HEADLINES

Ron Turner

Coaching Rumors: Lions, Titans, Tice, Cards

February 6th, 2018 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

New Lions hire Paul Pasqualoni is expected to take on a “prominent role” on the club’s coaching staff, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Previous reports have indicated that Pasqualoni, who had been working as Boston College’s defensive line coach, could take over as Detroit’s defensive coordinator under Patricia (who figures to call his own defensive plays). The Lions are in need of a new DC after Teryl Austin, the team’s defensive play-caller for the past four seasons, took the same job with Cincinnati. However, Pasqualoni could instead receive an assistant head coach title, per Yates.

Here’s more from the 2018 coaching carousel:

  • Like Patricia, new Titans head coach Mike Vrabel continues to fill out his staff, as Tennessee announced today that it has hired Keith Carter to coach the club’s offensive line and Tony Dews to lead the team’s running backs. Carter, who spent the past three seasons with Atlanta, will now be in charge of a Titans front five that ranked among the league’s best in 2016 but took a significant step backwards a year ago. Dews, meanwhile, has never coached in the pro ranks, but does offer 20 years of collegiate experience, including stops at Arizona, Pitt, Michigan, and — most recently — West Virginia. Tennessee has also retained assistant offensive line coach Mike Sullivan, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News.
  • Mike Tice sounds like’s ready to call it a career. The former Vikings head coach recently told Dan Barrerio of KFAN (Twitter link) that he’s considering retirement because players “no longer want to be coached.” Whether that’s a serious threat or instead indicative of Tice’s inability to connect with today’s millennial players is unclear, but the 59-year-old Tice would be giving up a coaching career that began in 1996. Tice served as Minnesota’s head coach from 2002-05, and had spent the past three seasons as Oakland’s offensive line coach.
  • The Cardinals have hired former Titans quarterbacks coach Jason Michael as their new tight ends coach, as Marvez reports. The Cowboys also had interest in adding Michael to fill their vacant tight ends coach job, but Michael instead chose to head to the desert. Michael was previously Tennessee’s offensive coordinator from 2014-15, but was demoted when Mike Mularkey took over the Titans’ full-time head coach in 2016.
  • The Panthers had become something of a family business after hiring Norv and Scott Turner earlier this year, as the club subsequently boasted four Turners on its staff. However, Norv and Scott are the only members of the family staying on board in Carolina for the 2018 campaign, however, according to Bill Voth of Panthers.com (Twitter link). Assistant quarterbacks coach Cameron Turner is joining the University of Arizona staff, while offensive consultant Ron Turner won’t be with the club (though it’s presently unclear why).
  • The Steelers announced that they’ve hired Blaine Stewart as an offensive assistant. Stewart is the son of former West Virginia coach Bill Stewart, who gave Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin his first coaching assignment at VMI in 1995.

Extra Points: Bills, Cowboys, Cards, Panthers

June 18th, 2017 at 8:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bills first-round cornerback Tre’Davious White is performing so well during Buffalo practice sessions that new head coach Sean McDermott has scarcely noticed the rookie on the field, as Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News writes. “Really, I’ve had to sit back in my office up there and ask myself why haven’t I noticed Tre’Davious, in terms of why am I not concerned about him?” McDermott said. “As a defensive coordinator I was a lot closer to the defense at times, so I’ve been asking myself is it because of that or is it because he’s just integrated himself so smoothly into the NFL and what we do? He’s mature beyond his years.” The Bills traded down from No. 10 to No. 27 before selecting White, who projects as a Week 1 starter opposite Ronald Darby.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • While finding a backup quarterback appeared to be an important item on the Cowboys‘ offseason itinerary, the club may be content with incumbent No. 2 Kellen Moore, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. The Cowboys, who lost Tony Romo to retirement and Mark Sanchez to free agency, have expressed interest in veterans such as Josh McCown, but have yet to add another passer behind starter Dak Prescott. If Moore does stick as Dallas’ backup, it could be because he has a backer in offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, who refers to Moore as a “machine.”
  • The most interesting Cardinals position battle will take place at backup quarterback, where Blaine Gabbert and Drew Stanton will square off for Arizona’s No. 2 QB job, opines Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Gabbert offers a first-round pedigree and has a supporter in head coach Bruce Arians, but Stanton is more familiar with the club’s offense after three seasons in the desert. The Cardinals would absorb $2.5MM in dead money if they release Stanton.
  • The Panthers announced that they’re hired former Illinois head coach Ron Turner as a consultant to the coaching staff. Turner’s most notable experience comes at the collegiate level (he spent the past three seasons leading FIU), but he also has an NFL resume. Notably, Turner served as the Bears’ offensive coordinator from 2005-09, a tenure that overlapped with that of Carolina head coach Ron Rivera, who acted as Chicago’s DC from 2004-06.