Rams Focusing On Jon Gruden
Former NFL head coach and current ESPN commentator Jon Gruden has become the “focal point” of the Rams’ head coaching search, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, and the two sides are progressing towards a meeting. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported yesterday that Gruden would “entertain” the idea of taking the reins in Los Angeles.
[RELATED: Top Rams Head Coaching Candidates]
While Gruden may be open to the Rams’ position, his interest in the franchise wouldn’t stop at coaching — he’d also require full control of personnel, according to Robinson, and won’t even consider a meeting with the club unless he’s granted that power. Los Angeles is open to offering roster management to certain head coaching candidates (Gruden among them), which jibes with recent reports about incumbent general manager Les Snead‘s status. Snead’s fate is seemingly in the balance at the moment, as ownership could be willing to allow a new coach to hire his own executive.
Meanwhile, Gruden would check off several requirements for owner Stan Kroenke, including the fact that the club is searching for an offensive-minded head coach. Second, as Robinson writes, the Rams are intent on selling hundreds of millions in personal seat licences before their new stadium in Inglewood opens, and hiring a coach with the panache of Gruden could help in those business pitches.
For Gruden, the allure of Los Angeles is compounded by the presence of quarterback Jared Goff, whom Gruden has lauded in the past. “He does believe in him – that’s not just for TV,” a source close to Gruden told Robinson. “He thinks [Goff] has the stuff to be a franchise quarterback. I don’t know if Jon would have traded the farm to get him, but he sees him as a guy that was worthy of building a team around him. He sees leadership and star power there.”
If Gruden can’t be had, Stanford head coach David Shaw and Saints head coach Sean Payton could be among the contenders for the Rams’ job, per Robinson. While Payton recently signed an extension that’s set to keep him in New Orleans through 2020, a report yesterday indicated that the organization could be willing to part with him in exchange for draft picks. Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Sunday that the Los Angeles job could attract candidates — such as Payton — who are already under contract with other clubs.
Saints Could Look To Trade Sean Payton
One of the biggest storylines of the past several seasons was the rumor that Saints head coach Sean Payton could be on his way out of New Orleans, possibly via trade. Those rumors were immediately quieted when Payton signed a five-year extension this March that keeps him under club control through the 2020 campaign.
The Saints have shown flashes of improvement this year, but they now sit at 5-8 and are well out of the playoff picture. That reality, coupled with very public ownership issues and the sudden decline of Drew Brees over the past few weeks, has led to renewed trade rumors regarding Payton. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, citing league sources, the Saints would consider dealing Payton after the season, and they would not require especially hefty compensation to move him.
As La Canfora writes, “Moving Payton’s contract would free up about $40MM at a time when owner Tom Benson‘s health and the future of ownership is in question, and that money, along with the $25MM in cash/cap savings that would occur whenever Brees departs, would go a long way to providing an influx of means to rebuild this team.”
The 38-year-old Brees has one year left on his contract, but it could be difficult to work out another one-year extension given his recent struggles. After a terrific start to the 2016 campaign, Brees has thrown nine touchdowns to nine interceptions in New Orleans’ last five games, four of them losses. The franchise may feel that it is time to move on from their two former saviors, adding much-needed draft picks and cash flow in the process.
Despite the fact that the Saints have not posted a winning record since 2013, Payton’s stock as a head coach has not fallen very much, if at all. Any team that acquires him would rightfully view the move as a major success, particularly if, as La Canfora suggests, that team does not have to give up much to get him. The Colts, Rams, and Chargers are all possible landing spots for Payton, who is a California native and for whom a California coaching job could have particular appeal.
Saints HC Denies Brandon Cooks Trade Talk
Could the Saints consider trading Brandin Cooks? Both Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Adam Schefter of ESPN say that New Orleans could explore such a move this offseason. For what it’s worth, Saints coach Sean Payton says that’s not the case. 
“That’s garbage. It’s a false report,” Payton said (Twitter links via Nick Underhill of The Advocate). “It’s an agent picking up the phone and calling a reporter.”
Meanwhile, Cooks himself denies making a trade demand or doing anything of that nature. Still, Cooks has been vocal about his inconsistent targets as of late and has been voicing frustration about his role in the offense. Payton and Cooks both say that the trade talk is baseless, but it’s fair to wonder if Cooks is frustrated enough to want out.
Reportedly, the idea of a Cooks trade isn’t new. League sources told Schefter that a trade between the Saints and Patriots was brewing earlier this season that would have shipped Cooks to New England in exchange for linebacker Jamie Collins. Of course, that deal didn’t go down and Collins wound up being sent to the Browns instead.
So far this year, Cooks has 58 catches for 809 yards and six touchdowns. That means he is on pace for roughly 78 catches and 1,079 yards, which isn’t too far behind his numbers from last season. But, after seeing five targets in Week 10 against the Broncos and zero targets in Week 12 against the Rams, Cooks isn’t completely satisfied with his role. Someone might want to let Cooks know that the target volume typically runs hot and cold in a Drew Brees offense.
Latest On Chip Kelly, 49ers
Several weeks ago, 49ers head coach Chip Kelly refuted reports indicating that he was interested in returning to the college ranks and that he would entertain offers from big-time collegiate programs. Today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Kelly was not just offering an empty, company-line denial of such rumors. Instead, colleges that privately have made overtures to Kelly’s representatives have been told in no uncertain terms that Kelly is not interested in leaving San Francisco.
Kelly signed a four-year, $24MM contract to become the 49ers’ head coach this past offseason, and his first year on the job has not been a fun one. The Niners are 1-6 and are clearly in rebuilding mode, and if Kelly’s contract expires or if he is let go before the 49ers become a competitive club once again, he may not get another shot in the league. After all, although he enjoyed some initial success during his first NFL head coaching gig with the Eagles, he effectively ran himself out of town when he tried to assume too much control of Philadelphia’s operations.
Of course, even if his NFL star has waned, his tremendous success at the collegiate level all but assures him of another prime opportunity with a college team if and when he does choose to return to campus life.
On a related note, and of particular interest given that the Saints and 49ers are set to square off today, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports that, when New Orleans head coach Sean Payton briefly considered moving on from the Saints after the 2015 season, the 49ers emerged as perhaps the most likely suitor for Payton’s services. Payton’s Saints are 3-4 after starting the season 0-3, and they are showing signs that they could be contenders again sooner rather than later.
NFC South Notes: Saints, Payton, Bucs
The Saints are considering several scenarios with fullback Austin Johnson, according to Nick Underhill of the Advocate. Johnson recently suffered a knee injury in camp, and New Orleans is hoping that he’ll be able to return in a few weeks and continue to work towards a roster spot. But while they wait for more information, the Saints have signed veteran John Kuhn to compete with incumbent fullback Sione Huma.
Here’s more from the NFC South:
- Although rumors persisted that Sean Payton would leave the Saints for a new team, it doesn’t as though the New Orleans head coach ever seriously considered defecting. “I understand how that began to build steam, and yet [GM] Mickey [Loomis] and I have a great relationship,” Payton told Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com. “That took basically a day-and-a-half of us sitting down and outlining the next five years and what our goals are and where we see this team going.” Payton is now locked up through the 2020 campaign.
- Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht took some flak for firing Lovie Smith after only two seasons, especially given that Licht didn’t exactly shake up the coaching staff, promoting offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to the top job. But as Licht tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com, his choice of Koetter will likely be the defining moment of his Tampa tenure. “My career’s probably on the line with this pick,” said Licht. “That was the thing I thought about right away: We’ve got to find the guy who’s going to have success and eventually leave on his own terms.”
- Locked in a battle with rookie Swayze Waters, veteran punter Mike Scifres has not had a productive camp with the Panthers, writes King in the same piece. Scifres signed a minimum salary benefit contract with no guaranteed money, so Carolina could easily move on if they so choose. Head coach Ron Rivera didn’t dismiss the possibility of signing another punter, according to King.
- Just days after signing with the Falcons, wide receiver Lance Moore announced his retirement from the NFL.
NFC Notes: Mathieu, Megatron, Saints
Patrick Peterson understands what it takes to negotiate a new contract with the Cardinals. For what it’s worth, the cornerback believes teammate and fellow defensive back Tyrann Mathieu‘s discussions with the organization won’t take particularly long.
“I was in kind of a similar situation when it was time for me to sign a new deal and obviously wanting a new deal,” Peterson said on PFT Live (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “Like I tell Tyrann all the time, let his agent handle that and also it’s gonna be a long, drawn out process, you just have to be patient. I know it will happen, just don’t know when it will happen but the Cardinals organization understands what Tyrann means to the football team, to the community, and when you have a top notch player like that, that just doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and we have great ownership upstairs and the General Manager and the president and owner of the team. I mean those guys know at the end of the day what Tyrann means and like I said, I’m quite sure that the deal will get done here pretty soon.”
Reports indicated that the organization was ready to make Mathieu the highest-paid safety in the league, and talks seemed to be progressing. However, earlier this month, negotiations suddenly stalled, but there’s still optimism that a deal could be finalized by training camp.
As we await clarity on the Mathieu/Cardinals negotiations, let’s look at some more NFC notes…
- Recently-retired wideout Calvin Johnson held his “Catching Dreams” football camp today, and the former Lions star told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter) that he won’t be returning to football. “I’m not coming back,” Johnson said (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “You don’t have to worry about that.” The 30-year-old was clear that if he did return to the NFL, the comeback would be with the Lions.
- The hiring process for Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell was more of a “recruitment” than an “interview,” coach Sean Payton told Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Fortunately, Payton had an edge after having coached Campbell for nearly a decade.
- Meanwhile, Campbell, the Dolphins‘ interim head coach last season, was lured by the opportunity to work with Payton. “To me, it was a pretty easy sell,” he told Triplett. “And the biggest factor was Coach Payton. I know who he is, I know what he’s about. And hey, man, he’s proven himself as a coach.”
Saints Expected To Extend Sean Payton Through 2020
SUNDAY, 9:30am: John DeShazier of NewOrleansSaints.com is passing along news of the extension, as well as several quotes from Payton.
“We kind of knew that it was going to happen. Honestly, we’re in the middle of free agency and working on a few of these defensive players and at some point, (Saints General Manager) Mickey (Loomis) said, ‘Hey, I’ve got to get this to you.’
“I wasn’t, like, waiting every day like, ‘Where’s the paperwork?’ because there’s a protocol with the attorneys. I think, for us, it was a formality after that last week at the end of the season. It would get done.
“That stability, I don’t take for granted. I very much appreciate the opportunities we have to coach, and to work with players and to work within the framework of a good group, a good organization. We’re all fortunate to be doing something we love.”
When asked when the extension would be officially signed, Payton said, “I think soon. I just got it. I don’t walk around and carry it.”
WEDNESDAY, 7:42am: Payton’s new five-year deal will be worth a little more than $45MM, exceeding $9MM per year, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com.
7:34am: Although he arrived nearly a half-hour late at Wednesday morning’s NFC coaches breakfast in Boca Raton, Florida, Saints head coach Sean Payton found time to break some news. As Bob Glauber of Newsday tweets, Payton said he has agreed to a five-year contract through the 2020 season with the Saints. While he has yet to actually put pen to paper to make the extension official, he plans to do so soon.
News of an extension for Payton doesn’t come as a huge surprise. The veteran head coach indicated last month that he and the Saints were getting close to a new deal. At the time, I observed that Payton’s current deal is set to expire after the 2017 season, meaning he still has two years left on it. That contract is believed to be worth $8MM+ per year, which makes him one of the league’s highest-paid coaches. It’s unlikely that the new extension would pay him any less than that.
During Payton’s nine seasons with the Saints, the team has an 87-57 record during the regular season. Payton has also led the club to a 6-4 record in five playoff appearances, including a Super Bowl win following the 2009 season. New Orleans has now gone 7-9 in consecutive years after averaging 12 victories per season in Payton’s previous four years.
Rumors about Payton’s potential departure from New Orleans have swirled repeatedly in recent years, but even this winter, when it seemed as if the two sides may be set to part ways, they ultimately agreed to continue the relationship. Payton’s new extension doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be with the Saints through the 2020 season (or beyond), but at this point it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere anytime soon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Richardson, RG3, Beachum, Cowboys
Free agent running back Trent Richardson expects to sign with the Ravens before the start of their voluntary conditioning program on April 18, he told Matt Zenitz of AL.com as part of a highly interesting, recommended piece. Richardson looked on the verge of signing with the team in late February, which obviously didn’t happen, but head coach John Harbaugh said earlier this week that he thinks a deal will get done. The delay is thanks in part to Richardson’s conditioning.
When he visited the Ravens in February, Richardson didn’t expect to work out with the team. The Ravens had other ideas, though, and after eating heavily both the night before and the morning of the meeting, Richardson weighed in at 238 pounds. General manager Ozzie Newsome told Richardson that “we really want you here,” but with the caveat that the four-year veteran would first have to get his weight down to 225 pounds. Richardson is now at 218, his lightest weight since high school, and is hoping to play more like the Alabama back who went third in the 2012 draft than the disappointing pro version who couldn’t even crack anyone’s roster last season.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Browns’ Robert Griffin III will head to Los Angeles to conduct offseason workouts with quarterback guru Tom House, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. House, an ex-Major League Baseball pitcher who’s close with Browns head coach Hue Jackson, has worked with Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Andy Dalton, Carson Palmer, Terrelle Pryor, A.J. McCarron, Alex Smith and Tim Tebow in the past. He spent a large portion of last offseason with Dalton, who went on to have a career year.
- Recently signed Jaguars offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum, who’s recovering from a torn ACL, told Tom Pelissero of SiriusXM NFL that he will put on a knee brace next week and begin football movements. “I’ll be starting Week 1,” Beachum added (Twitter link). In order to do that, Beachum will have to beat out incumbent No. 1 left tackle Luke Joeckel.
- The Cowboys are the latest of seven teams that have ventured to UCLA to work out offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch, reports Gil Brandt of NFL.com (on Twitter). Benenoch is regarded as a potential top-75 draft choice.
- Saints head coach Sean Payton isn’t a fan of today’s football helmets, saying, “[W]e’re way behind where should be right now with what we’re putting on the players.” However, he expects the safety of helmets to improve at “warp speed” over the next couple years, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “If you took the analogy of an automobile in the ’60s and ’70s and how much of the impact passengers received in a collision and fast-forward to where we are now … I think the same thing is happening and needs to happen with the helmet that we’re wearing,” Payton stated.
Extra Points: Saints, Carroll, Kaep, Texans
Saints head coach Sean Payton told NFL Network on Thursday that a contract extension for quarterback Drew Brees “will get done very easily,” per Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com. General manager Mickey Loomis said earlier this month that he wants to lock up Brees, whose deal expires after next season. Loomis also stated at the time that he and Tom Condon, Brees’ agent, hadn’t yet spoken about an extension. That changed at the combine, where Loomis and Condon met, according to Payton.
In a different interview, Payton told Pro Football Talk that offensive guard and the defensive front seven will be the Saints’ main concerns in free agency and the draft (Twitter link via Dabe). Earlier this month, the Saints cut guard Jahri Evans and two front seven defenders, linebackers David Hawthorne and Ramon Humber.
Other news from around the NFL:
- Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told the Los Angeles Times’ Gary Klein that he has no interest in returning to USC to become its athletic director (Twitter link). Carroll, of course, led USC to an 83-19 mark as its football coach from 2001-09.
- Colin Kaepernick‘s contract – a middle-of-the-road deal for a quarterback – shouldn’t scare off possible suitors, writes Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. If the 49ers do trade Kaepernick, which looks like a distinct possibility, Fitzgerald lists six teams as potential fits. He expects the Niners to seek a second-round pick in return.
- The Texans have met with guard Brandon Brooks‘ representatives at the combine, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Brooks, a pending free agent, has started in each of his last 44 appearances.
- The Falcons have not yet made any decisions regarding Devin Hester‘s status with the team, according to GM Thomas Dimitroff, who says that won’t happen until after Hester is fully recovered from his toe surgery (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com).
- The Saints ($42K), Broncos ($267K) and Rams ($1.245MM) opted against carrying over their full allotment of space from 2015, tweets Pro Football Talk. The Broncos’ motivation was to prevent other playoff teams from signing their practice squad players during the postseason, according to PFT’s Mike Florio. Each team has to make its call on carryover space at the end of the regular season. The Saints and Rams didn’t make the playoffs, so it’s currently unclear why they left their respective amounts behind. The list of all 32 clubs’ carryover totals can be found here.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Sean Payton, Saints Close To New Deal
After an especially eventful round of rumors at the end of the 2015 season suggesting that Sean Payton may be moving on from New Orleans, the Saints ultimately announced that they were retaining their head coach. Now, it looks like just a matter of time until the two sides commit to extending the relationship by working out a new contract agreement.
[RELATED: PFR previews the Saints’ offseason]
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Payton said in an interview that will air on Thursday night on NBCSN that he is close to finalizing an extension with the Saints. The veteran head coach also said that he sees himself remaining in New Orleans for at least the next four or five years, which is presumably the amount of time the new contract will cover.
Payton’s current deal is set to expire after the 2017 season, meaning he still has two years left on it. That contract is believed to be worth $8MM per year, which would make him one of the league’s highest-paid coaches. Assuming the two sides finalize an extension, it’s unlikely that the new deal would pay him any less than that.
During Payton’s nine seasons with the Saints, the team has an 87-57 record during the regular season. Payton has also led the club to a 6-4 record in five playoff appearances, including a Super Bowl win following the 2009 season. New Orleans has now gone 7-9 in consecutive years after averaging 12 victories per season in Payton’s previous four years.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.