Sehawks Hire Jethro Franklin
- The Seahawks have hired Jethro Franklin as their new assistant defensive line coach, as Marvez details. Franklin spent one season (1989) as a player for Seattle, but has worked as a coach since 1991. Boasting a plethora of collegiate and NFL experience, Franklin has served as the defensive line coach for Green Bay, Tampa Bay, and, most recently, Oakland. He won’t be the primary D-line coach with the Seahawks, but he’ll undoubtedly be an asset to Seattle defensive line coach Clint Hurtt.
Earl Thomas Doubles Down On Holdout Talk
Earl Thomas‘ second Seahawks contract raised the bar for safeties, but that four-year, $40MM extension has been since surpassed by several players. And it’s only good through the 2018 season.
This status has caused the perennial All-Pro to reassess his standing in Seattle. After broaching a holdout earlier this week, Thomas doubled down on Saturday, telling Jane Slater of NFL.com he doesn’t see himself rejoining his Seahawks teammates without a long-term deal (Twitter link).
“I won’t allow myself to even go out there and just risk it all if they’re not having faith in me in a long-term deal,” Thomas said at the Pro Bowl. “I just gotta protect myself, at the end of the day, me and my family. … I don’t feel comfortable going out there without signing a long-term deal.”
Thomas’ apprehension is understandable given how his 2016 season ended and the way some of his longtime teammates’ 2017 campaigns concluded. Thomas suffered a broken leg during the ’16 slate, one that significantly affected the Seahawks’ Super Bowl chances, and observed Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril encounter career-threatening neck injuries this season.
Five safeties usurped Thomas’ contract since he signed it in 2014, with Eric Berry‘s $13MM-AAV agreement now the safety standard. Among active safeties, only Thomas and Berry have three first-team All-Pro distinctions to their credit. Thomas is five months younger than Berry and won’t turn 29 until May, so he figures to command top dollar from Seattle or another team, if it comes to that, for his third contact. The eighth-year defender hinted at a union with the Cowboys, whom he supported growing up, in December.
The Seahawks extended Chancellor, who does not have a first-team All-Pro honor despite consistent success, last year for $12MM per season and also have Richard Sherman entering a contract year. It could be a complicated offseason for the Legion of Boom.
Could Sheldon Richardson Rejoin Jets?
Less than five months ago, the Jets dealt Sheldon Richardson to the Seahawks. With the offseason approaching, could the free agent defensive lineman rejoin his former organization? Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News thinks so.
In a recent column, the reporter discusses the Jets’ free agency plans. Mehta noted that Richardson is looking to test the market in pursuit of a big payday, and he adds that the defensive lineman still has a soft spot for the Jets organization. If it makes sense financially, Mehta believes the Jets would welcome back Richardson with open arms. Of course, the Jets will have plenty of competition for the former first-rounder, as he adds that the Seahawks are interested in re-signing the impending free agent.
The Jets traded the 27-year-old to Seattle in early September for a 2018 second-round pick and wideout Jermaine Kearse. Richardson went on to have a bit of an underwhelming season with the Seahawks, as he compiled 44 tackles and a career-low one sack. However, the defensive end isn’t far removed from a 2014 campaign where he compiled eight sacks and was named to the Pro Bowl.
Earl Thomas Could Hold Out For New Deal
Safety Earl Thomas had made waves with his perceived discontent with the Seahawks over the past month or so, and he now sounds serious about initiating a contract holdout, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. “I want to finish my career there,” Thomas said. “I definitely don’t see myself going out there not signed. But I’m going to continue to work my butt off and enjoy this process at the Pro Bowl. As far as my future in Seattle, I think if they want me, you know, money talks. We’ll get something accomplished. Other than that, I’m just taking it one day at a time.” Thomas, 28, is entering the final year of his current contract, and says Seattle has yet to initiate negotiation discussions. He’s currently earning $10MM annually, which ranks sixth among NFL safeties.
Seahawks Fire Dwaine Board
- The Rams have hired former UCLA offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch as a senior offensive assistant, the team announced today. Fisch, who also served as the Bruins’ interim head coach following the firing of Jim Mora Jr., has served in both served in both the collegiate and pro ranks over the past 20 years. In the NFL, Fisch was the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator from 2013-14, and has also worked for the Texans, Ravens, Broncos, and Seahawks, mostly as a quarterbacks or wide receivers coach. He interviewed for the Falcons’ quarterbacks coach job earlier this year.
- The Seahawks are making yet another change to their defensive staff, as defensive line coach Dwaine Board will not return to the club in 2018, reports Alex Marvez of the Sporting News. Board is a longtime NFL coach, as he first entered the league in 1990 with the 49ers. He’s made other stops in Oakland and Cleveland, and started his second stint with Seattle in 2015.
Seahawks Part Ways With Travis Jones
- The Panthers are interviewing Seahawks assistant special teams coach Heath Farwell for the same position, reports Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (Twitter link). If hired, Farwell would work alongside former NFL linebacker Chase Blackburn, who was recently named Carolina’s new special teams coach. Farwell, an ex-NFL ‘backer in his own right, joined the coaching ranks in 2016.
- The Seahawks have mutually parted ways with senior defensive assistant Travis Jones, the club announced today. Jones had served as Seattle’s defensive line coach from 2013-16 before being bumped to a new role last season. He’s just the latest coach to leave the Seahawks’ staff this month, adding to a growing list that includes OC Darrell Bevell and DC Kris Richard.
Latest On Cardinals’ Coaching Staff
Now that the Cardinals have officially hired former Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks as their new head coach, the club has begun to formulate its coaching staff. First, Arizona has allowed the majority of its assistants out of their contracts in order to seek employment elsewhere, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
[RELATED: 2018 NFL Coordinator Tracker]
Wilks has already reportedly lured former Panthers linebackers coach Al Holcomb to the desert as Arizona’s next defensive coordinator (he’ll officially interview on Wednesday, reports Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer), but Wilks isn’t done poaching talent from his former employer. Panthers offensive line coach Ray Brown is expected to to accept the same job with the Cardinals, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. New Carolina offensive coordinator Norv Turner confirmed Brown’s new role earlier today, per Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
Elsewhere on their staff, the Cardinals plan to hire former Chargers defensive line coach Don Johnson for the same position, per Alex Marvez of the Sporting News, who notes Johnson worked with Wilks in San Diego. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have denied the division-rival Seahawks permission to interview assistant wide receivers coach Kevin Garver, according to Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com (Twitter link).
Coaching Notes: Cardinals, Lions, Packers
New Cardinals hire Steve Wilks will be bringing in some of new faces to the coaching staff. One of the biggest changes will be at defensive coordinator as he appears to be poised to bring his former Panthers colleague Al Holcomb to lead the defense. This means that former defensive coordinator James Bettcher will be on the way out, according to Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com (Twitter link).
Jurecki does make sure to note that Bettcher will “land on his feet” with another organization that he’s actively looking for other opportunities around the league. These next few weeks will be a quick change for Bettcher, who was in the final group to be considered for the Cardinals vacant head coaching job.
Here’s more coaching stories to follow:
- While Wilks will be making multiple changes to the Cardinals coaching staff, that doesn’t mean that there’s going to be a complete overhaul. The new first-time head coach is likely to keep some members from Bruce Arians‘ staff on board for next season, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While many new coaches like to make their imprint on the organization through bringing in new coaches onto the team, there’s also something to be said for trying to keep some of the same voices that players have been hearing from throughout the past few years.
- The Lions will be letting go of their quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan, sources tell Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). As I noted before, it’s not unusual for new head coaches to turnover their staff, but Breer adds that this move is a little surprising because Callahan is well-regarded around the league and will have a number of teams looking to bring him in for 2018. It’s been rumored that he could be a potential candidate for the Titans vacant offensive coordinator gig.
- Meanwhile, the Seahawks have made a decision on who their next quarterbacks coach will be. The team has officially promoted Dave Canales from wide receivers coach to working with Seattle’s signal callers next year, a source tells Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (Twitter link). Canales has been on Pete Carroll‘s staff since 2010 and was previously promoted to the WR coach position back in 2015. Although, this move doesn’t necessarily signal that the Seahawks will move on from former QB coach Carl Smith. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times hears that Smith could be shifted to a different role (Twitter link).
- The Packers have added a new coach from the college ranks. Mike McCarthy has hired Ryan Downward from Bowling Green to help work on the team’s defensive staff. Downward worked as Bowling Green’s safeties coach for the past two seasons and previously worked for new Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine back when he coached in Cleveland.
Updated 2018 NFL Draft Order
With the conference championship games in the books, we now know the draft order for 30 of the first round’s 32 picks. Here’s the rundown:
1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)
2. New York Giants (3-13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)
4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)
5. Denver Broncos (5-11)
6. New York Jets (5-11)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)
8. Chicago Bears (5-11)
T-9. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
T-9. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (Note: The Raiders and 49ers have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broken by a coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 9 and the other club receiving the No. 10 pick.)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
13. Washington Redskins (7-9)
14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)
15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)
17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
20. Detroit Lions (9-7)
21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)
22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)
23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)
25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)
31. (New England Patriots (13-3) or Philadelphia Eagles (13-3))
32. (New England Patriots (13-3) or Philadelphia Eagles (13-3))
Marcel Reece Wants To Play
- Fullback Marcel Reece implied to John Clayton of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that he was waiting on the Seahawks to bring him back last year and turned down other offers as he waited on Seattle. Reece, 33 in June, sat out the entire 2017 season after he missed Seattle’s final cut but he hopes to continue playing in 2018.