Black Monday: Coaching, front office changes around the NFL

The NFL regular season ended on Sunday, which makes Monday the annual “Black Monday,” the day when NFL franchises begin cleaning out their front offices and coaching staffs after bad seasons and the annual coaching carousel begins. It actually started on Sunday, with some coaches being “relieved of their duties” then, and we will track all of the changes as they happen.

The first, and most important thing to note for our website is, the Miami Dolphins will not have changes this year. There was a loud group of fans who wanted to see head coach Adam Gase fired after just two seasons, but in a year in which craziness was the norm (Ryan Tannehill’s injury, Jay Cutler, offensive line coach drug video, hurricanes, no bye week, an IR list larger than the practice squad, etc.), there are plenty of reasons to give Gase another year to try to fix the issues that came up this season.

After the Dolphins’ loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, team owner Stephen Ross told the media, “I’m terribly disappointed. The season didn’t start out right with the injuries, and you can’t replace a good quarterback. You look forward to next season, there will be adjustments, and you put as much as I put into a team, and try to do all the right things to win, how can you not be disappointed. I fucking hate losing. Excuse me.”

Ross then went on to add that Gase, general manager Chris Grier, and executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum will all “definitely” be back next year.

With that settled, we look at what is happening around the NFL:

Firings

• Carolina Panthers fired GM Dave Gettleman just before training camp; spent season with interim GM Marty Hurney and will now look for a permanent option
• Chicago Bears fired head coach John Fox
• Cleveland Browns fired GM Sashi Brown (Week 13)
• Dallas Cowboys fired WR coach Derek Dooley (Ian Rapoport)
• Denver Broncos fired offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, assistant head coach/running backs coach Eric Studesville, wide receiver coach Tyke Tolbert, and special teams coordinator Brock Olivo (Jeff Legwold)
• Detroit Lions fired head coach Jim Caldwell
• Green Bay Packers hired DC Dom Capers (Rob Demovsky)
• Indianapolis Colts fired head coach Chuck Pagano
• New York Giants fired head coach Ben McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese (Week 14); Giants informed their assistant coaches on January 1 that they are free to look for other jobs without the team trying to block them (Adam Schefter)
• Oakland Raiders fired head coach Jack Del Rio

Retirement

• Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians could retire, but continues to deny the rumors; reports indicate he is still likely to retire (Adam Schefter); Arians expected to tell team he is retiring during team meeting on Monday (Ian Rapoport); Arians has officially announced he is retiring (Darren Urban)
• Baltimore Ravens DC Dean Pees has announced his is retiring (Ravens)

Rumors

• Arizona Cardinals have requested an interview with Minnesota Vikings OC Pat Shurmur (Ian Rapoport); Cardinals expected to request to interview Carolina Panthers DC Steve Wilks (Ian Rapoport); team has requested interview with Philadelphia Eagles QB coach John DeFilippo (Adam Schefter); team has requested interviews with Philadelphia Eagles DC Jim Schwartz and New England Patriots DC Matt Patricia (Ian Rapoport); team has requested to interview New England Patriots LB coach Brian Flores (Adam Schefter)
• Chicago Bears could be interested in New Orleans Saints OC Pete Carmichael (Ian Rarpoport); team has requested an interview with Carolina Panthers DC Steve Wilks (Ian Rapoport); team setting up interview with Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo (Mike Garafolo)
• Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis step down; he described the situation as “complicated” after the team’s finale; rumors seem to indicate Lewis could move into the Bengals front office as an executive (Ian Rapoport)
• Detroit Lions are rumored to be interested in New England Patriots DC Matt Patricia; the team has requested an interview (Adam Schefter); the team has requested to interview Minnesota Vikings OC Pat Shurmur (Tom Pelissero); the team is interviewing their DC Teryl Austin (Josina Anderson); the team is also interested in Carolina Panthers DC Steve Wilks and Houston Texans DC Mike Vrabel (Ian Rapoport); team has requested to interview Green Bay Packers assistant head coach/linebacker coach Winston Moss (Tom Pelissero)
• Indianapolis Colts have requested an interview with Carolina Panthers DC Steve Wilks (Mike Garafolo); team has been given permission to interview Houston Texans DC Mike Vrabel (Albert Breer)
• Miami Dolphins could have interest in adding Dowell Loggains, Chicago Bears offensive coordinator, if he is released with the firing of John Fox (Mike Garafolo)
• New York Giants are rumored to be interested in Philadelphia Eagles DC Jim Schwartz; the team has requested to interview New England Patriots OC Josh McDaniels and DC Matt Patricia (Adam Schefter); team has requested interview with Carolina Panthers DC Steve Wilks (Mike Garafolo)
• Oakland Raiders are reportedly set to chase Jon Gruden, bringing back their former head coach with possible ownership stakes in the team; Gruden would call plays and hire Paul Guenther as DC, but will still call ESPN Wildcard game next week (Ian Rapoport); Raiders also have to comply with Rooney Rule before hiring Gruden; the team has told the assistant coaches they are free to look for other jobs and can get out of their contracts, but they will not be fired until the new coach (Gruden) arrives and decides if he wants to keep any of them (Ian Rapoport)
• Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll continues to have rumors of retirement follow him; he continues to deny the rumors
• Tennessee Titans could fire Mike Mularkey (Ian Rapoport); Titans are rumored to be interested in New England Patriots OC Josh McDaniels

Staying

• Chicago Bears extended GM Ryan Pace through 2021 (Ian Rapoport)
• Cleveland Browns are expected to retain Hue Jackson as the team’s head coach despite their 0-16 season.
• Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph’s job is in jeopardy after one season; rumors have indicated both that he will be fired and that the team will give him another chance; the team will be retaining Joseph, John Elway announced.
• Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien and GM Rick Smith reportedly have a “toxic” relationship, so it is likely one will be gone. O’Brien is expected to stay, but will meet with franchise ownership; Smith is taking a leave of absence as his wife battles cancer; the team will retain Rick Smith as the Executive VP (Adam Schefter); Texans could hire GM to take over those duties from Smith (Mike Garafolo)
• New York Jets signed head coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan to contract extensions
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers will retain Dirk Koetter.
• Washington Redskins will retain Jay Gruden after all the injuries the team had in 2017 (Ian Rapoport)

Hirings

• Cleveland Browns hired John Dorsey as their new GM (Week 14)
• New York Giants hired Dave Gettleman as their new GM (Week 16)