Sunday Roundup: Manning, 49ers, Norman
In a few hours, we will know which teams will be heading to San Francisco for Super Bowl 50. In the meantime, let’s dive into some news and notes from around the league:
- Although the story has largely fallen out of mainstream coverage, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that the NFL is still reviewing the HGH allegations surrounding Broncos QB Peyton Manning and that the matter is not yet resolved.
- Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly has been very noncommittal in his comments regarding Colin Kaepernick, suggesting that Kelly is less excited about the prospect of having Kaepernick run his offense than one might think. It is especially strange that Kelly claimed he could not discuss how Kaepernick might fit into his offense because it was against NFL offseason rules, when in fact it is not against league rules to discuss a player who is under contract. Of course, Kelly’s comments could just be a reflection of his guarded, introverted personality, but the lack of enthusiasm is still somewhat surprising.
- The 49ers are still looking for a new defensive coordinator, and per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), the team is interested in former Browns DC Jim O’Neil. Former Browns head coach Mike Pettine has said he wants to take the 2016 season off.
- Panthers CB Josh Norman, an impending free agent, is set to cash in on his terrific 2015 campaign, and as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com) observes, Norman will likely seek a contract in the Richard Sherman/Patrick Peterson neighborhood (both of whom recently signed deals with more than $40MM in guarantees). The Panthers could, of course, put the franchise tag on Norman–at a value of $13-14MM–but Carolina should have around $20MM in cap space and does not have many other high priority free agents to worry about.
- Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Steelers must improve their secondary in the offseason, but the problem is that they have few internal options that they can reasonably rely upon. The team may be forced to open its checkbook, and Bouchette thinks it would be wise for the Steelers to re-sign Brandon Boykin. He also names Eric Weddle as an intriguing possibility.
- According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, one of the reasons the Jaguars handed a one-year extension to head coach Gus Bradley was to avoid a situation like the one Chuck Pagano recently faced in Indianapolis. Pagano’s expiring contract, of course, created a season-long distraction that Jacksonville hopes to avoid.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com compared the Giants‘ roster to those of the four conference finalists, and in so doing, he discovered the biggest problem that the team faced in 2015 and may continue to face moving forward. Although the Giants do not have enough homegrown talent, and although they need to get more production from their first-round draft picks, the most significant concern the team faced relative to the league’s more successful franchises is that it did not get enough production from its highest-paid players. Big Blue got nothing, or next to nothing, from three of its highest-paid players–Victor Cruz, Will Beatty, and Jason Pierre-Paul–which will make for some interesting decisions in the offseason.
Coach Updates: Joseph, Texans, Browns, Bucs
Earlier today, we passed along a report suggesting that former interim head coach Dan Campbell is unlikely to remain with the Dolphins. Now, Alex Marvez of FOX Sports has another update on Miami’s coaching staff, walking back his weekend report which suggested it was a “done deal” that Bengals assistant Vance Joseph would be joining the Dolphins as their defensive coordinator.
According to Marvez (Twitter links), Joseph can’t sign with another team until next Tuesday unless he’s released from his contract by the Bengals — the Dolphins could request Cincinnati release Joseph from his deal early, but the Bengals wouldn’t be required to do so.
Meanwhile, it’s not an absolute lock that Joseph will join the Dolphins when he’s free to sign with a new team. Per Marvez (Twitter link), there’s still a chance that the Bengals’ defensive backs coach could become Hue Jackson‘s defensive coordinator if Jackson gets a head coaching job, so a bidding war for Joseph’s services could be looming.
As we wait to see where Joseph lands, let’s round up a few more coaching-related updates…
- The Texans have fired three assistant coaches, including special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Wide receivers coach Stan Hixon and special teams assistant Anthony Pleasant were also let go.
- Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo and three other Browns assistants have been asked to remain with the team if the new head coach wants them, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. That means defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, and several other Cleveland coaches will be free to explore opportunities elsewhere.
- According to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, “word on the coaching circuit” indicates Jon Gruden would have listened very earnestly if the Colts‘ head coaching job had become available. Gruden has been linked to the Eagles’ coaching vacancy, but it doesn’t appear the ESPN analyst is going anywhere.
- After former NFL GM Mark Dominik (Twitter link) alluded to a coach in the postseason who would be a strong candidate for the Buccaneers‘ head coaching opening, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) identified that coach as Cardinals OC Harold Goodwin. Goodwin interviewed with the Bucs on Friday, but won’t be able to speak to the club again for at least a week, with Arizona still alive in the playoffs.
AFC Links: Woodson, Titans, Pats, Skrine
Let’s check out some assorted notes from around the AFC…
- Following his tenure with the Packers, veteran cornerback Charles Woodson inked a contract with the Raiders. Woodson admitted that his agent had reached out to the Lions during the 2012 offseason, but there was little interest from the franchise. “I was kind of throwing some lines out there to see where the interest was,” Woodson said (via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein). “Most teams, coming out of Green Bay, everybody thought I was pretty much done. Washed up. Couldn’t run anymore. I heard all of the adjectives to describe me…They were one of those teams that probably thought that.”
- Michael Oher was just one of many offseason additions that didn’t work out for the Titans in 2014, writes ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky. Linebacker Wesley Woodyard lost his job to a rookie, running back Dexter McCluster made little impact offensively, defensive lineman Al Woods ultimately settled into a backup role and linebacker Shaun Phillips was cut in November.
- In a series of tweets, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap partially attributes the Patriots cap-conscious approach to the team’s inability to keep running back Curtis Martin. The franchise’s lack of cap flexibility during the 1998 offseason had a lasting impact on the organization, and the team vowed to never be in that kind of situation again.
- Count Browns defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil among those who’d like to see defensive back Buster Skrine back with the team next season. “Buster is one of my favorite guys on the defense,” O’Neil previously said (via Kevin Jones of ClevelandBrowns.com). “He embodies ‘Play Like a Brown.’ I don’t ever want to let good players walk out the door.”
Coaching Notes: Cowboys, Browns, Eagles
There were a handful of coaching moves today. Here are the highlights from around the league…
- The Cowboys will hire former Lions‘ offensive coordinator Scott Linehan as their passing game coordinator, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Linehan had been Detroit’s offensive coach since 2009, but was fired at the end of the December. Rapoport also mentions that Linehan will be hired to call plays on offense, the Cowboys’ third playcaller in three seasons.
- The Browns have continued to poach the Bills coaching staff, announcing today that linebackers coach Jim O’Neil will be joining Mike Pettine in Cleveland as the team’s defensive coordinator. Pettine will also take Buffalo coaches Brian Fleury and Jeff Hafley along with him. The Bills defense set a franchise record in 2013 with 57 sacks.
- The Eagles filled some roles on their coaching staff, signing Bill Musgrave as their quarterbacks coach and promoting Mike Dawson from defensive quality control coach to assistant defensive line coach, according to Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Additionally, 22-year-old Michael Clay, will take over Dawson’s former role. Clay played for Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly at Oregon for four seasons.
Browns Notes: O’Neil, Shanahan, McDaniels
When the Browns hired Mike Pettine as their head coach last week, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported that the former Bills defensive coordinator would likely be bringing a coach with him from Buffalo. According to Mehta, the Browns were expected to hire Bills linebackers coach Jim O’Neil as their defensive coordinator, assuming Buffalo let him out of his contract. Today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported (via Twitter) that the Bills have indeed given O’Neil permission to talk to the Browns, adding that the interview is merely a formality. Here’s more from out of Cleveland, including word of another coach heading from Buffalo to the Browns:
- Chuck Driesbach, who was fired by the Bills earlier this month, will be joining Pettine’s Cleveland staff in some capacity, reports Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The longtime college coach was working with Buffalo’s linebackers before he was let go.
- As Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweeted this afternoon, Kyle Shanahan won’t be joining the Ravens’ coaching staff, and Rapoport believes that Shanahan could be a candidate for the offensive coordinator vacancy in Cleveland (Twitter link).
- In his latest MMQB column, Peter King writes that Pettine seems like the “ultimate compromise candidate” for the Browns, who aggressively pursued Josh McDaniels of the Pats. Referring to McDaniels as the “apple of owner Jimmy Haslam’s eye,” King says the team had multiple conversations with the Pats’ offensive coordinator about the possibility of him re-entering Cleveland’s coaching derby.
Coaching Notes: Browns, Redskins, Jets, Giants
The Browns would like to hire Bills linebackers coach Jim O’Neil as their new defensive coordinator, but if the Bills should block O’Neil from interviewing with Cleveland, the Browns will pursue Ravens inside linebackers coach Don “Wink” Martindale, tweets NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Martindale served as the Broncos defensive coordinator in 2010 before joining the Ravens, and was the Raiders linebackers coach from 2004 to 2008.
Although their tenures with Baltimore never overlapped, new Browns head coach Mike Pettine worked as the Ravens outside linebackers coach in 2008 under John Harbaugh. According to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, if Harbaugh vouches for Martindale, Pettine will value Harbaugh’s endorsement.
- Newly-extended Jets head coach Rex Ryan is looking to fill out his coaching staff, and LSU special teams coach Thomas McGaughey has become a leading candidate to replace Ben Kotwica as New York’s special-teams coordinator, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Kotwica recently left the Jets to become the Redskins special-teams coordinator.
- Speaking of the Redskins, Washington has hired Randy Jordan to be its new running backs coach. Jordan beat out former Redskins running back and coach Ernest Byner for the post, and his hire fills the last vacant position coach job on Jay Gruden‘s staff.
- The Giants, meanwhile, continue the overhaul of their offensive coaching staff by hiring Oregon State offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf as their new quarterbacks coach. Along with fellow new hires Ben McAdoo and Craig Johnson, Langsdorf will try to help turn around a Giants offense that struggled mightily in 2013 under the shaky hand of quarterback Eli Manning.
Browns Notes: Pettine, Hoyer, Mack, Ward
It took quite a while for the Browns to make their hire, but they finally got their man in Mike Pettine earlier today. Meanwhile, Pettine told Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 (Twitter links) after his introductory presser that it almost didn’t happen. As the hiring process lingered on, the former Bills defensive coordinator worried that it wasn’t fair to keep Buffalo waiting. “That was starting to wear on me these last couple of days. I talked to [Bills head coach Doug Marrone] and it was getting to the point where I’d say, ‘Hey, if this goes on much longer I need to pull out because it’s just not fair to the Bills.‘” Here’s a look at the highlights from Pettine’s first press conference and more from Cleveland..
- Pettine says that the perception matches the reality: the club is behind the eight-ball because he was hired so late, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal. The new head coach is already getting to work on assembling his staff.
- The new man in charge offered a strong endorsement of quarterback Brian Hoyer, Ulrich tweets, calling him a “winner” and describing his intangibles as “off the charts.” However, he did concede that even though the offense has talent, there are “some holes” to address (link).
- The Browns submitted a request to Buffalo to interview linebacker coach Jim O’Neil for their defensive coordinator opening, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. O’Neil and Pettine also worked together with Jets. It was reported earlier today that Pettine would seek to bring O’Neil along with him to the Browns.
- Pettine said potential free agents center Alex Mack and safety T.J. Ward are special players he’d love to have back, Ulrich tweets.
- Browns CEO Joe Banner said team will do everything it can to support troubled wide receiver Davone Bess but wouldn’t comment further, according to Ulrich (via Twitter).
- Banner and owner Jimmy Haslam revealed that Pettine was on their list of defensive coordinator candidates last year, Ulrich tweets.
Browns Hire Mike Pettine As Head Coach
4:44pm: Pettine agreed to a five-year contract with the Browns, according to team CEO Joe Banner (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
3:12pm: The last NFL team without a coach has finally found its man. The Browns have hired Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine as their new head coach, with a press conference scheduled for this afternoon, according to the team (Twitter link). Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer first reported (via Twitter) that the Browns had reached an agreement with Pettine.
Long after every other head coaching position in the NFL had been filled, the Browns continued to interview candidates and consider potential options to succeed Rob Chudzinski. Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels were among the names the Browns were said to be eyeing before hiring Pettine.
Pettine, who spent four years as the defensive coordinator with the Jets before heading to Buffalo last year, turned the Bills’ D into a top-five unit, according to Football Outsiders’ DVOA, a significant turnaround after the team ranked 27th in 2012.
According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), Pettine will bring Bills linebacker coach Jim O’Neil to Cleveland to be his defensive coordinator, assuming Buffalo is willing to let him out of his contract. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that Pettine had identified Alex Van Pelt as a top candidate for Cleveland’s offensive coordinator opening, but Van Pelt will remain with the Packers as the team’s QB coach (Twitter links).