NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/19/18
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Arizona Cardinals
- LB Praise Martin-Oguike
Oakland Raiders
- LS Andrew East
Pittsburgh Steelers
- S Malik Golden
- LB Darnell Leslie
- P Matt Wile
Tennessee Titans
- QB Tyler Ferguson
Washington Redskins
Titans Interview Matt LaFleur
The Titans have announced that they have finished their interview today with Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur. The sides had to push back the scheduled meeting a day because of weather-related issues, but LaFleur has now completed his first interview for a head coaching role.
LaFleur is young for a potential head coach at just 38 years old. He also is inexperienced as an offensive coordinator having served just one season under Sean McVay in Los Angeles. In his favor, LaFleur does have a tremendous track record as a quarterbacks coach, most recently helping to guide Matt Ryan through an MVP campaign just a year ago.
The Titans and former head coach Mike Mularkey parted ways because of the team’s wish to get the right guy for Marcus Mariota‘s development moving forward. LaFleur seems to fit the bill with what the front office is looking for.
With that said, Tennessee is still considering candidates of many background, including Mike Vrabel (HOU DC), Steve Wilks (CAR DC) and Frank Reich (Eagles OC). Just Wilks and Vrabel have been interviewed along with LaFleur.
Looking At The Titans' Draft
- Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com looked back at the Titans‘ 2017 draft class. The group starts with No. 5 overall pick Corey Davis, who had a two-touchdown game in the playoff loss to the Patriots. Davis missed a good chunk of time in ’17, but Wyatt believes his confidence boost will help him going into the offseason. Meanwhile, Wyatt wonders what the rest of the WR group will look like around him since both Eric Decker and Harry Douglas are scheduled for free agency in March.
Titans Interview Steve Wilks, Mike Vrabel
- The Titans‘ Steve Wilks HC interview took place Thursday. Both Wilks and Texans DC Mike Vrabel interviewed for this job today. Wilks remains a candidate for the Cards’ HC job.
Latest On Titans' Head Coaching Search
Weather-related concerns are forcing the Titans to shift the timeline of their head coaching search, as Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets. Whereas Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel and Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur were originally scheduled to interview with Tennessee on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, Vrabel and LaFleur will now sit down with Titans general manager Jon Robinson on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Vrabel, LaFleur, and Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks — whose is currently en route to Tennessee for his interivew, per Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer — are the only definitive candidates for the Tennessee job thus far, but reports have indicated the Titans could also have interest in Eagles OC Frank Reich.
- Former NFL defensive coordinators John Pagano and Ray Horton will meet with the Cowboys, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Pagano, the longtime Chargers’ DC, spent last season as an assistant head coach (and later, interim DC) for the Raiders, while Horton — formerly the defensive play-caller for the Cardinals, Titans, and Browns, didn’t work in the NFL in 2017. Dallas already has a defensive coordinator in Rod Marinelli, but the Cowboys were reportedly willing to promote Marinelli to assistant head coach in order to keep ex-LBs coach Matt Eberflus.
Titans Interested In Eagles OC Frank Reich?
One additional name could potentially be added to the Titans’ head coaching search, as Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich is a “possibility” for the position, according to Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com (Twitter link).
To be clear, there is no report as of yet that Tennessee has requested a meeting with Reich. But as general manager Jon Robinson & Co. expand their search to replace Mike Mularkey, they could place Reich on a list of interviewees that already includes Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, and Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
After helping lead a Philadelphia offense which ranked third in scoring, seventh in yards, and eighth in DVOA, Reich was expected to garner head coaching interest this offseason, but he’s yet to receive a single interview request. It was a similar story last year, when Reich was thought to have a meeting lined up regarding the Bills open HC job, but never formally spoke with the club. Reich last interviewed for head coaching vacancies in 2015 when he met with both Buffalo and New York.
The 56-year-old Reich, who is perhaps best known for leading the Bills offense back from a 32-point deficit in a 1993 playoff game, has worked as an NFL coach since 2008. After spending time with the Colts and Cardinals, Reich was the Chargers’ offensive coordinator from 2014-15 before joining the Eagles the following year.
NFL Future/Reserve Contracts: 1/15/18
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Cleveland Browns
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
- S Jordan Dangerfield
- LB Matt Galambos
- LB Farrington Huguenin
- TE Jake McGee
- CB Dashaun Phillips
Tennessee Titans
- CB Jeremy Boykins
- WR Darius Jennings
- S Denzel Johnson
- OL Tyler Marz
- DE Johnny Maxey
- WR Zach Pascal
- TE Tim Semisch
- DE Julius Warmsley
- OL Cody Wichmann
- DL Antwaun Woods
Titans To Interview Rams OC Matt LaFleur
The Titans have another interview lined up for their vacant head coaching gig. The team will speak with current Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, reports Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The interview is scheduled to take place on Thursday, adds Albert Breer of Sports Illustarted (Twitter link).
We learned earlier today that the Titans would have to start looking for a new head coach after the organization and Mike Mularkey agreed to part ways after the team’s blowout loss to the Patriots this past weekend.
Part of the split reportedly stemmed from Mularkey’s inability to get the most out of third-year quarterback Marcus Mariota. The decision to interview LaFleur certainly is a move to pivoting to a different brand of football moving forward.
The 38-year-old offensive coordinator was worked his way to his current position as a quarterbacks coach with both the Redskins and Falcons. LaFleur worked directly with Matt Ryan during his 2016 MVP campaign. LaFleur than brought much success to a breakout 2017 Rams offense.
While he did not call plays with head coach Sean McVay on the sidelines, LaFleur clearly had a big role in helping second-year quarterback Jared Goff bounce back from a rough rookie season with Jeff Fisher. The Titans might be hoping LaFleur can work some of his magic with Mariota and they’ll get a chance to see the young coach’s plans for him and the franchise face-to-face in short order.
LaFleur is the first offensive coach that the team is scheduled to speak with after news broke that defensive coordinators Steve Wilks and Mike Vrabel would get a chance to interview for the position. Although, there was hope that Josh McDaniels would prefer Tennessee to Indianapolis, even though that doesn’t appear to be the case at the moment.
Fallout From Titans’ Mike Mularkey Firing
Mike Mularkey‘s season-ending press conference played a role in his firing. The Titans had announced their two-year head coach would be back in 2018 and given him a contract extension, but reversed course and fired him on Monday morning.
Jon Robinson said that decision was made Monday morning and added Mularkey’s comments Sunday played a role in this ouster (Twitter links via Jim Wyatt of Titans.com and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). Mularkey did not appear ready to make changes to his offensive staff, and it’s clear Robinson felt they were probably necessary.
Tennessee’s GM made clear Marcus Mariota‘s development will be the “highest priority,” per longtime NFL reporter Paul Kuharsky (Twitter link). Mariota regressed from 2016-17 despite steering the Titans to the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons and giving the franchise its first postseason win since the 2003 campaign. The former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick threw for a career-low 13 touchdown passes — after firing 26 in 2016 — and a career-high 15 interceptions. DeMarco Murray‘s yards-per-carry figure also plummeted by nearly a yard for a Titans offense that ranked 18th in DVOA.
While Robinson made it clear all of Mularkey’s assistants were under contract (Twitter link via Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com) it’s likely some (if not most) will be searching for new jobs soon. Kuharsky tweets Robinson and team president Steve Underwood informed Mularkey of his firing, not controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk.
Mularkey’s stubbornness regarding tailoring his scheme to Mariota’s talents helped do him in as Titans HC, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com writes. Mularkey wanted to bring back his offensive staff, Wolfe reports.
The Titans are planning to interview Mike Vrabel and Steve Wilks, and hiring a defensive coach would represent a first since Jeff Fisher. A Josh McDaniels pursuit may have broken down in part because of timing, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets.
Steve Wilks To Interview For Titans’ HC Job
Steve Wilks is now connected to a fourth head-coaching search. The Panthers’ defensive coordinator will interview for the Titans’ HC job, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.
The Carolina DC interviewed for the Giants and Cardinals’ jobs, and remains a candidate in Arizona, and will join Mike Vrabel among the known candidates for the Tennessee vacancy.
Wilks was scheduled to interview for the Colts’ position, but the summit was nixed. Indianapolis brass soon zeroed in on Josh McDaniels, who is now expected to land the job. Wilks was not named a finalist for the Giants’ job despite a connection with Dave Gettleman. The Cardinals, who look to have lost out on key candidate Pat Shurmur, may have to reorganize their list. Arizona interviewee Matt Patricia is also expected to be named Lions head coach.
The Titans’ list thus far includes two defensive coaches. The franchise has hired offensive-minded leaders the past three times a vacancy’s emerged but employed defensive-based boss Jeff Fisher for 16 seasons.