Search for offensive coordinator continues/PD

[RamBill]

Search for offensive coordinator continues
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_1a17951e-4c45-5b94-82e7-2d1e40476c61.html

MOBILE, ALA. • The Rams’ list of offensive coordinator candidates continues to dwindle. Former Denver coordinator Adam Gase decided to reunite with former Broncos head coach John Fox in Chicago, taking the same position Wednesday.

Coach Jeff Fisher, who as usual is not attending the Senior Bowl, spoke on the phone with Gase on Tuesday night about the possibility of joining the Rams. Had the Chicago opportunity fallen through, Gase’s next stop on what was a series of job interviews probably would’ve been St. Louis.

A day earlier, the Rams were denied permission by Green Bay to interview Packers quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt, and denied permission by the Colts to interview Rob Chudzinski, who is special assistant to the head coach in Indianapolis.

Teams can block interview requests in every instance for coaches under contract except in the case of a head coach interview.

Interestingly, Chudzinski’s contract expires at the end of next week — or just after the Super Bowl. After that point he can interview wherever he wants, so he could still be in play for the Rams.

By denying permission to the Rams — and reportedly to San Francisco, which also is eyeing Chudzinski for its OC opening — the Colts may simply be engaged in a stalling strategy for a couple of weeks. Coordinator jobs are filling daily around the league as teams try to avoid being left empty-handed.

Besides Chudzinski, former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett remains on the Rams’ radar and it’s still possible he could be brought in for an interview according to league sources.

And keep in mind, the Rams feel they have a pair of strong in-house candidates in tight ends coach Rob Boras and quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti. Boras is well-respected at Rams Park, particularly by Fisher, and probably would get the nod over Cignetti if the team stayed in-house to replace Brian Schottenheimer.

Cignetti interviewed earlier this week in Cleveland for the coordinators’ job that went to John DeFilippo on Wednesday.

It’s always possible that Fisher is considering an unknown candidate or two as well.

SEASON TICKETS

The Rams sent out season-ticket renewal notices Wednesday, and for the third season in a row there will be no price increases.

The Rams have what’s known as variable pricing in effect, with preseason games costing less and regular-season games against Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Seattle costing more. The net result is the same overall price for season-ticket holders.

In his letter to season-ticket holders, Rams executive vice president Kevin Demoff briefly touched upon the uncertainty of the team’s long-term future in St. Louis:

“We recognize that the year-to-year status of our existing lease can be unsettling,” he said.

GOLDEN TOUCH

Although sacking the quarterback isn’t allowed at Senior Bowl practices, defensive end Markus Golden of the University of Missouri and Affton High had what would’ve been two sacks Wednesday. He also forced a fumble.

As one NFC personnel executive said: “He’s flashing a little bit out here.”

For the second day in a row, a Denver Broncos representative spoke to Golden after practice. On the official Senior Bowl position-by-position roster for the South team, Golden was listed as an outside linebacker. But he has played only defensive end so far this week.

POSITION SWITCH

Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall has been switched to cornerback this week at the Senior Bowl, so if he’s to play in the NFL it apparently will be on defense. Replacing Marshall at quarterback for the South squad was Bryan Bennett of Southeastern Louisiana.

SENIOR BITS

Ken Flajole, the Rams’ defensive coordinator from 2009-2011 under Steve Spagnuolo, was out of coaching in 2014 for the first time in 37 years — a result of the surprise firing of Chudzinski after just one year as head coach in Cleveland. Flajole, part of Bob Stull’s University of Missouri staff in the late 1980s and early 1990s, is in Mobile checking out job prospects.

• Former Rams defensive tackle Jeff Zgonina, who was a valuable member of the “Greatest Show” teams, is here testing the waters to see if he wants to get back into coaching. He was on the Houston Texans’ staff in 2013.

• Steve Walsh, the Rams’ short-lived starting QB in 1996 and now a high school coach in West Palm Beach, Fla., was at the South squad practice Wednesday.

 

[RamBill]

Time keeps ticking away as Rams continue search for new offensive coordinator
Luke Thompson
FOX Sports Midwest

http://www.foxsports.com/midwest/st...e-search-for-new-offensive-coordinator-012215

ST. LOUIS -- A long wait probably doesn't mean good news in the Rams' search for an offensive coordinator.

Since news broke on Jan. 7 that Brian Schottenheimer would be leaving for the same position at the University of Georgia, 11 other teams have hired offensive coordinators, including eight this week. Five of them had to wait for new head coaches to come on board first, although Atlanta reportedly made a rare move this week by hiring Kyle Shanahan before naming his boss.

Only San Francisco and newly hired coach Jim Tomsula remain in the hunt with St. Louis for an offensive coordinator, which means fewer viable candidates in a league where most coaches are vigorously recycled. Veteran head coach Jeff Fisher's vast experience and connections should ward off a full-blown panic, but there is some cause for concern.

The Rams have been virtually silent in public since general manager Les Snead deferred to Fisher while speaking to reporters just minutes after news of Schottenheimer's departure surfaced at various Georgia media outlets. It appears his decision really did catch Fisher and his staff by surprise, making it hard to believe rumors Schottenheimer got "forced out."

Snead indicated finding a replacement wouldn't be a quick process, though of course Fisher always keeps a list of potential candidates for various positions on his staff. This wasn't going to be like the hiring of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who was already lined up to take the job before St. Louis fired Tim Walton on Jan. 29 last year.

Patience doesn't mean the Rams have been sitting on their laurels, and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Fisher even talked to former Denver coordinator Adam Gase on Tuesday night before he took a job in Chicago with his old boss, John Fox. The Packers and Colts have also denied St. Louis interview requests for assistant coaches Alex Van Pelt and Rob Chudzinski, respectively.


Fisher doesn't exactly have the most attractive job to offer for a variety of reasons, beginning with his insistence on a more traditional power game. That preference immediately rules out a whole host of coaches who have thrived on the spread and West Coast style offenses.

A potential move to Los Angeles in 2016 could be another hindrance, and uncertainty at quarterback highlights the question marks at nearly every position. Whoever takes the job will face a significant challenge in trying to transform an offense that hasn't finished in the NFL's top 20 in points or total yards since 2006.

It's also likely to be a make-or-break season for Fisher, who enters the fourth season of his five-year contract still trying to reach the .500 mark for the first time. Owner Stan Kroenke might want to revamp his coaching staff if he moves the team to LA, so that adds yet another layer of risk for any potential candidates.

Some options still remain on the table, including former Buffalo offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Thomas reported Thursday the 35-year-old, who led a lackluster Bills offense with few weapons the past two seasons, will be in St. Louis for interviews.

If that falls through, a safe choice could be a position coach already in the organization. Tight ends coach Rob Boras and QB coach Frank Cignetti would be the leading candidates, and continuity could help quarterback Sam Bradford in a potential return.

Then again, maybe Fisher will surprise us all with a name no one expected. With the coaching carousel starting to slow down and a coach well-known and respected for taking risks, just about anything could happen.

 

[RamBill]

Rams still searching for offensive coordinator
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/15642/rams-still-searching-for-offensive-coordinator

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- With Adam Gase officially headed to the Chicago Bears to become their offensive coordinator, the St. Louis Rams are down one more possible candidate for their vacancy for the same position.

The Rams never even got to interview Gase but, as we reported Tuesday night, if he had made it out of Chicago, things would have gotten serious with the Rams. Alas, Gase never made it out of Chicago.

Which leaves the Rams still searching in an ever-thinning pool of candidates. To this point, they've also expressed interest in Green Bay quarterback coach Alex Van Pelt and Indianapolis special assistant Rob Chudzinski. But the Packers and Colts denied the Rams permission to interview either. Although Chudzinski's contract with the Colts is up next week, Indianapolis could look to increase his role to keep him and, barring that, the Rams could have competition from San Francisco for his services.

Among other known prospects, the Rams also missed out on Greg Roman and Kyle Shanahan, who took the coordinator jobs in Buffalo and Atlanta, respectively. So what's left for the Rams?

Well, there's now only one known outside candidate remaining in the form of former Buffalo offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Hackett has spent time with the Rams in the past 24 hours. For those unfamiliar with Hackett, here's a quick scouting report from ESPN Bills reporter Mike Rodak:

"Hackett took some heat from fans and reporters the past two seasons for a Bills offense that was among the NFL's worst. An energetic, young coach, Hackett began the 2013 season running an up-tempo, option-style system that he and Doug Marrone brought along from Syracuse. Slow development from EJ Manuel -- hampered by multiple knee injuries his rookie season -- forced Hackett to slow the pace and narrow the scope of his game plans by the end of his first season. Manuel never emerged this past season, leading to Kyle Orton taking over his job by Week 5. The carousel at quarterback -- the Bills had five different starters between 2013 and 2014 -- and a reliable defense led Hackett to be more conservative with the offense than he wanted. At best, he's a bright offensive mind who was strapped by a brutal quarterback situation in Buffalo. At worst, he was in over his head with the Bills and might need more time as a position coach before he's ready to return as a play caller."

There are those around the league who believe Hackett better fits the best case of that scenario, but it also leads to the question of whether he'd be inheriting a situation in St. Louis much better than the one he's leaving in Buffalo. The Rams quarterback situation has no obvious solution aside from hoping for health from quarterback Sam Bradford and some major repairs are needed on the offensive line.

Beyond Hackett, the Rams also still have in-house candidates like tight ends coach Rob Boras and quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti. And given the secretive and deliberate approach Rams coach Jeff Fisher has taken to the whole process, it wouldn't floor anyone if he had a surprise candidate or two up his sleeve.

 

[Mojo Ram]

although Atlanta reportedly made a rare move this week by hiring Kyle Shanahan before naming his boss.

Has this been officially confirmed? I keep hearing "reportedly"

 

[MTRamsFan]

Just read on footballscoop.com the following:

The Colts are blocking offensive assistant Rob Chudzinski from all requests from other teams as long as he is under contract, per Ian Rapoport. Chud had been mentioned as an offensive coordinator candidate at a number of places. Update > Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Dispatch notes that Chud’s contract with the Colts expires next week.