Josh Mcdaniels - Pro Football Rumors

East Rumors: Giants, Jets, Bills, Flores

January 7th, 2018 at 9:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here’s the latest out of the East divisions, with six of these teams early in their offseasons and two preparing for divisional-round games while grappling with possible coaching staff defections.

A Josh McDaniels/Giants union is at least a possibility, with Dave Gettleman and Co. interviewing the Patriots’ OC this week. But ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano does not foresee this hire happening, viewing McDaniels as likely to end up elsewhere and noting both he and the Giants might not be each other’s first choices (Twitter links). McDaniels has met with the Giants, Colts and Bears. Graziano speculates (via Twitter) the Colts are the likely frontrunners.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Demario Davis look to be in the Jets‘ plans prior to free agency opening. The team has held discussions with Seferian-Jenkins about a re-up, Newsday’s Calvin Watkins notes, and wants to retain Davis. A Jet in five of his six NFL seasons, the soon-to-be 29-year-old linebacker could be in line for a significant pay bump come March after finishing the season as the NFL’s No. 8 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus. Davis, whom Watkins notes wouldn’t mind testing the market, took a pay cut prior to the 2017 season and earned just $900K in base salary. ASJ changed representation going into his UFA year. He caught a career-high 50 passes and gave the Jets a viable tight end weapon for the first time in years.
The Jaguars making the playoffs will slightly alter their trade for Marcell Dareus. The Bills received a conditional 2018 sixth-round pick for Dareus in the parties’ October trade, but now that the Jags ventured to the postseason, that pick will become a fifth-rounder, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Should Matt Patricia be hired as Lions HC as expected, the Patriots will likely promote linebackers coach Brian Flores to defensive coordinator, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. Flores drew interest as a DC candidate last year, per Reiss, and was mentioned in a 49ers search that ended with Robert Saleh getting the job. The 36-year-old Flores, who interviewed for the Cardinals’ HC job on Saturday, has been with the Patriots since 2004 and has been a position coach since 2012.
The Giants have not hired a GM that didn’t have ties to the team since George Young in 1979, and Tom Rock of Newsday notes Kevin Abrams may be in line to succeed Dave Gettleman down the line. The newly hired general manager is 66 years old and kept the 46-year-old Abrams on as assistant GM while firing another Giants GM interviewee in Marc Ross. Abrams has been the Giants’ assistant GM for the past 16 seasons, serving in this post now through three GMs’ tenures. The longtime exec has been sitting in on the franchise’s HC interviews this time as well.

Titans HC Mike Mularkey On The Hot Seat?

January 6th, 2018 at 10:49am CST by Ben Levine

Despite leading his team to consecutive nine-win seasons, Titans head coach Mike Mularkey could be on the hot seat. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the coach’s job “is not safe,” and a loss to the Chiefs today could end his tenure in Tennessee. There were reports last week that Mularkey could be fired if the Titans lost their season finale.

Following underwhelming stints in Buffalo and Jacksonville, Mularkey replaced Ken Whisenhunt as the Titans head coach midway through the 2015 season. He went 2-7 during the remainder of that campaign, but he’s led his team to 9-7 records over the past two seasons. The Titans will play Kansas City today in the wild card round, their first playoff appearance since 2008.

However, Rapoport tweets that ownership has spent the past week discussing the coach’s future. Specifically, there has been “frustration with the lack of development for Marcus Mariota.” The former second-overall pick had a breakout campaign in 2016, but he took a step back in 2017, completing 62-percent of his passes for 3,232 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.

According to Rapoport, the Titans front office is also preparing to pursue Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The former Broncos head coach has already generated a whole lot of interest, as he’s been connected to the Bears, Giants and Colts.

Bears Interview Josh McDaniels, Pat Shurmur

January 5th, 2018 at 9:52pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Bears have interviewed another pair of potential head coaches in offensive coordinators Josh McDaniels and Pat Shurmur, the team announced today. They are the third and fourth candidates that the Bears have spoken to about their vacant head coach post. They have already interviewed current defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards.

McDaniels and Shurmur are the first offensive-minded coaches that the Bears have talked to in this process. Granted they are also set to interview Eagles quarterback coach John DeFilippo and Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. DeFilippo is scheduled to meet with the Bears tomorrow with Nagy likely having his meeting next week considering the Chiefs play in their Wild Card game tomorrow. Chicago is also prepared to interview Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks some point soon.

With Mitch Trubisky entering his second-year with the team, many would expect that the Bears would have a lot of interest in pairing him with a coach that could help him grow in his sophomore campaign. However, given their current list of interviewees it seems like the team has a many different types of candidates they are interested in.

Giants Interview Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia

January 5th, 2018 at 5:43pm CST by GregGoldstein

Apart from all the Patriots drama unfolding today, both of their coordinators, Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia, have completed their scheduled interviews with the Giants. The team announced that they had interviewed Patricia earlier in the day, but McDaniels had finished his conversation with the team this afternoon, according to James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link). Palmer adds that the group who interviewed McDaniels consisted of team owner John Mara, general manager Dave Gettleman and assistant general manager Kevin Abrams.

Patricia and McDaniels are now the second and third head coaching candidates to be interviewed by the organization. Current interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo spoke to the Giants about their head coach vacancy on Wednesday. However, it should be noted that McDaniels is the first offensive head coach that has been interviewed in the team’s search. New York hasn’t flat out mentioned that they rather go in a certain direction, but there has been chatter that they want someone who has experience in the head coach role, which McDaniels certainly has from his time in Denver. Although, Patricia does not have head coaching experience and the team clearly still has interest in him, so that may not ultimately be a deciding factor.

Meanwhile, the Giants are far from done speaking with prospective candidates. They have also requested to interview Jim Schwartz (Eagles DC), Pat Shurmur (Vikings OC), Steve Wilks (Panthers DC) and Eric Studesville (former Broncos assistant HC).

Coaching Notes: Spagnuolo, Bettcher, McDaniels

January 3rd, 2018 at 8:36pm CST by GregGoldstein

The coaching carousel is in full swing. Here are six stories regarding coaching staffs across the NFL:

The Giants have interviewed their interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo for the full-time job, the team announced today. Spagnuolo is considered a longshot to land the position given that new general manager Dave Gettlemen would probably like to bring in his own guy. But, the former Rams head coach still had his shot to impress the Giants executives today. New York has six more candidates they’re planning on interviewing in the days to come. Check out who by using our 2018 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.
The Cardinals also used most of the day to interview an internal head coach candidate, defensive coordinator James Bettcher, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Bettcher had the first chance to make his case as the team has another seven coaches they would like to talk to about their vacant head coach position.
The Colts will speak with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels tonight about their head coach vacancy, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link). McDaniels is getting head coaching interest from many different teams because of his offensive knowledge. Indianapolis could be looking for a more offensive-minded coach to pair with quarterback Andrew Luck. Although they have requested interviews with coaches on both sides of the ball, including: Matt Nagy (Chiefs), Kris Richard (Seahawks), Mike Vrabel (Texans) and Steve Wilks (Panthers).
La Canfora does also note that the bad weather in the Boston area could affect potential interviews regarding McDaniels and fellow Patriots coach Matt Patricia. The team has to be back home to prepare for their divisional round opponent, which could push back a few potential interviews for both New England coordinators.
The Packers have a offensive coordinator vacancy after reassigning Edgar Bennett to another position earlier today. Three names who the team could show interest in to replace Bennett are former Green Bay coaches Ben McAdoo and Joe Philbin, along with current offensive line coach James Campen, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The Broncos have hired Sean Kugler to be the team’s offensive line coach for 2018, reports Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). While Kugler is a new face to the coaching staff, the team did decide to keep both of their coordinators and fire three other coaches on Monday.

Colts, Giants, Bears To Interview Josh McDaniels This Week

January 2nd, 2018 at 6:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Colts, Giants, and Bears will each interview Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels for their head coaching vacancies this week, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter links). Indianapolis will meet with McDaniels on Thursday, while New York and Chicago will interview him on Friday.

It’s not difficult to process why the Colts, Giants, or Bears — or any NFL club with a coaching vacancy — would express interest in McDaniels, as he’s fresh off leading New England to the No. 1 overall ranking in offensive DVOA. The Patriots also finished first in yards, second in scoring, and could soon see quarterback Tom Brady earn his third MVP award. Additionally, McDaniels is still only 41 years old, has prior head coaching experience, and offers the Bill Belichick-pedigree.

The Colts and Bears have thus far been linked to four candidates as they seek to replace Chuck Pagano and John Fox, respectively. Indianapolis will meet with McDaniels, Steve Wilks (Panthers), Kris Richard (Seahawks), and Mike Vrabel (Texans), while Chicago will interview McDaniels, Wilks, Pat Shurmur (Vikings), and John DeFilippo (Eagles). New York’s search, meanwhile, is six deep thus far: McDaniels, Wilks, Shurmur, Matt Patricia (Patriots), Jim Schwartz (Eagles), and Eric Studesville (ex-Broncos).

Bears Seek To Interview McDaniels, Shurmur

January 1st, 2018 at 8:22pm CST by Micah Powell

After the firing of head coach John Fox Monday morning, the Bears were expected to look for an offensive-minded coach to take over the role in 2018.

They began the process Monday night, requesting interviews with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (Twitter link).

McDaniels is the longtime Patriots offensive coordinator who has called the shots for seven top-five scoring offenses during his tenure with the team. He also has head-coaching experience, leading the Broncos for parts of two seasons in 2009-10. McDaniels is already being sought by a bevy of teams and will certainly be a splash for the Bears.

The Bears have plenty of familiarity with Shurmur, who has been with division rival Minnesota for each of the last two seasons. Under the veteran coach’s direction, Minnesota locked up the No. 2 seed in the postseason while fielding a top-10 scoring offense. Even more impressive is that the unit accomplished the feat without its starting quarterback Sam Bradford or rookie sensation running Dalvin Cook, who were both lost early in the season to injuries. Like McDaniels, Shurmur has already garnered interest from a number of teams.

Either coach would certainly benefit rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who general manager Ryan Pace said will have a say in the team’s head-coaching decision. McDaniels has worked with Tom Brady for much of his career and also helped groom Jimmy Garropolo in New England. Shurmur’s offense has also helped veteran signal-caller Case Keenum produce a breakout year in 2017.

Should they decide against an offensive mind, the Bears might look in house at defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Whoever receives the job is likely to sign a four-year deal to match the extension Pace received earlier in the days.

Colts To Interview Texans DC Mike Vrabel, Request Josh McDaniels Summit

January 1st, 2018 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans granted the Colts permission to speak with their defensive coordinator, Mike Vrabel, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. And the Colts now have three names to whom they’ve submitted interview requests.

Indianapolis also submitted a request to meet with Josh McDaniels, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Chris Ballard said Monday (via Mike Wells of ESPN.com) previous head-coaching experience will not be mandatory to fill Chuck Pagano‘s spot. Panthers DC Steve Wilks, a first-year coordinator, confirmed the Colts requested an interview with him.

McDaniels figures to be a sought-after name on the market again this year. The Patriots OC has been selective in the past, though, so it won’t be a given he jumps at the chance to coach Andrew Luck — whose future remains uncertain.

Vrabel just finished his first season as Houston’s DC. His unit fell from first in 2016 to 20th this season. However, the Texans encountered serious injury problems in Vrabel’s first season. The former Patriots stalwart’s name came up in the Rams’ and 49ers’ HC searches last year.

Rapoport’s Latest: Mularkey, Arians, Rodgers

December 31st, 2017 at 9:54am CST by Rory Parks

It’s a busy day in the NFL, as some teams fight for the playoffs while others prepare for the offseason and their next head coach. Let’s take a look at some of the latest reports from NFL.com scribe Ian Rapoport on the eve of Black Monday:

Despite the fact that the Titans could clinch a playoff spot today, Rapoport says that head coach Mike Mularkey is in trouble, and if Tennessee loses to Jacksonville this afternoon, Mularkey could be fired. Indeed, he could be canned even if the Titans make the playoffs but lose in the wildcard round. Apparently, ownership is frustrated with the development of Marcus Mariota, and if the Titans dismiss Mularkey, they could go hard after Patriots OC Josh McDaniels.
Rapoport tweets that the Cardinals have not given up hope of enticing head coach Bruce Arians to return, though ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Arians is likely to step away from coaching after Arizona’s season finale today.
The Packers recently extended Davante Adams, and Rapoport tweets that the team will make an extension for Aaron Rodgers its top priority this offseason.
There are expected to be two head coaching openings in the NFC North, with the Bears and Lions preparing to look for their next sideline general this offseason. Rapoport names Patriots DC Matt Patricia as a top choice for Detroit, while the Bears could look hard at a QB guru for young signal-caller Mitch Trubisky. Rapoport tweets that the Saints‘ Pete Carmichael, the longest-tenured OC in the league, could get a look for the Chicago job.
Both Cowboys coordinators (DC Rod Marinelli and OC Scott Linehan) are on the hot seat and will be thoroughly evaluated, per Rapoport (video link).

Jim Schwartz On Giants’ HC Radar?

December 29th, 2017 at 1:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having moved rather quickly to replace Jerry Reese with former Reese lieutenant Dave Gettleman, the Giants now are focused on filling their HC vacancy.

Ernie Accorsi will not “officially” be part of this search for their next head coach, John Mara said (via James Kratch of NJ.com, on Twitter). Accorsi won’t sit in on interviews, but the ex-Big Blue GM will be a resource in the process, per Mara. The Gettleman hire occurring — after myriad reports of the former Panthers GM being the favorite — leads some around the league to believe they have a coaching candidate ready to pair with Gettleman, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears.

Florio writes Eagles DC Jim Schwartz is the name that’s been most connected with this vacancy and floated an interesting reason for this buzz. Accorsi is believed to lean heavily on Bill Belichick‘s advice and Florio’s heard the Patriots HC has suggested Accorsi recommend Schwartz’s hire to Gettleman.

This would make for an interesting route, and Florio adds some in the league regard this recommendation as a way for Belichick to keep Josh McDaniels in the fold for another season. However, McDaniels has been connected to an HC avenues alongside New England VP of player personnel Nick Caserio as GM. A previous GM candidate, Caserio looks to be out of the picture for the Giants after Gettleman’s hire.

Mara said he would prefer an experienced head coach to take over, per Kratch (Twitter link). This would match up with Schwartz, who has extensive experience as a defensive coordinator and served as the Lions’ HC for five years. Schwartz has also had supporters within the Giants organization for years, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv notes, adding some sources believe Gettleman is high on the HC candidate as well.

Steve Spagnuolo will interview, but Mara is unsure OC Mike Sullivan will. Mara opened Gettleman’s presser today by saying he sought an exec with GM experience, so it would stand to reason the traditional organization wants a more seasoned HC. Mara’s Ben McAdoo hire — after only two years of coordinator experience — did not work out, so he’s planning to take a different route this time.

The Giants could interview Schwartz next week since the Eagles have booked a bye. The Ringer’s Mike Lombardi tweets the Giants wanted their GM search to conclude before the season ended in order to be ready to “act quickly” on a coaching search by the time interviews could be scheduled.

There’s certainly some unique reasoning associated with it, but Schwartz — who runs a 4-3 defense like the Giants do and has long been regarded as an upper-echelon DC — looks to be firmly on New York’s radar.