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New coordinator figures to be in-house hire
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_db2bcb31-9d15-5e90-97de-1563cd8717c4.html
PHOENIX • As Rams coach Jeff Fisher winds down his deliberate search for a new offensive coordinator, it’s all but a certainty that the replacement for Brian Schottenheimer will be an in-house hire.
That means either tight ends coach Rob Boras or quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti. Fisher has high regard for both, but at this point Boras probably is the frontrunner.
There is precedence for an in-house hire from Fisher’s long tenure as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. After defensive coordinator Steve Sidwell left for New England following the 1996 season, Fisher promoted his linebackers coach, Gregg Williams, to defensive coordinator.
When Williams left to become head coach of the Buffalo Bills following the 2000 season, Fisher promoted linebackers coach Jim Schwartz to the defensive coordinator post.
Boras, 44, is a native of Glen Ellyn, Ill., who has spent 11 seasons in the NFL coaching tight ends with the Rams, Jacksonville, and Chicago. Among his college-coaching stops was a five-year stint at Nevada-Las Vegas from 1999-2003. He was the offensive line coach there for all five seasons, but doubled up as offensive coordinator his last three seasons there.
Cignetti, 49, a Pittsburgh native, has been an NFL quarterbacks coach with San Francisco (2007) and New Orleans (2000-01) prior to his stint with the Rams. He has been an offensive coordinator at several stops on the college level: Fresno State (2002-05), North Carolina (2006), California (2008), Pittsburgh (2009-10), and Rutgers (2011).
Both Boras and Cignetti were part of Fisher’s original Rams staff in 2012.
Former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett interviewed with the Rams last week for Schottenheimer’s old job, and a second interview with the Rams was planned. But Hackett dropped out of the Rams’ OC search on Wednesday and is headed to Jacksonville as quarterbacks coach.
The Rams were impressed with Hackett’s interview. But in Jacksonville Hackett will be reunited with Doug Marrone. Hackett, 35, was Marrone’s offensive coordinator at Syracuse and with the Bills. Marrone is assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the Jaguars.
Hackett is the only outside candidate for the coordinator’s job in St. Louis known to have interviewed with the Rams, although Fisher did have phone conversations with Kyle Shanahan and Adam Gase.
Shanahan ended up with Atlanta, where Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is expected to be named head coach after the Super Bowl. Gase reunited in Chicago with John Fox, after working with him in Denver.
SHERMAN PRACTICES
With both Super Bowl participants returning to the practice field Wednesday, cornerback Richard Sherman (elbow) worked regularly with the Seattle defense.
According to pool reporter Peter King of Sports Illustrated and the Monday Morning Quarterback, Sherman didn’t look affected by the hyperextended elbow he suffered in the NFC title game against Green Bay.
At one point in practice, Sherman made a leaping interception, extending both arms in the air to make the catch.
Free safety Earl Thomas (dislocated shoulder), also hurt in the title game against Green Bay, also showed no ill effects, playing full time Wednesday.
Offensive guard J.R. Sweezy (ankle) took his turns with the first-unit offensive line and worked without any sort of limp.
The Seahawks worked for 1 ½ hours on grass fields at Arizona State University.
PATRIOTS AT FULL STRENGTH
New England also was healthy, practicing for two hours at the Arizona Cardinals team facility. According to pool reporter Jarrett Bell of USA Today, quarterback Tom Brady looked sharp even though he is fighting a cold.
“He took all the snaps,” coach Bill Belichick said.
The NBC broadcast crew attended the practice.
LA RAMS?
Former Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola, now with New England, said it would be a shame to see the Rams move from St. Louis back to Los Angeles.
“I have a love for St. Louis for sure,” Amendola said. “It was my home. Ironically, LA is a home of mine, too. Are they moving out there for sure? LA needs a team, too, but to take ’em away from St. Louis it would be sad to see ’em go.”
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_db2bcb31-9d15-5e90-97de-1563cd8717c4.html
PHOENIX • As Rams coach Jeff Fisher winds down his deliberate search for a new offensive coordinator, it’s all but a certainty that the replacement for Brian Schottenheimer will be an in-house hire.
That means either tight ends coach Rob Boras or quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti. Fisher has high regard for both, but at this point Boras probably is the frontrunner.
There is precedence for an in-house hire from Fisher’s long tenure as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. After defensive coordinator Steve Sidwell left for New England following the 1996 season, Fisher promoted his linebackers coach, Gregg Williams, to defensive coordinator.
When Williams left to become head coach of the Buffalo Bills following the 2000 season, Fisher promoted linebackers coach Jim Schwartz to the defensive coordinator post.
Boras, 44, is a native of Glen Ellyn, Ill., who has spent 11 seasons in the NFL coaching tight ends with the Rams, Jacksonville, and Chicago. Among his college-coaching stops was a five-year stint at Nevada-Las Vegas from 1999-2003. He was the offensive line coach there for all five seasons, but doubled up as offensive coordinator his last three seasons there.
Cignetti, 49, a Pittsburgh native, has been an NFL quarterbacks coach with San Francisco (2007) and New Orleans (2000-01) prior to his stint with the Rams. He has been an offensive coordinator at several stops on the college level: Fresno State (2002-05), North Carolina (2006), California (2008), Pittsburgh (2009-10), and Rutgers (2011).
Both Boras and Cignetti were part of Fisher’s original Rams staff in 2012.
Former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett interviewed with the Rams last week for Schottenheimer’s old job, and a second interview with the Rams was planned. But Hackett dropped out of the Rams’ OC search on Wednesday and is headed to Jacksonville as quarterbacks coach.
The Rams were impressed with Hackett’s interview. But in Jacksonville Hackett will be reunited with Doug Marrone. Hackett, 35, was Marrone’s offensive coordinator at Syracuse and with the Bills. Marrone is assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the Jaguars.
Hackett is the only outside candidate for the coordinator’s job in St. Louis known to have interviewed with the Rams, although Fisher did have phone conversations with Kyle Shanahan and Adam Gase.
Shanahan ended up with Atlanta, where Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is expected to be named head coach after the Super Bowl. Gase reunited in Chicago with John Fox, after working with him in Denver.
SHERMAN PRACTICES
With both Super Bowl participants returning to the practice field Wednesday, cornerback Richard Sherman (elbow) worked regularly with the Seattle defense.
According to pool reporter Peter King of Sports Illustrated and the Monday Morning Quarterback, Sherman didn’t look affected by the hyperextended elbow he suffered in the NFC title game against Green Bay.
At one point in practice, Sherman made a leaping interception, extending both arms in the air to make the catch.
Free safety Earl Thomas (dislocated shoulder), also hurt in the title game against Green Bay, also showed no ill effects, playing full time Wednesday.
Offensive guard J.R. Sweezy (ankle) took his turns with the first-unit offensive line and worked without any sort of limp.
The Seahawks worked for 1 ½ hours on grass fields at Arizona State University.
PATRIOTS AT FULL STRENGTH
New England also was healthy, practicing for two hours at the Arizona Cardinals team facility. According to pool reporter Jarrett Bell of USA Today, quarterback Tom Brady looked sharp even though he is fighting a cold.
“He took all the snaps,” coach Bill Belichick said.
The NBC broadcast crew attended the practice.
LA RAMS?
Former Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola, now with New England, said it would be a shame to see the Rams move from St. Louis back to Los Angeles.
“I have a love for St. Louis for sure,” Amendola said. “It was my home. Ironically, LA is a home of mine, too. Are they moving out there for sure? LA needs a team, too, but to take ’em away from St. Louis it would be sad to see ’em go.”
