The GM's, Coach's, Carousel

Good questions. Schwarts gone too, lots of coaching changes and its mum on Wentz.

 

Maybe waiting on the new HC, before making a Wentz decision also.

 

Jeffrey Lurie;

“Coach Pederson and I had the opportunity to sit down and discuss what that collective vision would look like moving forward. After taking some time to reflect on these conversations, I believe it is in both of our best interests to part ways.

“I have known Doug and his family for more than 20 years and they will always be family to me. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and everything we have accomplished together over the last five seasons. Everyone in the organization understands the type of man and coach that he is, and how much he means to all of us as well as the City of Philadelphia. We all look forward to the day he will be inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame as a Super Bowl-winning head coach, and we are confident he will have success with his next team.

“But as the leader of this organization, it is imperative for me to do what I believe is best for everyone as we look ahead to the future and move into our next chapter. I know that we have work to do to get back to where we want to be, but I also believe that we have an exceptionally strong group of people in this organization who can help set us up for future success.”

 

I think Lurie is destroying his team. Success in the NFL comes much easier with stability. The eagles won a SB under Pederson and that’s more than any other eagles coach.

 

It's probably all going to come down to whether or not Carson would be willing to reshape his deal.

If he's willing to take a cut and try to remain in Philly, the Eagles may consider hiring a head coach based on continuing to build around Carson.

If not, then he has some leverage because he can dictate which teams he is willing to be traded to by making it known which option he would be willing to rework his deal on to get moved.

 

Cowboys hire Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator



The Cowboys have their new defensive coordinator.

Dan Quinn has been hired as Dallas’s most important assistant coach, according to multiple reports.

Quinn replaces Mike Nolan, who was fired after the Cowboys’ defense turned in a disappointing 2020 season.

The 50-year-old Quinn was fired as Falcons head coach during the 2020 season. He had been in Atlanta since 2015, when he was hired away from Seattle, where he coordinated the Super Bowl-winning Seahawks Defense. The Cowboys will now hope he can have that kind of success in Dallas as well.

NBC

 

Raiders hire Gus Bradley as defensive coordinator



Jon Gruden said he wanted to move quickly to find a new defensive coordinator and now he’s done so.

The Raiders are hiring former Chargers defensive coordinator and Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley for the position, the team announced on Tuesday.

Bradley had served as Los Angeles’ defensive coordinator since 2017, joining the organization the year Anthony Lynn was hired as head coach. In four seasons, the Chargers finished in the top 10 in points allowed twice and the top 10 in yards allowed three times.

Prior to his stint in L.A., Bradley compiled a 14-48 record in just under four full seasons as the Jaguars’ head coach.

The Raiders fired Paul Guenther as defensive coordinator on Dec. 13 after three seasons. Defensive line coach Rod Marinelli took over as the interim coordinator through the rest of the year and is expected to remain with Las Vegas.

NBC

The team has finished last, 24th, and 30th in points allowed since Gruden began his second stint as Raiders head coach in 2018.

 

Long-time Seahawks G.M. John Schneider will continue to be the Seahawks G.M.

The Seahawks have announced an extension with Schneider that runs through the 2027 draft.

The Lions reportedly were planning to try to hire Schneider, with the lone report on the matter incorrectly assuming that the Lions could have hired Schneider without getting Seattle’s consent and without compensating the Seahawks. The Lions could have tried to hire him, but the Seahawks would have been entitled to block the move, or to allow it only after a deal was struck on what the Seahawks would receive, if Schneider left.

A full nine days after Seattle’s regular season ended, there was no indication that the Lions were moving in that direction. Multiple league sources schooled and experienced in the nuances of NFL-level negotiations insisted then (and definitely are insisting now) that the story was planted to squeeze the Seahawks to give Schneider a new deal.

So now he has a new deal. And if the Lions were serious about pursuing him, here’s the thing: They still can, especially if it’s true (but it’s not) that the Lions could hire Schneider without compensating the Seahawks.

If Schneider were actually interested in making a change, he could have let things play out. The mere fact that a new deal was done before it ever got to that point shows that it was all about leveraging a new contract with the Seahawks and not about the Lions hiring Schneider.

Which is fine. It worked. Mission accomplished. One of our functions is to spot that kind of stuff and point it out, as it’s happening.

NBC

 

Report: Eagles have contacted Lincoln Riley



On Monday, the Eagles fired coach Doug Pederson. Also on Monday, the Eagles contacted his potential replacement.

Geoff Mosher of InsideTheBirds.com reports that the Eagles already have reached out to Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley to gauge his interest in the job.

Riley became the coach of the Sooners in 2017, and his quarterback pupils have included Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts.

Jalen Hurts, as in Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. And not Carson Wentz, as in Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.

Riley has been linked from time to time with NFL jobs, but there’s never been a serious courtship of him by a professional team. If the Eagles plan to put on the table the kind of money that the Panthers have given former Baylor coach Matt Rhule (roughly $9 million per year), maybe Riley — whose current package averages more than $7.5 million per year — will listen.

Other factors surely come into play. Riley seems to have it made at Oklahoma. It may take making a lot more than $9 million per year to get him to make the jump to the next level, especially when the specific opening at the next level resides in a city where neither the media nor the fans will be as compliant or friendly as what he’s currently experiencing in Oklahoma.

Unless he wins in the NFL likes he’s been winning in college, where his record is 45-8.

NBC

 

Texans request interview with Eric Bieniemy



The Texans’ failure to request a head coaching interview with Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy right after the end of the regular season reportedly rankled quarterback Deshaun Watson and the team is now trying to go in the other direction.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that they have requested an interview with Bieniemy for their opening.

Bieniemy will not be able to interview with the team until next week at the earliest. Bieniemy was available to interview with the Jets, Jaguars, Chargers, Falcons, and Lions last week because the Chiefs were on a bye, but he won’t be able to speak with the Texans until the Chiefs are done playing.

The Chiefs are the top seeds in the AFC and no one will be surprised if they make it back to the Super Bowl, which would make for a long wait for an interview.

All of that assumes that the request would be met with a positive response from Bieniemy given the team’s reluctance to ask for one before Watson’s displeasure became a matter of public discussion. They were in the process of hiring General Manager Nick Caserio and that likely changed the direction of their coaching search, but they did speak to Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady without having Caserio in place.

NBC

 

You are now up to date!

 

Washington Requests G.M. Interviews With Martin Mayhew, Ryan Cowden
Lions Flying In Brad Holmes For Second G.M. Interview
Lions Complete Interviews With Arthur Smith, Ed Dodds

 

Brian Schottenheimer fired as Seattle OC.

 

Reports: Bears are expected to retain Ryan Pace, Matt Nagy



Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano is retiring, according to multiple reports earlier Tuesday night. That was followed by multiple reports that the Bears are expected to retain General Manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy.

The team has yet to make an official announcement.

It is unlikely to quell Bears fans, who haven’t seen their team reach the Super Bowl since the 2010 season.

Pace has spent six years in Chicago, producing a 42-54 record with one NFC North title, two playoff appearances and two wild-card losses. Nagy, who just finished his third season, is 28-20.

The Bears have finished 8-8 each of the past two seasons, though they made the playoffs this year.

If Pace and Nagy return as expected, they will get another chance at finding a franchise quarterback. Mitchell Trubisky, the No. 2 overall choice in 2017, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this spring.

NBC

 

Signs point to the Jets hiring Robert Saleh



With 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh getting a second interview with the Jets for their vacant coaching position, Saleh now appears to be the favorite.

As Chris Simms said during Wednesday’s PFT Live, the talk in coaching circles is that the Jets are moving toward hiring Saleh.

Saleh has proven to be a great coach, but his hiring by the Jets would come with an important caveat. The Jets need to develop quarterback Sam Darnold, who has fallen far behind three of his 2018 first-round peers: Baker Mayfield (taken before Darnold), Josh Allen (taken after Darnold), and Lamar Jackson (taken well after Darnold).

All three of them will be playing this weekend. So if the Jets get a defensive coach who hires an offensive coordinator who gets Darnold to the final eight in 2021 or 2022, then what? The offensive coordinator gets a head-coaching job elsewhere, quite possibly.

So, as the Jets and Saleh apparently move toward quite possibly striking a deal, both sides need to have a plan for the worst-case scenario resulting from the best-case scenario: Having things go so well that whoever it is that gets the most out of Darnold gets a head-coaching job elsewhere.

NBC

 

I don't think the Jets will have to worry about that.

 

Bears confirm Matt Nagy, Ryan Pace are back



The Bears will not be making any changes at the top.

Bears General Manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy will both be back for the 2021 season, Bears Chairman George McCaskey confirmed today. McCaskey said he was impressed with Pace and Nagy’s work during the 2020 season.

McCaskey also expressed faith in Bears President Ted Phillips. In turn, Phillips acknowledged that many Bears fans want to see major changes within the franchise, but everyone in the organization’s front office is committed to making it work with the current power structure.

The Bears did reveal that neither Nagy nor Pace has received a contract extension. So there’s no doubt that both of their jobs are on the line this year.

The Bears are standing by Pace and Nagy because they’ve made the playoffs two of the last three years, but the Bears still haven’t won a playoff game since the 2010 season, and they head into this offseason with several major questions, the biggest of which is who their starting quarterback will be in 2021.

Those questions need to be answered, but today Bears fans found out only that the team is staying the course.

NBC

 

Broncos hire George Paton as new general manager



The Broncos have found their new GM.

George Paton and the Broncos have agreed to terms on a deal that makes Paton Denver’s general manager, according to multiple reports.

The Denver GM job opened up when John Elway stepped aside from day-to-day personnel work, although Elway will continue to oversee the Broncos’ front office.

Paton has spent 14 seasons with the Vikings, working as assistant general manager under Rick Spielman. He has also spent time with the Bears and Dolphins. Now Paton will get to work on turning around a Denver team that hasn’t been to the playoffs since Peyton Manning retired.

NBC
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Sorry to see him go, but wish him well.

 

Eagles interview Joe Brady for head coach



The Eagles are moving forward with their head coaching search by talking with one of the cycle’s hottest candidates.

Philadelphia has interviewed Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Ian Rapoport of NFL media reports.

Brady, 31, has interviewed with the Falcons, Texans, Chargers, and Jets. He just completed his first season with Carolina after spending the 2019 season as LSU’s passing game coordinator.

After firing Doug Pederson on Monday, the Eagles have also expressed interest in 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod mayo.

NBC

 

In unrelated news, I'm setting fire to anything flammable within jogging distance.