Titans To Interview Mularkey, Marrone
The Titans plan to interview interim coach Mike Mularkey late this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The interview will likely take place on Thursday, says Rapoport, who adds that Mularkey is still the clear front-runner for the job. Ex-Bills head coach Doug Marrone could also get an interview towards the end of the week, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.
[RELATED: PFR’s 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]
So far, former Lions head coach Jim Schwartz and former Falcons head coach Mike Smith have been mentioned as candidates. Ex-Eagles head coach Chip Kelly and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels also reportedly have interest in the job. Still, Mularkey, Marrone, and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin are the only candidates known to have interviews on the docket.
In 2015, the Titans sunk to a 3-13 record, despite rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota serving as a distinct bright spot. In November, the Titans canned Ken Whisenhunt and appointed Mularkey as the team’s interim coach. Mularkey previously served as Tennessee’s assistant head coach and tight ends coach. The veteran coach has a pair of head coaching jobs on his resume, having held the role in Buffalo in 2004 and 2005, then again in Jacksonville in 2012.
Marrone, who led the Bills to a 9-7 record in 2014, narrowly missing a playoff spot, opted out of his contract following the team’s final regular season game. Marrone’s agreement with the Bills allowed him to receive his full $4MM salary for 2015 despite the fact that he’s no longer coaching the team. In January of 2015, Marrone agreed to sign on as the Jaguars’ offensive line coach. Now, he’s eyeing a head coaching gig for 2016.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Titans To Interview Teryl Austin
The Titans have asked for and received permission to interview Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’s also expected to interview with the Eagles this week, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: PFR’s 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]
Prior to taking over as the Lions’ DC in 2014, Austin was a defensive backs coach with the Ravens, Cardinals, and Seahawks. The veteran coach also briefly served as the University of Florida’s defensive coordinator in 2010. Austin garnered attention from the league when the Lions graded out as one of the league’s best defenses in 2014. In 2015, Austin was without the likes of Ndamukong Suh, DeAndre Levy, and Nick Fairley, but he still managed to get results out of his defense, particularly down the stretch.
Austin has already interviewed with the Browns, Dolphins (prior to the hiring of Adam Gase), and the Giants. When the defensive coordinator interviews with the Titans and Eagles, that will make a grand total of five for Austin, making him one of the most highly requested candidates of the offseason. Recently, the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an organization that works with the NFL to ensure that minority candidates are considered for coaching and front office jobs, listed Austin as one of six picks for head coaching gigs. Austin joined Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards, Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin, Bills running backs coach, and assistant head coach Anthony Lynn, and Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson on the list.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/11/16
Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:
- The Vikings announced that they have inked the following seven players to reserve/future deals: guard Isame Faciane, wide receiver Isaac Fruechte, defensive tackle Toby Johnson, safety John Lowdermilk, linebacker Terrance Plummer, running back Blake Renaud, and linebacker Alex Singleton. Renaud has had several stints with the Vikings’ taxi squad since coming out of Boise State.
- The Jets announced (on Twitter) that they have signed tackle Jesse Davis and tight end Adrien Robinson to reserve/future contracts. The Jets also signed offensive lineman Lawrence Okoye to a futures deal, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
- The Bears announced (Twitter link) that they have signed linebacker Keith Browner to reserve/futures contract. Browner appeared in three games for Houston in 2014. The 6’4″, 288 pound athlete played college football at Cal and has also been listed as a defensive end in the past.
- The Texans signed guard Karim Barton, center Dalton Freeman, running back Kenny Hilliard, wide receiver Josh Lenz, cornerback Robert Nelson, defensive end Dan Pettinato, outside linebacker Gerald Rivers, linebacker Tony Washington, and tight end Eric Tomlinson to reserve/future deals, per Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- The Titans signed former Vanderbilt cornerback Steven Clarke to a futures deal, Jim Wyatt of Titans Online tweets.
- The Bengals announced that they have signed the following players to futures deals: wide receiver Michael Bennett, linebacker Jayson DiManche, guard Trey Hopkins, wide receiver Jake Kumerow, tight end Matt Lengel, and linebacker Jeff Luc.
AFC Notes: Titans, A. Smith, Pacman, Weeden
The Titans‘ meeting today with Chiefs executive Chris Ballard is expected to be the last interview the team conducts in its search for a new general manager, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Whether that means a hiring will follow shortly thereafter remains to be seen. With NFL team owners gathering in Houston for the next couple days, it’s possible Tennessee will wait until later in the week to make and announce a decision on its new GM.
[RELATED: Titans to interview Chris Ballard for GM job]
Once that new GM is in place, the Titans will begin their head coaching search in earnest. According to Cole, the club wants to fight the perception that it’s a dysfunctional franchise, which means going through the general manager hiring process before rushing into a head coaching search, to assure the new GM is on board with the new coach, and vice versa.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The investigation into criminal abuse allegations against Broncos defensive lineman Antonio Smith has concluded, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, who tweets that the Fort Bend District Attorney’s office won’t charge Smith. The NFL figures to conduct its own investigation into the allegations and could discipline Smith, but the veteran defender won’t face any legal ramifications.
- After playing a key part in the Bengals‘ Wild Card meltdown on Saturday night, Adam Jones said today that he’d like to return to the team, though there have been no recent talks (Twitter link via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com). The veteran cornerback and return man known as Pacman had another solid season in Cincinnati, right up until the final minute of the team’s final game.
- Quarterback Brandon Weeden will weigh his options in free agency, but says he’d love to return to the Texans, writes Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. And why not? Weeden led the team to two wins – one in relief and one as a starter – after compiling a 5-19 record in his previous NFL starts.
- Within his look ahead to some of the Ravens‘ offseason decisions, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun says the team will almost certainly have to restructure Joe Flacco‘s contract this winter, even if GM Ozzie Newsome said he’s fine keeping it at $28MM+.
Coaching Notes: Falcons, Patriots, Titans
Some assorted coaching notes from around the NFL…
- The Falcons aren’t expected to let Keith Armstrong join the Jets as the organization’s special teams coordinator, writes Kimberly A. Martin of Newsday.com. The coach has a strong relationship with Todd Bowles, but since Armstrong has two years left on his contract, it’s unlikely Atlanta would let him leave for a lateral move.
- Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will interview for the Browns head coaching gig today, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that despite the amount of interest, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels isn’t expected to interview for any head coaching jobs this week.
- The Titans have requested permission to interview Jaguars assistant Doug Marrone, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team has also asked to interview Vikings assistant general manager George Paton, but that request was denied.
- Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is in the running for both the Eagles and Giants head coaching jobs, tweets ESPN’s Bill Williamson. The writer also passes along that Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is the favorite for his team’s head coaching gig.
Titans To Interview Chris Ballard For GM
The Titans are scheduled to interview Chiefs director of football operations Chris Ballard for their general manager vacancy on Monday, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). We learned yesterday that Tennessee had requested and received permission to interview Ballard.
[RELATED: Patriots OC Josh McDaniels interested in Titans’ head coaching job]
Ballard, who just completed his third season with Kansas City, has been an NFL personnel man for 15 years, and was considered a strong candidate for the Bears GM job at this time last year. He’s one of several candidates for the Titans position, joining former Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist, Giants exec Marc Ross, and former Lions GM Martin Mayhew. The club also confirmed today that it had interviewed Jaguars director of player personnel Chris Polian and Buccaneers director of player personnel Jon Robinson.
As the Titans seek to replace Ruston Webster, there’s a question as to how their GM search will affect their hunt for new head coach. As Alex Marvez of FOX Sports notes (via Twitter), it’s a little surprising that Tennessee got such a late start; while the Dolphins, for example, have already completed seven head coaching interviews, the Titans have completed zero, as our head coaching search tracker shows.
Breer’s Latest: Cousins, Bucs, L.A., Titans
In his latest notes column for NFL.com, Albert Breer of the NFL Network takes a closer look at the group of top quarterbacks in the 2016 draft class, before exploring several other noteworthy topics from around the NFL. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights….
- Washington continues to plan on having Kirk Cousins back next season, as has been previously reported. Sources tell Breer that the team wants to lock up Cousins to a long-term contract before the deadline to apply franchise or transition tags to players. But if the two sides can’t work something out by then, Washington is “fully prepared” to franchise its quarterback.
- Having worked in Arizona and observed the relationship between Steve Keim and Bruce Arians, Buccaneers GM Jason Licht would like to create a similar dynamic in Tampa Bay. Licht wants to hire a head coach who “he can challenge and be challenged by, without anyone getting offended.” The ideal candidate for the Bucs would also “instill toughness” and “set a culture,” and those are considered more important factors than whether a coach is offensive- or defensive-minded, according to Breer.
- At this point, among the NFL’s team owners, there are two distinct camps when it comes to the Los Angeles relocation proposals — one camp is focused on the projects, and favors the Rams‘ proposal, while the other camp is focused on the owners and teams involved, and favors the Chargers‘ and Raiders‘ Carson plan. Neither side has the necessary votes, and it won’t be easy to obtain them, says Breer.
- There’s concern within the Titans organization about how often their quarterbacks – particularly Marcus Mariota – have been hit and injured over the last couple seasons. Breer suggests that could be a factor that makes the team shy away from hiring Chip Kelly, since his quarterbacks in Philadelphia were frequently injured as well. Of course, one could argue that those injuries were the result of bad luck and/or poor offensive line play, rather than being coaching-related, but Michael Vick and Nick Foles both went down while playing behind solid lines for the Eagles.
- The Browns‘ head coaching job certainly isn’t considered the most desirable one among the seven that are currently available, but coaches consider it significant to have a direct line to a team’s owner, and Cleveland’s next coach will report directly to Jimmy Haslam, Breer observes.
Extra Points: Dolphins, Gruden, Browns, Titans
As the Dolphins search for their next head coach, the areas they’re prioritizing when talking to candidates are quarterback and defense, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Dolphins brass wants to hear from prospective head coaches how they plan to help the two improve after an up-and-down fourth season from Ryan Tannehill and a year in which the defense finished 25th overall.
Further, per Salguero, interim head coach Dan Campbell‘s only chance to get a promotion to the full-time role is if he presents Miami’s hierarchy with two proven coordinators willing to join his staff. Whether it’s Campbell or someone else, the Dolphins want a coach who has real solutions to repair their problems on both sides of the ball.
More from around the NFL:
- A report Thursday night stated that ex-head coach Jon Gruden is interested in the Eagles’ job, but CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets otherwise. Gruden to the Eagles is “not happening and not discussed,” La Canfora offers.
- With perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas facing an uncertain future with the Browns, Cleveland.com took a look at which teams could be candidates to acquire the 31-year-old during the offseason. The list consists of the Packers, Broncos (who tried to acquire Thomas at this season’s trade deadline), Colts, Titans, Jaguars, Chiefs, Vikings and Patriots.
- It was reported earlier Thursday that the Titans received permission to speak with Chiefs director of football operations Chris Ballard regarding their vacant general manager job. The two are likely to powwow Monday, reports Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link).
- Marc Ross, another candidate for the Titans’ GM job, might make the most sense for Tennessee if the club is looking to promote interim head coach Mike Mularkey, notes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Ross, who’s currently the Giants’ vice president of player evaluation, was a member of Buffalo’s front office when Mularkey was its head coach from 2004-05.
- The NFL has chosen the staffs of the Cowboys and Jaguars to coach the 2016 Reese’s Senior Bowl from Jan. 25-30, according to a press release. The Cowboys will coach the North team against the Jags-led South squad.
Titans Interview Ted Sundquist For GM Job
In a press release, the Titans have confirmed that they interviewed Giants vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross today for their general manager position, a meeting that had been previously reported. Within that same release, the Titans also announced that they’ve completed an interview with former Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist, whose candidacy hadn’t been reported yet this week.
[RELATED: Patriots OC Josh McDaniels interested in Titans’ head coaching job]
Sundquist, who met with Titans owners Amy Adams Strunk and Kenneth Adams IV, as well as team president Steve Underwood, served as the Broncos’ GM from 2002 to 2008, with the team earning three postseason berths during that stint. Sundquist was also working for the franchise as its director of college scouting when Denver won back-to-back Super Bowls in the late 1990s.
The Titans have now brought in three candidates for interviews for their GM job, with Ross and Sundquist joining former Lions GM Martin Mayhew. Tennessee will continue the process on Friday, when Buccaneers director of player personnel Jon Robinson is scheduled to come in and meet with the team.
Chiefs director of football operations Chris Ballard and Jaguars director of player personnel Chris Polian are also expected to interview for the Titans’ GM vacancy, and the team has requested interviews with multiple candidates who have either already turned down the opportunity or are expected to do so. In other words, it appears Tennessee is casting a wide net as the club considers possible replacements for Ruston Webster.
Latest On Titans’, Lions’ GM Searches
The Titans have requested and received permission to interview Chiefs director of football operations Chris Ballard for their GM opening, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. While it’s not clear yet exactly when Ballard will meet with the team, Buccaneers director of player personnel Jon Robinson will interview for Tennessee’s GM vacancy on Friday, sources tell Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Giants vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross is meeting with the Titans about the position today, a day after the club announced that it had interviewed former Lions general manager Martin Mayhew for the job. In addition to those four candidates, Chris Polian of the Jaguars will interview with Tennessee at some point, though there has been no indication yet that Vikings assistant general manager George Paton will do so — the Titans put in a request to talk to him, but Paton rarely explores jobs outside his current role in Minnesota.
Meanwhile, the Lions, who also requested an interview with Paton, continue their GM search as well, and it’s beginning to sound more and more like they’ll wrap up the interview process by this weekend, which could allow the club to have a GM in place early next week, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Finalizing a decision on that job would allow the Lions to move on to determining whether coaches will be made to the coaching staff.
Kevin Abrams (Giants), Bob Quinn (Patriots), and Trent Kirchner (Seahawks) have been identified as outside candidates for Detroit’s GM job, with current interim GM Sheldon White also earning a meeting about the permanent position.
Zach Links contributed to this post.