NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/7/16
Here are Thursday’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the league. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2016 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ 90-man rosters in March:
Arizona Cardinals
- T Edawn Coughman (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Cleveland Browns
- OL Conor Boffeli (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal)
New Orleans Saints
- WR Shane Wynn (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune)
New York Jets
- DB Kendall James (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post)
- G Craig Watts (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune)
San Francisco 49ers
- WR DiAndre Campbell (Twitter link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle)
- T Colin Kelly (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com)
- DT Kaleb Ramsey (via Branch)
- DT Garrison Smith (via Branch)
Coach Rumors: Gase, Giants, Roman, Saints
Although nothing is scheduled yet, the Eagles remain interested in meeting with Adam Gase for a second time about their head coaching job, reports Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. A source familiar with Gase’s thinking tells McLane that the Bears‘ offensive coordinator came away from the eight-hour meeting with a “favorable opinion” of Eagles executive Howie Roseman.
With the Eagles and Dolphins both reportedly strongly considering Gase for their respective head coaching jobs, the Chicago OC is in the right place at the right time, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio suggests that Gase is particularly appealing to teams because he doesn’t appear to have much of an ego, meaning he’ll be more likely to stay in his lane and stick to coaching rather than pursuing any sort of other agenda.
While we wait to see where Gase lands, here are a few more of this afternoon’s coaching updates:
- The Giants confirmed today in a press release that they’ve now interviewed defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for their head coaching job, in addition to OC Ben McAdoo. New York’s interviews continue today, as the team meets with Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
- Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman has received interest for head coaching roles in the past, but admits “it’s been pretty quiet on that front” this year, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. During an appearance on WGR 550 in Buffalo, Roman said the lack of interest is “somewhat strange, but that’s how it goes sometimes.”
- While head coach Sean Payton is staying with the Saints, it looks like at least a couple of his assistants – secondary coach Wesley McGriff and quarterbacks coach Mike Neu – are headed for college jobs. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com has the details.
- Former NFL head coach Brian Billick, writing for NFL.com, views the Giants‘ and Eagles‘ head coaching jobs as the two most appealing openings this offseason. The 49ers‘ and Browns‘ positions are the least appealing, in Billick’s view.
Bucs Notes: Lovie Smith, Koetter, Licht
The Buccaneers’ firing of head coach Lovie Smith on Wednesday evening shocked the NFL world, but general manager Jason Licht explained today to reporters that he didn’t think the team had been impatient with Smith.
“I think when you have eight wins in two years, three home wins in two years, we’ve been patient enough,” Licht said, per Jenna Laine of Sports Talk Florida (Twitter link).
The Bucs GM made a few more comments of note during his session with reporters today, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights (all links go to Twitter)….
- According to Licht (via Laine), Buccaneers ownership intended to meet with Smith today to discuss his future – or lack thereof – with the organization. However, Licht warned the head coach on Wednesday night about the impending meeting, and Smith opted to talk to ownership on the phone right away instead.
- Licht called offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who is reportedly the frontrunner for the job, a “very strong” head coaching candidate, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. However, the GM added (link via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times) that Tampa Bay is obligated to allow Koetter to interview with other teams, and multiple teams have put in a request. According to our tracker, those suitors likely include the Dolphins, Eagles, and 49ers.
- While Koetter is viewed as a top candidate, Licht said there has been a lot of interest already from outside candidates in the job, per Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. At the time, Licht hadn’t spoken to any candidates, though he said that the search process would begin immediately after the press conference, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com.
- One factor that any of the Buccaneers’ head coaching candidates will have to take into account: Licht now has control over the Bucs’ 53-man roster, though he doesn’t believe that will hold the team back from pursuing certain candidates (link via Laine).
Bucs Eyeing Dirk Koetter As Head Coach
10:24am: The Eagles will submit an official request to talk to Koetter as well, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.com.
The Buccaneers, meanwhile, have already spoken with Koetter about taking over as head coach, but a formal interview has yet to take place, Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune tweets. That interview could take place today.
9:16am: The 49ers requested permission to interview Koetter on Tuesday and still haven’t gotten an answer back, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. That could be an indication that Koetter already has the Bucs job in the bag.
6:38am: The Buccaneers will conduct a head coaching search, but their next hire might already be down the hall. Even though the team will go through the process of combing through head coaching candidates, it appears that things are pointing towards a “coronation” of offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Koetter is in play as a candidate for the Dolphins vacancy and as Miami’s interest grew, Bucs ownership felt that it had to move quickly in order to keep its highly-coveted OC from jumping ship (link). 
[RELATED: Buccaneers Fire Lovie Smith]
As Pro Football Rumors’ 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, Koetter is among the baker’s dozen of known candidates for the Dolphins’ head coaching job. The two sides have yet to formally set a date for an interview, but Tampa Bay felt that things were heating up between their OC and South Florida’s other football franchise. Presumably, the Bucs are happy with the work Koetter has done with No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston and losing Koetter could be detrimental to his development.
Under Koetter’s guidance in 2015, the Bucs averaged 375.9 yards per game, good for 5th in the NFL. Tampa Bay also placed 5th in rushing yards per contest with 135.1 yards on the ground per game. With Koetter calling the plays, running back Doug Martin managed to get back to his old form while 2014 third-round pick Charles Sims made great contributions as a pass-catching option.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/6/16
Here are today’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the league. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2016 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ 90-man rosters:
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
- Cobi Hamilton, WR (team announcement)
- Tyler Larsen, G
- Matthew Masifilo, C
- Larry Webster, DE
- Eric Crume, DT
- Travell Dixon, CB
Cleveland Browns
- Erle Ladson, OL (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Patrick Miller, OT (Twitter link via Wilson)
New York Giants
San Francisco 49ers
- Marcus Rush, LB (Twitter link via Wilson)
Coach Notes: H. Jackson, Browns, Rams, Allen
Earlier today, we heard that the Browns intend to interview Cincinnati offensive coordinator Hue Jackson on Sunday, less than 24 hours after Jackson’s Bengals face the Steelers in Saturday’s AFC Wild Card game. Jackson won’t be the only coach interviewed by the Browns that day – Cleveland also plans to speak to Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther – and apparently the Browns won’t be the only team that meets with Jackson.
According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link), in addition to interviewing with the Browns, Jackson will also meet with the 49ers and Dolphins on Sunday. Given his full schedule, Jackson will be letting those teams come to him, conducting the interviews in Cincinnati, rather than traveling individually to meet with each of them.
Here are a few more of Wednesday’s coaching-related updates:
- The Browns confirmed today that they’ve completed their head coaching interview with Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase. Next up for Cleveland? Teryl Austin, Sean McDermott, and Doug Marrone.
- The Rams are parting ways with several assistants from their coaching staff, announcing today (via Twitter) that they won’t be renewing contracts for offensive assistant Jeff Garcia, running backs coach Ben Sirmans, wide receivers coach Ray Sherman, assistant special teams coach Paul F. Boudreau, and assistant strength and conditioning coach Adam Bailey.
- Asked during his press conference today if Dennis Allen would keep the Saints‘ defensive coordinator job, Sean Payton wasn’t ready to announce any decisions. However, Payton praised the job Allen did as Rob Ryan‘s replacement and said there’s a good chance he’ll be back (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune).
Sean Payton To Remain Saints’ Head Coach
After several days of deliberation and speculation, Sean Payton has decided to remain in New Orleans as the Saints’ head coach, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Payton confirmed today at an afternoon press conference that he’s not going anywhere, adding that he hopes to spend the rest of his career with the team.
Despite the fact that he was the only possible candidate who already held a head coaching position, Payton’s name has been mentioned as frequently as anyone’s this week, as rumors swirled about the possibility of him leaving New Orleans for one of the six teams with a head coaching vacancy. Although he wasn’t linked to every open job, Payton was viewed as a viable candidate for the 49ers’ and Giants’ jobs, among others.
After leading the Saints to five playoff berths and a Super Bowl in his first seven seasons with the franchise – not counting the 2012 campaign, during which he served a year-long suspension – Payton has seen his team finish with a 7-9 record in back-to-back seasons.
With Drew Brees possibly entering the final year of his contract and the team potentially entering a full-fledged rebuild, there seemed to be a good chance that Payton or Brees, or both, would leave New Orleans this winter. But Payton is staying put, and said today that it’s “a good assumption” that Brees will be his quarterback in 2016 (Twitter link).
Of course, for Payton to leave the Saints, the club would have had to let him out of his contract, which has two years remaining on it. Already one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL, Payton would’ve likely wanted a raise and an extension if he joined another club, and any deal would’ve required his new team to part ways with some sort of compensation for the Saints, likely in the form of a high draft pick.
While Payton and the Saints are unlikely to confirm whether or not they explored the possibility of the head coach’s departure, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link) hears that multiple teams spoke to New Orleans about that possibility, with Payton’s salary demands acting as a major roadblock.
A report earlier this week indicated that the Colts expressed some interest in Payton prior to extending Chuck Pagano, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that the trade market for Payton was fairly quiet, with the exception of perhaps the 49ers. For now then, despite all the rumors, Payton’s contract and his status in New Orleans remain unchanged, according to La Canfora (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coach Rumors: Payton, Browns, Colts, Jags
With six NFL teams currently in the market for a head coach, the future of Sean Payton has been one of the biggest questions marks around the league this week. We may soon have an answer on what 2016 has in store for the Saints head coach, though perhaps not as soon as initially expected. According to Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune (Twitter link), Payton’s Wednesday afternoon press conference has been postponed by an hour, to 2:00pm CT.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Saints are hoping GM Mickey Loomis can convince the longtime head coach to remain in New Orleans. However, if Payton decides he wants to pursue another job, the Saints will shift their focus to playing interested teams off one another in order to drive up his price, per Rapoport.
As we wait on Payton’s presser, let’s round up several more coaching-related notes…
- It looks like the Browns will be the first team to get a shot at interviewing the Bengals‘ coordinators. With Cincinnati scheduled to play on Saturday night, Cleveland plans on interviewing Bengals OC Hue Jackson on Sunday, tweets Rapoport. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com adds (via Twitter) that Bengals DC Paul Guenther is scheduled to meet with the Browns on Sunday as well.
- Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link) hears that Ravens linebacker coach Ted Monachino, who has a history with Chuck Pagano, will be a strong candidate for the Colts‘ defensive coordinator vacancy.
- Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley indicated today that he’s prepared to cast a wide net for the team’s newly-opened defensive coordinator position — while there may be in-house candidates in Jacksonville, Bradley intends to do due diligence (Twitter link via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com).
- It sounds like 49ers linebackers coach Clancy Pendergast may be headed back to college. Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets that Pendergast has been offered USC’s defensive coordinator job – a position he held in 2013 – and has received interest from Oregon too.
Coach Notes: Dolphins, Gase, Raiders, 49ers
The Dolphins announced on Tuesday evening that they have completed head coaching interviews with former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
The Dolphins have several more candidates lined up this week, including Bills assistant head coach Anthony Lynn, former Bills head coach Doug Marrone, and their own interim head coach Dan Campbell. However, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears that, at the start of the search, team owner Stephen Ross‘s favorite candidate is Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who is scheduled to meet with Miami on Thursday.
Having seen multiple coaches with previous head coaching experience fail in Miami over the last decade or so, Salguero is unconvinced that Gase is the right man for the job, suggesting that the Dolphins need a more seasoned NFL coach for the role. As we wait to see if the team agrees with that assessment and passes on Gase in favor of someone with more experience, let’s round up a few more Wednesday morning coaching notes…
- Speaking of Gase, the Eagles confirmed that they interviewed the Bears offensive coordinator for their head coaching position on Tuesday. Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), Tuesday’s marathon meeting lasted for about eight hours.
- A year after Jack Del Rio took over as the team’s head coach, the Raiders don’t plan to make any changes to his coaching staff, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- There’s a good chance that the 49ers‘ new head coach will be a quarterback-friendly, offensive-minded candidate, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. A few of the candidates already linked to the Niners, including Sean Payton, Hue Jackson, and Mike Shanahan, definitely fit that bill.
- After firing defensive coordinator Greg Manusky on Tuesday, the Colts also parted ways with tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts and secondary coaches Mike Gillhamer and Roy Anderson, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- Earlier today, we recapped the latest updates on the Giants‘ head coaching search.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/5/16
Here are today’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the league. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2016 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ 90-man rosters.
Arizona Cardinals
- Taylor Boggs, C (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
- Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, C
- Mike Reilly, OLB
- Tyrequek Zimmerman, S
Baltimore Ravens
- Jerod Johnson, QB (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Zach Hocker, K (Twitter link via team)
- Dezmond Johnson, DE
- Floyd Raven, S
Green Bay Packers
- QB Ryan Williams (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
Indianapolis Colts
- Burton Pierce, OT
- Ben Heenan, G
- Edwin Jackson, LB
- Kitt O’Brien, G
- Dezmen Southward, DB
- Joshua Stangby. WR
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Quanterus Smith, DE (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Kenny Cook, WR
- Dominique Davis, DE
- Cameron Gordon, LB
- Jordan Kovacs, DB
- Trey Millard, RB
- Alameda Ta’amu, DT
Miami Dolphins
- Jahwan Edwards, RB
- Robert Herron, WR
- Terrell Manning, LB
- Vinston Painter, G
- Anthony Steen, G
- Dax Swanson, DB
- Julius Warmsley, DE
- Jordan Williams, DE
New Orleans Saints
- Ashaad Mabry, DT (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune)
- Chris Manhertz, TE (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of The Advocate)
New York Jets
- Joe Anderson, WR (link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com)
- Deion Barnes, LB
- Brandon Bostick, TE
- Jarvis Harrison, OL
- Julian Howsare, FB
- Wes Saxton, TE
- Kevin Short, DB
- Deon Simon, DL
- Julian Stanford, LB
Oakland Raiders
- Garrett Gilbert, QB (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
- Giorgio Tavecchio, K
San Diego Chargers
- Kasey Redfern, P (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
- Torrence Allen, WR
- Michael Huey, G
San Francisco 49ers
- Corey Acosta, K (link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle)
St. Louis Rams
- David Arkin, OL (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com)
- Justice Cunningham, TE
- Zack Hodges, LB
- Zach Laskey, RB
- Deon Long, WR
- Matthew Wells, LB