49ers Bring In D-Line Coach
- Kris Kocurek will move from south Florida to the Bay Area, shifting from the Dolphins’ defensive line coach to the same role with the 49ers, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM tweets. Kocurek, 40, was the Lions’ D-line coach for nine seasons prior to moving to Miami.
Broncos To Interview Rich Scangarello
The Broncos’ interview with Rich Scangarello is back on. After being rebuffed initially, the 49ers have reversed course to allow the Broncos to talk with their quarterbacks coach (via Mike Klis of 9News).
With that, the Broncos and Scangarello will discuss Denver’s offensive coordinator vacancy on Monday afternoon. The 46-year-old is one of a few known candidates for the job that was accepted, then rejected, by Gary Kubiak last week.
Scangarello has just four years of NFL assistant coaching experience, but he did spent four years as a college OC between Northern Arizona and Wagner. Scangarello patterned his passing game after Kyle Shanahan, which is why he accepted a low-paying assistant job to join his Falcons staff in 2015 and followed him to San Francisco.
As shown in PFR’s Offensive Coordinator Tracker, Scangarello is the first known candidate to interview for the job since the Kubiak hire went bust.
49ers DL Coach Jeff Zgonina Not Expected To Return
- 49ers defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina will not be returning to the team, per Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Twitter).
49ers Denying Teams Permission To Interview Mike LaFleur
- The 49ers denied the Packers and head Matt LaFleur permission to interview his brother, wide receivers coach Mike LaFleur, according to Schefter (on Twitter). San Francisco also denied the Browns and Vikings requests to interview the younger LaFleur.
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49ers Deny Broncos Request To Interview Rich Scangarello
It was reported the Broncos were set to interview 49ers quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello for their offensive coordinator job on Monday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). However, the team had its request for an interview denied by San Francisco, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.
Scangarello has been a key assistant under Kyle Shanahan since their days together in Atlanta, and the 49ers head coach appears to value him immensely by denying the request.
As Pelissero notes, Scangarello had a big role getting Nick Mullens ready for action in 2018. Mullens was promoted to the active roster right after Jimmy Garoppolo went down with his season-ending injury in September and wound up starting on November 1. His debut was stellar – he completed 16 of 22 pass attempts for 262 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, as the 49ers blew out the Raiders 34–3 on Thursday Night Football. There were still roadblocks for Mullens and the Niners (particularly due to their injuries), but the team went 3-5 during his second half stretch.
The Broncos thought they had their OC in Gary Kubiak, but that deal went south on Friday. With Scangarello now also out of the picture, the team will continue its search. Mike Munchak may be a candidate for the post.
Packers Notes: McDaniel, Hackett, Zook
The Packers have inquired on 49ers run game coordinator Mike McDaniel in their search for a new offensive coordinator, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. However, San Francisco already denied permission for the Cardinals to interview McDaniel for their OC job, and it’s likely the Niners will do the same if Green Bay officially comes calling. McDaniel, who is extremely familiar with the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay offense, served as an offensive assistant for the Falcons from 2015-16 while new Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was Atlanta’s quarterbacks coach.
Here’s more from Green Bay:
- While McDaniel may not be an option for the Packers, he’s not the only option LaFleur are considering. Former Jaguars offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is also on Green Bay’s radar, per Tim Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). The Packers could have competition within the NFC North, as Hackett is reportedly also in the mix for the Lions’ open offensive coordinator position. Hackett called plays in Jacksonville for parts of three seasons before being fired in November.
- The Packers will not retain special teams coordinator Ron Zook, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Zook, a former collegiate head coach at both Florida and Illinois, joined Green Bay in 2014 and took over as the club’s ST coach the following year. 2018 wasn’t a banner year for the Packers’ special teams crew, as the unit ranked 28th in Football Outsiders‘ special teams ratings, including dead last on punt returns. Bengals assistant special teams coach Brayden Coombs could potentially be a candidate to replace Zook, a source tells Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link).
- The Vikings have “vetted” Packers offensive line coach James Campen for the same position, according to Silverstein (Twitter link). Campen finished his playing career in Green Bay and has been a coach there since 2004. At this point, it’s unclear if LaFleur wants to retain Campen, but he’s expected to have offers if he’s not kept on the Packers’ staff. Minnesota also received permission to interview former Packers interim head coach Joe Philbin for their offensive line gig.
Coaching Rumors: Jets, Gase, Cardinals, Lions
The Jets likely preferred Baylor’s Matt Rhule to Adam Gase, but as previously reported, things fell apart when Rhule refused to allow the Jets to pick his staff for him. The Jets especially wanted to choose his offensive coordinator and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears the Jets floated Todd Monken to him as an option.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Cardinals asked, but were denied, permission to interview 49ers run game coordinator Mike McDaniel for their offensive coordinator position, Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets. McDaniel is tight with head coach Kyle Shanahan and the team was not prepared to lose him, especially to a divisional rival.
- “It appears” that Steve Sarkisian and Nathaniel Hackett are in the mix for the Lions‘ offensive coordinator vacancy, Alex Marvez of SiriusXM tweets. The Lions have been looking for a new OC ever since Jan. 1 when they announced that Jim Bob Cooter‘s contract would not be renewed.
- Sarkisian has also spoken with the Cardinals about their OC job, Marvez tweets. Sarkisian has been on the market since Dec. 31 when he was fired by Atlanta.
- Both the Cardinals and Browns have sought permission to interview Jets running backs coach Stump Mitchell, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The position(s) he’ll be discussing with those teams are unclear, however.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/4/19
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
San Francisco 49ers
Laken Tomlinson Suffers MCL Tear
The 49ers aren’t the only club with interest in former Colts general manager Ryan Grigson, as the Raiders also want to speak to the ex-Indy exec about a front office role, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Oakland is rebuilding its front office after firing general manager Reggie McKenzie and top lieutenant Joey Clinkscales. Grigson would join a front office that now includes first-time GM — and former NFL Network analyst — Mike Mayock, who was hired earlier this week. The 46-year-old Grigson was fired by the Colts in 2016 after a tumultuous five-year term as GM, and has since worked with the Browns and Seahawks’ front offices.
- 49ers left guard Laken Tomlinson suffered a torn MCL on Sunday, according to a team announcement. That’s relatively good news since the longtime starter was carted off of the field, leading to fears that he had suffered a torn ACL. Tomlinson will not need surgery, so he should be good to go for offseason activities. Tomlinson is under contract with San Francisco through 2021 thanks to the three-year, $18MM extension he signed last summer.
49ers Eyeing Grigson For Front Office Role
Since being fired by the Colts from their general manager post, Ryan Grigson has spent the past two years with two different teams. He served in both the Browns’ and Seahawks’ front offices.
The 49ers are now interested in bringing the veteran executive to the Bay Area, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (on Twitter).
While John Lynch is entering his third offseason as 49ers GM, he has former Lions GM Martin Mayhew working in the front office as well. Grigson, 46, would add a third exec with experience as a team’s top personnel man.
The Browns let Grigson go just after the 2017 season ended. He caught on with the Seahawks in June of last year, now serving in the role of senior football consultant.
Grigson ran the Colts for five years. His first draft brought Colt cornerstones Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton, but the team struggled to build a roster around Luck as the years progressed.