The story on Saturday was less about who was named to the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, and more about who wasn't.
Cris Carter, Shannon Sharpe, and former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue were the biggest names who didn't make the class of six to be enshrined in Canton on August 8th.
Those who were - Vikings offensive lineman Randall McDaniel, Bills defensive end Bruce Smith, Chiefs pass rusher Derrick Thomas, Bills owner Ralph Wilson, Jr., and Steelers/Ravens defensive back Rod Woodson and senior committee inductee and Cowboys wide receiver "Bullet" Bob Hayes - are difficult to argue with in terms of their candidacy.
But the fact that Sharpe, who was eliminated from contention when the field was reduced from 10 to 5, was perhaps the most head-scratching omission of the bunch. Sharpe, who retired with 815 receptions, 10,060 yards, and 62 touchdowns - all-time bests for a tight end at the time of his retirement - won three Super Bowls as a member of the Broncos and Ravens, and arguably changed the position to the high-profile part of the offense that it is today. If Sharpe isn't a first-ballot Hall of Famer, then no tight end ever should be.
Then there's Carter, who was passed over for the second straight year, and, like Sharpe, eliminated when the field was reduced from 10 to 5. Carter retired with 1,101 catches, 13,899 yards, and 130 touchdowns in a 16-year career spent with the Eagles (1987-89), Vikings (1990-2001), and Dolphins (2002), and was named to eight straight Pro Bowls from 1993 through 2000. He continues to rank third on the league's all-time receptions list, fourth in touchdown catches, and seventh in receiving yards.
In addition to Sharpe, Carter, and Tagliabue, the following candidates were not named to the class: Steelers center Dermontti Dawson, Bears defensive end Richard Dent, Redskins o-lineman Russ Grimm, Falcons defensive end Claude Humphrey, Seahawks defensive end Cortez Kennedy, Dolphins tackle Bob Kuechenberg, Vikings tackle John Randle, and Bills receiver Andre Reed. Of that group, Dent, Grimm, and Randle made the cut from 15 to 10 but not 10 to 5.
On a happier note, the great Chiefs pass rusher Derrick Thomas, who died as the result of a car accident in 2000, was finally named to the Hall of Fame in his fourth attempt. Thomas, a nine-time Pro Bowler, posted 126.5 sacks, 41 forced fumbles, and 19 fumble recoveries in just 11 seasons as a pro.
Perhaps the most-debated inductee will be Woodson, who played 17 seasons with the Steelers (1987-96), 49ers (1997), Ravens (1998-2001), and Raiders (2002-03), winning a Super Bowl with Baltimore and playing in two more with Pittsburgh and Oakland. Woodson finished third all-time with 71 interceptions, but was repeatedly dismissed by wide receiver Michael Irvin as "soft" in a radio interview with ESPN Radio 1250 in Pittsburgh earlier in the week.
Should be interesting when Woodson and Irvin share the Hall of Fame stage on August 8th in Canton.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Radio Row fracas!
At about 2:00 this afternoon, just after I had finished a radio segment for WNST in Baltimore back at my Tampa hotel, Sports Network MLB editor Chris Ruddick texted me to see if I had heard anything about the fight that occurred on "Radio Row" this morning. Though I was apparently mere feet from Radio Row when the incident occurred, I knew absolutely nothing about it, and pressed for any details Ruddick had.
Strangely enough, the incident involved WNST owner and sometimes-radio personality Nestor Aparicio, who reportedly choked Dallas radio personality Gordon Keith in what we'll hope is the culmination of an ongoing battle between the two.
The police were called, and a source at WNST told me that Aparicio was charged with battery, though not arrested.
Not real sure what the feud is all about, but I can tell you that mere minutes before the incident reportedly took place, at 8:45am, I was talking to Aparicio on the shuttle ride that departed at 8:30am from our hotel to the Super Bowl XLIII media center. Aparicio told me that he and his wife went to see The Eagles at the St. Pete Forum last night, and he told me he was tired after staying up too late after the show. Perhaps he encountered Keith before his morning Starbucks kicked in.
Bizarre.
Strangely enough, the incident involved WNST owner and sometimes-radio personality Nestor Aparicio, who reportedly choked Dallas radio personality Gordon Keith in what we'll hope is the culmination of an ongoing battle between the two.
The police were called, and a source at WNST told me that Aparicio was charged with battery, though not arrested.
Not real sure what the feud is all about, but I can tell you that mere minutes before the incident reportedly took place, at 8:45am, I was talking to Aparicio on the shuttle ride that departed at 8:30am from our hotel to the Super Bowl XLIII media center. Aparicio told me that he and his wife went to see The Eagles at the St. Pete Forum last night, and he told me he was tired after staying up too late after the show. Perhaps he encountered Keith before his morning Starbucks kicked in.
Bizarre.
Friday SB XLIII highlights
In reverse order, here are some highlights of Friday's spate of press conferences surrounding Super Bowl XLIII, here in (suddenly chilly) Tampa.
Commissioner Roger Goodell held a press conference before a packed room of media and various NFL luminaries, adressing a variety of topics including the state of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the player's union, the league's current approach to international play, and the possibility of changes to the overtime rules.
Goodell's tack on the CBA issue does not bode particularly well for negotiations, though we have been down this road before. The commissioner characterized the study released yesterday by the NFLPA and conducted by the independent group Chicago Partners, titled "The Economics of NFL Team Ownership," as "fiction." Specifically, Goodell took issue with the study's analysis that NFL teams make an average annual profit of more than $24 million each, though he also didn't volunteer to open up the books to reveal where those inaccuracies might lie. Essentially, Goodell is getting behind the owners who are crying poor, which is what commissioners - who work at the behest of the owners - always do. Stay tuned for a showdown.
The NFL Man of the Year finalists held a press conference, with Vikings center Matt Birk, Eagles safety Brian Dawkins, and Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner - represented by wife Brenda - all facing the media to discuss their thoughts on being named finalists for the award, which honors charitable works within the community. The winner of the award will be named on NBC on Sunday, prior to the start of Super Bowl XLIII.
The day began with press conferences from head coaches Ken Whisenhunt and Mike Tomlin, who - as expected - played it relatively close to the vest. Whisenhunt discussed the fact that the crowd at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday will be decidedly pro-Steelers.
"I don't think that we're under any illusion that there's going to be a number of Steelers fans here. I've seen that. I've experienced it on the other side. I know what kind of group of fans that that is. I know how they travel. We're preparing with that thought in mind. It's not going to be a lot different for us (than) going into Carolina like we did. I don't know if it's going to be that hostile, if there's going to be that many fans, but ... we've been able to do that once in the playoffs. We have gone into a situation where there's been a lot more fans than our fans there, where it was a little bit noisy, but we were able to still keep our focus. That's something that this team hasn't always been able to do. So I feel comfortable in the fact that we're prepared, that we know what it's going to be like. We're ready to handle that."
Tomlin, in a new revelation (at least to me), discussed the one-time possibility that he would leave coaching to attend law school.
"It is true. Like a lot of other young people, I considered things that other people thought were appropriate for me as opposed to what I thought was appropriate for me. I knew right away that coaching was something that I was meant to do – something that I wanted to do. But, I didn’t give some consideration to law school. It didn’t require much bribing from [then-Memphis] coach [Rip] Scherer to pull me in that direction. As a consolation prize, I could tell my parents that I was going to graduate school...It was just on the radar. It was something, again, that I thought I was supposed to do. Maybe the people that were around me and the people that were influential in my life wanted to see me do great things, my mother being central in that. But I think in hindsight, she likes what I’m doing right now.”
Tomlin also talked about the injury status of Ben Roethlisberger (back) and Hines Ward (knee).
"Ben is fine, he is going to play. Hines looked pretty good yesterday. We will see where he is at today and continue to push forward towards Sunday. As for the mentality regarding Hines, it has not changed. He is intent on playing in the football game. I have been here with this guy before under these circumstances through the injury he had to deal with last year in the playoffs. It was questionable whether he could perform in the game. We didn’t win the game, but he went out and played great football. I have a level of expectation for him to deal with this situation. It is not going to be an excuse for us, it is not an excuse for him, and I really expect him to be Hines Ward on Sunday.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell held a press conference before a packed room of media and various NFL luminaries, adressing a variety of topics including the state of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the player's union, the league's current approach to international play, and the possibility of changes to the overtime rules.
Goodell's tack on the CBA issue does not bode particularly well for negotiations, though we have been down this road before. The commissioner characterized the study released yesterday by the NFLPA and conducted by the independent group Chicago Partners, titled "The Economics of NFL Team Ownership," as "fiction." Specifically, Goodell took issue with the study's analysis that NFL teams make an average annual profit of more than $24 million each, though he also didn't volunteer to open up the books to reveal where those inaccuracies might lie. Essentially, Goodell is getting behind the owners who are crying poor, which is what commissioners - who work at the behest of the owners - always do. Stay tuned for a showdown.
The NFL Man of the Year finalists held a press conference, with Vikings center Matt Birk, Eagles safety Brian Dawkins, and Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner - represented by wife Brenda - all facing the media to discuss their thoughts on being named finalists for the award, which honors charitable works within the community. The winner of the award will be named on NBC on Sunday, prior to the start of Super Bowl XLIII.
The day began with press conferences from head coaches Ken Whisenhunt and Mike Tomlin, who - as expected - played it relatively close to the vest. Whisenhunt discussed the fact that the crowd at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday will be decidedly pro-Steelers.
"I don't think that we're under any illusion that there's going to be a number of Steelers fans here. I've seen that. I've experienced it on the other side. I know what kind of group of fans that that is. I know how they travel. We're preparing with that thought in mind. It's not going to be a lot different for us (than) going into Carolina like we did. I don't know if it's going to be that hostile, if there's going to be that many fans, but ... we've been able to do that once in the playoffs. We have gone into a situation where there's been a lot more fans than our fans there, where it was a little bit noisy, but we were able to still keep our focus. That's something that this team hasn't always been able to do. So I feel comfortable in the fact that we're prepared, that we know what it's going to be like. We're ready to handle that."
Tomlin, in a new revelation (at least to me), discussed the one-time possibility that he would leave coaching to attend law school.
"It is true. Like a lot of other young people, I considered things that other people thought were appropriate for me as opposed to what I thought was appropriate for me. I knew right away that coaching was something that I was meant to do – something that I wanted to do. But, I didn’t give some consideration to law school. It didn’t require much bribing from [then-Memphis] coach [Rip] Scherer to pull me in that direction. As a consolation prize, I could tell my parents that I was going to graduate school...It was just on the radar. It was something, again, that I thought I was supposed to do. Maybe the people that were around me and the people that were influential in my life wanted to see me do great things, my mother being central in that. But I think in hindsight, she likes what I’m doing right now.”
Tomlin also talked about the injury status of Ben Roethlisberger (back) and Hines Ward (knee).
"Ben is fine, he is going to play. Hines looked pretty good yesterday. We will see where he is at today and continue to push forward towards Sunday. As for the mentality regarding Hines, it has not changed. He is intent on playing in the football game. I have been here with this guy before under these circumstances through the injury he had to deal with last year in the playoffs. It was questionable whether he could perform in the game. We didn’t win the game, but he went out and played great football. I have a level of expectation for him to deal with this situation. It is not going to be an excuse for us, it is not an excuse for him, and I really expect him to be Hines Ward on Sunday.”
Thursday, January 29, 2009
more press conferences
We know many of you don't care about the vagaries of labor strife, but the possibility of an impending lockout, and the possible elimination of the salary cap in 2010, made today's NFLPA press conference a must-attend for those of us who cover the league.
In a word, the first NFLPA presser since the sudden death of former Union leader Gene Upshaw this past August was something of a disappointment.
NFLPA president Kevin Mawae and acting executive director Richard Berthelsen failed to say much of consequence, other than to reiterate their long-standing points that the current collective bargaining agreement is fair to the players, that the union does plenty to compensate retired players, and that the union is working to elect a new Executive Director to succeed Upshaw on a full-time basis. Nothing we didn't know on any of those fronts. Former players Trace Armstrong and Troy Vincent are the top remaining candidates for Upshaw's former position.
One element of note was a study distributed by the NFLPA showing the (high) profitability of each NFL franchise. Once we have time to parse some of these facts and account for spin, we'll fill you in on some of the highlights of the study.
The NFLPA press conference overlapped with the end of the (much better attended) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band press conference, which was, according to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, Bruce's first full-fledged press conference since 1987.
Bruce's presser was not especially noteworthy either, although he did reveal that he last played football in his Freehold, NJ back yard in the summer of 1958.
Also, E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren, a resident of Scottsdale, AZ, is a Cardinals fan.
Otherwise, not too many of the inane, cringe-worthy questions that are generally asked of the Super Bowls halftime performers.
Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time for me to ask obscure questions about outtakes from the Tunnel of Love album.
My guess at the Bruce setlist for Sunday: 1) Born to Run 2) My Lucky Day (new song) 3) Glory Days...if he has time to play a fourth, I'm calling either "Badlands" or "Hungry Heart."
In a word, the first NFLPA presser since the sudden death of former Union leader Gene Upshaw this past August was something of a disappointment.
NFLPA president Kevin Mawae and acting executive director Richard Berthelsen failed to say much of consequence, other than to reiterate their long-standing points that the current collective bargaining agreement is fair to the players, that the union does plenty to compensate retired players, and that the union is working to elect a new Executive Director to succeed Upshaw on a full-time basis. Nothing we didn't know on any of those fronts. Former players Trace Armstrong and Troy Vincent are the top remaining candidates for Upshaw's former position.
One element of note was a study distributed by the NFLPA showing the (high) profitability of each NFL franchise. Once we have time to parse some of these facts and account for spin, we'll fill you in on some of the highlights of the study.
The NFLPA press conference overlapped with the end of the (much better attended) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band press conference, which was, according to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, Bruce's first full-fledged press conference since 1987.
Bruce's presser was not especially noteworthy either, although he did reveal that he last played football in his Freehold, NJ back yard in the summer of 1958.
Also, E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren, a resident of Scottsdale, AZ, is a Cardinals fan.
Otherwise, not too many of the inane, cringe-worthy questions that are generally asked of the Super Bowls halftime performers.
Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time for me to ask obscure questions about outtakes from the Tunnel of Love album.
My guess at the Bruce setlist for Sunday: 1) Born to Run 2) My Lucky Day (new song) 3) Glory Days...if he has time to play a fourth, I'm calling either "Badlands" or "Hungry Heart."
Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Year
Greetings from Tampa, where it's 73 degrees and sunny today. Sorry to my friends from the Northeast.
Just covered the Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Year press conference, won by Joe Flacco of the Ravens ahead of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (who won the more credible Associated Press Rookie of the Year honor), and three running backs - the Titans' Chris Johnson, Texans' Steve Slaton, and Bears' Matt Forte'.
The main difference between the AP honor and Diet Pepsi honor is that the former is voted on by writers, the latter by fans. Also, voting was open through the Championship round of the playoffs, as opposed to the AP Award, which is impacted by regular season performance only.
The fact that Flacco was to win the honor was a poorly-kept secret, as scout.com's Adam Caplan had reported on Tuesday, citing a league source, that the Ravens signal-caller was to win it.
We don't have a major problem with Flacco winning the award, since his two playoff wins (as opposed to zero for all of the other candidates) deservedly carried some weight. But Ryan had better numbers, a less talented supporting cast, and arguably more pressure given his status as the No. 3 overall pick for a team that had endured the Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino controversies.
And for the record, we rate the three rookie running backs up for the honor this way: 1) Johnson, 2) Slaton, 3) Forte'.
Just covered the Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Year press conference, won by Joe Flacco of the Ravens ahead of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (who won the more credible Associated Press Rookie of the Year honor), and three running backs - the Titans' Chris Johnson, Texans' Steve Slaton, and Bears' Matt Forte'.
The main difference between the AP honor and Diet Pepsi honor is that the former is voted on by writers, the latter by fans. Also, voting was open through the Championship round of the playoffs, as opposed to the AP Award, which is impacted by regular season performance only.
The fact that Flacco was to win the honor was a poorly-kept secret, as scout.com's Adam Caplan had reported on Tuesday, citing a league source, that the Ravens signal-caller was to win it.
We don't have a major problem with Flacco winning the award, since his two playoff wins (as opposed to zero for all of the other candidates) deservedly carried some weight. But Ryan had better numbers, a less talented supporting cast, and arguably more pressure given his status as the No. 3 overall pick for a team that had endured the Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino controversies.
And for the record, we rate the three rookie running backs up for the honor this way: 1) Johnson, 2) Slaton, 3) Forte'.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Curse of the Dethroners?
Surprised that the Arizona Cardinals were able to knock off the Philadelphia Eagles in yesterday's NFC Championship game? Well, recent history says you shouldn't be.
Since the 1985 season, 10 teams have defeated the defending Super Bowl champion in either the Wild Card or Divisional round of the following year's playoffs, and all ten have gone on to lose the following week. The Eagles became the latest victim of that wild trend on Sunday, falling to the Cards one week after overtaking the reigning world champion Giants.
For those interested, here's the breakdown:
1984 49ers lost to Giants ('85 NFC W/C) -- Giants then lost to Bears (NFC Div.)
1985 Bears lost to Redskins ('86 NFC Div.) -- Redskins then lost to Giants (NFC Champ.)
1991 Redskins lost to 49ers ('92 NFC Div.) -- 49ers then lost to Cowboys (NFC Champ.)
1994 49ers lost to Packers ('95 NFC Div.) -- Packers then lost to Cowboys (NFC Champ.)
1995 Cowboys lost to Panthers ('96 NFC Div.) -- Panthers then lost to Packers (NFC Champ.)
1999 Rams lost to Saints ('00 NFC W/C) -- Saints then lost to Vikings (NFC Div.)
2000 Ravens lost to Steelers ('01 AFC Div.) -- Steelers then lost to Patriots (AFC Champ.)
2004 Patriots lost to Broncos ('05 AFC Div.) -- Broncos then lost to Steelers (AFC Champ.)
2006 Colts lost to Chargers ('07 AFC Div.) -- Chargers then lost to Patriots (AFC Champ.)
2007 Giants lost to Eagles ('08 NFC Div.) -- Eagles then lost to Cardinals (NFC Champ.)
By the way, of those nine teams who defeated the club that beat the previous year's world champion, seven of them went on to win the Super Bowl (although last year's Patriots failed to do so).
Since the 1985 season, 10 teams have defeated the defending Super Bowl champion in either the Wild Card or Divisional round of the following year's playoffs, and all ten have gone on to lose the following week. The Eagles became the latest victim of that wild trend on Sunday, falling to the Cards one week after overtaking the reigning world champion Giants.
For those interested, here's the breakdown:
1984 49ers lost to Giants ('85 NFC W/C) -- Giants then lost to Bears (NFC Div.)
1985 Bears lost to Redskins ('86 NFC Div.) -- Redskins then lost to Giants (NFC Champ.)
1991 Redskins lost to 49ers ('92 NFC Div.) -- 49ers then lost to Cowboys (NFC Champ.)
1994 49ers lost to Packers ('95 NFC Div.) -- Packers then lost to Cowboys (NFC Champ.)
1995 Cowboys lost to Panthers ('96 NFC Div.) -- Panthers then lost to Packers (NFC Champ.)
1999 Rams lost to Saints ('00 NFC W/C) -- Saints then lost to Vikings (NFC Div.)
2000 Ravens lost to Steelers ('01 AFC Div.) -- Steelers then lost to Patriots (AFC Champ.)
2004 Patriots lost to Broncos ('05 AFC Div.) -- Broncos then lost to Steelers (AFC Champ.)
2006 Colts lost to Chargers ('07 AFC Div.) -- Chargers then lost to Patriots (AFC Champ.)
2007 Giants lost to Eagles ('08 NFC Div.) -- Eagles then lost to Cardinals (NFC Champ.)
By the way, of those nine teams who defeated the club that beat the previous year's world champion, seven of them went on to win the Super Bowl (although last year's Patriots failed to do so).
Friday, January 9, 2009
Coaching Updates
Here's a rundown on what the teams currently in need of a head coach have been up to recently. As most of you already know, the Cleveland Browns filled their vacancy with Thursday's hiring of ex-Jets sideline boss Eric Mangini. At the moment, that leaves five teams still on the job hunt.
*There seem to be strong indications in Oakland that interim coach Tom Cable will soon become Al Davis' whipping boy on a permanent basis. The Contra Costa Times reported that Cable and Davis had a four-hour meeting on Wednesday, presumably to construct next year's coaching staff and discuss a replacement for departed defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who's off to join Mangini in Cleveland. The Raiders are set to talk with Packers assistant Winston Moss in the coming days for the head coaching spot, but it's speculated that the interview may be only to satisfy the Rooney Rule.
*As for Mangini's old job with the Jets, there seems to be no clear front-runner with Bill Cowher taking himself out of the mix. The team has interviewed Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Cardinals assistant Russ Grimm, ex-Boston College head man Jeff Jagodzinski (who, as you may have heard, lost his job for meeting with the Jets) and two holdovers from Mangini's staff, Brian Schottenheimer and Bill Callahan. Newsday has reported that Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks will be brought in on Friday, and the club also has Ravens DC Rex Ryan (Rob's brother) high on its wish list.
*In Denver, The Rocky Mountain News wrote on Thursday that Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, a University of Oklahoma graduate, may target Bob Stoops as a potential successor to Mike Shanahan, although there are no signs that the Sooners head coach has any interest. New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels seems to be the early leader in the clubhouse to replace Shanahan, with Spagnuolo, Bucs defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, Vikings DC Lezlie Frazier and Dolphins assistant Todd Bowles also under consideration.
*The Detroit Lions seem to be zeroing in on Garrett, Frazier and Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to be the guy who hopefully reverses the woe-be-gotten team's recent fortunes, according to the Detroit Free-Press. Schwartz has already been asked to come back for a second interview, while Garrett -- a former NFL quarterback and QB coach -- makes sense for for a team that could be very well drafting a signal-caller with the No. 1 overall pick this April. Bowles and Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray, both ex-teammates of GM Martin Mayhew, have also interviewed.
*Finally, an interesting name has popped up in the St. Louis Rams' coaching search. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Thursday that Mike Martz, the team's head man from 2000-05 who guided "The Greatest Show on Turf" to Super Bowl XXXVI, has an interest in re-joining the franchise as offensive coordinator if interim head coach Jim Haslett is retained. Martz was recently let go as the OC in San Francisco after just one season. The Rams also interviewed former Giants head coach Jim Fassel on Thursday and are set to meet with McDaniels and Rex Ryan in the coming days.
*There seem to be strong indications in Oakland that interim coach Tom Cable will soon become Al Davis' whipping boy on a permanent basis. The Contra Costa Times reported that Cable and Davis had a four-hour meeting on Wednesday, presumably to construct next year's coaching staff and discuss a replacement for departed defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who's off to join Mangini in Cleveland. The Raiders are set to talk with Packers assistant Winston Moss in the coming days for the head coaching spot, but it's speculated that the interview may be only to satisfy the Rooney Rule.
*As for Mangini's old job with the Jets, there seems to be no clear front-runner with Bill Cowher taking himself out of the mix. The team has interviewed Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Cardinals assistant Russ Grimm, ex-Boston College head man Jeff Jagodzinski (who, as you may have heard, lost his job for meeting with the Jets) and two holdovers from Mangini's staff, Brian Schottenheimer and Bill Callahan. Newsday has reported that Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks will be brought in on Friday, and the club also has Ravens DC Rex Ryan (Rob's brother) high on its wish list.
*In Denver, The Rocky Mountain News wrote on Thursday that Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, a University of Oklahoma graduate, may target Bob Stoops as a potential successor to Mike Shanahan, although there are no signs that the Sooners head coach has any interest. New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels seems to be the early leader in the clubhouse to replace Shanahan, with Spagnuolo, Bucs defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, Vikings DC Lezlie Frazier and Dolphins assistant Todd Bowles also under consideration.
*The Detroit Lions seem to be zeroing in on Garrett, Frazier and Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to be the guy who hopefully reverses the woe-be-gotten team's recent fortunes, according to the Detroit Free-Press. Schwartz has already been asked to come back for a second interview, while Garrett -- a former NFL quarterback and QB coach -- makes sense for for a team that could be very well drafting a signal-caller with the No. 1 overall pick this April. Bowles and Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray, both ex-teammates of GM Martin Mayhew, have also interviewed.
*Finally, an interesting name has popped up in the St. Louis Rams' coaching search. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Thursday that Mike Martz, the team's head man from 2000-05 who guided "The Greatest Show on Turf" to Super Bowl XXXVI, has an interest in re-joining the franchise as offensive coordinator if interim head coach Jim Haslett is retained. Martz was recently let go as the OC in San Francisco after just one season. The Rams also interviewed former Giants head coach Jim Fassel on Thursday and are set to meet with McDaniels and Rex Ryan in the coming days.
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