Jim Harbaugh - Pro Football Rumors

Sunday Roundup: Brees, Bucs, Revis

November 30th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that he expects the Saints to draft a quarterback in the early rounds of the 2015 draft as they begin to prepare for life after Drew Brees. On top of Brees’ struggles this season, Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that the Saints have watched the 35-year-old’s arm strength wane and therefore must be “prepared for the end.” Former agent Joel Corry, perhaps wondering if New Orleans would go so far as to release Brees after this season, tweets that the All-Pro carries a $26.4MM cap number for 2015 and the Saints have a league-high $161MM in 2015 cap commitments.

However, Rapoport notes (via Twitter) that releasing Brees after 2014 would create $15MM of dead money, a figure that becomes much more palatable if he were to be released following the 2015 season. As such, Rapoport believes it would be better for the Saints to simply draft Brees’ heir apparent and allow him to learn from Brees for at least one season.

Others, though, are more skeptical of Brees’ demise and of the Saints’ ability to draft a suitable replacement in short order. In a pair of tweets, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes that the Saints may well draft a quarterback this season, but the team does not feel as though Brees is in a steep decline, that a rookie would have to wait at least two years to be ready to lead the New Orleans offense, and that Brees has never relied on a big arm to be successful, so reports of diminished arm strength are not especially relevant. Former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah, meanwhile, tweets that the Saints will be hard-pressed to find their future quarterback in this year’s draft.

Now for a few more links from around the league:

Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune says it is not too soon to accept that the Buccaneers made a mistake with their offseason signings of Anthony Collins and Michael Johnson, whose futures in Tampa Bay are now very much in doubt. Although the Bucs have a little more flexibility with Collins than with Johnson, who would be owed a $4MM roster bonus on March 1 in addition to a $5MM base salary in 2015 (of which $3MM is guaranteed), Tampa Bay could realistically cut both players outright. Regardless of what the Bucs do, they will likely seek upgrades at offensive tackle and defensive end via the draft rather than dive once more into the free agency pool.
Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald believes the Patriots should retain star cornerback Darrelle Revis, who has been a central figure of the team’s successful 2014 campaign, at all costs.
Tony Boselli, the former Jaguars great who was drafted by current Giants head coach Tom Coughlin when Coughlin was with Jacksonville, says that the Jaguars’ firing of Coughlin was a “huge mistake,” writes Conor Orr of NFL.com. Boselli believes the Giants would be similarly misguided if they were to fire Coughlin without allowing him to coach through the end of his contract, which expires after the 2015 season.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Washington has not spoken with Robert Griffin III regarding his fifth-year option. Although a decision does not have to be made on that option until May, it does not appear as though the team will exercise it at this point.
Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweets that 49ers DB Perrish Cox, who is in a contract year, has signed with agent David Mulugheta.
Though we heard earlier today from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the Jets and Raiders were interested in pursuing 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh via trade after the season, Schefter does note that some in the organization believe the team could still work out an extension with Harbaugh.
Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the Rams have improved under Jeff Fisher and appear to be on the cusp of being a competitive club, but the histories of Fisher and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer suggest that St. Louis, which has primarily utilized a conservative ball control offense, will not take the next step unless it somehow lands an elite quarterback.

Raiders, Jets To Pursue Jim Harbaugh?

November 30th, 2014 at 11:10am CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders have long been viewed as a likely landing sport for current 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, assuming Harbaugh and San Francisco part ways as expected after the 2014 season. ESPN’s Adam Schefter, citing an NFL source, lent some credence to that theory this morning, tweeting that the Raiders are the favorites to trade for Harbaugh.

In that same tweet, however, Schefter notes that the Jets are expected to keep a “close eye” on the Harbaugh situation. Although that report seems to be more speculation than anything else at this point, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that it is the first tacit acknowledgement that the Jets are prepared to fire Rex Ryan.

Interestingly enough, Schefter’s tweet comes on the heels of Cimini’s full-length piece published this morning that details the increasingly bizarre quarterback controversy in New York. Cimini writes that Ryan has insisted that his arm was not twisted by GM John Idzik to revert to Geno Smith as the team’s starting quarterback for tomorrow night’s game against Miami, but “not everyone is buying what he’s selling,” and “[t]here remains a level of skepticism within the organization as to whether Ryan actually made the decision.” That is especially true since Idzik’s job would probably only be saved with a strong showing from Smith, his hand-picked quarterback, over the last few games of the season.

Of course, there was little chance that Ryan would retain his job after 2014 even before this latest controversy, and Cimini’s article simply adds fuel to the fire. But Schefter’s report, even if it just means that the Jets are prepared to exercise due diligence on all head coaching candidates after the season, is interesting in that it represents not only the first time the Jets have outwardly expressed their desire to move on from Ryan, but the first time they have been connected with Harbaugh.

However, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that one sticking point in any possible trade is “Harbaugh’s unwillingness to go to a team that has to give up a draft pick in order to acquire his services.” As Maiocco tweets, “Why would [Harbaugh] let a team weaken itself and help [the] 49ers by giving up draft pick(s)?” He certainly has a point, and in acknowledging Harbaugh’s say in the matter, Maiocco has added a wrinkle to what promises to be one of the more intriguing storylines this offseason.

La Canfora’s Latest: 49ers, Saints, RGIII

November 30th, 2014 at 10:36am CST by Rory Parks

It is almost a foregone conclusion that 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh will not be prowling the San Francisco sidelines after the 2014 season. Although much of the talk concerning the 49ers’ head coaching situation has centered around Harbaugh’s next destination, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports examines how the team might go about replacing its successful but polarizing general.

Although Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase would be a logical external candidate, La Canfora writes that the 49ers plan to thoroughly evaluate their internal options and that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and defensive line coach Jim Tomsula would be at the top of the team’s list. Both men have done an exceptional job during their tenure with the club, and 2014 might represent their high-water mark as coaches, given that the 49ers’ defense has thrived in the midst of injuries to some of its best players.

Tomsula is a personal favorite of owner Jed York, and both he and Fangio are expected to receive interest from other clubs looking to fill head coaching positions. However, the team would like to keep as much of its talented defensive staff in place as possible, particularly since Eric Mangini and offensive coordinator Greg Roman are expected to follow Harbaugh wherever he goes. Hiring Tomsula or Fangio would also mesh with San Francisco’s preferred operating procedure, as it would be out of character for the team to attempt to attract a big-name, big-money coach from outside the organization.

Let’s take a look at some other relevant issues that La Canfora has touched on this morning:

La Canfora writes that there is a growing rift between Saints head coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, and that the team is expected to find a new defensive coordinator–which would be its fifth in Payton’s nine-year tenure–after the season. Citing an unnamed source, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report tweets that La Canfora’s report is “very accurate,” although Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets that he has not heard about the friction between Payton and Ryan.
La Canfora tweets that he expects “substantial change” on the Saints and 49ers rosters after this season given the teams’ high salary cap numbers and large salaries.
If Washington were to try to trade quarterback Robert Griffin III after the season, La Canfora writes that the team is unlikely to get more than a third round pick for him.
We learned earlier today that the Ravens are expected to reward Justin Forsett with a multiyear deal after this season, but La Canfora notes that Forsett’s contract prevents him from signing an in-season extension if Baltimore were inclined to lock him up sooner. As former agent Joel Corry tweets, Forsett’s age (30) will limit the size of his contract, despite his “low mileage.”
Although the Colts have stated they do not have interest in bringing Ray Rice aboard, La Canfora wonders if the team’s need at running back and Rice’s relationship with head coach Chuck Pagano will be enough for them to change their stance.

Kaepernick’s Future Not Linked To Harbaugh

November 29th, 2014 at 6:01pm CST by Rob DiRe

The 49ers are on the outside of the playoff picture, and the relationship with head coach Jim Harbaugh has been tumultuous all season. Despite tremendous success in Harbaugh’s first three seasons with the team, reaching the NFC Championship Game three years running, the fear is that the relationship between the head coach and the organization is beyond repair.

The tension has been documented numerous times here at Pro Football Rumors, from early on this season to as recently as the day after the Niners’ Thanksgiving loss to the Seahawks. The team seems prepared to move on from Harbaugh, and hopes to continue the success they experienced during his tenure.

Losing Harbaugh will hurt, but it could be a lot worse if the team believes they will lose their starting quarterback as well. Colin Kaepernick is a product of Harbaugh, drafted by him and a favorite of his. Harbaugh himself was a former NFL quarterback, and his ability to rein in Kaepernick’s best characteristics has no doubt brought out the best in his early development as a passer.

Kaepernick of course, has struggled, and if he continues to regress, especially without the coach who drafted him, the team may be forced to move on from him.

Such a possibility is plausible due largely to the nature of the contract extension he signed with the team. The contract included a small amount of guaranteed money, with a small signing bonus and big yearly salaries. Therefore the team can cut him after any season it decides he is no longer worth the money.

His 2015 base salary stands at $12.4MM, but rises incrementally all the way up to $21MM in 2020.

Because of the nature of Kaepernick’s contract, the team figures to stick with even in a post-Harbaugh world, as long as he continues to improve and show signs of promise as the franchise quarterback, says Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Maiocco writes that the team could be interested to see how his game evolves under a new set of circumstances on offense.

Latest On Jim Harbaugh, 49ers

November 28th, 2014 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Even before last night’s ugly home loss against the Seahawks, the future of 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh was very much up in the air, with many observers around the league believing someone else will be coaching the club in 2015. Following yesterday’s loss, Harbaugh’s seat seems to be even hotter. Niners CEO Jed York tweeted after the game that his team’s performance “wasn’t acceptable,” and apologized to fans for the showing, prompting speculation that Harbaugh might not even last until season’s end. While I don’t think a move involving Harbaugh is imminent, there’s certainly a sense of unease in San Francisco, where the Niners’ 7-5 record makes it an uphill battle to a playoff spot.

Here’s more on Harbaugh and the 49ers:

While the notion of firing Harbaugh with several games left in the season “seems beyond ludicrous on the surface,” there’s a strong sense in league circles that the front office is looking forward to Harbaugh’s exit, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As such, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the club parts ways with Harbaugh and promotes Jim Tomsula to head coach to try to make a last-ditch run to the postseason. Still, with just four games left on the 2014 schedule, it seems more likely that the team will play out the year with Harbaugh and then try to see if they can trade him in the offseason to a team in need of a new coach.
As something of an aside, Florio notes in the aforementioned piece that multiple league insiders believe Tomsula has the inside track to succeed Harbaugh as the Niners’ next head coach.
The daughter of Niners general manager Trent Baalke tweeted after last night’s game that offensive coordinator Greg Roman “can take a hike,” though she has since deleted the tweet. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link) acknowledges that replacing Roman is one major move the team could make, but says there’s no indication Harbaugh is looking to make a change.
Asked after last night’s loss if it was time to reevaluate the offense and make major changes, Harbaugh replied, “We always do that. We’ll do that again. We’ll evaluate it. I don’t know what you refer to with major changes” (link via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News).
For what it’s worth, Harbaugh had no reaction to York’s tweet, writes Maiocco at CSNBayArea.com.
Prior to last night’s game, Florio wrote in a separate PFT piece that the 49ers’ silence on Harbaugh’s future has been deafening. With little support from the San Francisco front office, the question is now where Harbaugh will wind up — per Florio, many expect him to stay in the Bay Area, or at least on the West Coast, and the Raiders are viewed as the most likely landing spot.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Holliday, 49ers, Vikings

November 25th, 2014 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

While much has been made of the NFC’s miserable South division, the race to the postseason is heating up in the East, North, and West, and all three divisions will be on display during this week’s Thanksgiving games — the winner of the Eagles/Cowboys contest will take over first place in the East, while the Seahawks/49ers winner will gain an advantage in the Wild Card race. Meanwhile, the Lions have lost their last two games and their hold on the NFC North, and will have an uphill battle for a Wild Card berth if they’re upset at home by the Bears.

As we look forward to what should be an entertaining slate of Thursday games, let’s check in on the latest out of the NFC….

Having already been cut this year by the Giants and Buccaneers, return specialist Trindon Holliday is looking for a new home, and worked out this week for the 49ers, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). San Francisco also auditioned running back David Fluellen, who was cut by the Colts prior to the regular season.
While head coach Jim Harbaugh isn’t viewed as likely to return to the 49ers next season, quarterback Colin Kaepernick told reporters today he believes Harbaugh will continue on with the team beyond 2014. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the details.
After seeing starting right tackle Phil Loadholt go down for the season with a pectoral injury, the Vikings worked out veteran tackles Eric Winston and J’Marcus Webb, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com.
Sam Bradford of the Rams, Steven Jackson of the Falcons, and Dashon Goldson of the Buccaneers are among the high-priced veterans who could become cap casualties in the offseason, writes Yates in an Insider-only ESPN.com piece.
Bradford and Goldson earn spots on a similar list from Joel Corry of CBSSports.com, who also identifies Marshawn Lynch of the Seahawks and Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals as stars who could be released by their respective teams.
Running back Kapri Bibbs will ultimately end up sticking with the Broncos’ practice squad after being waived by the team over the weekend, but he did work out for the Cardinals today, as Troy Renck of the Denver Post details.

AFC Mailbags: Colts, Jags, Bengals, Jets

November 22nd, 2014 at 10:11am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN’s NFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now check out some notes from the AFC…

If Mike Wells were a member of the Colts front office, he wouldn’t sign Ray Rice to a contract. The writer notes that the running back must be out of shape, and he also notes the difficulties in learning a new scheme.
Michael DiRocco believes the Jaguars biggest offseason needs will be a pass-rusher and a linebacker. As a result, the writer targets Nebraska’s Randy Gregory and Missouri’s Shane Ray.
Switching to the offense, DiRocco could see the Jaguars drafting a running back late in the draft. Regardless, he doesn’t think the team should part ways with Toby Gerhart, especially since Denard Robinson hasn’t proven he can be a featured back.
A.J. McCarron is clearly the Bengals backup plan at quarterback, so he won’t be traded or released any time soon, writes Coley Harvey.
If the Jets move on from Rex Ryan, the Jets owe it to their fans to pursue 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, opines Rich Cimini.
Meanwhile, Cimini doesn’t believe the Jets will pursue Darrelle Revis this offseason (if the cornerback becomes a free agent). The writer believes a Revis-Rex Ryan reunion is inevitable, but not in New York.

Latest On Jim Harbaugh

November 16th, 2014 at 3:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ve heard for months that Jim Harbaugh isn’t likely to return as the 49ers head coach in 2015, and while there’s some been some speculation about his next stop, we’ve yet to see anything concrete. However, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (link via Rapoport’s colleague Connor Orr), while confirming that “it would be surprise” if Harbaugh returned to San Francisco next season, has shed a little light on Harbaugh’s future, reporting that the Dolphins are no longer an option to land the 49ers head coach. Meanwhile, given that Harbaugh’s family would like to remain in the Bay Area, the Raiders could emerge as a candidate to secure Harbaugh’s services.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross pursued Harbaugh following the 2010 season despite the fact that Tony Sparano was still under contract as the club’s head coach, so it wasn’t surprising that reports surfaced linking the two parties again. However, Miami has turned its season around as of late, and currently sits at 6-4, good for second place in the AFC East. As such, head coach Joe Philbin is unlikely to be fired, and even if he is let go, Rapoport says that Harbaugh would still not be “on the Dolphins’ radar.” In fact, Ross, a University of Michigan alum, would prefer to see Harbaugh take over in Ann Arbor, tweets Rapoport.

The Raiders connection probably makes more sense at this point, especially given that Harbaugh’s wife reportedly wants to remain in the Bay Area. Oakland fired Dennis Allen after an 0-4 start, and in an odd twist of fate, installed Sparano as its interim head coach. The Raiders are still winless, which makes it unlikely that Sparano or general manager Reggie McKenzie will be allowed to keep their jobs in 2015. If Harbaugh were offered total control over the team, he could be interested in joining an Oakland club that boasts building blocks on both sides of the ball (quarterback Derek Carr and linebacker Khalil Mack), and will be entitled to another top-five draft pick next year.

Bay Area Notes: Bowman, Harbaugh, McKenzie

November 15th, 2014 at 8:29pm CST by Luke Adams

A Friday report indicated that there’s a possibility injured 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman won’t return to the field this season, but he shouldn’t be ruled out quite yet. A league source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that Bowman has been cleared to practice next week, and intends to return to the practice field at that time. Assuming Bowman does indeed being practicing next week, the 49ers will have three weeks to add him to their active roster — if the team isn’t ready to activate him at that point, he’ll sit for the rest of the season.

As the Niners look forward to the possibility of seeing another standout linebacker return to their lineup, let’s check in on a few more items out of San Francisco and Oakland….

Within his Saturday mailbag, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com responds to a question about the likelihood of 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio receiving a contract extension. As Maiocco points out, while a new deal for Fangio – who is signed through 2015 – is possible, his future will likely be tied to that of Jim Harbaugh and the rest of the club’s coaching staff.
Speaking of Harbaugh, amidst speculation that the head coach could part ways with the 49ers at season’s end, Bob Glauber of Newsday writes that Harbaugh would be the best option to coach the Jets next season, if he becomes available.
Even with the club at 0-9, people within the Raiders organization think general manager Reggie McKenzie could keep his beyond this season, says Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. As Tafur explains, McKenzie appears to have “hit a home run” with the team’s 2014 draft class, and you could make the case that some of Oakland’s shortcomings this season have been the result of injuries. When I looked last Saturday at teams with the most salary on injured reserve, the Raiders ranked third.

Poll: Best Head Coaching Candidates

November 14th, 2014 at 11:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

Colts‘ offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and Browns‘ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have accomplished plenty on their offenses this season, with each team currently leading its current division through nine games. Those performances could lead to big paydays as head coaches next season.

They are not the only coordinators being rumored for head coaching jobs. Giants‘ offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo has been talked about as a possible successor for Tom Coughlin. Broncos‘ offensive coordinator Adam Gase could follow the path of his predecessor, Mike McCoy, who jumped from a record-setting Peyton Manning-led offense to the top job for the Chargers.

The defending champion Seahawks have taken a step back from last season, but the market may not have cooled on both of their coordinators. Both offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn have both been talked about as head coaching candidates, with particular interest coming from the Jets if general manager John Idzik is retained in New York and head coach Rex Ryan is fired.

Todd Bowles has helped put together a great defense in Arizona, as the Cardinals have gone 8-1 despite injuries on the defense. Lions‘ defensive coordinator Teryl Austin could be in a similar position, as his team is currently leading it’s division based on the strength of the defense.

Add to the mix the possibility of Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher returning to the sidelines, or even the possibility of a college coach like David Shaw of Stanford jumping to the NFL, and teams will have a number of options should they decide to pursue a new coach in 2015. That list does not include the head coaches that will lose their jobs at the end of the season, a number of them will hit the open market with impressive records of success. That list could include Ryan, Mike Smith, and Jim Harbaugh, among others.