Coach Rumors: Austin, Kubiak, Broncos
Teryl Austin‘s decision to pull out of the Broncos‘ coaching search was as much about what seems to be happening in Denver as it was about his own situation, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, hinting that Gary Kubiak looks like the odds-on favorite for the Broncos job if he wants it.
Having said that, Birkett adds in a second tweet that Austin’s second interview with the Falcons on Thursday went very well. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link), Atlanta has narrowed its list of targets to Austin, Dan Quinn, and perhaps one other candidate, with Quinn expected to get a second interview next week following the NFC championship game.
Here’s more on coaching openings around the league:
- The Broncos‘ interview with Kubiak is scheduled to happen on Sunday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, before Denver talks to Kubiak, the team will meet with Doug Marrone on Saturday.
- If Kubiak leaves Baltimore to take the Broncos‘ head coaching job, the Ravens‘ contingency plan is to promote quarterbacks coach Rick Dennison to offensive coordinator, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. However, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Sun points out (via Twitter), Dennison would also be a strong candidate for OC in Denver under Kubiak.
- Kyle Shanahan would be another offensive coordinator candidate for both the Broncos and Ravens in that scenario, per Wilson and Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 in Washington (Twitter links). Per Russini, Shanahan turned down the opportunity to interview for the 49ers‘ OC job.
- Sources tell Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com that Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph would be a top candidate for defensive coordinator in Denver if the Broncos hire Kubiak.
- New Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio was interested in bringing Buccaneers defensive line coach Joe Cullen with him to Oakland, but Tampa Bay denied the Raiders permission to interview him, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link).
Extra Points: Peterson, Broncos, Fox, Tryouts
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman made it clear earlier today that he wants Adrian Peterson on his squad next season, writes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.
“I don’t know if there’s a team in the NFL that wouldn’t want Adrian Peterson on the football team. If you can name me one. And I don’t want to speak for other teams. I’m being a little sarcastic with that. But I know he’s a pretty good football player.”
However, as the writer points out, Spielman did not specify what would happen to the star running back when he’s eligible to be reinstated in April…
“I’ve known Adrian his whole career and what type of person Adrian is. But I also know that we have to follow everything that’s put in place for us. Is there a resolution? Not right now. All I know is where we stand today. Does that change? I’m sure it’s going to change. Until those things change and get resolved, right now, we have Adrian Peterson, who is under contract for next year, who is currently suspended by the NFL. That’s pretty much all I can go into right now.”
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes as we wrap up this Wednesday evening…
- Gary Kubiak is the wrong choice if Broncos GM John Elway wants a strong coach, writes Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post.
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports believes if John Fox gets the head coaching job with the Bears, he’d bring along Dennis Allen and Kyle Shanahan as his coordinators (Twitter link).
- CFL defensive back Delvin Breaux worked out for the Buccaneers and Jaguars this week, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today (via Twitter). Breaux has been a popular name in NFL circles and seems to have drawn some degree of interest from more than half the league.
- Duron Carter met with the Panthers on Wednesday and will visit with the Browns on Thursday, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- Following his workout with the Giants last week, outside linebacker Phillip Hunt worked out for the Titans recently, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC South Notes: Falcons, Newton, Bucs
The Falcons had been scheduled to interview Todd Bowles for a second time today, but were well aware the Jets may not let him leave, tweets Alex Marvez of Fox Sports, adding that Atlanta “wasn’t totally sold” on Bowles. With a pair of presumed finalists – Bowles and Rex Ryan – now off the table, the Falcons’ top options appear to be Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. With Austin due in for a second meeting today, it’ll be interesting to see whether the Falcons decide to move on him or wait for Quinn, who may not become available until February.
Here’s more from around the NFC South:
- You can debate whether Cam Newton is worth a six-year, $100MM+ contract, which is what it might take to lock him up, but it would be a mistake for the Panthers not to work out an extension with him, argues David Newton of ESPN.com. With Newton preparing to enter a contract year, “the time is now” to reach a multiyear agreement with the quarterback, Newton adds.
- New Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter says he doesn’t have a clue which player the Bucs will take with the No. 1 overall pick. He has a big decision to make when it comes to Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
- As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk details, former Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez says he didn’t miss football during his first year of retirement, although he briefly had “a 2% urge to get out there.” That slight urge wasn’t nearly enough to sway him when teams showed interest during the season, according to the future Hall-of-Famer. “Some teams reached out to me. A couple teams. I’m not going to name who they were,” Gonzalez said. “I’m about 230 pounds now. I’m afraid I would get crushed out on the football field now.”
Bucs Expected To Hire Rod Marinelli As DC
After the Cowboys’ loss to the Packers today, head coach Jason Garrett is now a free agent and is free to sign with any team. If he’s retained as expected, though, he may have to find a new defensive coordinator, as the Buccaneers are expected to hire Rod Marinelli to their DC position, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Marinelli, whose contract also just expired, worked in Tampa Bay from 1996-2005 as a defensive line and assistant head coach.
Assuming he finalizes a deal with Tampa Bay, Marinelli will replace Leslie Frazier, the former Vikings head coach who led the Bucs’ defense in 2014. Despite adding Michael Johnson and Alterraun Verner to defense that already contained stars in Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David, Tampa’s defense finished just 25th in both yards allowed and points allowed; advanced metrics liked the unit a little better, as it finished 18th in DVOA. On the flip side, Dallas’ defense, which was expected by many to be among the worst in the league, was 14th in yards allowed, 15th in points allowed, but 22nd in DVOA.
The 65-year-old Marinelli was the head coach of the Lions from 2006-08, and was with the Bears from 2009-12 in a variety of defensive roles. Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith, of course, was Chicago’s HC during that time, so the two are obviously familiar. The Cowboys, meanwhile, will need to find a replacement for Marinelli — longtime Steelers DC Dick LeBeau recently resigned, but he runs a 3-4 scheme while Dallas has run a 4-3 front under Marinelli. If Jim Schwartz ultimately doesn’t stick around as Rex Ryan’s defensive coordinator in Buffalo, he would be a nice fit with the Cowboys.
Vikings Frontrunners For Duron Carter
Former NFL wideout Cris Carter spent more than a decade of his Hall of Fame career in Minnesota, and there’s a chance his son could wear a Vikings jersey this year as well. After working out for the Vikes today, CFL receiver Duron Carter told reporters, including Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, that he’d love to land in Minnesota.
“I like Minnesota, I like the facilities, I like the coaches and everything,” Carter said. “It seems like things are looking up. I would say Minnesota is probably my frontrunner right now…. The Vikings are No. 1, but I might as well go around and see what everybody is talking about. I can’t sign anyway.”
Because he was on a CFL contract this year, Carter can’t officially sign an NFL contract until February 10, which is why he’s in no hurry to make any decisions. The 23-year-old, who put up 1,030 yards and seven TDs on 75 catches in 2014 for the Montreal Alouettes, has also visited the Buccaneers, Colts, and Chiefs so far, and intends to make his way to Cleveland, Carolina, San Francisco, and Washington as well. Per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, Carter cited the Colts as another top contender for his services, and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets that the Panthers could be a strong sleeper for the young wideout.
Former NFL receiver Chad Johnson, who played with Carter in Montreal this past season, told Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) earlier this week that his CFL teammate is “easily a number one NFL receiver right now.” That may be setting the bar a little high, but Goessling hears that Carter could get a signing bonus in the $100K range, which would be a significant sum for an undrafted free agent.
South Notes: Koetter, Bucs, Jaguars
Albert Breer of the NFL Network (on Twitter) wonders if the hiring of Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator will affect the Buccaneers‘ draft plans. With Greg Roman at the helm, he might have envisioned them selecting Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. With Koetter there instead, Jameis Winston makes more sense for Tampa Bay, in Breer’s opinion. More from the South divisions..
- Koetter’s experience in helping to develop Matt Ryan will be a plus as the Buccaneers prepare to draft a QB, tweets Rick Stroud of WDAE 620.
- In a radio appearance earlier tonight, Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell said that coach Gus Bradley is “heading the search” for the team’s next offensive coordinator, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union (on Twitter). Caldwell went on to say that he plans on interviewing candidates from teams that are still in the playoffs and he’s in no hurry to make a hire, as Alex Marvez of FOX Sports tweets.
- The Texans are not retaining offensive line coach Paul Dunn for a second season on Bill O’Brien‘s staff, per Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link).
Buccaneers Hire Dirk Koetter As OC
The Buccaneers announced that they have hired Dirk Koetter to be their next offensive coordinator, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Koetter, the former Falcons’ OC, got a two-year contract with an option year.
Koetter was Tampa Bay’s top choice for the job and the Bucs moved on him quickly to keep him from getting scooped up by another team, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Jim Tomsula and Dan Quinn, two head coaching candidates, also have an affinity for Koetter and he could have been an OC for either guy.
It’s not clear if the 55-year-old was still under contract with the Falcons but the team was allowing him to interview elsewhere in the wake of Mike Smith‘s firing. Prior to his three-year stint with the Falcons, Koetter served as the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator from 2007 through 2011.
The Bucs are happy to have their man, but Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan probably isn’t too happy to see him go, as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets.
Coach/GM Notes: Falcons, Bears, Jets, Eagles
According to our head coaching search tracker, there are eight candidates involved in the Falcons‘ hunt for Mike Smith‘s replacement, and if no new names are added to that list, the team’s first round of interviews should conclude tomorrow after a meeting with Todd Bowles. So it makes sense that Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests today (via Twitter) that Atlanta intends to bring in its finalists for a second round of interviews. According to Rapoport, Rex Ryan will be among those finalists, though it’s not clear yet who will join him.
Here are a few more items from around the league related to coaches and front offices:
Coaching:
- Todd Bowles and Frank Reich completed their interviews with the Jets today, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). Bowles’ next visit will be with the Bears.
- A Tuesday report indicated that the Bears would likely meet with Mike Shanahan about their head coaching position after hiring a new general manager, but despite Shanahan’s past success with Jay Cutler (and Brandon Marshall), he’s not currently on Chicago’s list of candidates, says Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter). We’ll have to see if anything changes on that front after the team makes its GM hire.
- After sitting in on the Raiders‘ interview with Shanahan, John Madden is expected to be in attendance for Tony Sparano‘s meeting with the club as well, tweets Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com.
- In the wake of Perry Fewell‘s dismissal, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com offers a few suggestions for the Giants to consider for their defensive coordinator job, including Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson, who Graziano thinks could be among New York’s top candidates.
Front office:
- The Bears confirmed that they interviewed Chris Ballard and Ryan Pace for their GM vacancy, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
- Jon Robinson‘s interview with the Jets will take place tomorrow, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
- The Jets announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve lined up an interview with Buccaneers personnel executive Jon Robinson for their general manager position. The club also confirmed the candidates they’ve spoken to so far: Chris Grier (Dolphins), Trent Kirchner (Seahawks), Bill Kuharich (Browns), Mike Maccagnan (Texans), Rick Mueller (Eagles), and their own Rod Graves.
- The Jaguars have granted pro director Chris Polian permission to interview with the Eagles for their GM job, according to Albert Breer of NFL Network (via Twitter).
- The Fritz Pollard Alliance, which works with the NFL on minority hiring issues, has filed a complaint with the league over Washington‘s general manager search, writes Mark Maske of the Washington Post. Washington spoke to Jets executive Rod Graves about the GM job, but didn’t run the request for permission by the league, and seemed to do it only as a formality while working out an agreement with Scot McCloughan, so as to abide by the Rooney Rule.
- Meanwhile, the Dolphins appear to have evaded a Rooney Rule violation by changing the role of recently-hired Mike Tannenbaum, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains. The club has altered Tannenbaum’s and Dennis Hickey‘s duties since first announcing the hiring, so that Tannenbaum doesn’t qualify as a GM-type hire, meaning the club wouldn’t have needed to meet the Rooney Rule.
Minor Moves: Monday
We’ll keep tabs on Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Rams have signed to two players to reserve/futures deal, adding tight end Brad Smelley and punter Michael Palardy, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link).
- The Giants have added a veteran to their offseason roster by singing linebacker Victor Butler to a reserve/futures deal, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Butler, 27, played for the Cowboys from 2009-12, but has bounced around in recent years, spending time with the Saints, Cardinals, and Colts in the past two seasons.
Earlier updates:
- In addition to formally announcing the signing of DeMarcus Van Dyke (noted below), the Vikings also tweeted out word of their signings of defensive end Leon Mackey and defensive tackle Chigbo Anunoby.
- The Jaguars announced three signings today, two of which had been previously reported. The new one is kicker Derek Dimke, who inked a reserve/futures contract with the team, per John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter).
- Washington also confirmed a handful of signings that had already been reported, and added one more to the list. According to the club (via Twitter), former Abilene Christian wideout Braylon Bell has signed a futures deal.
- Tight end Dorin Dickerson has signed a reserve/futures contract with the Titans, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. The team removed Dickerson from their IR list back in August with a settlement, but worked him out again in November.
- The Vikings have signed cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke to a one-year futures contract, a league source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Van Dyke was placed on injured reserve by the Chiefs at the end of the 2014 preseason, and was later released with an injury settlement.
- The Buccaneers have added three players to their list of reserve/futures signings for 2015, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link). The most notable player in the trio is safety M.D. Jennings, who spent his first three seasons with the Packers before being signed and cut by the Bears in 2014. Tampa Bay also signed tight end Taylor Sloat and punter Chase Tenpenny, whose agreement was previously reported.
- Having previously signed nine of their 10 practice squad players to reserve/futures contracts for the 2015 season, the Eagles made it a clean sweep today, announcing that linebacker Brandon Hepburn had inked a deal of his own (Twitter link).
Coach Updates: Pep, Shanahan, Trestman
Although previous reports indicated that Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton wouldn’t take any interviews this week due to logistical concerns, Hamilton actually did find the time to speak with Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie after Indianapolis’ victory on Sunday night, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the meeting wasn’t a formal interview, but McKenzie was very impressed with Hamilton, and Oakland believes the 40-year-old OC could play a significant role in the development of quarterback Derek Carr (TwitLonger link via Josina Anderson of ESPN). Let’s look at some more notes on head coaching vacancies around the league:
- The Bills have requested permission to interview Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan for their head coaching position, per Schefter (Twitter link). Shanahan, 35, has called plays for the Texans and Washington in addition to Cleveland, and although he’s been linked to the 49ers vacancy this offseason, this is the first official interest displayed by another club.
- In their search to find a new offensive coordinator, the Buccaneers have interviewed former Bears head coach Marc Trestman, per Rapoport (on Twitter). Trestman, of course, would have some familiarity with Tampa Bay quarterback Josh McCown, who started five games for Chicago in 2013. The Bucs have also met with Greg Roman and Dirk Koetter, two in-limbo play-callers, as they look for their new OC.
- The Falcons have interviewed special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong for their head coaching job, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The interview, which satisfies the Rooney Rule, could pave the way for Atlanta to hire Rex Ryan after his interview on Tuesday, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who adds that the hiring process could pick up this week.
- Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is one of the most popular head coaching candidates available, and he’ll meet with four teams this week, tweets Rapoport. He’ll do one interview per day starting on Wednesday, starting with the Jets, and finishing the week with the Falcons, 49ers, and Bears. Per Anderson (via TwitLonger), Bowles is open to working with a team that “needs development on either side of the ball,” but wants a strong front office and a few key pieces that he can work with.
- Doug Marrone is considered the favorite to land the Jets HC job, but according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), his interview with New York did not go well. This report comes on the heels of Marrone’s assistant head coach from his time at Syracuse calling him “self-centered, selfish, [and] greedy” (link via Seth Walder of the New York Daily News).
- Despite rumors to the contrary, La Canfora says (Twitter link) that UCLA head coach Jim Mora Jr. does not have an interview scheduled with the Jets. Speculation has arisen that Mora Jr. is looking to make a return to the NFL, but it sounds like nothing is planned with Gang Green at this time.