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Rick Smith

AFC Notes: Mallett, Jets, Luck

October 28th, 2015 at 9:19pm CST by Zachary Links

Tonight’s look at the AFC:

  • Speaking today to reporters, including John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien downplayed the idea that he and GM Rick Smith had a confrontation over Ryan Mallett‘s place on the team this week. Acknowledging that there are occasional disagreements between the two men, O’Brien said that “the majority of the time we agree,” adding that he and Smith “work together and communicate every day,” and aren’t engaged in any sort of power struggle.
  • Jets first-round pick Leonard Williams wasn’t shocked when the Raiders selected Amari Cooper instead of him at No. 3 in this year’s draft. “I wasn’t too surprised,” Williams said, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. “Everyone watches those pre-draft analysis and stuff like that, but it’s never completely accurate. I did think I was going to go top three or something like that, but I think it worked out pretty well that I came to the Jets. I’m under a lot of great players to learn from Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, Damon Harrison, those guys have been able to take me under their wing and show me a lot of stuff.”
  • Some have speculated that Andrew Luck returned to Stanford for a fourth year to avoid going to the Panthers with the first pick of the 2011 draft. On Wednesday, the Colts quarterback shot that theory down, as David Newton of ESPN.com writes. “Absolutely not,” the first pick of the 2012 draft said. “And I hope people don’t think that.”

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Coaching Rumors: Dolphins, Pagano, Texans

October 27th, 2015 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

A report this weekend indicated that Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley is expected to receive consideration in the offseason for the Dolphins‘ head coaching job. However, asked if there’s any truth to those Haley rumors, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) replied, “None.”

It isn’t the first time that Salguero has shot down a Dolphins-related report from La Canfora — during the 2014 offseason, La Canfora reported that the club was exploring trades involving players like Mike Wallace and Dion Jordan, which Salguero’s sources emphatically denied. It’s not entirely clear if the team was indeed considering deals back then, but the Dolphins ultimately traded Wallace a year later, and probably wish they had moved Jordan as well.

In this case, the performance of the Dolphins and interim coach Dan Campbell down the stretch will play a significant role in what candidates Miami considers after the season — if the club continues to look as good as it has in Campbell’s first two games, it’s hard not to imagine the team hiring him on a full-time basis.

Here are a few more coaching notes and rumors from around the NFL:

  • While Chuck Pagano‘s job in Indianapolis isn’t totally safe, it’s highly unlikely that the Colts will make a change this week, tweets Bob Kravitz of WTHR.com. Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star is skeptical that firing Pagano is the answer to turning things around for the Colts.
  • If the Colts do decide to make an in-season change, that move is most likely to happen during the club’s Week 10 bye, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole identifies offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, assistant head coach Rob Chudzinski, and quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen as the four in-house candidates to replace Pagano.
  • In the wake of Monday’s report that head coach Bill O’Brien and general manager Rick Smith disagreed on whether Ryan Mallett should be cut, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk examines the Texans‘ organizational structure, suggesting that it will likely continue to cause problems. In Smith’s view, it may be time for either the head coach or GM – or both – to go. For what it’s worth, following Mallett’s release today, Tania Ganguil of ESPN.com tweeted that Rick Smith was always on board with the decision, but disagreed about the timing of the move, which would’ve left the team with just one active veteran quarterback.
  • The Lions‘ firing of offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi should officially put head coach Jim Caldwell on notice, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com.
  • The Eagles are almost certainly giving DeMarco Murray more playing time than Ryan Mathews because of the difference between the two players’ contracts and guaranteed money, and that’s just one example of how Chip Kelly‘s moves as a GM are hampering him as a head coach, says Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
  • Michael Reghi, Bud Shaw, Dan Labbe, and Chris Fedor of the Northeast Ohio Media Group debate whether Browns head coach Mike Pettine should be on the hot seat in Cleveland.

Texans Coach Bill O’Brien Tried To Cut Mallett

October 26th, 2015 at 8:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Texans coach Bill O’Brien wanted and tried to cut quarterback Ryan Mallett after he missed the team’s flight last week, according to sources who spoke with Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. However, he was overruled by GM Rick Smith, and Mallett remained on the roster for Sunday’s blowout loss to the Dolphins.

The Texans now find themselves with a power conflict at the top of the organization. O’Brien’s fiery approach helped Houston turn things around in 2014 and the coach is supposed to have a good deal of control over personnel moves. However, it appears that Texans owner Bob McNair is allowing him GM of ten years to have final say. While the decision to keep Mallett on the roster wasn’t responsible for the Texans’ embarrassing loss to the Dolphins, the Houston Chronicle scribe opines that it undermined everything that O’Brien has stood for since taking over as coach.

Mallett, who also missed a training camp practice this year, claims that he missed the flight because his cell phone died and his alarm didn’t go off. The QB is due $2.5MM in 2016, the second year of his two-year contract. If the Texans do part ways with Mallett this season, they’ll have to sort out who will be their backup to Brian Hoyer. Former Rutgers/Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage would be the fill-in, but he was placed on season-ending IR in September.

On Monday, O’Brien said that the Texans were “talking about [their] options” with Mallett, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle writes.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Texans, Foster

October 26th, 2015 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

No NFL division has fewer wins on the season than the eight compiled by the AFC South, and the division had another forgettable Sunday in Week 7. The Colts and Texans – who entered the weekend as the South’s top two teams, trailed by a combined score of 61-0 after the first halves of their respective games on Sunday.

Needless to say, it hasn’t been a pleasant Monday morning in either Indianapolis or Houston. Here’s the latest from around the AFC South:

  • Colts owner Jim Irsay and general manager Ryan Grigson engaged in a “heated conversation” after the team’s loss to the Saints, says Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. While Keefer doesn’t go into details about the specifics of the conversation, neither Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano is currently considered a lock to remain in Indianapolis beyond the 2015 season.
  • For his part, the typically mild-mannered Pagano delivered an “animated, emotional” halftime speech that featured “plenty of expletives,” according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, who provides more details on a frustrated Colts locker room.
  • Following the Texans’ most embarrassing loss of the 2015 season, Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle writes that GM Rick Smith and head coach Bill O’Brien could be on the hot seat if the team continues to struggle, and wonders why quarterback Ryan Mallett is still on the roster.
  • There was speculation on Sunday that if Arian Foster’s Achilles injury is indeed a season-ender, he may have played his last game with the Texans, and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) echoes that sentiment today. According to Cole, given the probable severity of Foster’s most recent injury, along with his history of health problems, his age, and his contract situation, there are plenty of factors pointing to Houston potentially moving on from him on the offseason.

La Canfora’s Latest: Texans, Browns, Harbaugh

December 28th, 2014 at 9:23am CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s check out the latest from CBS Sports scribe Jason La Canfora:

  • The Texans are expected to make a change at general manager during the offseason, with current GM Rick Smith shifting into a new role that doesn’t involve football operations. Head coach Bill O’Brien will have significant input on who is hired to fill the position, and sources tell La Canfora that the club already has several candidates in mind. Patriots executive Nick Caserio would likely be O’Brien’s top choice, as the two worked together in New England. Other external options include the Eagles’ Tom Gamble and the Pats’ Jon Robinson, while internal candidates could include scouting director Mike Maccagnan and director of pro personnel Brian Gaine. Texans vice chariman Cal McNair has denied La Canfora’s report, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
  • Meanwhile, changes could also be coming in Buffalo and Tennessee, writes La Canfora. Bills GM Doug Whaley doesn’t have a great relationship with head coach Doug Marrone, and given that the current Buffalo front office was responsible for the selection of E.J. Manuel, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the club completely overhaul its management team. Meanwhile, the Titans could opt to fire general manager Ruston Webster, and replace him with executive Lake Dawson.
  • The Browns are growing increasingly frustrated with both Josh Gordon and Johnny Manziel, sources tell La Canfora. Gordon, who was suspended for today’s game after missing a walkthrough on Saturday, will file a grievance against the team in order to maintain his free agent status after 2015. But Cleveland officials say Gordon “has to go,” although La Canfora says it’s unclear whether owner Jimmy Haslam is willing to trade the talented wideout. For his part, Manziel was also absent yesterday, and team security was forced to go to his house to retrieve him. The rookie quarterback reportedly threw a team party Friday night (which led to several Browns being late on Saturday), the latest questionable decision by a player who recently vowed to take the game more seriously.
  • Five clubs — the Raiders, Jets, 49ers, Falcons, and Bears — are expected to make coaching changes in the coming days. The Raiders still have their eye on Jim Harbaugh, but if he takes the Michigan job as expected, the club could bring in Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. And while the 49ers are expected to look at some of the younger offensive coaches during their search, the Jets, Falcons, and Bears are looking to hire an established head coach, per La Canfora. Rex Ryan is an option in Atlanta, though if the Falcons lose today and miss the playoffs, general manger Thomas Dimitroff could be axed there. In Chicago, the club could look to reunite Mike Shanahan with Jay Cutler.
  • The Raiders will indeed attempt to make their pitch to Harbaugh, and would even engage in trade talks with the 49ers if possible. La Canfora notes (via Twitter) that NFL executives won’t believe Harbaugh has a deal with Michigan until it’s officially signed.
  • Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is a name to watch regarding head-coaching vacancies. La Canfora says sources have compared Autin’s rise to that of Mike Tomlin, who went from an unknown position coach to leading the Steelers in rapid time. Austin is expected to garner several interviews, including one with the Falcons.

Texans GM On O’Brien, Draft, Su’a-Filo

October 14th, 2014 at 9:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Yesterday, Texans GM Rick Smith addressed kids at a youth football presentation and asked the group what his club’s record is. “Three and three,” one of the players shouted. Surely, Smith wishes his club would be 4-2, at the very least, after their tough Week 6 loss. Here are some of the highlights from Smith yesterday, courtesy of CSNHouston.com’s Dave Zangaro.

On head coach Bill O’Brien

Obviously, we have played well in spurts and not played so well in other spurts. I like our football team. I like the toughness that we’ve shown in these games to be able to stay in games and give ourselves a chance to win. We can’t make some of the mistakes we’ve made and dig some of the holes that we’ve dug ourselves and expect to win. I think our guys understand that.

On his rookie class so far

Without going through the entire class I think we’re getting some contributions from some guys. Obviously, with [Jadeveon Clowney] having the injury, that impacts the entire class and so we’re looking forward to him getting back out there at some point. But I think Xavier Su’a-Filo, I think he’s developed. And I think C.J. Fiedorowicz is making some good contributions, as is Jay Prosch and Alfred Blue. So I think we’re getting contributions. But it’s still too early. We’re six games in and so there’s a lot of football left to be played.

On evaluating draft picks based on where they’re selected (Su’a-Filo, a guard, was taken No. 33 in this year’s draft and started just once out of necessity)

From a value standpoint, you try to say if we’re going to take a guy in the first or the second round, generally, you’re trying to make sure that you identify a guy that can come in and be a starter for you eventually. Depending on how high in the first round, how quickly you think that may develop or how quickly that player may develop.

On his 2013 draft class, of which only five remain on the team

I think each individual case with those players are individualized so you have to look at that and we always are constantly assessing our process to make sure that we have a good process in place that gives us a chance to make good decisions. And sometimes that’s going to be a good outcome and sometimes that won’t but at long as you are identifying what the issues are with each individual case, and you make sure that the process is something that’s solid, I think you give yourself a chance to have success.

Prospect Notes: Manziel, Clowney, Mack, Carr

May 4th, 2014 at 7:53pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns are in need of a quarterback and this year’s draft class gives the team a number of different options. According to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan seems to be particularly infatuated with former Aggies’ passer Johnny Manziel.

“It’s obvious how good of a player he is, how fun he is to watch,” said Shanahan. “I think it does translate to the NFL. If you can make those plays in college, you can do it in the NFL.

“He’s going to be able to make plays in this league. Eventually when they try to contain him, he’s going to have to do everything he didn’t always have to do in college.”

Shanahan and his staff put Manziel through a private workout at Texas A&M in addition to hosting him in Cleveland. The Browns have the fourth-overall pick.

Let’s see what’s going on with some other notable prospects…

  • After speaking with people who know Texans general manager Rick Smith, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport is no longer certain that the team will take Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick (via Twitter). In a subsequent tweet, Rapoport adds that the team would be willing to trade down.
  • Following up on the report by SI’s Peter King, Rapoport confirms (via Twitter) that Khalil Mack is an option for the number-one pick.
  • If the Texans do indeed pass on Clowney, Rapoport points out the “incredible drama” the Rams would be presented with (via Twitter).
  • Derek Carr said that four or five teams told him that they would like to trade into the 20-29 range to select him, reports John Clayton of ESPN.com.
  • In the same post, Clayton adds that the Lions would like to move up a few spots to select receiver Mike Evans.
  • Washington State safety Deone Bucannon and Boise State linebacker Demarcus Lawrence could be surprise first-round picks, tweets Eric Galko of OptimumScouting.com.