HEADLINES

Perry Fewell

Coach/Exec Notes: Washington, Jets, Raiders

January 27th, 2015 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell will be joining one of New York’s division rivals, having accepted a job as Washington‘s defensive backs coach, reports Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter). The 49ers also had an offer out to Fewell, and one other suitor may have been in the mix, but staying close to his family in New York was a major factor in the coach’s decision, tweets Dianna Marie Russini of NBC Washington.

Here are a few more Tuesday afternoon items on coaches and front office execs around the league:

  • Reports have suggested for some time that Rams scout Brian Heimerdinger would be joining the Jets‘ front office, and the team has now announced the hiring in a press release. According to the club, Heimerdinger will serve as the director of player personnel under new GM Mike Maccagnan, who previously worked with him in Houston.
  • The Raiders formally announced four new additions to their coaching staff, with three of the names – Bobby Johnson (TE coach), Rob Moore (WR coach), and Bernie Parmalee (RB coach) – having been previously reported. The new name on the list is Tracy Smith, who will be the club’s assistant special teams coach.
  • Asked at Media Day in Arizona if he’d like another shot at becoming a head coach, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said he’d “love to do it again” in the right situation, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link).
  • Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes a look at the seven teams that made head coaching changes this offseason and attempts to predict how the new coaches could affect those clubs’ plans in free agency.

Coach Notes: Broncos, Phillips, Schwartz, Jets

January 27th, 2015 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

As our offensive/defensive coordinator search tracker shows, hirings of OCs and DCs have slowed down a little in the last few days — the teams that headed into this past weekend with job openings on either side of the ball have yet to name their new coordinators, and in some cases those clubs may wait until after the Super Bowl to announce any official decisions.

Still, that doesn’t mean there’s no forward movement on any coordinator searches. An update out of Denver headlines our latest round-up of coaching-related items, so let’s dive right in….

  • Former head coach Wade Phillips is in Denver today to interview for the Broncos‘ defensive coordinator position, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who notes that Phillips coached the team way back when John Elway and Gary Kubiak were players.
  • While Phillips is a viable candidate for the DC job in Denver, the Broncos‘ top choice still appears to be Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph. Alex Marvez of Fox Sports tweets that one potential scenario would see Phillips getting the job for 2015, then transitioning to a senior assistant role in 2016 when Joseph is freed from his contract in Cincinnati.
  • Former Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz confirmed that he’s being selective about the next job he takes, as Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun writes. “I saw the opening up in Buffalo as a good opportunity, so I took it,” Schwartz said. “But no, right now, I can’t see myself doing anything else. Coaching is something I love, something I have a passion about. Another opportunity will present itself. I’m not too concerned.” Schwartz reportedly had two years remaining on his contract in Buffalo when the team let him go, which is perhaps contributing to his patient approach to finding another job.
  • Titans assistant receivers coach Kevin Patullo will be the new quarterbacks coach for the Jets, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). Patullo previously worked with new Jets OC Chan Gailey in Buffalo.
  • Former Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell is currently considering multiple options, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The 49ers reportedly have an offer out to Fewell, and the Bengals could be in the mix as well, though Raanan writes that Washington may have the edge.
  • The Jaguars have fired running backs coach Terry Richardson and are interviewing former Raiders running backs coach Kelly Skipper for the newly-opened job, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Skipper worked with new Jags OC Greg Olson in Oakland.
  • Speaking of the Jaguars, their current defensive backs coach DeWayne Walker is drawing interest from other teams, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
  • Earlier today, we learned that Rob Chudzinski, an offensive coordinator target for both the Rams and 49ers, would stick with the Colts and receive a new title.

NFC Notes: Glennon, Rams, Eagles, Fewell

January 26th, 2015 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Assuming the Buccaneers intend to draft a quarterback in April with the first overall pick, that should make Mike Glennon expendable, and this spring could be an ideal time to move him in a trade, writes Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. As Cummings points out, the free agent market for QBs is weak, and there are few viable rookie options besides Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. For teams looking to add a potential starting quarterback, Glennon may actually be one of the best options available, and should only cost a mid-round pick.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Former Buffalo offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett has a second interview lined up with the Rams for their offensive coordinator position this week, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Per La Canfora, the Bills would like to bring back Hackett, who is also drawing interest from Washington and the Jaguars as a potential quarterbacks coach.
  • In addition to considering Chris Polian for their front office opening, the Eagles have Dolphins scout Chris Grier and internal candidate Ed Marynowitz at or near the top of their list of targets, reports Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. One source tells Mosher that he believes Grier is coming in to interview for a second time with Chip Kelly.
  • Ex-Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has an offer from the 49ers to become their defensive backs coach, says John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter). However, before he makes a decision on that offer, Fewell is speaking to Washington about a similar role on Jay Gruden‘s staff, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
  • CFL receiver Duron Carter is expected to make a decision on his NFL team this week, according to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities, who tweets that the Vikings and a couple other teams remain well-positioned — one of those other suitors is certainly the Colts, who were reported on the weekend to be the frontrunners. Carter can’t officially sign an NFL contract until February 10 unless the Montreal Alouettes release him from his CFL deal.
  • Speaking to reporters in Arizona, Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett said it was “very tough” to pass up a free agent offer last year from the Bears, who offered him “way more money.” Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times has the quotes and the details.
  • Locking up linebacker Lavonte David to a long-term deal, perhaps in the neighborhood of $7MM annually, should be a priority for the Buccaneers this season, writes Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com.

Coaching Notes: LeBeau, Bills, Raiders, Bears

January 25th, 2015 at 8:25pm CST by Rob DiRe

Former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is no longer in the running to join the staff of the Cardinals, reports Kent Somers of AZCentral.com. Since he resigned from his long time post with the Steelers, the Cardinals seemed like a logical option for the 77-year old Hall of Fame coach. While it was thought that LeBeau would only be interested in coordinator positions, he was reportedly set to be a senior assistant and serve as the Cardinals linebacker coach.

With the Cardinals out of the mix for his services, the only other organization with which he has been linked is the Titans, where he could also serve as a senior assistant in some capacity.

The Cardinals are expected to promote from within to fill their defensive coordinator role vacated when Todd Bowles was hired as head coach of the Jets.

Here are some other coaching notes from around the NFL, with more recent news added to the top:

  • The Bills are expected to hire Chris Palmer to their coaching staff as a senior offensive assistant, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Palmer’s long career most recently brought him to the Titans, where he served as offensive coordinator from 2011-2012.
  • The Raiders have also added former Lions assistant offensive line coach Bobby Johnson to their staff, reports Thayer Evans of SI.com (via Twitter). Johnson will be the Raiders tight ends coach.
  • The Bears have brought Jay Rodgers onto the staff to coach the defensive line, reports Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Rodgers is the older brother of special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers.

Earlier Updates:

  • The Broncos have not tried to hide the fact that they would like to hire Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph as their defensive coordinator, but they may not get a chance until after the Bengals are able to secure another coach, writes Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. The Bengals reportedly have their eye on former Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, and would likely allow Joseph out of his contract if they are able to hire Fewell. The Broncos are willing to wait to see if Fewell is hired by the Bengals before moving on to their next option.
  • While there have been no official announcements made, the Raiders have reportedly added Bernie Parmalee as their running backs coach and Rob Moore as their wide receivers coach, reports Jerry McDonald of InsideBayArea.com (via Twitter). He also notes that defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson is the only member of the staff set to return so far.
  • The Falcons are planning on hiring Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their head coach after the Super Bowl, and reports have it that Quinn will be targeting former Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris as part of his staff. However, Mike Jones of the Washington Post writes that Morris is being considered for an assistant head coach/passing game coordinator position, and not defensive coordinaor (via Twitter). Jones reports that the deal is not finished, but it is close (via Twitter).

NFC Notes: Romo, Fitzgerald, Fewell, 49ers

January 23rd, 2015 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Tony Romo’s contract currently calls for a $27.77MM cap hit in 2015, before dipping to $17.64MM in 2016, which would appear to make him a slam-dunk candidate to have his deal restructured this offseason. However, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones says “not a given,” according to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, who explains why it’s risky to push more money into the later years of the contract. Still, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets, it’s hard to believe Jerry Jones will “hold the line financially” with Romo turning 35 in April and the team’s championship window potentially closing soon.

Let’s check in on a few other Friday items from out of the NFC….

  • Speaking of Romo, in an appearance on 103.3 KESN-FM in Dallas, he admitted that he’s consistently talking to Jerry Jones and other members of the Cowboys‘ front office about re-signing Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. In order for that to be possible, the team may need the cap space that a Romo restructure would create.
  • Reiterating that he hopes to get contract extensions done for head coach Bruce Arians and GM Steve Keim following the Super Bowl, Cardinals president Michael Bidwill also addressed’s Larry Fitzgerald contract last night, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com outlines. Bidwill advised fans to “relax” about Fitzgerald, assuring them the situation will get worked out. “My goal from the beginning was to have Larry Fitzgerald retire as a Cardinal when he is ready to retire many years from now,” Bidwill said. “I am feeling confident something will get worked out.”
  • As expected, former Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell will be in San Francisco today to interview with the 49ers for their defensive backs coach position, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports.
  • D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution takes a look at the prospects who have spoken to the Falcons at the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Bowl.
  • You can make the case that the Saints don’t need to bring back any of their free-agents-to-be this offseason, says Jason Fitzgerald in his preview of the team’s offseason at OverTheCap.com.

Coach Updates: Eagles, Raiders, Bucs, Fewell

January 22nd, 2015 at 6:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ve already seen one club make a defensive coordinator hire today, as the 49ers promoted Eric Mangini from tight ends coach to DC. Let’s take a look at some position coach hires and news from around the league…

  • The Eagles are expected to add Boston College offensive coordinator Ryan Day as their quarterbacks coach, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Day, who’s been at BC for nine years, will replace Bill Musgrave, who left to take the Raiders’ OC position. Day has a history with Eagles HC Chip Kelly, as Day played under and coached with Kelly at New Hampshire.
  • The Raiders have also found a new QB coach, as they are set to hire Bills quarterbacks coach Todd Downing, per Caplan (on Twitter). Downing also interviewed for roles with the Browns and Buccaneers, according to Caplan.
  • Not to be outdone, the Buccaneers have become the third team to hire a new QBs coach, as they’ve brought in Mike Bajakian to fill their vacancy, reports Roy Cummings of the Tampa Bay Tribune (Twitter link). Bajakian, previously the offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee, worked under Tampa Bay head coach Lovie Smith with the Bears. The Bucs have also added ex-Falcons assistant Andrew Weidinger as an offensive quality control coach, writes Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
  • Ex-Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has an interview lined up with the 49ers, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (via Twitter). San Francisco just hired Mangini, so Fewell is presumably a candidate for the Niners’ DB coach job, as Cam Inman of the Mercury News tweets.
  • Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com expects (Twitter link) that Falcons assistant offensive line coach Wade Harman will remain on staff as the tight ends coach; as McClure notes, Harman held that same role in Baltimore from 1998-2013.
  • Former 49ers secondary coach Ed Donatell has accepted the same position with the Bears, but as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes, Donatell might have missed out on other opportunities in the past. In each of the last two offseasons, San Francisco blocked Donatell from accepting interview requests from the Buccaneers and the Saints, per Maiocco.

Giants Part Ways With DC Perry Fewell

January 7th, 2015 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

10:09am: Per Graziano (via Twitter), the Giants are also letting go of defensive backs coach Peter Giunta, who has been with the organization since 2006.

9:53am: The Giants have made a change to their coaching staff today, having decided to part ways with defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Earlier this week, reports had suggested Fewell would likely be returning for the 2015 season, but it appears the team had a change of heart.

Fewell, who had been on Tom Coughlin‘s staff since 2010, was viewed as a candidate to be fired this offseason after his unit dipped from sixth in Football Outsiders’ DVOA in 2013 to 25th in 2014. At his end-of-season press conference, Coughlin strongly defended Fewell’s performance, indicating that he felt the players responded to the defensive coordinator, but if the head coach went to bat for Fewell in subsequent meetings, it appears not everyone in the building agreed with his assessment.

With an opening at the defensive coordinator position, it shouldn’t be long before we start hearing candidates linked to the Giants. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun suggests (via Twitter) that one of those candidates could be Ravens secondary coach Steve Spagnuolo, who previously worked for the Giants as their DC. ESPN’s Dan Graziano (Twitter link) agrees that Spagnuolo could be on the Giants’ radar, but expects the club to cast a wide net in its search.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Phillips, Eagles

January 5th, 2015 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is still evaluating his coaching staff, and has yet to make any formal announcements, but a source tells Newsday’s Tom Rock that it appears defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and special teams coordinator Tom Quinn will return to New York for the 2015 season. Fewell, in particular, was considered a candidate to be fired, though Coughlin strongly defended the DC at his end-of-season press conference, suggesting that he felt players responded to Fewell.

According to Rock, there may still be minor changes coming to the rest of the coaching staff, but it seems Fewell and Quinn are safe. Here’s more from around the NFC East:

  • There’s a “strong sense” in Washington that Wade Phillips is positioned to become the team’s next defensive coordinator, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who tweets that the former Cowboys head coach has “ample support.”
  • As Chip Kelly looks to hire a new general manager in Philadelphia, one executive who figures to draw interest is Lions vice president of pro personnel Sheldon White, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport indicates that White is expected to interview for the Eagles‘ job.
  • Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com makes a case for why the Eagles ought to strongly consider extending quarterback Nick Foles this offseason. Foles’ rookie contract is set to expire after the 2015 campaign.

Giants Notes: Coughlin, JPP, Fewell, Eli

December 30th, 2014 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Giants co-owner John Mara, head coach Tom Coughlin, and general manager Jerry Reese all spoke to reporters today in New York, and touched on a few notable topics along the way. Here’s a round-up of some of the highlights from the presser, via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (all Twitter links):

John Mara:

  • Mara stressed that he still believes in Coughlin, Reese, and the rest of the staff, despite disappointing results on the field in the last two seasons.
  • While Mara said the fates of the coaching assistants will ultimately be Coughlin’s decision, he conceded that “the defense did not play well.”
  • The Giants typically won’t let a coach head into the final year of his contract without an extension, but Mara hasn’t yet decided whether or not he’ll extend Coughlin’s deal, which expires after the 2015 campaign. Asked if ’15 would be a “win or else” season for Coughlin and others, Mara said he didn’t consider that an unfair stance.
  • Mara admitted that after the team’s loss to the Jaguars earlier in the season, he wanted to “fire everybody.”
  • Mara would be “very surprised” if Jason Pierre-Paul isn’t a Giant next season. While he cautioned that the price would have to be right, the Giants co-owner acknowledged that the franchise tag will be an option for retaining JPP.

Tom Coughlin:

  • Asked about the job security of defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, Coughlin said he’s “evaluating everything,” but also strongly defended the embattled DC. Asked if he felt like players responded to Fewell, Coughlin replied, “Yes, I do.”
  • Vacchiano notes that it doesn’t sound as if Coughlin wants to fire either Fewell or special teams coordinator Tom Quinn — the head coach was “very defensive” of both.
  • Coughlin was noncommittal about how long he intends to continue coaching, joking that he thinks he has at least another decade left in him.

Jerry Reese:

  • The GM suggested that he thinks the Giants are heading in the right direction and “could have a really good football team going into next year.”
  • After spending aggressively in free agency in 2014, Reese said the team doesn’t plan to take the same approach in 2015.
  • Discussing Coughlin, Reese said, “You can tell quickly if a team’s not going to play for a coach. That never happened.”

Here are a few more Giants-related links from the last 24 hours:

  • Eli Manning is ready to discuss a contract extension, but isn’t necessarily making it a priority, and will defer to the team, as he tells Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
  • Giants quarterback coach Danny Langsdorf will leave after one season in New York to accept a job as the offensive coordinator for Nebraska, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
  • Declining to talk about his contract status, Pierre-Paul indicated that he wasn’t going to make any promises about returning to the Giants as he nears free agency, per George Willis of the New York Post.
  • Asked about the possibility of the Giants replacing Fewell or other members of the defensive staff, cornerback Prince Amukamara said, “From what I am hearing I could see that happening” (link via Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News).

Giants Notes: Coughlin, Manning, Kiwanuka

December 28th, 2014 at 10:55pm CST by Rob DiRe

Head coach Tom Coughlin may believe he has the team trending in the right direction, but Dan Graziano of ESPNNewYork.com believes the best thing for the Giants this offseason would be to be honest with themselves.

He writes that Coughlin’s 49-47 record over the last six seasons leaves much to be desired, and that the team has regressed that past two years. He also thinks that defending defensive coordinator Perry Fewell’s job is unrealistic, as Fewell’s unit has been disappointing.

He does not believe the team needs to fire Coughlin, but wants them to take a good look on what they have actually accomplished, as opposed to where they think the team is trending.

Here are some other notes from around Big Blue:

  • Gary Myers agrees with Graziano that the team needs to move on from Fewell, according to his article for the New York Daily News. He writes that the defense needs a new voice, but believes Coughlin deserves another year.
  • Players will be available to the media on Monday, reports Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter). Coaches, front office executives, and decision makers will likely brief fans on the state of play sometime on Tuesday,
  • The schedule for coach Coughlin to speak gives a hint that he will be returning in 2015, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. Schwartz believes if he was going to be fired, the team wouldn’t have announced when he would be available at all, and the organization would not wait until Tuesday to deliver that news.
  • If quarterback Eli Manning has any input, he would encourage the team to keep Coughlin anyway, according to Schwartz (via Twitter). “I think coach Coughlin is an excellent coach,” said Manning. “And he deserves to be the coach and we’ve got to play better for him.”
  • Graziano adds that Manning will lower his cap hit because the Giants will most likely extend him at some point (via Twitter). He did say he would be willing to play out the final year of his deal, according to Raanan, but after a successful season, the team would be smart to negotiate a longer extension.
  • One Giant who will not be returning is Mathias Kiwanuka, according to Raanan (via Twitter). Raanan cites his cap number and high salary as reasons the team will move on from him.