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  • Black Monday 2012

    by
    Rich Gapinski
    Published on 12-31-2012 09:46 AM
    58 Comments Comments


    It's basically cut-down day for NFL front offices. Today, I will keep updating this page with links to the latest firing news throughout this depressing day.

    -First is the New York Jets, who fired GM Mike Tannenbaum. The news is not much of surprise, but the current decision to keep Rex Ryan is getting mixed reviews. The Jets have had difficulty rebuilding their defensive line and their offense had no depth at wide receiver before injuries wiped out a good portion of players from camp.

    -The Philadelphia Eagles were next. Another disappointing year for a talented team may lead to the dismissal of Andy Reid. It may not be official yet, but all signs point to the end of 14 years as Eagles coach. He won 7 division titles in his time. UPDATE: Eight minutes after this post.....Reid fired.

    -Gene Smith is out in Jacksonville. Reports on Sunday had the head coach in limbo as well. The Jags have what many consider the least-talented roster in the league. There are developing players in each side of the ball, but not enough to make up for 7 wins in two seasons.

    -Romeo Crennel will take his 28-55 career record to the unemployment line , ending a season of bad play and heart-breaking news. The surprise so far is that Scott Pioli is supposed to keep his position. Perhaps all that spy equipment he put up in the offices has paid off.

    -The Browns are starting over again. Early reports are stating Cleveland interest in names such as Bruce Arians, Jon Gruden and Chip Kelly.

    -The Norv Turner Show has been cancelled. GM A.J. Smith is supposed to be out as well. The Chargers, once one of the most talented in the league, have seen talent leave or retire with no real replacements coming forward. In six years as Chargers coach, his high water mark was a 13-3 season in 2009. Since then, the team fell to nine wins in 2010 and then lost another win each season after that.

    -UPDATE: 10:47am- Ian Rappaport of the NFLN has tweeted that Lovie Smith is out in Chicago. Adam Shefter tweeted that Bears have asked to speak with coaches. News happened during the Jay Cutler Show on ESPN 1000 in Chicago. That made for some great radio.

    -UPDATE: 10:57am- NFLN now reporting that Chan Gailey is out in Buffalo. Our friends at Pro Football Talk now help this Black Monday tie a record. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...e-chan-gailey/ Gailey finished with a 16-32 record in three years in Buffalo.

    -UPDATE: 1:19pm- The meeting with Ken Whisenhunt went long in Arizona. Rod Graves is the one who is out. Graves had been with the team since 1997 and been GM since 2002. Whoops. Reports now say that Whisenhunt is out as well.

    -LAST UPDATE: 1:19pm EST

    Comments 58 Comments
    Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
    1. wxwax's Avatar
      Good point about Belichick, he's the one constant in their success. The mess the celebrated Pioli has made of KC reinforces that.
      Reply
    1. mkocs6's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Rich Gapinski View Post
      What a bloody day. I can't remember one so big. Rivera is still up in the air until a GM is named.
      Part of this might be that there were no coaches fired mid-season this year. You wonder, also, if a couple guys who escaped last year because of the lockout or because of injuries got canned this year.

      It might also be that teams who aren't typically firing coaches are letting guys go this year. San Diego, Philadelphia, Chicago.
      Reply
    1. tubbs1518's Avatar
      Bears fire Lovie Smith - Not sure if I think this was a good idea or not yet. Depends on who they replace him with.
      Bills fire Chan Gailey - Good
      Browns fire Pat Shurmur & GM Heckert - Good/Bad IMO
      Cardinals fire Ken Whisenhunt & GM Graves - Bad/Good
      Chargers fire Norv Turner & GM Smith - Good/Good
      Chiefs fire Romeo Crennel - Good
      Eagles fire Andy Reid - Good
      Jets fire GM Tannenbaum - Good
      Reply
    1. tubbs1518's Avatar
      IDK how true this is, but I heard from a guy I know in Oregon that the rumor is the Browns offered Chip Kelly the job as coach and GM.
      Reply
    1. Rich Gapinski's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by tubbs1518 View Post
      IDK how true this is, but I heard from a guy I know in Oregon that the rumor is the Browns offered Chip Kelly the job as coach and GM.
      Fits the narrative. Chip Kelly would probably go and get Collin Klein to run the offense. Weeden era would be over after one season.
      Reply
    1. tubbs1518's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Rich Gapinski View Post
      Fits the narrative. Chip Kelly would probably go and get Collin Klein to run the offense. Weeden era would be over after one season.
      What do you think of Lewis? Should he get a real look in camp next year?
      Reply
    1. Docta's Avatar
      Don't know how I feel about the Lovie firing. Better than half the HCs out there, and it's not like they had a losing season. We'd be fine if Emery just hired another OC. They've asked to interview Mike McCoy, but he doesn't have any previous head coaching experience. Making Orton and Tebow look good is a pretty difficult task though. I'm hoping for Bill O'Brien.

      Appreciate all the updates.

      EDIT: Also, what the hell, Devin Hester?
      Reply
    1. hobbes27's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by mkocs6 View Post
      Browns appear to be hiring a coach first, who they think will have an expanded role in personnel decisions, then will find a GM. Sounds like Banner will have final say on the roster.
      Yeah, that is warped. That's like hiring all of your vice presidents for a company and then choosing the CEO.
      Reply
    1. hobbes27's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Docta View Post
      Don't know how I feel about the Lovie firing. Better than half the HCs out there, and it's not like they had a losing season. We'd be fine if Emery just hired another OC. They've asked to interview Mike McCoy, but he doesn't have any previous head coaching experience. Making Orton and Tebow look good is a pretty difficult task though. I'm hoping for Bill O'Brien.

      Appreciate all the updates.

      EDIT: Also, what the hell, Devin Hester?
      The players clearly loved Lovie. Firing a coach that players love is not necessarily a bad idea. But I'm not convinced that Lovie deserved to be fired. I'm not sure the Bears are gonna do better.
      Reply
    1. wxwax's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by tubbs1518 View Post
      IDK how true this is, but I heard from a guy I know in Oregon that the rumor is the Browns offered Chip Kelly the job as coach and GM.
      Wow, that has disaster written all over it. Nobody would be that irresponsible, would they?
      Reply
    1. wxwax's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by tubbs1518 View Post
      Bears fire Lovie Smith - Not sure if I think this was a good idea or not yet. Depends on who they replace him with.
      Bills fire Chan Gailey - Good
      Browns fire Pat Shurmur & GM Heckert - Good/Bad IMO
      Cardinals fire Ken Whisenhunt & GM Graves - Bad/Good
      Chargers fire Norv Turner & GM Smith - Good/Good
      Chiefs fire Romeo Crennel - Good
      Eagles fire Andy Reid - Good
      Jets fire GM Tannenbaum - Good
      I agree with all of this, even Andy Reid. He's an excellent coach and will improve somebody's team, but it's time to leave Philly and get back to having a GM picking players instead of him.
      Reply
    1. Bengals1181's Avatar
      Heard some rumblings that perhaps the Bengals beef up their front office this offseason, and maybe add a general manager position.
      Owner Mike Brown did expand his scouting staff, finally, a year ago. Worth keeping an eye on.


      http://www.cbssports...share-top-honor
      Reply
    1. mkocs6's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by wxwax View Post
      Wow, that has disaster written all over it. Nobody would be that irresponsible, would they?
      ...I hope not?
      Reply
    1. tubbs1518's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Bengals1181 View Post
      http://www.cbssports...share-top-honor
      The link isn't working for me.
      Reply
    1. darvon's Avatar
      From ESPN

      The Jets already have two GM candidates targeted.



      Unfotunately, Sanchez badly overthrew both.
      Reply
    1. darvon's Avatar
      Who is going to be building the team in Cleveland?

      Banner?
      New Coach?
      New GM?

      I hate when the GM isn't the CEO, unless the CEO is just business issues.
      Reply
    1. mkocs6's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by darvon View Post
      Who is going to be building the team in Cleveland?

      Banner?
      New Coach?
      New GM?

      I hate when the GM isn't the CEO, unless the CEO is just business issues.
      The power structure seems really up in the air at this point. I'm not exactly quoting Banner, but I'm coming very close in saying that he said that the role and title of the general manager would be determined by the particular skills of the coach they hire. It sounds very much like they're looking for a coach who will be the dominant force behind personnel decisions. I don't know who that is. Banner's official title is CEO, and I've always thought he was running the business side of the operation. If the coach is also the primary talent evaluator--apart from the scouting staff, and Banner and Haslam also said that they would be retaining the previous regime's talent evaluation department--that leaves the GM/pro personnel guy to manage the salary cap. I don't have any inside information and I'm not endorsing this plan, this is just what it sounds like they're shooting for. They must have someone in mind and they're just not saying who it is. If that guy doesn't come to Cleveland, maybe they'll change the organizational structure to something a bit more orthodox.
      Reply
    1. darvon's Avatar
      If the GM is a salary cap guru and not a talent eval, that's OK, but fans would like to know WHO is the talent eval final responsibility.

      So they can hang the right person in effigy.
      Reply
    1. darvon's Avatar
      IIRC, the assist GM or head of personnel or something in NE went to be the GM in ATL and has done well.
      Reply
    1. wxwax's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by darvon View Post
      IIRC, the assist GM or head of personnel or something in NE went to be the GM in ATL and has done well.
      Yes, New England's personnel structure has never been publicly analyzed, from what I've seen. Maybe I missed it. But while Scott Pioli was getting a lot of credit in Foxboro, it's his supposed underling Thomas Dimitroff who has excelled on a new team. Which makes me believe that Belichick is the moneymaker there.

      Falcons assistant coaches are lining up for interviews. Dirk Koetter and Mike Nolan have done a superb job. Truly they've been the difference this season. If they leave, it will really hurt the Falcons.
      Reply
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