Doug Marrone - Pro Football Rumors

Black Monday Rumors: McDaniels, Bieniemy, Browns

December 30th, 2019 at 11:41am CST by Rory Parks

The Giants have fired head coach Pat Shumur, the Browns have fired head coach Freddie Kitchens, Cleveland GM John Dorsey‘s fate is up in the air, Bruce Allen is out with the Redskins, Ron Rivera looks like he’s in, and we have a lot more to pass along:

The Giants are rumored to be targeting Baylor head coach Matt Rhule, but they have requested an interview with Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (via Twitter) that the Panthers have also requested a summit with Bieniemy, a branch of the fruitful Andy Reid coaching tree whom Reid feels is ready for an HC job.
We heard this morning that the Browns have requested an interview with Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, and they also want to interview Ravens OC Greg Roman, per Schefter (via Twitter). Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets that Cleveland is expected to interview Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski again. Stefanski was a finalist for the Browns’ HC job last year before they elected to hire Kitchens.
Schefter says the Browns have asked permission to interview 49ers DC Robert Saleh (Twitter link), and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says the team plans to interview Mike McCarthy as well (Twitter link). Cleveland had an interview scheduled with McCarthy last year, but by that time, the club had already zeroed in on Kitchens, so the interview never happened. McCarthy and Dorsey worked together in Green Bay, so Dorsey may be rooting for a McCarthy hire.
In addition to the Browns, the Giants and Panthers have also requested interviews with McDaniels, as Schefter tweets.
Despite recent reports indicating that he wants to stay in Baltimore, Ravens DC Don “Wink” Martindale is generating a great deal of HC buzz, as Rapoport tweets. If he is hired, Martindale would want to pluck LSU passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Joe Brady from the collegiate ranks to be his OC. If you’ve watched college football this year, you can’t blame Martindale for that choice.
Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone will meet with owner Shad Khan tomorrow to discuss his fate, as NFL insider Adam Caplan tweets.

Jaguars To Fire Head Coach Doug Marrone?

December 28th, 2019 at 11:38am CST by Ben Levine

Black Monday has potentially started early. ESPN’s Dianna Russini reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars have informed head coach Doug Marrone that he’ll be fired following Sunday’s season finale.

However, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com tweets that Marrone has not been informed of his impending firing. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that Marrone had dinner on Friday night with owner Shad Khan and SVP Tony Khan, but no decision has been made about the coach’s future. Pelissero adds that there’s a “real chance” he sticks around.

Owner Shad Khan’s spokesman told NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport that reports of the dismissal are false (Twitter link).

“Reports that Doug Marrone will be dismissed after Sunday’s game are 100 percent incorrect. Owner Shad Khan will meet with his football staff, which includes coaching and personnel, midweek next week.”

Following an underwhelming two seasons as the Bills head coach, Marrone took on the Jaguars gig towards the end of the 2014 campaign. He impressed during his first full season in Jacksonville, guiding the team to 10 wins and an AFC Championship appearance. After that season, the organization signed Marrone to an extension that was intended to keep him in Jacksonville through the 2021 season.

Unfortunately, the team took a major step back in 2018, finishing with a 5-11 record. The 2019 iteration of the Jaguars could match that record with a loss to the Colts on Sunday. This past offseason, the team signed quarterback Nick Foles to solidify their offense. However, Foles suffered a broken collarbone in his first regular season action. Rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew took the league by storm while Foles recovered, but is far from a dynamic option. The more concerning occurrence for the Jaguars has been the deterioration of their elite defense to one of the more inconsistent units in football.

We heard earlier this week that the Jaguars were leaning towards retaining Marrone (along with general manager Dave Caldwell). Khan reportedly wanted to maintain continuity, and the firing of executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin was assumed to be the only major shakeup. There was additional optimism when it was learned that Tony Khan, the team’s EVP and son of the owner, is expected to take on an increased role in the organization. The younger Khan reportedly had a good relationship with Marrone.

The Jaguars join the Panthers and Redskins among teams with head coach vacancies. There will surely be more teams added to that list on Monday.

Coaching Rumors: Jaguars, Browns, Panthers, Patriots

December 27th, 2019 at 8:10pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The 2019 regular season is winding down, which means the coaching carousel is about to start ramping up. Earlier today the Falcons announced Dan Quinn would be back for 2020, crossing one potential opening off the list. This is shaping up to be a potentially quiet year in terms of number of coaches fired, but there should still be a good amount of action. One man still on the hot seat is the Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone. The latest reporting indicated the Jags were leaning toward keeping Marrone and GM Dave Caldwell, and we have more info to back that up now. Tony Khan, the team’s EVP and son of owner Shad Khan, is expected to take on an increased role in the organization, according to Albert Breer of SI.com.

That’s good news for Marrone and Caldwell, since Breer writes that the younger Khan has a good relationship with both. He further adds that “things are trending toward” the duo “surviving the weekend.” Tom Coughlin, the team’s head of football operations, was fired recently and has been taking the brunt of the blame for the organization’s spiral.

Here’s the latest from around the league:

There’s been a lot of speculation that Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens could be one and done, as Cleveland has been a dumpster fire all year long. Breer writes that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam initially seemed inclined to keep him around for a second year, but that recently Haslam has “kept his cards closer to the vest.” Even if Kitchens survives, Breer says he expects there to be significant changes to his staff. It’s been “an open secret that offensive coordinator Todd Monken hasn’t been happy” this season, he reports. How the Browns fare in Week 17 against the 1-14 Bengals could go a long way in determining Kitchens’ future.
Everyone that Breer has talked to indicated that the Panthers are going to conduct an extensive search for Ron Rivera’s replacement. Notably, Breer has learned that the search is expected to include a college coach or two. Baylor coach Matt Rhule and Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley have been two college coaches heavily linked to NFL jobs recently. New owner David Tepper is looking to put his stamp on the team, and it’ll be very interesting to see which direction he heads. He’s been very keen on analytics, so a younger offensive-minded hire wouldn’t be surprising. Further, Breer writes to “keep an eye out” for Josh McDaniels and the Panthers. The Patriots offensive coordinator nearly took the Colts’ job two cycles ago, and will be a hot name again this time around. Whoever the Panthers hire “will have considerable say over the football operation, in areas like strength-and-conditioning, training and video,” Breer reports.
Speaking of the Patriots, Nick Caserio isn’t the only exec in their building who could get poached. Breer speculates that McDaniels could try to lure pro personnel director Dave Ziegler with him if he leaves to become a head coach. Given that Caserio and director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort are both on expiring contracts, Breer thinks the Pats might work hard to retain Ziegler.

Jaguars To Retain HC Doug Marrone, GM Dave Caldwell?

December 22nd, 2019 at 8:47am CST by Rory Parks

We heard last week that the Jaguars were considering a major organizational shakeup, with head coach Doug Marrone, executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin, and GM Dave Caldwell potentially all on the chopping block. Since then, Coughlin was fired, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that his dismissal may be the only major coaching/front office change Jacksonville makes.

Team owner Shad Khan, despite his apparent predilection for current and former Patriots staffers, would prefer to maintain continuity. Rapoport says the Coughlin firing was well-received in the locker room, and he adds that Marrone had to constantly put out fires regarding Coughlin’s fining system. If his team performs well over the final two weeks of the season, Marrone could be back.

The same goes for Caldwell, whose past couple of drafts have been good enough to give him a chance to be retained. Although the team’s front office will have to somehow deal with Nick Foles‘ contract, the fact that Coughlin is out of the picture has apparently made agents comfortable with having their clients sign with the Jags.

To replace Coughlin, Khan may turn to his son, Tony Khan. Tony Khan currently serves as vice chairman and director of football operations for Fulham Football Club, and he has an analytics-driven approach that would fit in well with the modern game.

The Jags close out the 2019 season with winnable games against the Falcons and Colts.

South Notes: Godwin, Peat, Marrone

December 19th, 2019 at 12:10pm CST by Rory Parks

Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin left Sunday’s victory over Detroit due to a hamstring injury, and since Tampa Bay is out of playoff contention, Godwin’s breakout 2019 campaign may end prematurely. Curiously, fellow wideout Mike Evans has already been placed on IR with a hamstring ailment, and yet another receiver, Scott Miller, also left the Lions game due to a hamstring issue.

That has led some to question the way in which head coach Bruce Arians is running things, and as Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times writes, Arians has conceded that he may be overworking his receivers. “We’ll be talking with our sports science people about it,” Arians said. “Maybe I’ve overworked them in practice, the receivers, because we need the reps. Our quarterbacks need the reps, so we run them this time of the year more than I would probably like to, but we need the reps.” The hamstring injuries may all just be a coincidence, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the team’s new sports science department moving forward.

Jenna Laine of ESPN.com says Arians has already ruled Godwin out for Week 16 but hopes he will play in the 2019 finale.

Now for more from the league’s south divisions:

Good news for the playoff-bound Saints. As Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets, New Orleans guard Andrus Peat, who has missed the last five games with a broken arm, has returned to practice. The team’s offense has performed just fine in Peat’s absence, but the Saints would surely like to have their 2018 Pro Bowler back in action.
The Saints continued to bolster their secondary by adding safety D.J. Swearinger on Wednesday, just two days after claiming CB Janoris Jenkins. As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle observes, the Saints did their due diligence in the DB market before signing Swearinger, working out nine total players (Twitter link). That list included recognizable vets DeShawn Shead and Kentrell Brice.
The Jaguars parted ways with executive vice president Tom Coughlin yesterday, and many believe that head coach Doug Marrone will be axed at the end of the season. However, Marrone said he has not heard anything in that regard from owner Shad Khan, nor does he expect to (h/t Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk). Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes that, since Khan did not also fire Marrone when he fired Coughlin, Marrone (and GM Dave Caldwell) could be back in 2020. But Coughlin seems to have been fired largely as a result of a damning NFLPA report that surfaced Monday, so the fact that Marrone and Caldwell will stay on board for the rest of 2019 probably doesn’t mean very much.
The Colts tried to shore up their CB position by signing Briean Boddy-Calhoun yesterday, and as Wilson tweets, Indy also brought in CB Ken Crawley for a tryout.

Jaguars Expected To Make Major Offseason Changes

December 15th, 2019 at 12:21pm CST by Rory Parks

It has been speculated for some time that the Jaguars may undergo a major organizational overhaul this offseason, and sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that the club is indeed expected to make significant changes in the new year.

Many around the league expect head coach Doug Marrone to be fired, per Schefter. Others believe that executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin could step aside to spend more time with family.

Schefter’s report did not offer any concrete rumors as to GM Dave Caldwell, but recent reports have suggested that he may be on the chopping block as well. Of course, owner Shad Khan considered a shakeup after the 2018 season, but he opted to remain patient. However, his patience has not been rewarded, and the Jags have sputtered to a 4-9 record in 2019.

This same power structure guided Jacksonville to the AFC Championship Game in 2017, and the team was one quarter away from upsetting the Patriots in that contest and advancing to the Super Bowl. The Jags looked like a team on the rise, but they have regressed in a big way and now look like they could be headed for yet another rebuild.

AFC South Notes: Jags, Tannehill, Funchess

December 1st, 2019 at 12:05pm CST by Rory Parks

As they limp towards the end of their second consecutive disappointing campaign, the Jaguars could be looking at a major organizational overhaul this offseason, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes. Several members of head coach Doug Marrone‘s staff believe Marrone will be fired at season’s end, and questions remain as to how long team president Tom Coughlin will remain with the club.

Indeed, La Canfora says members of Jacksonville’s front office are just as concerned about their job security as the team’s coaches and are beginning to explore opportunities elsewhere. Owner Shad Khan did consider a significant shakeup last year before opting to retain Marrone, Coughlin, and GM Dave Caldwell, but he may not be as patient this time. If Khan does elect to make a GM change, La Canfora names Scott Pioli as a potential replacement, and Patriots OC Josh McDaniels could be on the short list of replacements for Marrone.

Now for more from the AFC South:

The Titans are interested in extending their relationship with quarterback Ryan Tannehill beyond 2019, and as La Canfora writes, the franchise tag could be in play for Tannehill. The tag would come with a roughly $27MM cap hit, but with Tannehill suddenly a hot commodity, the club could hit him with the tag as a precursor to a multi-year pact. Of course, much depends on how Tannehill finishes the season, and while the two sides are unlikely to engage in contract talks in the short term, Tannehill looks set to cash in once the season is over.
Despite some hope that veteran wideout Devin Funchess would be returning to the field soon, the Colts have decided to shut him down for the year, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Funchess, who suffered a fractured collarbone during Indianapolis’ Week 1 loss to the Chargers, simply has not healed enough, per Rapoport, who says the plate inserted into the fracture did not work out as hoped. This is a difficult blow for the Colts, who have seen many of their top skill players miss time due to injury this year.
The Texans have been in the news a great deal over the last two days. The team placed first-round rookie Tytus Howard on IR on Saturday, and today we learned that the club will operate without a GM in 2020. Houston also got some potentially exciting news, as J.J. Watt could return to the field in time for the playoffs.

Jaguars Coughlin Noncommittal On Marrone’s Future

November 27th, 2019 at 6:26pm CST by Marc Delucchi

Jaguars executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin held his first press conference in roughly seven months. His answers were short and at time curt with reporters as he pleaded with fans to attend the teams final three home games of the season. The most notable takeaway, however, surrounded the status of current head coach Doug Marrone, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.

When asked about whether Marrone was in the team’s plans for the future, Coughlin skirted the question saying the team would focus on that at the end of the season. After Marrone’s first season in Jacksonville, he looked destined to be in charge for the long haul. That season the Jaguars had one of the best defensive units in football that nearly led them to the Super Bowl before a tough loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. Currently, at 4-7 Marrone is in his second consecutive disappointing season as the head coach in Jacksonville, though, things look a lot different.

This offseason, the team signed quarterback Nick Foles to solidify their offense. However, Foles almost immediately suffered a broken collarbone in his first regular season action. Rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew took the league by storm while Foles recovered, but is far from a dynamic option. The more concerning occurrence for the Jaguars has been the denaturation of their elite defense to one of the more inconsistent units in football.

For what it’s worth, Coughlin was also noncommittal on his own future in Jacksonville. When asked whether he planned on returning to the team, he remained steadfast that all of those decisions would be evaluated and made after the season was over.

AFC Notes: Marrone, Dolphins, Lawson

November 24th, 2019 at 7:56pm CST by Marc Delucchi

After the Jaguars ugly 42-20 loss to the Titans, the team fell to 4-7 and reporters asked head coach Doug Marrone if the team would be making any changes at quarterback or defensive coordinator. Marrone remained steadfast that he is not considering changes at either spot, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.

Marrone, currently in his third season as Jacksonville’s official head coach (he served as the interim at the end of 2016), is still looking to replicate the success he found in his first year at the helm. That season the Jaguars had one of the best defensive units in football that carried a team with questionable quarterback play to the AFC Championship Game. Since, the team is 9-18 and recently looks in disarray defensively. On the opposite side of the field, rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew showed promise while Nick Foles was out with a broken collarbone. Foles returned last week, but has yet to lead a strong offensive performance.

Here’s some more Sunday notes from the AFC:

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is perfect for the Dolphins situation, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald. Fitzpatrick has helped their offensive unit maintain an acceptable level of competence, but not to a level that could cause the team to win enough games to have their first round pick fall outside the top five in next year’s draft. Salguero also notes that head coach Brian Flores’ choices have made clear that Miami believes that Josh Rosen is not the franchise’s answer under center.
The Bills defense dominated the Broncos offense in Sunday’s 20-3 victory. It’s no secret that Buffalo has one of the best defensive units in football, but one player seemed to be playing with a little chip on his shoulder. According to Denver7’s Troy Renck, Bills edge rusher Shaq Lawson, who recorded two sacks on Sunday, looked for Broncos center Connor McGovern after the contest to tell him, “You will remember me now.” Apparently, McGovern said he did not who Lawson was prior to the game and the Clemson alum took note.

Poll: Is Jalen Ramsey Worth Two First-Round Picks?

October 4th, 2019 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

Jalen Ramsey wants out. The Jaguars, meanwhile, don’t necessarily want to let him go.

The Jags’ star cornerback has been frustrated for some time – he’s been openly campaigning for a top-of-the-market extension, but the Jaguars have been mostly unwilling to have serious talks with him. Then, this season, he had a major blowup with head coach Doug Marrone.

On the field, Ramsey is upset that he has been utilized in zone coverage, even though he ranks as one of the league’s best man-to-man defenders. Off the field, he wants to secure the bag, though he no longer wants that bag to come from the willing hands of owner Shad Khan.

With that in mind, the Jaguars seem to be following the old axiom of “Don’t tell them no. Tell ’em how much it’ll cost.” The asking price was initially set at two first-round picks for Ramsey. Now, it has advanced to two first-round picks, plus more. The Jaguars did secure an offer of two first-round picks, but they declined, because the offer came from a contending club that is likely to pick near the backend of the draft.

Reportedly, it will take an “astronomical” offer for the Jags to part with him, but that could just be an attempt by the Jaguars to improve their leverage. Meanwhile, roughly every other team in the NFL has at least some interest, but they’re scared off by the draft capital required since acquiring Ramsey would also mean giving him a fat contract.

Of course, a first-round pick from, say, the Patriots, does not carry the same value as a first-round pick from, say, the Dolphins. But – we want to know: if you were an NFL GM, would you be willing to cough up two first-round picks for Ramsey, with the knowledge that you would also have to give him an extension north of $75MM?

Cast your vote below (link for app users) and back up your choice in the comments.