NFL News

[Mainevent]

Colbert quietly left a few months to go to the Steelers before they hired Millen, Ron Hughes was the one who was fired.

Smart man.

[froot loops]

I always get concerned when the latest new regime comes in and cleans house, sometimes there are some good people and you also don't want to hire a ton of new people. Millen had that problem and I remember the thrilling reports of when Quinn was walking through and firing everyone.

[TheLondonLion]

NFL to fill the Super Bowl with vaccinated health care workers.

That would be nice!

[Mainevent]

Yeah, a lot of scouts are smart people. Teach them to look for new characteristics or a certain type of player. It's also hard to build any sense of team if you fire all the existing folks.

[unknown lions fan]

Narratives are funny. Yeah, I'll take that job to groom your boy for you...

[froot loops]

I think the only way that works is with Colbert. Colbert isn't young

[Futureshock]

The difference between the pursuit of Nick Caserio in 2019 and now

Posted by Mike Florio on January 6, 2021, 10:11 AM EST

Getty Images

In 2019, the Texans wanted to hire Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio. The Patriots slammed the door in the face of the Texans, and the Texans ultimately hired no General Manager.

So how were the Texans able to hire Caserio now?

When the Texans last made a run at Caserio, he had a clause in his contract that waived his ability to leave. Now, the clause is gone.

The clause is gone because, per a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL declined to approve Caserio’s 2019 extension containing a clause that prevented him from leaving. Thus, Caserio — who was not a “high-level club employee” in New England — could leave to become a “high-level club employee” elsewhere.

It’s still not clear why the Texans didn’t simply hire him in 2020. If that had happened, maybe DeAndre Hopkins wouldn’t have been traded. Maybe Laremy Tunsil wouldn’t have gotten a three-year deal worth $22 million per year. Maybe Bill O’Brien the G.M. wouldn’t have gotten Bill O’Brien the head coach fired.

Maybe that’s exactly how executive V.P. of football operations Jack Easterby envisions the various moves on the chess board playing out.

As to Caserio’s contract, it’s unclear why the league approved in the past a clause restricting Easterby’s ability to leave. Maybe it simply wasn’t noticed. After the 2019 imbroglio, it was. And now, it’s gone.

[Futureshock]

Somewhere, Haskins says, "Dam bro!"


Bruce Arians: Washington is not 7-9 with Alex Smith, we’re not playing Dwayne Haskins

Posted by Michael David Smith on January 6, 2021, 5:06 AM EST

Getty Images

The Washington Football Team is, at 7-9, the worst team in the playoffs. But that’s not how Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians sees it.

As Arians gets ready to coach against Washington on Saturday night, he noted that Washington has a winning record when Alex Smith is the starter, as will be the case this week.

“We’re not playing a 7-9 team. We’re playing a 4-1 team. When Alex Smith plays they’re a 4-1 team,” Arians said on ESPN. “We’re not playing Dwayne Haskins. We’re playing Alex Smith.

Arians actually understated how much better Washington’s record was with Smith during the 2020 season: Washington went 5-1 in games started by Smith, 1-5 in games started by Haskins and 1-3 in games started by Kyle Allen.

It’s unsurprising that Arians doesn’t want his team thinking of its opponent as a 7-9 team. No playoff opponent can be taken for granted.

[Futureshock]

Chargers want to interview Robert Saleh

Posted by Josh Alper on January 5, 2021, 3:57 PM EST

Getty Images

Add the Chargers to the list of teams interested in speaking to 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh about their head coaching vacancies.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Chargers have requested permission to interview Saleh.

Saleh interviewed with the Falcons on Monday and is expected to interview with the Lions later this week. The Jaguars have also requested permission to interview a coach who also made the rounds during last year’s hiring cycle.

Saleh, Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, and Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus are defensive-minded coaches on the Chargers list. Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady come from the other side of the ball.

[Futureshock]

Comeback Player of the Year: Alex Smith

Posted by Charean Williams on January 5, 2021, 3:06 PM EST

Getty Images

Never has an award winner been as easy to decide as this year’s Comeback Player of the Year is.

Alex Smith won the award in September when he made the 53-player roster. The Washington quarterback solidified it in Week 5 with his first appearance since Nov. 18, 2018, when a horrific right leg injury ended his season and threatened his career.

But that’s not all. . . .

Smith played eight games, and his 5-1 record as a starter has Washington in the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

In any other year, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Cowboys pass rusher Aldon Smith could have won the award with their own comeback stories. But Smith’s comeback tale is movie worthy.

He endured 17 surgeries that first saved his leg from amputation and then his life after a severe infection. After missing 2019, Smith was determined to return in 2020 despite the odds.

Dwayne Haskins began the season as the team’s starter, but Washington benched him, and he no longer even is on the roster. Kyle Allen made four starts before a season-ending injury.

Smith is the last quarterback standing of the team’s three original quarterbacks on the 53-player roster.

Smith became the starter in Week 10. He finished with 1,582 passing yards with six touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Who knows what his future holds? Smith is 36. He is signed through 2022 with $40 million owed to him over the next two seasons.

But whether he plays again after this season, Smith is the comeback story of forever.

[Futureshock]

In the current NFL climate, owners should be looking to hire offensive coaches

Posted by Mike Florio on January 5, 2021, 2:30 PM EST

Getty Images

We try to avoid advocating specific candidates for specific jobs, because we’re in no position to make a full and fair and complete assessment of candidates. Also, too many others in the media feel compelled to try to help candidates, for obvious access-and-info-related reasons.

But I will say this: If I were hiring a head coach in today’s NFL, I’d hire an offensive coordinator over a defensive coordinator.

The reason is simple. If you hire a defensive coach and the team does well, you’ll quickly be looking for a new offensive coordinator, because he’ll soon be a head coach somewhere else. If you hire an offensive coach, it will take a lot more to lose the defensive coordinator. (Case in point: Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can’t get a sniff.)

Although plenty of defensive coordinators (Tony Dungy is the best example) give off a clear head-coach vibe, plenty of defensive coordinators have a rough-and-tumble air, from the Ryan twins to Wink Martindale and his Kenny Powers mullet to others whose demeanor is less CEO than GFY.

The Falcons, for example, arguably should have hired Kyle Shanahan (pictured) instead of Dan Quinn in 2015; after Shanahan left to coach the 49ers, the team went south and is still trying to recover.

One reason great offensive coaches don’t lose defensive coordinators is that teams lean toward offensive coaches. And for that reason great defensive coaches are more likely to lose their offensive coordinators.

So as the six teams with vacancies look for coaches, it makes sense to look for offensive coaches. Especially if the team has a quarterback who needs to be properly managed and groomed. Otherwise, the person responsible for managing and grooming the quarterback may do it so well that he gets a promotion somewhere else.

[Mainevent]

SF record the last 4 years - 29-25. Atlanta's record? 28-36.

Atlanta is trending down, but it's more likely due to their star players aging. They may have been better off with Shanahan running them the past couple of years, but he still would have had old and injured Julio, aging Matt Ryan, OL injury problems and a defense that couldn't stop anybody.

[Futureshock]

Maybe he could have convinced the GM to go in different ways and not had them boxed in. Julio has been injured and scoreless for years. KG is younger but this is the reason I don't like giving WRs that much of your cap space.

[Futureshock]

TODD BOWLESC, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
The Falcons have requested permission to interview Bucs DC Todd Bowles for their head-coaching job.


Bowles is expected to interview with Atlanta next week. The Falcons have been "researching" Bowles along with Titans OC Arthur Smith and Rams DC Brandon Staley for their head-coaching vacancy. Tampa had the sixth-ranked defense in the league under Bowles, but resurfacing as a retread is probably a longshot. Interim coach Raheem Morris interviewed for Atlanta's full-time job last week.

RELATED:

• Atlanta Falcons

SOURCE: ESPN
Jan 6, 2021, 10:03 AM

[Futureshock]

CHAMP KELLYGM, CHICAGO BEARS

The Broncos have requested permission to interview Bears assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly for their GM opening.


It's a natural fit, as Kelly spent eight years in the Broncos' front office before heading to Chicago and working alongside current Broncos coach Vic Fangio for four seasons. Kelly will also interview for the Panthers' opening. Kelly interviewed with the Jets in 2019.

RELATED:

• Denver Broncos

SOURCE: Mike Klis on Twitter
Jan 5, 2021, 2:01 PM