Marc Trestman - Pro Football Rumors

Bears Notes: Trestman, Cutler, Shanahan

December 28th, 2014 at 9:40pm CST by Rob DiRe

Fans and pundits have believed that the Bears’ coaching staff could be fired as soon as Monday, but general manager Phil Emery says that the coaches will hold their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.

“Obviously, it’s at the end of the season,” Emery said. “So on Monday, we’ll have a team meeting. Our coaches will hold that meeting. After that, they’ll start evaluating players. We’ve already done that from a personnel perspective, and we’ll move forward.”

Still, major changes are in order for the Bears this offseason, from either a coaching standpoint, a personnel standpoint, or more likely both:

While head coach Marc Trestman and his coaching staff are unlikely to return, a big question is whether Emery will lose his job as well, according to David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune. Haugh also questions whether the team will begin to look into moving on from Jay Cutler as well. Cutler will be playing for his fifth offensive coordinator since 2009, should Trestman’s staff lose their jobs as expected.
Despite the end of the Trestman-era, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes that the organization needs to stop consulting their quarterback when making decisions on coaching. Biggs points out that Cutler has been the common denominator in the team’s perennial underachieving.
Cutler did give a vote of confidence to former coach Mike Shanahan, writes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cutler played under Shanahan with the Broncos during his first few years in the NFL, where he experienced some of his best play at quarterback. “[Shanahan is] a heck of a coach. He deserves to be a coach somewhere. He’s out of the game so I’m sure he is looking to coach somewhere,” said Cutler. “My three years with him were very, very enjoyable. He does a great job of leading teams, on and off the field, and offensively he knows how to get it done.”

Coaching Notes: Trestman, Bowles, Shanahan

December 21st, 2014 at 11:09am CST by Rory Parks

We learned earlier today that Mike Smith was unlikely to return as coach of the Falcons in 2015, but there are plenty of head coaching candidates for whom the future appears much brighter, along with a number of others who are likely to be relieved of their duties or otherwise on the move. Let’s take a look:

As we passed along earlier, Bears head coach Marc Trestman is expected to be fired after the season.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is a top head coaching candidate for the Jets and Bears, and the Dolphins have not ruled out a reunion with Bowles.
Although the University of Michigan apparently has a legitimate chance to land 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh as its next head coach, the Wolverines also have the Ravens‘ John Harbaugh, the Saints‘ Sean Payton, the Bills‘ Doug Marrone, and the Cowboys‘ Jason Garrett on their radar, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Outside of Jim Harbaugh, however, the other named candidates are highly unlikely to appear in maize and blue next year.
In the same piece, La Canfora writes that Jim Harbaugh briefly accepted the Michigan job in 2011 before changing his mind shortly thereafter.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that UCLA’s Jim Mora and Auburn’s Gus Malzahn are two collegiate coaches whom NFL teams may consider for head coaching vacancies in 2015. Rapoport adds (Twitter links) that he would expect the 49ers to have interest in Mora and the Dolphins to have interest in Malzahn.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that Mike Shanahan has not ruled out a return to coaching in 2015, and Florio lists the Falcons and 49ers as possible destinations. However, Shanahan, who was responsible for drafting Jay Cutler, maintains his belief that Cutler is a franchise quarterback, and the Bears (assuming they hang on to Cutler) may want to pursue Shanahan.

Breer’s Latest: Coaches, Bears, Whaley

December 19th, 2014 at 6:44pm CST by Luke Adams

As usual, Albert Breer of the NFL Network touches upon several notable topics in his weekly notes piece for NFL.com, leading off with a look at the Falcons and head coach Mike Smith. Unapologetic about the fact that his team could sneak into the playoffs with a 7-9 record, Smith was also adamant that he doesn’t feel as if he’s coaching for his job as the season winds down. Still, one has to imagine, given how available the NFC South crown has been for the taking this season, that if the Falcons lose one of their final two games and miss out on a playoff berth, the team will have to think long and hard about making changes.

Here’s more from Breer:

Suggesting that perhaps the adversarial relationship between Robert Griffin III and Jay Gruden in Washington has been overblown, Breer writes that the head coach simply wants the former second overall pick to earn his playing time, just like everyone else on the roster.
One veteran NFL executive predicted to Breer earlier this year that Bears head coach Marc Trestman would have trouble navigating off-field frustrations in Chicago, since he “doesn’t have the ability to control the locker room.” Considering all that’s happened since then – from the blowout losses to the Aaron Kromer incident to Jay Cutler‘s benching – it’ll be hard for the Bears to bring back Trestman next season, and general manager Phil Emery‘s job isn’t safe either, writes Breer.
A source told Breer earlier this week that the University of Michigan is “very much in the game” for Jim Harbaugh.
GM Doug Whaley may be on the hot seat if the Bills fail to make the playoffs after giving up their 2015 first-round pick to win now, but Whaley can point to his construction of an elite defensive unit if and when he makes a case to keep his job, says Breer.
Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly will likely consider making the leap to the NFL in January, or at least weigh the idea more seriously than he has in the last two years, according to Breer, who indicates that Kelly is frustrated with the school’s administration. The 49ers could be connected to Kelly since owner Jed York is a Notre Dame alum, but defensive line coach Jim Tomsula still appears to be the favorite to take over for Harbaugh.

Jay Cutler Notes: Thursday

December 18th, 2014 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was the subject of frequent criticism and trade speculation even before he was benched, and now that the team has decided to tab backup Jimmy Clausen as the starter this Sunday against the Lions, the Cutler rumor mill is busier than ever. Here are the latest whispers about what Cutler’s future may hold:

Both Cutler and Marc Trestman spoke to reporters today about the decision, with Cutler indicating that he could play for Trestman next season and would like to remain with the Bears (Twitter links). The veteran quarterback added that while the security his contract provides is nice, he’s disappointed with the season, and would trade that contract security for a better record and better play (Twitter link via ESPN’s Michael C. Wright).
As for Trestman, he indicated that this decision applies to this weekend only, and that Cutler will be the team’s No. 2 quarterback against the Lions (Twitter links). In other words, Clausen could start Week 17 as well, but nothing’s guaranteed yet.
Two “accomplished and respected” Bears players tell Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com that a number of players in the Chicago locker room feel “confused and uncomfortable” over how Trestman has handled Cutler’s benching — especially when compared to the light discipline received by offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer last week.
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), Trestman is hoping that the change in quarterbacks will prove that his system can still be effective without Cutler at the helm.
Mike Sando of ESPN.com tweets that he has talked to several people around the league who wonder why any team would give up anything more than maybe a seventh-round pick for Cutler.
The Bears need to overhaul their franchise, and moving on from Cutler would be a start, writes Jon Greenberg of ESPNChicago.com.

Earlier updates:

Exploring potential trade suitors for Cutler, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes that many of the logical partners for Chicago are in the AFC, identifying the Bills, Jets, Browns, Texans, Titans, and Raiders as possibilities. Florio also writes that the Bears should be willing to essentially give Cutler away in a trade if necessary, rather than holding out for a higher draft pick, since the team could do a lot more with $15.5MM in cash and cap savings than it could with a mid- or late-round pick.
Dan Hanzus of NFL.com lists seven potential landing spots for Cutler, overlapping with Florio on the Bills, Browns, Titans, and Jets. Hanzus also singles out the Buccaneers, Rams, and Washington as possible suitors.
Appearing on CSN Chicago, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com took a shot at predicting what Cutler might be worth in a trade: “If they look to deal him, and my belief is that they will, then I think they can get something back for him. They’re not going to get what they gave up to get him. … Jay Cutler right now is on sale. He’s been devalued. My guess, just a guess today without speaking to personnel people around the NFL… I would guess that they could probably get back a fourth-round pick for Jay Cutler that could go to a third if he meets certain conditions such as taking a team to the playoffs. That’d be my guess. A mid-round conditional draft pick.”
Benching a quarterback with a massive contract is an irreversible decision in many ways, according to Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Tribune, who weighs the pros and cons for the Bears cutting, trading, or keeping Cutler.
Albert Breer of the NFL Network points out (via Twitter) that Marc Trestman‘s reputation as a quarterback guru, which has taken a hit this year, could be rejuvenated if Clausen lights it up this weekend. We’ve heard that the team is likely to part ways with Trestman at season’s end, but perhaps a strong finish would change those plans.

Bears Likely To Fire Marc Trestman

December 16th, 2014 at 5:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Bears ownership huddled last night and they had a chat about the fate of coach Marc Trestman. Trestman is likely to go, a source tells Dan Bernstein of WSCR (via Twitter), while GM Phil Emery‘s fate is still up in the air.

Earlier today, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune wrote that after the latest disaster in Chicago, Trestman and offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer both appeared likely to be on their way out. Some in league circles “reserved serious doubt” over the last couple months that the Bears would dump Trestman, but that perception likely changed after Monday night’s contest. The Bears slid to 5-9 after an embarrassing home loss to the Saints, another team that hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire in 2014, though they have the good fortune of playing in the league’s softest division.

It has been an ugly season for the Bears and things only got worse in the last week. Kromer tearfully apologized to his team for being one of the anonymous sources in a recent filing by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The report indicated that the Bears were growing increasingly frustrated with quarterback Jay Cutler and that the club was having buyer’s remorse over the whopping extension they recently gave him. While Kromer denied being the source of the latter part, he did admit to staying some less-than complimentary things about the team’s high-priced QB.

Just days ago, it was reported that Cutler is extremely unhappy with the team’s coaching staff. Trestman is only two seasons into his tenure in Chicago, but Cutler’s contract is guaranteed at least through 2015, meaning that it is much easier for the club to replace its coach than it would be to change the QB situation.

Jay Cutler Unhappy With Coaching Staff

December 14th, 2014 at 6:00pm CST by Rob DiRe

Earlier this week, Bears’ offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer was revealed to have spoken to the media about the organization’s doubts of quarterback Jay Cutler‘s abilities as the signal caller in Chicago. Despite a public apology, Cutler is extremely unhappy with the coaching situation, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

Cutler’s contract is guaranteed at least through 2015, and there is an expectation on his part that staffing changes will occur in the offseason, according to La Canfora. Due to the comments made by Kromer, La Canfora believes that organization will have grounds to fire him with cause.

Kromer’s job was not safe to begin with, amidst reports that head coach Marc Trestman is already on the hot seat. The Bears would most likely be reluctant to fire a coaching staff only two seasons into its tenure, but the recent unrest could convince them otherwise. If there is a serious rift between the coaching staff and Cutler, it might be logical to move on from one of the two, and Trestman could lose that battle.

Trestman has not only upset his quarterback, but possibly his entire team. Reports that Trestman addresses the team from behind in meetings, and the tremendous focus on offense might be growing tired, especially considering the lack of success on that side of the ball and overall. With a number of problems surfacing for Trestman, Kromer’s comments may be the last straw that brings a short and uneven NFL coaching career to an early end.

Rapoport On Bears’ Future

December 7th, 2014 at 9:18am CST by Rory Parks

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com examined the respective futures of some of the key figures within the Bears organization this morning, and the most notable item he passed along (via Twitter) is that, barring significant improvement, the team plans to fire defensive coordinator Mel Tucker after the 2014 season.

As for head coach Marc Trestman, whose job is in serious jeopardy, Rapoport tweets that he is not convinced Trestman will be replaced. This is in line with reports that PFR’s Ben Levine passed along yesterday, and there is something to be said for having some sort of consistency at the head coaching position and for giving a coach the chance to work through adversity early in his tenure with a club.

The elephant in the room, of course, is quarterback Jay Cutler, whom the team considered benching during its matchup with Tampa Bay several weeks ago (per a tweet from Rapoport). Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that the Bears have serious buyer’s remorse over Cutler’s contract, and that there is doubt within the front office that the team can consistently win with Cutler under center. Rapoport also tweets that the team could save $12.5MM against the salary cap if they could somehow trade Cutler in the offseason, and Jason Fitzergald of OverTheCap.com adds (via Twitter) that a trade would save the club $30MM of guaranteed salary over the next several years . Needless to say, it would be difficult to find a team willing to trade for Cutler at this point, but such a move would give the team and (possibly) Trestman the chance to start anew with a little financial flexibility to boot.

Coach Notes: Jets, Trestman, Coughlin

December 6th, 2014 at 11:56am CST by Ben Levine

Jets coach Rex Ryan intended to talk to the media on Friday about this team’s matchup with the Vikings. Instead, he addressed rumors that he had considered firing offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.

“I would deny that, 100 percent I’ll deny that, that I’m looking to fire Marty or anybody,” Ryan said (via Brian Costello of the New York Post). “You know we challenge each other all the time. … I don’t know where it’s coming from. So to me I think it’s a complete bogus deal. So, I’m not saying it wasn’t said by somebody, but it certainly wasn’t said by me or thought by me.”

Let’s take a look at some more rumblings out of the NFL front offices, including whispers about coaches potentially on the hot seat…

There has been plenty of finger-pointing in New York regarding the issues surrounding the Jets, and Ryan, Mornhinweg and general manager John Idzik have faced their fair share of criticism. Bart Hubbach of the New York Post believes one member of the organization has unfairly gone unscathed: owner Woody Johnson.
While the Bears‘ season certainly hasn’t gone as planned, it doesn’t look like the team will endure any drastic changes. John Mullin of CSNChicago.com appeared on ProFootballTalk Live and stated his belief that head coach Marc Trestman is safe (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com), noting that firing the coach would be an admission of failure by general manager Phil Emery.
Meanwhile, Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times believes the Bears need to make major changes. However, based on the team’s moves in previous years, the team will be apprehensive about making any drastic moves.
Dan Graziano is unsure what the Giants will do with head coach Tom Coughlin, but he believes there’s a chance that the team could be grooming offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo for the role.

NFC Notes: Seahawks, McCoy, Lions, Bears

October 27th, 2014 at 4:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Recent reports indicated that the Seahawks are falling apart and possibly planning to part ways with running back Marshawn Lynch after this season, but Seattle silenced that speculation this week with a big team effort against the Panthers, writes Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. “[The reports were] not a distraction at all,” coach Pete Carroll said. “Our guys don’t care about what’s being said. We’ve been prepared all year that there would be stuff like this, that there would be controversy and story lines that would try to get in between us. We’re fine.” More from the NFC..

The Falcons are 2-6 and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (video link) says that both coach Mike Smith and GM Thomas Dimitroff could be on the hot seat this offseason. Owner Arthur Blank can be expected to “evaluate everyone” after the season.
There isn’t any offset language with the $51.5M of guarantees in Gerald McCoy‘s contract with the Bucs, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
With Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush sidelined, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is extra glad that his club added Golden Tate over the offseason. “He’s just a competitive son of a gun,” Stafford said of Tate, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. “And you just trust him, you want to throw him the ball, you feel good about it when you throw it to him. And I’m proud of him, happy for him. I know he’s going to be excited when Calvin comes back to be that duo that they want to be.”
Bears GM Phil Emery doesn’t sound like a man who wants to make a coaching change. “The solutions to win games are with the people in this building,” said the GM, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).

Biggs On Bears: Clausen, McCray, McManis

August 23rd, 2014 at 2:00pm CST by Matt Feminis

One of the heartiest post-game reads around is the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs’ “10 thoughts,” and this morning’s wrap-up of the Bears’ loss in Seattle is full of tid-bits:

Technically teams have until 3 p.m. Tuesday to cut down from 90 to 75, but Biggs expects an announcement before Monday. “That’s because the Bears (and other teams) don’t want to go back to the practice field to prepare for the exhibition finale and have a player slated for the first wave of cuts suffer an injury. In that scenario, the team could be on the hook for several hundred thousand dollars if the injury is bad enough.”
Jimmy Clausen should be Jay Cutler‘s backup, in Biggs’ opinion. While the preseason numbers for Clausen and Jordan Palmer are similar, Clausen has looked more decisive and experienced.
“All signs point” to Danny McCray starting at safety in Week 1. “At this point, McCray might be about the only choice the Bears have at free safety,” says Biggs.
Austen Lane and Trevor Scott have shown well enough to wonder if the Bears will keep five defensive ends. David Bass, who was part of the rotation last season, looks like the odd man out.
Eben Britton‘s injury has opened the door for Michael Ola, who has played well and shown desirable versatility, increasing the chance he earns one of the team’s reserve lineman spots. Marc Trestman values his sixth lineman, as he used Britton for 235 snaps last season, primarily as an eligible tackle. “In a perfect world, coach Marc Trestman has a player that wears an eligible number to handle that role this season as an in-line blocker, extra tight end or even a presence in the backfield,” says Biggs, which is why tight end Matthew Mulligan looks like a “good bet” to secure a roster spot.
In “I’m not saying, I’m just saying” fashion, Biggs highlights the play of Sherrick McManis, a 26-year-old cornerback whose value to this point in his career has been as a core special-teams player. However, the Bears No. 4 and No. 5 cornerback spots are up for grabs, and Biggs notes “Since training camp has opened, McManis is at the tops of a chart in the defensive backs room for takeaways. He’s not only practiced well, he’s played well in preseason and has seven tackles on defense, one interception, one tackle for loss two passes deflected and two stops on special teams.” Biggs intimates McManis’ situation could have the Bears front office flashing back to that of Corey Graham, whom the team undervalued. Graham went on to earn a two-year deal in Baltimore where he played well enough on defense to get $8.1MM guaranteed from the Bills this March.