and we got even more confirmation of that today. The NFL is gearing up for a fight, and with coaches who signed contracts this year, “teams are addressing how much each coach would make — or lose — in the event of a work stoppage” sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

Sources told Schefter that “both teams and coaches are confident that there will be some type of disruption, and one of the first signs of it is showing up in the language of coaches’ contracts.” The league is widely seen to have won the last round of negotiations over players, and the players’ union will be looking for a lot more from the league in the next round. Owners might not be willing to budge, and it sounds like a lengthy lockout is a very real possibility in 2021.

Here’s more from the coaching ranks:

  • The Broncos are reportedly targeting Bears defensive backs coach Ed Donatell to join Vic Fangio’s staff, and Donatell might not be the only assistant Chicago loses to Denver. The Broncos are “bringing in Bears OLB coach Brandon Staley” for an interview Monday, according to Mike Klis of 9News Denver (Twitter link). It sounds like Fangio is interested in bringing over as many of his assistants from Chicago as possible.
  • With Chuck Pagano now in charge of the Bears’ defense, the team wasn’t planning on bringing back Staley anyway, according to Brad Briggs of the Chicago Tribune. A source told Briggs that Rob Ryan, the former Saints defensive coordinator and brother of Rex Ryan, could be brought in to replace Staley. Ryan is a big personality and it would certainly be an entertaining hire if nothing else.
  • Freddie Kitchens has added another member to his inaugural Browns staff. Cleveland is hiring Packers offensive line coach James Campen as their associate head coach and offensive line coach, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN (Twitter link). Campen was the longest tenured coach on the Packers’ staff, and had been there even before Mike McCarthy took over as head coach.

Extra Points: Browns, Steelers, Bills, Bears

The transition tag could be in play for the Browns as they seek to retain free agent wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com opines (Twitter link). Given that it costs less than the franchise tag, the transition tender is an alternative for clubs looking to save funds, but it wouldn’t entitle Cleveland to any draft compensation if Pryor signs an unmatched offer sheet with another team. The Browns lead the NFL in cap space by a wide margin, however, and would likely choose to equal any offer Pryor lands on the open market. Pryor reportedly wants to stay in Cleveland, while the Browns are “redoubling efforts” to sign him to an extension, so any tag — franchise or transition — could eventually be moot.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • Although running back Le’Veon Bell visited a doctor last month while dealing with a groin injury, he isn’t planning on surgery, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who adds the pending Steelers free agent would have undergone the procedure by now if it were required. That’s certainly good news for Bell, but it probably won’t make a difference for his contractual status. He’s still expected to be franchised by Pittsburgh, and the tag will pay him north of $12MM.
  • The Bills are still deciding whether to move on from quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and the club’s upcoming decision will have far-reaching effects on the rest of the Buffalo roster, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Taylor received medical clearance today, so the Bills can freely choose to release him before a $27.5MM option bonus is due on March 11. If Buffalo goes that route, the franchise would essentially be hitting the reset button, opines Rodak, meaning the Bills could explore a LeSean McCoy trade. If Taylor sticks around, however, the Bills likely won’t have enough cap space to retain players such as cornerback Stephon Gilmore without restructuring other contracts.
  • The Bears announced that they’ve hired Zach Azzanni as wide receivers coach and Brandon Staley as outside linebackers of coach. Azzanni has spent his entire career to date in the college ranks, and coached pass-catchers at Tennessee for the past four seasons. He’s replacing Curtis Johnson, who left for the Saints after his contract expired. Staley, meanwhile, also comes from the NCAA, where he served as John Carroll University’s defensive coordinator for three of the past four years. Now in his first NFL job, Staley is taking over for Clint Hurtt, who rejected an extension from the Bears and defected to Seattle.
  • The Broncos have hired former LSU assistant Chris Kragthorpe as an offensive quality control coach, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. In addition to spending time in Baton Rouge, Kragthorpe also previously worked for the University of Georgia.