NFC Notes: Giants, Bradham, Gholston
The Giants coaching questions are now back in full force after the team lost to Washington on Thanksgiving night. There was some reprieve from the consistent rumors after Giants head coach Ben McAdoo beat the Chiefs two weeks ago, but now there is speculation about where the front office may turn if they chose to replace McAdoo at the end of this season.
Ralph Vacchiano of SNY speculated a number potential candidates to replace McAdoo if the team were to move on from the second-year head coach. Vacchiano had a number of former head coaches on his list, which included Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley and Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith. He also included big college names that seem a little more like long shots in Stanford head coach David Shaw and Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Up and coming coordinators Teryl Austin and Frank Reich rounded out his list.
New York is a pretty big draw that could get a few more well known coaches to at least consider the position. Plus, the team will have a top pick, solid defense and a healthy Odell Beckham Jr. to build around. More coaching rumors will be popping up as the seasons moves along, but it’s interesting to see what names may be on the radar, even though there’s been no indication that the front office will assuredly to fire McAdoo.
- The Giants have dealt with a number of injuries this season. The team has likely lost two more players for the season in cornerback Donte Deayon (fractured forearm) and linebacker Curtis Grant (knee), reports Dan Duggan of NJ Advanced Media. New York has placed seven defenders on IR so far this season, so losing two more depth pieces doesn’t bode well for how competitive the Giants can be in the final six weeks of the regular season.
- The Eagles are the best team in the NFL right now, and are in the process of deciding which of their building blocks to lock up for the long haul. The team already agreed to a contract extension with Timmy Jernigan earlier in the month and now may be turning their attention to linebacker Nigel Bradham, opines Jeff McLane of The Inquirer. A former fourth round pick back in 2012, the 28-year-old leads the team in tackles with 56 and ranks as the 33rd best linebacker in football, according to Pro Football Focus. The Eagles have 13 players heading for unrestricted free agency after the season, so they’ll definitely have to make some tough decisions regarding who they want to build around and who they’re willing to let go.
- The Buccaneers will likely welcome back William Gholston this Sunday after the defensive end missed the team’s previous two games with a neck injury, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. While the absence seems short when compared to some other more serious injuries, Gholston is thankful that the ailment wasn’t more severe. “The neck is a little worrisome, because you have to think about everything else, think about family and all that,” Gholston said. “They definitely took all of the correct steps. … I’m not glad it happened, but I’m glad they took the right steps for me to get back.” Tampa Bay will try to extend their win streak to three games when travel to Atlanta for a Sunday afternoon matchup.
Coaching/FO News & Rumors: 1/5/17
The Saints will have a significantly different coaching staff next year, as the team parted with assistants Joe Vitt (assistant head coach/linebackers), Bill Johnson (defensive line), Greg McMahon (special teams coordinator), Stan Kwan (assistant special teams) and James Willis (assistant linebackers) on Thursday, according to Sporting News’ Alex Marvez (Twitter link). These changes are a sign that head coach Sean Payton isn’t going anywhere, observes Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Vitt is the longest-tenured staff member to go, having served with the club since 2006. He filled in as New Orleans’ interim head coach when the NFL suspended Payton for the entire 2012 season because of the Bountygate scandal.
Let’s check in on more of the latest coaching- and front office-related happenings:
- 49ers: With vacancies at general manager and head coach, the Niners are set to to interview a couple members of the Carolina organization. Panthers assistant general manager Brandon Beane and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott will meet with the 49ers next week, per FOX Sports’ Peter Schrager (Twitter links). Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable will also discuss the 49ers’ head coaching opening with the team next week, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).
- Bills: Buffalo still has not submitted an official request to interview Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, per Tim McManus of ESPN.com. There has been follow-through after the initial contact between the two sides, he adds (Twitter link).
- Broncos: Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, whose contract is expiring, is unlikely to return to Denver, reports Marvez. If Dolphins D-coordinator Vance Joseph becomes the Broncos’ head coach, Denver’s defensive backs coach, Joe Woods, would likely succeed Phillips (Twitter links).
- Chargers: Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith interviewed with the Bolts on Thursday, becoming the first candidate to do so, reports Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The aforementioned Sean McDermott will follow him Friday, relays Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. The club has also requested permission to interview Bills interim head coach Anthony Lynn, according to Rapoport (Twitter links here).
- Rams: Los Angeles’ previously reported interview with Anthony Lynn will go down on Sunday, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets.
- Redskins: In addition to bouncing defensive coordinator Joe Barry, the Redskins also canned defensive line coach Robb Akey and defensive backs coach Perry Fewell on Thursday, via James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link). Panthers secondary coach Steve Wilks is a name to watch as the Redskins look for Barry’s successor, Rapoport tweets. Wilks has a history with Josh Norman dating back to their time together in Carolina.
- Bookmark PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker for an up-to-date primer on who’s interviewing where.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Coaching Notes: Joseph, Bills, Rams
It’s been a busy day around the NFL, especially when it comes to coaching rumors. We’re keeping track of all of those interviews, and you can find our tracker here.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at some more coaching whispers from around the NFL…
- The Rams, Bills, and Chargers are requesting permission to speak with Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). We learned earlier today that the 49ers have also expressed interest in Joseph.
- If Joseph indeed gets a head coaching gig, linebackers coach Matt Burke is likely to replace him as the Dolphins defensive coordinator, Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com tweets. Burke joined the Dolphins last offseason after having previously served as the linebackers coach with the Bengals and Lions.
- The Bills are expected to interview Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich for their head coaching opening, sources tell Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (via Twitter). Prior to his time in Philly, Reich was the offensive coordinator for the Chargers.
- The Bills have done some homework on Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard, Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports tweets. Richard just completed his second season in that role.
- All Rams assistants have been told they are free to seek other employment, freelance NFL reporter Michael Silver tweets. This doesn’t come as a huge surprise since the next coach in L.A. will probably want to bring in a lot of his own guys. Even if the next head coach wants to keep some of the current assistants, it wouldn’t be fair to hamstring them while the search continues.
- The Rams, Jaguars, Broncos, and 49ers will all interview Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan between Friday and Saturday, reports Rapoport (via Twitter).
- The Rams are planning on interviewing Panthers secondary coach and assistant head coach Steve Wilks for their head coaching gig, reports Rapoport (via Twitter). The 47-year-old has been in the NFL since 2008, and he’s also coached for the Bears and Chargers.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Anthony Lynn “Virtual Lock” To Be Bills HC
SUNDAY, 09:27am: Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports goes one step farther than Carucci, reporting that Lynn is a “virtual lock” to be named the Bills’ head coach on a permanent basis. The Bills are, however, expected to interview Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin for the job, according to ESPN’s Mike Rodak (citing ESPN colleague Adam Schefter). Schefter tweets that former Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley is expected to serve as Lynn’s defensive coordinator wherever Lynn becomes a head coach. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Bills’ top job is Lynn’s to lose, and he adds Frank Reich and Teryl Austin as possible alternative candidates.
WEDNESDAY, 10:09am: Anthony Lynn will hold down the fort as interim head coach in the Bills’ final regular season game. From the sound of it, he could already be in the lead for the real title this offseason. “There’s every indication” the Bills are settled on sticking with Lynn beyond the interim status he has for Sunday, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. 
[RELATED: Fallout From Rex Ryan’s Firing]
Carucci doesn’t expect the Bills to conduct a real, thorough search because they already have Lynn in mind as their guy. Furthermore, GM Doug Whaley is leading the search process and he will not want to hire any coach who would want control over the 53-man roster. In Lynn, he has a built-in ally who will allow him to assemble the team as he sees fit.
If Whaley is not willing to cede roster control, then that would likely rule out big-name candidates like Tom Coughlin, Jon Gruden, Josh McDaniels, and Jim Schwartz. Even former Bills quarterback and current Eagles OC Frank Reich would probably object. There may be some head coaching candidates who are willing to let Whaley do his thing, but it won’t be any of the splashy names.
Eagles Hire John DeFilippo As QBs Coach
THURSDAY, 10:24am: The Eagles have officially confirmed the hiring of DeFilippo as their quarterbacks coach. The announcement comes on the heels of the club naming 15 assistants, including new offensive coordinator Frank Reich, to Pederson’s staff on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY, 9:05am: The Eagles don’t have an offensive coordinator in place yet, but they’re planning to bring the Browns’ former offensive coordinator to their staff in another role, per Mike Garafolo and Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The FOX duo reports that Philadelphia is hiring John DeFilippo as its new quarterbacks coach.
[RELATED: Browns part ways with OC John DeFilippo]
It has been a busy few weeks for DeFilippo since the 2015 regular season ended. After serving as the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2015, his hold on his job became tenuous when the club fired head coach Mike Pettine. As the Browns went through the head coaching search process and ultimately hired Hue Jackson, DeFilippo spoke to the 49ers about their head coach or offensive coordinator position, and also interviewed with the Rams for a spot on their staff.
While DeFilippo didn’t land in San Francisco or Los Angeles, and was let go by the Browns, he’ll end up in an interesting role in Philadelphia. The Eagles’ hiring of Doug Pederson as their new head coach received mixed reviews, but Pederson is putting together an impressive staff, with Jim Schwartz set to run the defense, and DeFilippo potentially paired with Frank Reich on the offensive side of the ball.
A Monday report indicated that Reich, the Chargers’ former offensive coordinator, was expected to secure the same position in Philadelphia, and he still appears to be on track for that job. He’ll have a formal interview within the next 24 hours, and it “would be an upset” if he’s not hired by the Eagles, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
DeFilippo, who previously served as a quarterbacks coach for the Raiders and Jets, coaxed a respectable 236.4 passing yards per game out of the Browns this year, despite having to work with three different – and hardly elite – starting quarterbacks, in Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel, and Austin Davis. Reich, meanwhile, was let go by the Chargers due to the team’s ineffective running game, but he did just fine with the team’s aerial attack — Philip Rivers led the NFL in completions, racking up nearly 4,800 yards passing to go along with 29 touchdowns.
Of course, it remains to be seen who DeFilippo, and potentially Reich, will be working with at the quarterback position in Philadelphia in 2016. Sam Bradford is the incumbent starter, but he’ll be eligible for free agency this winter, and it’s not clear if the club intends to franchise him or extend him before he hits the open market.
Former Eagles wide receiver Greg Lewis is also under consideration for a role on Pederson’s coaching staff, though nothing is finalized yet, a source tells Caplan (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Hire 15 Assistants
5:46pm: The Eagles have made Reich’s hiring official. They’ve also named 14 other assistants to posts. Seven of those coaches are holdovers from Chip Kelly‘s staff. Here’s the list (unless otherwise specified, the names come courtesy of the Eagles’ website):
- Eugene Chung, offensive line/tight ends/running game
- Phillip Daniels, defensive quality control/assistant defensive line
- Dave Fipp, special teams
- Ken Flajole, linebackers
- Matthew Harper, assistant special teams
- Tim Hauck, defensive backs/safeties
- Greg Lewis, wide receivers (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Caplan)
- Justin Peelle, tight ends
- Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator
- Duce Staley, running backs
- Jeff Stoutland, offensive line
- Press Taylor, offensive quality control/assistant quarterbacks
- Cory Undlin, defensive backs/cornerbacks
- Dino Vasso, defensive quality control/assistant secondary
On the heels of these moves, the Eagles released offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and linebackers coaches Rick Minter and Bill McGovern from their contracts, according to Caplan (on Twitter). They let go of previous D-coordinator Billy Davis on Monday, per Caplan (Twitter link).
1:40pm: The Eagles have reached an agreement with Frank Reich to make him their new offensive coordinator, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSports.com, who reports (via Twitter) that it’s a “done deal.” Reich had been scheduled to have a formal interview with the team today, and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com had suggested “it would be an upset” if he wasn’t hired (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Eagles hire Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator]
Reich, recently fired as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator after two seasons leading San Diego’s offense, interviewed for the same position on Adam Gase‘s Dolphins staff, but Miami ultimately chose Clyde Christensen as their new OC.
Had he become the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator, Reich wouldn’t have called the team’s plays (Gase will do that), and it looks as if he won’t handle that responsibility in Philadelphia either. New head coach Doug Pederson indicated during his introductory press conference on Tuesday that he expects to call offensive plays in 2016.
In San Diego, Reich was let go in large part due to the Chargers’ ineffective running game, but he did just fine with the team’s aerial attack — Philip Rivers led the NFL in completed passes in 2015, racking up nearly 4,800 yards passing to go along with 29 touchdowns.
Injuries have plagued the Chargers over the last couple years, and health problems on the offensive line likely contributed to the struggles of first-round running back Melvin Gordon, but Reich took the fall for the offense’s regression. In 2014, Reich’s first year as offensive coordinator, San Diego went from second in offensive DVOA to 11th. The team slipped to 15th this season, and the Chargers also went from scoring nearly 25 points per game in 2013 to just 20 by 2015.
In addition to reaching a deal with Reich, the Eagles have also reportedly agreed to hire former Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo as the club’s quarterbacks coach. The new additions to Pederson’s offensive coaching staff likely spell the end of Pat Shurmur‘s time in Philadelphia, despite the fact that the new head coach said on Tuesday that Shurmur would receive consideration for the OC role.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Expected To Hire Frank Reich As OC
MONDAY, 12:22pm: Reich is expected to join Pederson’s staff in Philadelphia, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport clarifies (via Twitter) that the former Chargers offensive coordinator is expected to hold the same position with the Eagles.
SUNDAY, 1:49pm: Now that his club has been eliminated from the postseason, Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson is expected to introduced as the Eagles’ new head coach at a press conference early this week. But he’s already at work filling out a coaching staff, and his first choice for offensive coordinator is former Chargers OC Frank Reich, reports Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Daily News.
[RELATED: Eagles to hire Doug Pederson as head coach]
Reich, recently fired after three seasons leading San Diego’s offense, interviewed for the same position on Adam Gase‘s Dolphins staff, but Miami ultimately chose Clyde Christensen as their new offensive coordinator. Reich wouldn’t have called plays in Miami (Gase will do that), and it’s unclear if he would handle that responsibility in Philadelphia — or if Pederson himself will take on that role.
Pederson is also interested in bringing a fellow Chiefs staffer with him, as Hayes reports that Brad Childress is on the Eagles’ radar. It’s unknown in what capacity Childress would serve — he’s currently labeled as Kansas City’s spread game coordinator — but he has a history with both the Eagles and Pederson. Childress worked with the Eagles from 1999-2005, and his time in Philadelphia overlapped with that of Pederson’s (who was an active player) in 1999.
Incumbent Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur reportedly isn’t out the picture quite yet, as Hayes indicates that Pederson isn’t averse to keeping Shurmur on staff, perhaps even in his same role. Shurmur, of course, interviewed for the head coaching position in Philadelphia, and is respected due to his work with quarterback Sam Bradford in 2015.
On the defensive side of the ball, Pederson’s top target for coordinator is Giants DC Steve Spagnuolo, per Hayes. That could prove difficult, as all indications have been that the Giants and new head coach Ben McAdoo plan to keep Spagnuolo on as coordinator.
Pederson, who has no head coaching experience himself and has only been an NFL assistant since 2009, is clearly targeting coaches who do have experience at the top. Between them, Childress, Shurmur, and Spagnuolo offer 10 years of HC experience, which would be valuable to a first-time head coach.
Dolphins Interview Frank Reich, Clyde Christensen
The Dolphins interviewed Frank Reich and Clyde Christensen for their offensive coordinator vacancy, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports tweets.
These are the first two interviews Adam Gase has conducted for this job. Miami hired Vance Joseph this week to run its defense.
Since fired by the Chargers, Reich hasn’t been connected to any coordinator jobs. The injury-plagued Chargers ranked 15th in offensive DVOA this season after slotting in at 11th in 2014. Under Ken Whisenhunt in 2013, the team resided at second in Football Outsiders’ top metric.
Christensen has been on the Colts’ staff since 2002, serving in various offensive capacities, including as OC from 2009-11. The Peyton Manning-led offense helped the Colts glide to 14-0 in ’09, but the franchise began a brief downward spiral after its Super Bowl loss. But the team retained Christensen, who has served as Indianapolis’ quarterbacks coach since 2012.
The Dolphins fired Bill Lazor during their tumultuous 2015 slate.
Chargers Fire OC Frank Reich
After announcing earlier in the day that they’ll retain head coach Mike McCoy for the 2016 season, the Chargers have begun making changes elsewhere on their coaching staff. According to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link), offensive coordinator Frank Reich has been let go by the team.
It was just a year ago that Reich drew interest from multiple teams with head coaching openings, interviewing with the Bills and the Jets for their jobs before they went with Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles, respectively. However, the Chargers’ offense has seen its offensive efficiency slowly decline over the last three years.
In 2014, Reich’s first year as offensive coordinator, San Diego went from second in offensive DVOA to 11th. The team slipped to 15th this season, heading into its regular season finale. The Chargers also went from scoring nearly 25 points per game in 2013 to just 20 this season, despite the fact that Philip Rivers led the NFL in passing completions (437) and attempts (661).
Injuries have plagued the Chargers over the last couple years, and health problems on the offensive line likely contributed to the struggles of first-round running back Melvin Gordon, but Reich will take the fall for the regression, and he may not be the last Chargers assistant to go. A report earlier today suggested that defensive coordinator John Pagano‘s job isn’t safe either.
With Reich out of the picture in San Diego, it’s worth considering whether the man he replaced in 2014 – Ken Whisenhunt – would be a candidate to reclaim the Chargers’ OC job, now that he has been let go by the Titans.
West Notes: Osweiler, Reich, Kaepernick
Although he has just two career starts under his belt, Brock Osweiler‘s success over the past couple weeks has prompted plenty of discussion about how he’ll fit into the Broncos‘ future plans. One high-ranking executive tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today that it’s a good problem for Denver to have, but cautions that “it’ll be very, very difficult to navigate on multiple fronts.”
“They’re the only ones who are going to know if he’s their guy or not,” another NFL exec said. “But if he lights it up, and he thinks he’s your future, and you’ve already been there with him — I won’t say you’re going to pay him top market (value), but you’re going to have to pay him.”
It’s hard to know how much the Broncos will be willing to invest in Osweiler, or how much value he’ll have, before seeing how he finishes the season. But if he plays well down the stretch, he could command in the neighborhood of $15MM per year, that first executive estimates. Considering they’ll want to avoid using the franchise tag on Osweiler instead of Von Miller, the Broncos will be under some pressure to get something done with the quarterback before free agency, assuming they want to extend him.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s West divisions:
- Within his column, Pelissero wonders if offensive coordinators will be popular targets for NFL head coaching vacancies this offseason, since many teams with potential openings have young quarterbacks under contract. One possible candidate is Chargers OC Frank Reich, who confirmed to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune that he interviewed with Maryland – his alma mater – about the school’s head coaching job before the Terps decided on D.J. Durkin. “With interviews, if they come and when they come, I want to be selective about those things,” Reich said. “But you never want to take them for granted.”
- Matt Bowen and Mike Sando of ESPN.com (Insider link) are the latest to break down potential landing spots for quarterback Colin Kaepernick, in the event that the 49ers part ways with him. Both Bowen and Sando identify the Rams as one possibility.
- Former Browns general manager Phil Savage believes Kaepernick would probably draw the most interest around the league if Johnny Manziel, Robert Griffin III, and the 49ers quarterback all become available this offseason, as he tells Mark Maske of the Washington Post.
- Center Drew Nowak spoke to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times about being waived by the Seahawks and then re-joining the team’s practice squad.