The Dallas Cowboys' season ended Sunday with their 26-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The team can now move on to the next pressing matter -- getting its coaching staff under contract.
Cowboys limiting access to coaches, Belichick defends use of ineligible receivers and other NFL news
Meanwhile, Wes Welker doesn’t know if he wants to return to Denver next season.
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Head coach Jason Garrett and a host of other Dallas coaches’ contracts expire following the season. After a surprise 12-4 campaign and a Wild Card playoff victory, the team understandably wants to keep the staff together for another year. According to Star-Telegram writer Clarence Hill, the Cowboys will not give permission to other teams looking to interview their coaches for non-head coaching positions.
NFL rules stipulate that assistants cannot be denied the opportunity to interview for head coaching vacancies. However, teams are allowed to block interview requests for all other positions. The Cowboys still have the power to reject inquiries until the end of the league year, meaning they have some time to re-sign their soon-to-be free agent staffers. The team plans to spend the next three days working on new contracts for its coaches, starting with Garrett. After him, new deals for Rod Marinelli, Scott Linehan and Bill Callahan are expected to follow.
Bill Belichick defends use of ineligible receivers
During the New England Patriots' 35-31 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, the Pats used a four offensive line formation that included a skill position player placed beside them. The strategy threw the Ravens and aided the drive that saw the Patriots cut Baltimore's lead to 28-21 late in the third quarter. After the game, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh complained that his team wasn't given the proper time to locate the ineligible receivers. When asked about those comments, New England head coach Bill Belichick defended his team's actions, per the Boston Herald.
“I mean, that happens all the time,” Belichick said. “You come in on a punt team, ineligible guys report as eligible. They line up as guards and tackles on the punt team. The center, the center’s numbers in the NFL are eligible players that report ineligible. Then they cover punts. We’ve seen it on offense. We see it particularly a lot on special teams, the kicking game, punting game - not so much on the field goals because you have your linemen protecting there. But I’d say it happens every game on the punt team. You’re allowed to do that.”
The league has stated that the Patriots’ substitutions were legal, so Belichick doesn’t have to go far to defend his team. However, if the Ravens weren’t given the proper time and/or warning, then Harbaugh has a legitimate beef.
Wes Welker unsure if he'll return to Broncos in 2015
While most of the football world is focused on the future plans of Peyton Manning, the Denver Broncos have another veteran unsure of what next season will bring. Wide receiver Wes Welker, who turns 34 in May, has dealt with a number of injuries including multiple concussions. Some have wondered if the veteran wideout will hang up the cleats this offseason. According to Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post, Welker still doesn't know whether he'll return to Denver in 2015.
Welker just completed the final year of the contract he signed with the Broncos in 2013. Even if he decides to continue playing, there’s no guarantee the team will want him back. Welker produced his lowest receiving totals since his rookie year, catching 49 passes for 464 yards. He also averaged a career-low 9.5 yards per catch. If Manning does retire this offseason, there’s little reason for the Broncos to bring back Welker.
Chargers may consider litigation to stop another team from moving to L.A.
For two decades, the second-largest market in the United States has been without an NFL team. Both the Rams and Raiders left Los Angeles in 1995, leaving only the San Diego Chargers in Southern California. Now it appears that the Rams are considering a return amid issues with their current stadium in St. Louis. According to a report by the Sports Business Journal, the Chargers oppose this move and may consider litigation to keep it from happening.
For any team looking to change cities, it needs at least 24 of the 32 owners to approve the move in a vote. However, Pro Football Talk suggests that Rams owner Stan Kroenke could move his team anyway without league support. Should he do that, the Chargers could file suit to prevent the move, echoing the litigation that surrounded the Raiders’ move from Oakland to Los Angeles in the early 1980s. While it’s unclear how the situation will shake out, it seems certain that there will be more drama in the coming months surrounding the NFL’s push to return to Los Angeles.
Jets to interview Sean McDermott for head coach position
For months preceding the end of the 2014 season, it was public knowledge that the Jets planned to fire head coach Rex Ryan. While Ryan has landed on his feet in Buffalo, the Jets still haven't located a replacement. They've interviewed several candidates, including Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Now they plan to sit down with Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano.
McDermott oversaw a Panthers defense that finished strong down the stretch despite missing its best pass rusher in Greg Hardy and playing with a hobbled Star Lotulelei. Accordingly, New York may be interested in discussing how McDermott would improve its less-than-ideal cast of defensive players. While McDermott may not be the favorite to get the Jets job, it only takes one interview to blow away a potential employer.
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