49ers To Fire DC Eric Mangini
Having reportedly offered their defensive coordinator job this week to Mike Vrabel, the 49ers seemed intent on moving on from incumbent DC Eric Mangini. Alex Marvez of FOX Sports confirms that today, reporting (via Twitter) that the 49ers have fired Mangini.
[RELATED: 49ers to hire Curtis Modkins as offensive coordinator, Derius Swinton as special teams coordinator]
It’s been a busy day for the Niners, who have reportedly made decisions on their new offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator as well. We also learned this morning that the club is considering its own linebackers coach, Jason Tarver, along with Ravens linebackers coach Don Martindale, for the defensive coordinator position.
A report a few days ago from Marvez suggested that there was a “strong possibility” that Mangini, San Francisco’s defensive coordinator for just one season, would remain with the team. However, as Kelly and the 49ers interviewed other candidates this week and reportedly offered Vrabel the DC job, it became increasingly unlikely that Mangini would be back in any capacity.
Whoever ends up becoming the 49ers’ new defensive coordinator, replacing Mangini, will be faced with a unique challenge. In Philadelphia, Kelly’s Eagles ranked at the bottom of the NFL in terms of time of possession in each of the last three seasons due to their fast-paced offense, which forced the defense to spend plenty of time on the field.
Mangini’s 49ers unit, meanwhile, lost several key contributors prior to the 2015 season and ranked 29th in the NFL in yards allowed per game (387.4), finishing outside the top 25 against both the run and the pass.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers To Hire Curtis Modkins As OC
Shortly after word broke that Bills assistant head coach Anthony Lynn was withdrawing his name from consideration for the 49ers’ offensive coordinator position, San Francisco has apparently found its man for the job. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Niners are hiring Lions running backs coach Curtis Modkins to be their offensive coordinator.
[RELATED: 49ers considering Jason Tarver, Don Martindale for defensive coordinator job]
With Lynn no longer in the running for the job, Modkins and former Eagles quarterbacks coach Ryan Day were the only two known candidates for Chip Kelly and the Niners. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Day is now set to become the new quarterbacks coach in San Francisco.
While Day has worked with Kelly previously, Modkins and the new 49ers head coach don’t appear to have overlapped at all during their coaching careers. Before becoming the Lions’ running backs coach in 2013, Modkins served as the Bills’ offensive coordinator and running backs coach. He also worked for the Cardinals and Chiefs as their respective running backs coaches after making the leap from the NCAA ranks in 2008.
Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert each made eight starts for the 49ers in 2015, and the team’s offense struggled to get much going under either quarterback. For the season, San Francisco finished 31st in the NFL with just 303.8 yards per game. The running game, with ranked 21st, was slightly more effective than the passing game (29th), but it wasn’t a productive year for Geep Chryst‘s unit. Chryst was let go by the team earlier this week.
In San Francisco, Kelly will continue to call offensive plays, as he did in Philadelphia, while Modkins and his staff will “set [the] stage” during those game-day play calls during the week, tweets Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.
In addition to bringing in a new offensive coordinator, Kelly and the 49ers are also set to name a new special teams coordinator, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, who reports that Derius Swinton is expected to take over the role. Swinton has been a part of John Fox‘s staffs for the last few years, serving as a special teams assistant in Denver before joining the Bears last year as Chicago’s assistant special teams coach.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Rumors: Lynn, Flaherty, Kaepernick
The 49ers are the only team in the NFL that is still without both an offensive and defensive coordinator, and for the second time in the last two days, it sounds like a strong candidate for one of those positions will no longer be in the mix. According to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Bills assistant head coach and running backs coach Anthony Lynn has withdrawn from consideration for San Francisco’s OC job.
While there had been no indication that the Niners preferred Lynn to other candidates for the position, such as Ryan Day or Curtis Modkins, the Bills assistant has certainly been the hotter name this winter, having interviewed for a pair of head coaching openings earlier in the month. Marvez’s report comes on the heels of Thursday’s news that Mike Vrabel had declined the 49ers’ offer to become their defensive coordinator.
As the Niners continue their search for offensive and defensive coordinators, having crossed a pair of names off their lists, let’s round up a few more items out of San Francisco….
- According to Marvez (via Twitter), the 49ers have made one coaching addition today, hiring former Giants offensive line coach Pat Flaherty for the same position in San Francisco. We heard several hours ago that the Niners were also considering Bob Bostad for that job.
- Although he’s typically not very transparent, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke seemed to make it pretty clear this week that Colin Kaepernick remains in the club’s plans for 2016, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Pressed on whether the team was ready to lock in Kaepernick’s $11.9MM base salary for next season, Baalke replied, “We signed the contract for a reason. We’re not worried about the financial part of it at this point. What we’re worried about is getting him healthy and ready to compete.”
- This morning, we learned that 49ers linebackers coach Jason Tarver and Ravens linebackers coach Don Martindale are among the candidates receiving consideration for San Francisco’s defensive coordinator job.
Coach Updates: Henderson, Falcons, Browns
Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson is interviewing for a position on the Falcons‘ coaching staff, but not for the defensive coordinator job — Richard Smith is staying in that role, Atlanta confirmed today (via Twitter).
Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who first reported that Henderson was interviewing for the DC role in Atlanta, tweets that his Cowboys contacts believed that was the case. Henderson has suggested he wouldn’t leave Dallas for a job that wasn’t a promotion, so there’s some confusion about what exactly his role with the Falcons would be.
According to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, the Falcons may view Henderson as a potential defensive pass-game coordinator, a position currently held by Raheem Morris. Morris also has an assistant head coach title, which could give Atlanta the flexibility to bring Henderson aboard and move Morris to another role without technically demoting him.
As we wait to see whether Henderson decides to leave Dallas for the Falcons, here are some other coaching updates from around the NFL:
- Former Giants defensive line coach Robert Nunn, who recently interviewed with the Titans, is being hired by the Browns as their defensive line coach, reports Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
- Marvez passes along another Browns-related coaching update, tweeting that the Packers have hired tight ends coach Brian Angelichio away from Cleveland for the same position on Green Bay’s staff.
- The Giants are expected to hire Packers assistant offensive line coach Mike Solari as their new offensive line coach, a source tells Newsday’s Tom Rock. We learned on Thursday that Solari was a “strong candidate” to join Ben McAdoo‘s staff.
- The 49ers are looking at Titans offensive line coach Bob Bostad for the same job in San Francisco, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. As we heard on Wednesday, the Niners are also considering Pat Flaherty for that position.
- The Saints have hired former Giants defensive backs coach and Rams defensive coordinator Peter Guinta as a senior defensive assistant, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Guinta has been out of the NFL since being let go by the Giants last January.
49ers Considering Tarver, Martindale For DC
After being turned down by Texans linebackers coach Mike Vrabel, the 49ers have moved onto other defensive coordinator candidates, including one internal option. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link), San Francisco is considering its own linebackers coach, Jason Tarver, along with Ravens linebackers coach Don Martindale, for the DC position.
[RELATED: 49ers part ways with offensive coordinator Geep Chryst]
Both Tarver and Martindale have previous experience in defensive coordinator roles, with Tarver having served as the DC across the bay for the Raiders from 2012 to 2014. Martindale, meanwhile, worked as the Broncos’ defensive coordinator in 2010.
Neither Tarver nor Martindale appear to have any previous overlap with Chip Kelly, so the new 49ers head coach isn’t simply targeting coaches with whom he has worked before. With the two linebackers coach entering the mix for the Niners’ DC job, it looks increasingly unlikely that Eric Mangini will be retained.
A report a few days ago suggested that there was a “strong possibility” that Mangini, San Francisco’s incumbent defensive coordinator, would remain with the team. There may still a chance of that happening, particularly if Mangini is open to a demotion, but I think if he were going to keep his DC job, the club would’ve made that decision by now.
The defensive coordinator position under Kelly is viewed as a unique challenge, since his fast-paced offense means the defense will typically spend plenty of time on the field. From 2013 to 2015, Kelly’s Eagles ranked dead last in the NFL in time of possession each season. However, the Niners head coach downplayed those concerns this week, as Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
“We get into the time of possession question and we’ve been in games where it was identical play snaps for us and our opponent,” Kelly said. “It was identical yardage for us and our opponent. It was identical first downs for us and our opponent. We won the game by seven, but they had the ball for 10 more minutes than we did.
“So all I learned is that they stand around better than we stand around. It’s still plays run. I’ve also never met a defense player that says, ‘Coach, I want you to possess the ball for the entire game so I don’t have to play.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mike Vrabel Turns Down 49ers, Will Stay With Texans
Texans linebackers coach Mike Vrabel is staying put. According to John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (via Twitter), Vrabel has turned down the 49ers offer to become the team’s next defensive coordinator, and he’ll be returning to Houston for the 2016 season.
Vrabel emerged as a contender for the job earlier this week, even after reports emerged that coach Chip Kelly was considering sticking with incumbent coordinator Eric Mangini. Middlekauff’s tweet indicates that the job was offered to Vrabel, so it will be interesting to see if the team now switches focus to Mangini or another candidate. As our own Luke Adams noted earlier this week, Vrabel was the first outside candidate to be connected to the gig.
The long-time Patriots linebacker joined the Texans coaching staff in 2014, and he’s seen success in his two years on the job. The Texans finished the regular season third in the league in total yards allowed, and their 19.6 points allowed per game ranked seventh. Furthermore, some players absolutely flourished under Vrabel’s watch, including Whitney Mercilus, who finished with 15 sacks. Prior to his tenure in Houston, Vrabel spent several seasons on the Ohio State coaching staff.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wonders if Vrabel may have received a “wink-nod commitment” from Texans coach Bill O’Brien to become the team’s future defensive coordinator. Romeo Crennel currently holds the position, but the 68-year-old is presumably nearing the end of his coaching career.
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle notes that Kelly’s Eagles never ranked higher than 28th in total defense during his three season in Philly. However, the 49ers new head coach was quick to dismiss the assumption that his fast-paced offense impacts his defensive unit.
“We get into the time of possession question and we’ve been in games where it was identical play snaps for us and our opponent,” Kelly said. “It was identical yardage for us and our opponent. It was identical first downs for us and our opponent. We won the game by seven, but they had the ball for 10 more minutes than we did.
“So all I learned is that they stand around better than we stand around. It’s still plays run. I’ve also never met a defense player that says, ‘Coach, I want you to possess the ball for the entire game so I don’t have to play.’”
49ers Sign CFL WR Eric Rogers
THURSDAY, 2:55pm: The 49ers have officially signed Rogers to a two-year contract, the team confirmed today in a press release.
WEDNESDAY, 2:48pm: After auditioning for half the teams in the NFL over the last several weeks, standout Canadian Football League wide receiver Eric Rogers has made his decision. Rogers has agreed to sign with the 49ers, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the Calgary Stampeders let Rogers out of his CFL contract early so that he could sign with San Francisco.
According to Schefter, the Niners are giving Rogers the most lucrative deal for a CFL player since the Dolphins signed Cameron Wake back in 2009. It’s a two-year contract with a $125K signing bonus, $75K in other bonuses, and a minimum base salary that includes a $100K guarantee, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Schefter adds (via Twitter) that the wideout, who turns 25 next month, visited 16 teams and had 13 contract offers to sort through.
Rogers, who played his college ball at Cal Lutheran, signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2013, but didn’t earn a regular-season roster spot. After joining the Portland Thunder of the Arena Football League, Rogers headed to the CFL in 2014 and had his breakout season with Calgary in 2015. In 17 games for the Stampeders this past season, Rogers racked up 87 receptions for 1,448 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Rogers’ return to the NFL will see him playing under new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly, whose fast-paced offense should provide a challenge for the CFL star. San Francisco receiver Torrey Smith joked last week when Kelly’s hiring was reported that he “might have to start running right now to get in shape” (Twitter link).
The Colts, Chargers, Giants, Titans, Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Steelers, Texans, Eagles, Vikings, Bears, Browns, and Washington were among the teams to give Rogers a look during his whirlwind NFL tour.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: E. Rogers, Lions, Cousins, Morstead
Standout CFL receiver Eric Rogers is signing with the 49ers, but it was a visit to the Eagles that helped convince him to choose San Francisco. As he explains to Scott Mitchell of the Calgary Sun, Rogers was impressed at a December workout with the Eagles that head coach Chip Kelly took the time to attend and to meet with him despite Philadelphia having a game to play a couple days later. Kelly’s enthusiasm for the Calgary Stampeders star didn’t dim at all when he became the Niners’ new head coach.
“When he got hired by the Niners, he called me two or three hours after it got announced that they were going to hire him,” Rogers said. “He basically told me, ‘I guess I had to come to Cali to sign you since you’re a Cali boy.’ So he still had that kind of recruitment in him like he was at Oregon. He was like, ‘You’re the first player I called and I want you to be the first player I sign at my new job.'”
As we look forward to seeing if Rogers can earn a roster spot and make an impact for the 49ers this season, let’s check in on a few more items from out of the NFC….
- During an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, new Lions general manager Bob Quinn said that he approached the decision of whether or not to retain head coach Jim Caldwell with an open mind (link via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com). “We had a series of meetings,” Quinn said. “It wasn’t just one day or one hour. It was over a couple of days and a dozen hours. Really, get to know you sessions. My philosophy and his philosophy meshed.”
- With Kirk Cousins in line for a new contract, Washington will aim to build its roster around the quarterback, and will have to build its salary cap strategy around his new deal, writes Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post. Former agent Joel Corry tells Tesfatsion that he doesn’t expect Cousins to agree to a team-friendly long-term deal like the ones signed by Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton.
- Mike Triplett of ESPN.com doesn’t expect the Saints to cut Thomas Morstead this offseason, but says the team will have to consider it, since the veteran punter – who has a $4.45MM cap hit in 2016 – may be a luxury the team can’t afford. I suggested as much back in September in my preview of New Orleans’ cap outlook for ’16.
- Former Falcons tackle Lamar Holmes continued to work out for NFL teams this week, auditioning on Wednesday for the Cowboys, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Holmes spent most of the 2015 season on the PUP list before being cut by Atlanta with an injury settlement.
Schefter On NFL Head Coaching Searches
While the Browns liked Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, the team recognized the importance of upgrading its offense, which was one reason Hue Jackson was the choice as Cleveland’s new head coach, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. According to Schefter, the Browns believe that by hiring Jackson they not only strengthened their own organization, but weakened a division rival, in the Bengals.
Schefter has some details on the rest of the head coaching decisions as well, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….
- The Giants “seriously entertained” the possibility of hiring Mike Smith as their head coach and keeping Ben McAdoo at offensive coordinator, says Schefter. However, when the Eagles expressed legit interest in McAdoo, the Giants knew they couldn’t risk losing him.
- As for those Eagles, they were determined to be more patient this time around than when they hired Chip Kelly, but two of their top candidates – Adam Gase and McAdoo – were hired by other teams while Philadelphia was being patient. Since the club was already familiar with Doug Pederson, it was “completely comfortable” turning to him despite the fact that his initial interview was ordinary, according to Schefter.
- The 49ers viewed Kelly, Mike Shanahan, Tom Coughlin, and Anthony Lynn as viable candidates, and felt they would have been in good shape no matter which direction they went in. The fact that Kelly is the only one of the group without a Super Bowl ring was a factor in San Francisco’s choice, since the club feels he’ll be hungry to get that championship.
- The Buccaneers took a week to hire Dirk Koetter even though most people expected him to be the choice all along, leading to some whispers that the Glazers “attempted a big swing” before officially promoting Koetter, says Schefter.
- Despite a final push from Ray Horton last Saturday, the Titans‘ owners never wanted to get away from Mike Mularkey, who was their top choice all along.
- As for the Dolphins, they entered their coaching search planning to be aggressive, and Gase’s desire to land a head coaching job – after being passed over last year – matched up well with that aggressiveness from the team, making him the first new coach hired this month.
Extra Points: LA, Chip, Rice, Bucs, Jets
Negotiations between the Rams and Chargers are going well, according to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole (video link), as the Bolts continue their quest to leave San Diego for Los Angeles. Cole offers a couple of reasons why the Rams hope the Chargers – not the Raiders – join them as LA’s second NFL team. The Rams believe marketing the Raiders in LA would be a challenge, given their past history in the city. Further, the Rams don’t want the Raiders’ rowdy fans in the state-of-the-art stadium and shopping complex they’re building in Inglewood. It appears the Rams won’t have to worry about it, as Cole expects they’ll reach a deal with the Chargers – perhaps in the next two weeks.
More from around the league:
- New 49ers head coach Chip Kelly had control over the 53-man roster in Philadelphia, but that won’t be the case in San Francisco. Kelly says he’s “real comfortable with” general manager Trent Baalke controlling the 53-man roster, per the team’s Twitter account. Kelly also claims to be comfortable with quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert. “Obviously Kap is an extremely talented football player and you need a good quarterback to win,” Kelly said, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. “But I was also impressed from the film I watched in terms of how Blaine played this year. Both of those players made this an attractive situation.”
- Free agent running back Ray Rice is “still hopeful” about a return to the NFL, he told Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun. Rice, of course, hasn’t been able to find work in the league the last two years as a result of a domestic-violence incident. “I’m not ready to give it up. My second chance, it might take a little longer than I expected, but you know what? I know I still have a lot of game left. I’m not worried about that part of it,” Rice said. The soon-to-be 29-year-old averaged a paltry 3.1 yards per carry in 2013, which currently stands as his final season.
- Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter told Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio the notion that he used other head coaching vacancies as leverage so the Bucs would fire Lovie Smith and promote him is “total, 100 percent B.S.”
- Before CFL receiver Eric Rogers agreed to a deal with San Francisco on Wednesday, the Jets made him an offer, tweets the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta.