NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Matthew Slater on Jalen Ramsey:

“When the good Lord made that guy, he said ‘Let there be corner.’ And there he is.”

 

Pat Shurmur expected to take Giants job

League rules prohibit teams looking for head coaches to agree to deals with coaches still involved in the playoffs.

But the league’s own media operation illustrates how flimsy those rules are with the latest round of reporting.


Ian Rapaport of the NFL Network just filed the latest “news” as it pertains to the Giants opening, saying that Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is their “top choice” and “he’s expected to accept, if offered.”

Which means there’s some degree of agreement, which would be against the rules. If there was an offer. Or if he was going to accept it.

Shurmur was already viewed as the favorite for the job, the same way Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is viewed as the likely next coach of the Lions and Josh McDaniels is expected to take the Colts job.

Which shows that just as with the Rooney Rule, the league has a set of rules which are routinely ignored, since nobody bothers enforcing them. (PFT)

 

Josh McDaniels expected to be next Colts coach

The Titans dispatched head coach Mike Mularkey on Monday and are reportedly interested in Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, but they may have to settle for seeing him on the opposite sideline twice a year.

McDaniels is reportedly one of two names still under consideration in Indianapolis with Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel also in the mix. Vrabel could be hired right now, however, and that suggests the Colts would prefer to make McDaniels their next head coach.


Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Media report that McDaniels feels the same way and that he is expected to accept a formal job offer from the Colts once it comes. Some had thought that Titans General Manager Jon Robinson’s background with the Patriots and the presence of Marcus Mariota might sway McDaniels to Tennessee, but Pelissero points out McDaniels and Colts G.M. Chris Ballard also have a relationship.

If he’s healthy, the Colts also have a pretty good quarterback in Andrew Luck and it appears McDaniels will be helping with his rebound from a lost 2017 season.

Pelissero also adds that McDaniels has lined up a defensive coordinator in Matt Eberflus, who spent the last seven years as the Cowboys linebackers coach. No hires can be made official until the Patriots are done playing. (PFT)

 

Indy is a better job if Luck is good to go. Luck is an elite QB.

 

True but the Titans may have a better team

 

Mariota wasn't 100% all season either.

 

LA Rams Offensive Coordinator Matt LaFleur will interview for the Titans big bossie job. He's only 38, but look what McVay did in SF. Bright future.

 

Norton Jr. set to leave Niners, join Seahawks as DC

Ken Norton Jr. is close to reuniting with Pete Carroll.

With Kris Richard likely on the way out of Seattle, Norton is expected to return to the Seahawks as the team's defensive coordinator, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported. Norton served as the team's linebackers coach from 2010-2014 before leaving to become Oakland's defensive coordinator in 2015.

Fans of the San Francisco 49ers might jump out of their seats and say "wait, but he just joined our staff!" That's correct -- Norton's hiring as assistant head coach on Kyle Shanahan's staff was announced Jan. 8 -- but Norton has an out in his contract that allows him to take the Seattle defensive coordinator job, Garafolo reported.

The 49ers released a statement acknowledging Norton's consideration of external opportunities.

"Last week, Ken was presented with an opportunity to once again coordinate a defense," Shanahan said. "Because of how we feel about Ken as a coach, we understand and respect his desire to pursue the position."

Norton has history with Carroll that stretches beyond the NFL. The former linebacker served as linebackers coach under Carroll at USC from 2004-2009 before leaving with Carroll for Seattle in 2010. The assistant rode the wave caused by Seattle's defensive success to his defensive coordinator position with the Raiders, but after a second-straight disappointing season -- even in Oakland's 12-4 2016 campaign, the team finished 26th in yards allowed per game -- he found himself on the way out alongside fired head coach Jack Del Rio. (NFL.com)

 

Pretty big if, though. Plus more pieces on D, a much better OL, Nashville is a better city to live in, and no Irsay. Moot point, sounds like he's going to Indy no matter what, but if it was me I think I'd be giving Ballard the ol' BB thanks but no thanks on a cocktail napkin.

 

Seattle Seahawks...

The Seahawks have officially announced the hiring of defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and offensive line coach Mike Solari.

Word broke on Monday that Norton is returning to the Seahawks to run the defense. He had taken a job as the 49ers linebackers coach last week, but was let out of his contract to rejoin head coach Pete Carroll’s staff. Norton was Seattle’s linebackers coach for five years before becoming the Raiders defensive coordinator in 2015.


Along with confirmation of that move came an announcement that the Seahawks fired their previous defensive coordinator Kris Richard. Richard, who moved into that job when Dan Quinn became the Falcons head coach in 2015, interviewed for the Colts head coaching job after the end of the regular season and seems likely to land a job somewhere fairly quickly. (PFT)

 

Eagles tix are through the roof right now. standing room only is $550 and up. First level is over $1000. Upper deck is $900 and climbing fast. insanity. I went to the NFC Title game at the Vet-last game at the Vet. for $150 and sat in the lower end-zone !

 

The context is completely different but is it hypocritical of the Jaguars to have an issue with Pittsburgh looking past them and then Ramsey talking about going to the Super Bowl and gonna win that bitch?

 

Good observation, Matty. I agree. Its definitely hypocritical, what goes around comes around.

 

Not exactly, the confidence about playing for a championship and the cockiness of looking over an opponent are different.

 

if he's playing in the Super Bowl he already won the AFCCG. I understand it isnt as overt as the Steelers but it still seems hypoctical considering how offended the Jaguars claimed to have been.

 

It's not the same. It can just be spun that way. He sure isn't looking past the Pats, you can bet your soul some Steelers were looking past the Jags though.

 

Todd Haley out as Steelers offensive coordinator

Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley will not return for the 2018 season.

Haley’s contract is expiring and he won’t be getting a new contract to remain in Pittsburgh, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

That’s not a big surprise: There’s been increasing talk that Haley wasn’t seeing eye to eye with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and that head coach Mike Tomlin was ready to move on.

Haley has consistently coordinated a strong offense in Pittsburgh, but he’s long been viewed as someone who can be difficult to get along with, and the speculation that he wasn’t long for Pittsburgh has been ongoing for quite a while now.

Tomlin, who has faced criticism for his coaching after the Steelers were upset by the Jaguars on Sunday, now has to make one of the most important decisions of his coaching career in finding Haley’s replacement. And some other team looking for an offensive coordinator will have to make a decision about whether Haley is a good fit. (PFT)
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So had the Steelers sais we are going to win the super Bowl instead of we can wait to beat the Patriots they wouldnt have been looking past the Jags? Sorry but when you say you are winning the super Bowl with a guarantee you have already looked past your next opponent. There is not spinning it that way that is the way it is.

 

Report: Steelers will name Randy Fichtner as offensive coordinator

The Steelers have moved a step closer to naming Randy Fichtner as offensive coordinator. All that remains is final approval of his contract, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Fichtner has served as the team’s quarterbacks coach since 2010 and was the wide receivers coach for three years before that. He and offensive line coach Mike Munchak, who declined a second interview with the Cardinals to remain in Pittsburgh, were considered the favorites for the job in order to maintain continuity of the offense.

Fichtner has a long relationship with head coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

He will replace Todd Haley, who the Steelers fired after the loss to Jacksonville on Sunday.

Fichtner has never carried the title of offensive coordinator in the NFL. He was a coordinator at Arkansas State from 1997-2000, with Tomlin as his receivers coach, and at Memphis from 2001-06. (PFT)

 

Jets fire offensive coordinator John Morton