AFC West Notes: Shanahan, Raiders, Chargers
Kyle Shanahan followed Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub in conducting a four-hour interview with Broncos brass, John Elway relays (on Twitter). While the Falcons’ OC will continue on the interview circuit — having already interviewed or being set to do so with the Jaguars, 49ers and Rams — he remains focused on landing this job. And past tensions between the organization and his father won’t stand in the way, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.
Klis notes Elway and Mike Shanahan are friends, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports Broncos president Joe Ellis won’t stand in the way if Elway wants to hire the 37-year-old son of the franchise’s winningest head coach. Ellis was with the Broncos when they made the decision to fire the elder Shanahan after 14 seasons following the 2008 campaign. Elway worked with Mike Shanahan during the successful coach’s three stints in Denver — the first two coming as the team’s top offensive assistant in a four-year 1980s stay and again for two seasons in the early ’90s — before returning to take a leadership position with the franchise two years after it fired Shanahan.
The Broncos are set to meet with Vance Joseph sometime after Sunday’s Dolphins-Steelers wild-card game.
Here’s the latest coming out of the AFC West as the Raiders are set to play in their first playoff game in 14 years.
- The Raiders will present details of their Las Vegas project on Wednesday at a meeting involving the NFL’s finance and stadium committees, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports (on Twitter), adding (Twitter link) the team will not apply for relocation until its playoff run concludes. Underdogs with their third-string quarterback at the helm against the Texans today, that decision could come soon. Last we heard, the sides had made significant progress on the long-discussed Las Vegas stadium after some hiccups between the Raiders and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson emerged.
- Donald Penn said he sustained a small fracture in his knee but doesn’t need surgery, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Penn also eyes a return for a divisional-round game if the Raiders win today, per Schefter. The Pro Bowl left tackle will miss the first game of his career and his first opportunity to suit up for a playoff contest since his rookie season with the Buccaneers in 2007. Menelik Watson will slide over and start on the left side, with the previously supplanted Austin Howard returning to his right tackle spot.
- Wade Phillips has been connected to the Browns’ DC job after his Broncos contract expired, and while it hasn’t been ruled out the veteran DC could return to Denver, the Raiders are another name to watch for the 69-year-old assistant’s services, Pelissero tweets. This is an indication second-year Raiders DC Ken Norton Jr. could be on the hot seat after his unit, one fortified by the additions of Bruce Irvin and Sean Smith in the offseason, finished 26th in total defense for the second straight season. Phillips’ Broncos finished as the top DVOA defense for the second straight year.
- The Chargers will bring Panthers DC Sean McDermott in for a second interview, Eric Williams of ESPN.com reports. He initially sat down with Bolts brass on Friday. Patriots DC Matt Patricia will meet with the team next.
Coaching Notes: Browns, Bills, Shanahan, Rex
The Browns’ firing of defensive coordinator Ray Horton is not yet official, but the team is leaning toward making a change, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was among those to report (Twitter link). Should Horton get the ax, Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams would be in prime position to succeed him in Cleveland. The Browns have given Williams until Monday to accept the job, according to Sporting News’ Alex Marvez (Twitter link).
More coaching-related info:
- The Bills have requested an interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Panthers D-coordinator Sean McDermott‘s Wednesday meeting with the Bills went very well, notes Garafolo (Twitter links).
- Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan‘s head coaching interviews with the Jaguars and 49ers took place Friday, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. Shanahan will meet Saturday with the Broncos, relays Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post (Twitter link). The 37-year-old reportedly prefers the Broncos’ job to the other openings around the league.
- The Redskins, in search of a defensive coordinator, have received the Panthers’ permission to interview assistant head coach/defensive backs coach Steve Wilks, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Rapoport connected Wilks to the Redskins on Thursday, noting the coach’s relationship with ex-Panthers and now-Redskins cornerback Josh Norman.
- Unsurprisingly, Rex Ryan won’t work anywhere as an assistant next season, reports Chick Hernandez of CSN Washington (Twitter link). The two-time head coach will wait for a third opportunity to come along in 2018; in the meantime, he’s likely to take a job as a television analyst.
- Check out PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker to keep up with all the latest interviews.
Coaching/FO News & Rumors: 1/5/17
The Saints will have a significantly different coaching staff next year, as the team parted with assistants Joe Vitt (assistant head coach/linebackers), Bill Johnson (defensive line), Greg McMahon (special teams coordinator), Stan Kwan (assistant special teams) and James Willis (assistant linebackers) on Thursday, according to Sporting News’ Alex Marvez (Twitter link). These changes are a sign that head coach Sean Payton isn’t going anywhere, observes Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Vitt is the longest-tenured staff member to go, having served with the club since 2006. He filled in as New Orleans’ interim head coach when the NFL suspended Payton for the entire 2012 season because of the Bountygate scandal.
Let’s check in on more of the latest coaching- and front office-related happenings:
- 49ers: With vacancies at general manager and head coach, the Niners are set to to interview a couple members of the Carolina organization. Panthers assistant general manager Brandon Beane and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott will meet with the 49ers next week, per FOX Sports’ Peter Schrager (Twitter links). Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable will also discuss the 49ers’ head coaching opening with the team next week, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).
- Bills: Buffalo still has not submitted an official request to interview Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, per Tim McManus of ESPN.com. There has been follow-through after the initial contact between the two sides, he adds (Twitter link).
- Broncos: Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, whose contract is expiring, is unlikely to return to Denver, reports Marvez. If Dolphins D-coordinator Vance Joseph becomes the Broncos’ head coach, Denver’s defensive backs coach, Joe Woods, would likely succeed Phillips (Twitter links).
- Chargers: Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith interviewed with the Bolts on Thursday, becoming the first candidate to do so, reports Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The aforementioned Sean McDermott will follow him Friday, relays Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. The club has also requested permission to interview Bills interim head coach Anthony Lynn, according to Rapoport (Twitter links here).
- Rams: Los Angeles’ previously reported interview with Anthony Lynn will go down on Sunday, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets.
- Redskins: In addition to bouncing defensive coordinator Joe Barry, the Redskins also canned defensive line coach Robb Akey and defensive backs coach Perry Fewell on Thursday, via James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link). Panthers secondary coach Steve Wilks is a name to watch as the Redskins look for Barry’s successor, Rapoport tweets. Wilks has a history with Josh Norman dating back to their time together in Carolina.
- Bookmark PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker for an up-to-date primer on who’s interviewing where.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Latest On Chargers’ Head Coaching Search
The Chargers’ list of candidates to take over for fired head coach Mike McCoy continues to grow. Former Falcons head coach and current Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith is likely to interview with the Chargers, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Meanwhile, Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub will meet with the Bolts this week, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, and FOX Sports’ Peter Schrager adds that San Diego has asked Carolina’s permission to interview defensive coordinator Sean McDermott (all Twitter links)
The Chargers now have five potential successors to McCoy – and no offensive coordinators – on their radar, as PFR’s head coaching search tracker shows, though Smith is the only one with previous experience.
The 57-year-old was at the helm with the Falcons from 2008-14 in a stint that began swimmingly but ended poorly. Atlanta started Smith’s tenure with five straight above-.500 seasons, four of which resulted in double-digit-win campaigns and playoff berths, and then went a combined 10-22 during his final two years on the job. All told, the Falcons posted a 66-46 regular-season record and a disappointing 1-4 playoff mark under Smith. Of the other five teams in need of head coaches, only the Jaguars have shown interest in Smith to this point.
Toub, who’s on a bye with the AFC West champion Chiefs, will also meet with the Broncos this week, relays Biggs. McDermott has a Wednesday interview set up with the Bills.
Bills To Interview Sean McDermott
Many assume that interim head coach Anthony Lynn is a shoo-in for the Bills job, though that might not be the case anymore. Even if Lynn does want the role, the Bills are insistent that they are going to explore multiple options before reaching a decision. One of those options, Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, will interview with the Bills on Wednesday, reports Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News.
McDermott’s name came up with a few different coaching searches last season. The Browns and Buccaneers both interviewed McDermott last season before going with Hue Jackson and Dirk Koetter, respectively. The Eagles had an “informal” chat with McDermott, though they did not formally interview him before selecting Doug Pederson as their guy. The Giants internally discussed McDermott, but they neglected to ask during the Panthers first-round bye week.
Although he did not land a head coaching job last year, it was widely reported that he interviewed well. After the Panthers led the NFL in sacks this year, McDermott figures to get a few different looks again this season. Whether the Bills job is truly available, however, remains to be seen.
Coaching/GM Notes, Pt. 1: Pagano, Payton, Kelly
We heard earlier today that Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak is likely to step down while the Bears are expected to retain head coach John Fox and GM Ryan Pace. Let’s take a look at some other coaching and GM rumors from around the league, which are so abundant that we will split this post into two parts. Part 2 can be found here.
- Colts owner Jim Irsay has attempted to downplay the notion that head coach Chuck Pagano and/or GM Ryan Grigson are on the hot seat, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Irsay has been “very unhappy” with his team’s performance, and coaches within the organization believe that change is coming. It appears as if Pagano’s job is certainly in jeopardy, although it remains unclear whether Grigson could be fired as well. Irsay could not be reached for comment.
- There is “mutual interest” between the Rams and Saints head coach Sean Payton, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who reports that the ball is in New Orleans GM Mickey Loomis‘ court. If Loomis decides he’s willing to part with Payton for moderate compensation, Payton would be the clear front-runner to take over in Los Angeles. And if the Saints do move on from Payton, Jaguars interim head coach Doug Marrone would be a strong candidate to replace him in New Orleans, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Marrone could also take over the Jacksonville job on a permanent basis.
- The Jaguars will not, however, consider Chip Kelly, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
- La Canfora tweets out a list of names who could be in contention for the 49ers‘ GM job, a list that includes Louis Riddick, Scott Pioli, and George Paton. Meanwhile, San Francisco is said to be high on Patriots OC Josh McDaniels and Dolphins DC Vance Joseph as head coaching candidates.
- Peter Schrager of FoxSports.com tweets that Panthers DC Sean McDermott is lined up for multiple head coaching interviews.
Coaching Notes: Cowher, McDermott, Hirings
With CBS broadcasting this year’s Super Bowl, Bill Cowher is in San Francisco to cover the game for the network. But just because he’s on the media side of things now doesn’t mean he can avoid questions about a potential return to coaching.
Asked on Monday about that possibility, Cowher said that he didn’t have any contact with the Giants about their head coaching job after Tom Coughlin resigned, but the former Steelers head coach didn’t rule out a return to an NFL sideline, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News details.
“You know what? I’ve never shut a door,” Cowher said. “I don’t think you need to shut a door that you don’t need to. I’m very happy at CBS. I love what I’m doing. I’m 58 years old. I feel young. I still feel involved in the game. But this element of the game gives me a life that I was never able to experience before…. I never say never, but I’m very, very satisfied with where I’m at.”
Here are several more coaching-related updates from around the NFL:
- Speaking to the media on Monday night, Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott confirmed that he spoke to Howie Roseman about the Eagles‘ head coaching opening, despite not having a formal interview with the team, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We had some preliminary talks,” McDermott said. “It was clear from the beginning they wanted to go offense.”
- The Cowboys are looking to hire a replacement for defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, who joined the Falcons, and the next coach Dallas is talking to is former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- Alex Marvez of FOX Sports has the details on a couple additions to the Browns‘ coaching staff, reporting (via Twitter) that the team has hired Johnny Holland and Eric Sanders. Holland, who had been working in the CFL, resigned from the B.C. Lions last month because he knew he would have a position on Hue Jackson‘s staff, according to Marvez, who adds that Holland will be the Browns’ inside linebackers coach (Twitter links). Sanders, a Stanford defensive assistant, will join the Browns in the same capacity.
- The Chargers have hired former Titans quarterbacks coach John McNulty as their new tight ends coach, according to Marvez (via Twitter). McNulty has a longtime connection to former Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt, who has now returned to the offensive coordinator role in San Diego.
- The Titans have completed their coaching staff, hiring Keith Willis as the team’s assistant defensive line coach and Brandon Blaney as a defensive assistant, the club announced in a press release.
South Notes: Titans, McDermott, Falcons
In a fascinating piece for Bleacher Report, former Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist shared some details about his recent interview for the Titans‘ GM position, explaining what he would have done during his first days, weeks, and months on the job if he had been hired by the club.
The entire piece is worth reading, and features a handful of interesting tidbits from Sundquist, who writes that there were some indications that Titans ownership, which wanted to retain head coach Mike Mularkey and stay the course within the front office, “wasn’t necessarily looking for a complete diagnosis of its problems.”
Here’s more Friday reading from around the NFL’s South divisions:
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network echoes what Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller reported earlier today, writing that the Titans are “very open to the idea” of shopping the first overall pick. However, Breer cautions that the Titans still want to walk away from the draft with an elite prospect, so there will be a limit to how far the team is willing to trade down. A handful of clubs picking between 11 and 15 could be in the market for a quarterback, but that would be a long way for those teams to move up, and a long way for Tennessee to move down, says Breer.
- While the Buccaneers ultimately opted to name Dirk Koetter their new head coach, Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott interviewed “very, very well” with Tampa Bay, according to Breer. McDermott figures to be a strong candidate for a head coaching job in 2017.
- Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff acknowledged that 2016 feels like a make-or-break year for him, though he added the caveat that he views every year that way, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
- Dimitroff also suggested that the Falcons will continue to shop for discounts and values in free agency rather than making a big splash, and said the team has yet to make a decision on Roddy White‘s future, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution details in a pair of articles.
Coaching Rumors: Dolphins, Giants, McDermott
After hiring Adam Gase, the Dolphins are acting quickly to form their new coaching staff.
But few holdovers are expected. According to Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez (on Twitter), only special teams coach Darren Rizzi to be retained. All of the Dolphins’ other assistants, excepting possibly Dan Campbell, will be fired.
Campbell’s status remains uncertain. The interim coach for most of 2015, Campbell reportedly finished second in the race to become the Fins’ next full-time head coach.
A Marvez report Saturday linked Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph, whom the Fox reporter has set to head to Miami as the team’s defensive coordinator, and a number of position coaches to comprise Gase’s defensive staff.
Here are some more coaching-related items as wild-card weekend concludes.
- Although Hue Jackson has emerged as a candidate late in the process, the frontrunners to become Tom Coughlin‘s successor with the Giants are offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and Jaguars assistant head coach Doug Marrone, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports. McAdoo’s familiarity with Eli Manning and his helping the quarterback to a career resurgence is driving his candidacy, with the 38-year-old only having two seasons of coordinator experience. With Vacchiano noting the 51-year-old Marrone may not retain McAdoo if he becomes coach, Big Blue avoiding another offensive reboot will factor into its decision.
- Both Vacchiano and the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz report John Mara prefers a candidate with head-coaching experience. Vacchiano points McAdoo in the Eagles’ direction if they are indeed serious about hiring Tom Coughlin. Schwartz believes Mara sees similarities in Mike Smith, who will interview with the team on Monday, and Coughlin. Their ages (Smith is 56; Coughlin was 57 when hired in 2004) and histories as head coaches are similar, and Schwartz notes Smith is one of Coughlin’s top confidants among head coaches.
- The Giants, per Vacchiano, have also discussed requesting permission to interview Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, but since they didn’t do so during the Panthers’ bye week, the Giants must wait until either Carolina’s season concludes or the Panthers’ potential Super Bowl bye week.
- The Browns did interview the 41-year-old McDermott on Sunday, Andrew Gribble of ClevelandBrowns.com reports. A defensive coordinator since 2009, with the Eagles and Panthers, respectively, McDermott also interviewed with the Buccaneers.
- Jackson spoke with the Browns for 3 1/2 hours and talked with the 49ers for five hours Sunday in Cincinnati, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. Cleveland’s now interviewed seven candidates. The 49ers have met with five, according to Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News.
- The Colts offered 49ers offensive line coach Chris Foerster the same position in Indianapolis, Marvez reports (on Twitter). The Dolphins offensive coordinator in 2004, Foerster’s been an offensive line coach with the Ravens, Washington and the 49ers since 2005. He’s served multiple stints in San Francisco, presiding over the 49ers’ line from 2008-09 and returning to the Bay Area in 2015 after five seasons in Washington.
Sunday Roundup: Wood, Burfict, Koetter
As the Vikings and Seahawks do battle in frigid Minneapolis, let’s take a look at some links from around the league:
- New Lions president Rod Wood admits to not having any football experience, but no one was especially concerned about that, as Wood is expected to handle the business side of the club while new GM Bob Quinn will handle the football side. But as Kyle Meinke of MLive.com writes, Detroit’s press release announcing Quinn’s hire noted that Quinn would report to team ownership and to Wood, which suggests that Wood could be wielding more power than initially believed.
- Unsurprisingly, Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict is facing a suspension for his hit on Antonio Brown last night, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
- ESPN’s Ed Werder believes it is “unlikely” that the Bengals will part ways with head coach Marvin Lewis (Twitter link), and Mark Maske of the Washington Post lays out the reasons for his belief that Lewis should stay.
- Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel believes the Packers‘ efforts this season have been hampered by GM Ted Thompson‘s lack of in-season roster moves to address the team’s weaknesses. Since 2010, Green Bay has been awarded just two players on waivers, and Thompson has gone to the practice squad 70% of the time to fill vacancies on the 53-man roster.
- Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune tweets that Dirk Koetter is still the leading candidate for the Buccaneers‘ head coaching job, though Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that Koetter “really impressed” the 49ers during his interview with San Francisco yesterday. Tampa Bay also interviewed Panthers DC Sean McDermott yesterday.
- Gus Bradley is taking his time with the Jaguars‘ search for a new defensive coordinator and has yet to establish a deadline for the decision, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union.
- Texans unrestricted free agents Ben Jones and Jared Crick both expressed their desire to remain in Houston, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- Meanwhile, two notable players have declared that they will enter the NFL draft: Arkansas RB Alex Collins (Twitter link via ESPN’s Joe Schad) and Utah State LB Nick Vigil (Twitter link via Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net).