49ers Notes: Brown, York, Wideouts
As the 49ers prepare to watch their division rivals in the Super Bowl tonight, let’s take a look at a few notes on the team’s outlook for next season:
- We learned yesterday that the 49ers were set to add Clancy Pendergast (inside linebackers coach) and Tim Lewis (defensive backs coach) to its defensive coaching staff, and Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News adds that the team has also tabbed Scott Brown as its next defensive line coach. Brown served as the 49ers’ Midwest-region scout in each of the past three seasons after working for over 30 years as a college assistant. He most recently worked in the college ranks with Arizona State in 2011.
- Although many have expressed skepticism over the 49ers’ recent coaching decisions, beginning with their decision to part ways with Jim Harbaugh, CEO Jed York believes that the staff he has assembled will allow Colin Kaepernick to fulfill his vast potential. York said, “But with [Kaepernick] you got a guy in (new offensive coordinator) Geep Chryst who knows him better than anybody else. You have a great guy in (new quarterbacks coach) Steve Logan that’s coming in that’s going to work with him on fundamentals and to put a system that’s going to put Kap in the best position to make plays…We can throw the ball in ways that allows him to be successful and let him be the absolute stud that he can be on the field, and that’s what you’re going to see from us next year.” (link via Kevin Patra of NFL.com).
- In a separate piece, Inman looks at 10 ways the 49ers could get back to the Super Bowl in 2015 and become the first true home team in a Super Bowl. Inman notes that the coaches must mesh quickly and become the staff that York apparently believes they can be, but he also says San Francisco would do well to add a tall, speedy wide receiver to give Kaepernick the type of weapon he has never really enjoyed. With Anquan Boldin entering his 13th year, Michael Crabtree likely to depart in free agency, and the question marks surrounding Vernon Davis, the team’s receiving corps is a major area of concern.
49ers Coaching Notes: Lewis, Pendergast
As the Patriots and Seahawks are readying themselves for the big game tomorrow, a former Super Bowl hopeful is prepare to build on a season that crashed down in flames. The 49ers had a disappointing 2014 season, involving injuries to key players, regression from others, and a huge coaching shakeup that leaves them filling out a new staff after missing the playoffs.
Here are some notes surrounding the 49ers’ coaching staff:
- After Jim Harbaugh and his staff were among the highest paid in the NFL, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com looked at whether or not the organization was being cheap in hiring the new staff. New head coach Jim Tomsula will make $1.5MM less than Harbaugh would have had he kept his position, and his assistants were among the highest paid in the league. Maiocco writes that whether they were being cheap or not, the 49ers were unlikely to pay any assistant approaching the $2MM Vic Fangio made last year.
- According to sources, Harbaugh was told by the organization that he would not be welcomed back as head coach of the 49ers following a December 14th loss to the Seahawks, writes Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter).
- Clancy Pendergast will likely be hired as the 49ers inside linebackers coach, reports Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter). Pendergrast was formerly defensive coordinator in Arizona and Kansas City before taking jobs at Cal and USC. He had been interviewing for defensive coordinator positions with LSU, Utah, and under Jay Gruden in Washington D.C. (via Twitter).
- Marvez also reports that former Falcons defensive backs coach Tim Lewis will be taking the same position in San Francisco (via Twitter). He will be replacing Ed Donatell, and has spent time as a defensive coordinator with both the Steelers and Giants (via Twitter).
- The hiring of both Lewis and Pendergast means that 49ers coach Tomsula has four former defensive coordinators working as assistants on his staff, according to Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. Eric Mangini will serve as the team’s defensive coordinator and Jason Tarver has been named the outside linebackers coach.
- While the coaching staff has not been officially announced, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has put together a list of who has been named and expected to be on the staff.
NFC Notes: Maclin, Frank Gore, Ed Dickson
Let’s take a look at some news items from the NFC…
- We heard earlier today that Jeremy Maclin‘s agent had begun extension talks with the Eagles, and now the veteran receiver has weighed on in the notion that Philadelphia can’t afford both he and running back LeSean McCoy (who has indicated he isn’t open to a pay cut). “I don’t know where everything started, people saying they can’t keep us both,” Maclin told Comcast SportsNet’s John Clark (link via Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com). “I think that’s crazy. As far as what he does with his deal, that’s not my place to comment on that. There’s no reason why you can’t keep us both. That’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve heard all offseason.”
- Had the 49ers hired Rob Chudzinski as offensive coordinator, Matt Barrows of the Sacrament Bee would have placed good odds on running back Frank Gore returning to San Francisco next season, as Chud was Gore’s OC at the University of Miami. Now that the club has instead promoted Geep Chryst, Barrows thinks Gore’s future in the Bay Area is less clear.
- After signing a one-year deal for the veteran minimum to join the Panthers last year, tight end Ed Dickson would like to return to Carolina in 2015, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Dickson would like to sign a multi-year contract, and has spoken to offensive coordinator Mike Shula about augmenting his role in the offense, Person adds.
49ers Promote Geep Chryst To OC
FRIDAY, 12:23pm: 49ers CEO Jed York confirmed today that Chryst has indeed been promoted to the offensive coordinator role, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
WEDNESDAY, 6:22pm: Geep Chryst is expected to be named the next offensive coordinator of the 49ers, two sources tell Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Chryst is being promoted from the position of quarterbacks coach.
The writing was on the wall for Chryst when it was revealed that new hire Steve Logan would be coming on board as the team’s new quarterbacks coach, allowing Chryst to ascend to OC. The 49ers have been searching for their next offensive coordinator for some time and they’ve hit roadblocks with several candidates along the way. A number of other candidates were either denied permission to interview with SF while others opted not to pursue it. We may never know if Chryst was truly the club’s top choice for the position, but he comes with years of NFL experience and a tremendous amount of respect from others around the game.
Chryst, who has held a number of jobs in the league, served as the Chargers offensive coordinator in 1999 and 2000. As Matt Barrows of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) notes, the Chargers’ offense finished last in the league in rushing in his final year in San Diego.
Chryst was first named as SF’s quarterbacks coach on January 19th, 2011. He is the brother of Paul Chryst, who serves as the head coach at the University of Wisconsin.
Coach/Exec Notes: Nolan, Gamble, 49ers, Jets
Executives around the NFL are looking forward to seeing Josh McDaniels‘ game plan for the Patriots this Sunday against the Seahawks, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, who says that a Pats win would boost McDaniels’ stock and make him one of the top head coaching candidates in the league a year from now. The New England offensive coordinator drew interest from teams seeking a head coach over the past month, though those clubs ultimately went in other directions.
Let’s check out a few more items from around the NFL relating to coaching staffs and front offices….
- Former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan has joined the Chargers as the team’s linebackers coach, replacing Joe Barry, the team announced today in a press release. With Barry heading to Washington to take a defensive coordinator job, San Diego adds a coach in Nolan who has plenty of experience as a DC himself, including the last three seasons in Atlanta. If there was any lingering doubt that Dan Quinn would bring in his own coordinator when he takes over the Falcons‘ job, that doubt was dispelled with the Chargers’ announcement.
- Mere weeks after he was let go by the Eagles, personnel executive Tom Gamble is returning to San Francisco. The 49ers announced today that their former director of player personnel is rejoining the organization as a senior personnel executive. The announcement of Gamble’s hiring comes on the same day the Eagles confirmed that they were promoting Ed Marynowitz to Gamble’s old position in Philadelphia.
- The Jets made a pair of announcements today, naming ex-Bears scout Rex Hogan as their director of college scouting and formally hiring three more position coaches – Jimmie Johnson (TEs coach), Daylon McCutcheon (DBs assistant), and Ryan Slowik (DL assistant) – to Todd Bowles‘ staff.
NFC West Notes: Dwyer, Seahawks, 49ers
After pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct, Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer has been sentenced to 18 months of probation and community service, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Dwyer had been charged back in September after an alleged domestic violence incident, prompting the Cards to place him on their reserve/non-football illness list, citing concerns about his mental health. Although his legal case has concluded, Dwyer’s NFL future remains murky, as he could face a suspension, and isn’t under contract for the 2015 season.
Here’s more from around the NFC West:
- Former NFL player agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an in-depth look at what a new contract for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson would look like, concluding from his data that an extension averaging around $24MM per year with about $65MM in guarantees would make sense. Corry’s whole piece is definitely worth reading for a thorough explanation of how he arrived at those figures.
- Seahawks GM John Schneider indicated earlier this week that he hopes to retain cornerback Byron Maxwell for 2015 and beyond, but Maxwell said today that he intends to “look at every option for me and my family,” per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (via Twitter). One potential suitor for Maxwell could be the Saints — Mike Triplett of ESPN.com identifies the cornerback as a player worth watching for New Orleans.
- According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), the 49ers players he has spoken to aren’t impressed with the team’s hiring of Geep Chryst as offensive coordinator, viewing the move as a byproduct of management’s desire to pinch pennies.
- Speaking of 49ers management, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com spoke to general manager Trent Baalke about the team’s “three-year plan” when it comes to managing the roster and the salary cap.
- David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has an update on the next step in the city of St. Louis’ efforts to build a new downtown NFL stadium for the Rams.
Coach Notes: 49ers, Browns, Ravens, Broncos
The 49ers and former Bucs assistant Steve Logan have reached a two-year agreement that will make Logan the team’s new quarterbacks coach, according to Jeff Gravley of WRAL-TV (Twitter link). If that is indeed Logan’s new title, it could mean that Geep Chryst, who currently holds the QBs coach job, is in line for a promotion. Chryst has been cited as the most logical in-house candidate for San Francisco’s offensive coordinator vacancy, and with a number of other candidates either being denied permission to interview for the position or choosing not to pursue it, Chryst appears to be one of the few viable candidates left.
While we wait for updates on the 49ers’ coaching situation, let’s round up a few more updates on teams from around the NFL filling their staffs….
- Former Jets quarterback Kevin O’Connell, who worked with Johnny Manziel before he was drafted last year, is interviewing for the Browns‘ quarterbacks coach job, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). If Cleveland decides to hire O’Connell, it would seem likely to give Manziel a leg up in the club’s QB competition for 2015.
- Former Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips is joining the Browns‘ staff as the club’s wide receivers coach, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- The Ravens have finalized their coaching staff for 2015, hiring and promoting several assistants, the team announced today in a press release.
- One departing Ravens coach is Tony Coaxum, who is the latest assistant to head to Denver, according to Thayer Evans of Sports Illustrated. Evans tweets that the Broncos have hired Coaxum as an assistant special teams coach.
- Although Falcons running backs coach Gerald Brown interviewed with the Raiders, he won’t be heading to Oakland, and ESPN’s Vaughn McClure (Twitter link) wouldn’t be surprised if Brown ended up returning to Atlanta.
East Notes: Eagles, Maxwell, Moore, Cowboys
Sources close to Byron Maxwell “recently threw out numbers” like $12-13MM when estimating what it might take – in terms of per-year salary – to land the Seahawks cornerback in free agency this offseason, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. I’d be shocked if Maxwell landed a deal that lucrative, but he’ll be one of the top available corners if he reaches the open market. While general manager John Schneider and the Seahawks have expressed a desire to re-sign Maxwell, he should have several suitors in March, including the Eagles — McLane takes a look at Maxwell’s potential fit in Philadelphia.
Here are a few more items from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- While an earlier report suggested that the Eagles rebuffed the 49ers‘ attempts to interview wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell for a possible offensive coordinator role in San Francisco, that’s not quite the case, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Mosher tweets that new Niners head coach Jim Tomsula spoke to Bicknell about a job in San Francisco, but that Bicknell wasn’t interested in leaving the Eagles. That has since by confirmed by multiple reporters, including Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link).
- Matt Moore hasn’t seen the field much during his tenure as the Dolphins‘ No. 2 quarterback, but he’s still considered one of the better backups in the league, and won’t necessarily come cheap this offseason. As such, James Walker of ESPN.com thinks there’s a good chance Miami targets a more affordable backup QB and lets Moore sign elsewhere.
- Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News identifies the least favorable contracts on the Cowboys‘ books heading into the 2015 season, with Brandon Carr‘s pricey deal topping his list.
NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Wilson, 49ers
One of the most memorable moments of the Seahawks‘ Super Bowl win over Denver a year ago was Percy Harvin‘s kickoff return touchdown to open the second half, which essentially put the nail in the coffin of the Broncos’ comeback hopes. Having been sent to the Jets midway through the 2014 season, Harvin won’t be involved in this year’s Super Bowl, but Seattle has no regrets about moving him, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes.
Here’s more on the Seahawks and one of their NFC West rivals:
- Asked about a potentially massive contract extension for quarterback Russell Wilson, Seahawks general manager John Schneider didn’t get into specifics, but acknowledged that such a deal “presents challenges” and could limit the club’s options in free agency. Brady Henderson of 710 ESPN Seattle has the details and the quotes from the GM.
- With Marshawn Lynch heading into a contract year in 2015, former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com examines the Seahawks‘ options for the veteran running back, suggesting that a short-term contract extension may be the best course of action for the team.
- Although the 49ers are interested in adding Eagles wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell to their coaching staff, potentially as the club’s offensive coordinator, to this point Philadelphia has prevented Bicknell from interviewing, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- In his preview of the 49ers‘ offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap identifies Frank Gore, Chris Culliver, and Perrish Cox as free agents that the club should make an effort to re-sign, adding that Mike Iupati and Michael Crabtree are candidates to sign elsewhere.
Extra Points: 49ers, Colts, Cooper
The impending addition of receiver Duron Carter could have an impact on Hakeem Nicks or Reggie Wayne’s time with the Colts, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. Both veterans are about to be free agents. Wayne had his least productive season since 2002 while Nicks had career lows in receptions and yards. Wayne, of course, is taking some time to figure out his future. If he returns for his 15th season, he says that he would only play for the Colts.
- 49ers coach Jim Tomsula is expected to add Steve Logan to the offensive staff, though it’s not known if he’s a candidate for the vacant offensive coordinator job, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
- Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that Eagles wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell is being considered for the 49ers‘ offensive coordinator vacancy.
- Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper has signed with Lagardère Unlimited agents Joel Segal, Chafie Fields, and Greg Barnett, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (on Twitter). Cooper is widely expected to be one of the top picks in the 2015 draft.
- Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group wonders who will become the next offensive coordinator of the 49ers. Rob Chudzinski became the latest candidate to drop out of contention after he agreed to stay with the Colts. Geep Chryst, the quarterbacks coach since 2011, is a leading in-house candidate, thanks in large part to his relationship with Colin Kaepernick. Still, the search continues.
- The Ravens are thinking about hiring former Bears assistant Andy Bischoff as an offensive assistant, sources tell Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Bischoff coached the Bears tight ends for the past two seasons and has long-standing ties to new Ravens offensive coordinator Marc Trestman.