Carolina announced Tyke Tolbert as their new WRs coach this week. Tolbert, formerly of Buffalo, had been there for six years, hired by Mike Mularkey in 2004 and retained by Dick Jauron two years later.
Tolbert also spent a year in Arizona under Dave McGinness. He was involved in the development of Anquan Boldin, who was a rookie Pro Bowler.
In Buffalo, Tolbert helped push Lee Evans to the next level, leading the Bills most seasons and being explosive despite major quarterback issues. Jake Reed, as well, was solid most years there, having caught over 50 footballs in back to back years before being replaced by Terrell Owens.
On the downside, Roscoe Parrish had, at best, mediocre results as a wide receiver. The second round pick was essentially a special teams/return player - he never caught more than 35 balls.
Tolbert was a receiver with LSU before starting his college career at Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe, with one year stops at Florida and Auburn before coming to the NFL.
Tolbert was rumored to have left the Bills to go to LSU before the end of the 2009 season, which cast doubt on my evaluation of him when putting out names for the position. But, being an alum, and given the NFL's labor unrest, I could see a cozy position at a major power at home.
At any rate, what we get is a much younger (42) version of Williamson himself - maybe less gruff and more energetic, but certainly hard working. With hope, he can help fix one of the major problems of the 2009 season.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Just How Bad Was Crossman?
Pretty bad, really.
This article from Panthers.com gives an idea as to how bad. It also gives a solid feel for how much better the last two years' work on the team website has been since the Brett Borden days, but that's a separate topic.
So, quickly, here are the highlights:
*Carolina had not had a blocked punt, kickoff return, or punt return in the five years Crossman was special teams coach.
*Carolina gave up five special teams touchdowns in that same span, and had five punts blocked in that span.
*Carolina ranked 32nd in kickoff return numbers over the same span.
Crossman was a hard-working, dedicated coach who put tons of time into his craft. But it doesn't appear he's any good at it.
With that said, he also just got hired in Detroit.
This article from Panthers.com gives an idea as to how bad. It also gives a solid feel for how much better the last two years' work on the team website has been since the Brett Borden days, but that's a separate topic.
So, quickly, here are the highlights:
*Carolina had not had a blocked punt, kickoff return, or punt return in the five years Crossman was special teams coach.
*Carolina gave up five special teams touchdowns in that same span, and had five punts blocked in that span.
*Carolina ranked 32nd in kickoff return numbers over the same span.
Crossman was a hard-working, dedicated coach who put tons of time into his craft. But it doesn't appear he's any good at it.
With that said, he also just got hired in Detroit.
Monday, January 18, 2010
WRs coach Richard Williamson Out: Replacements?
Longtime WR coach Richard Williamson has retired, the team has announced.
Williamson, an old-school and gruff assistant, has been with the team since its inaugural year. He's as big a staple on this team as John Kasay - the team's first signee - as Williamson himself was hired before first head coach Dom Capers. Williamson's been here through three head coaches, six offensive coordinators (he himself even took a turn at it, in 2000-01, years he was also assistant head coach), and fifteen years.
He's been the team's WR coach, excluding 2000-01, the entire time. Every playoff game, every major achievement. Two Pro Bowlers, the two penultimate receivers in Panthers history, are his benchmark, and you can't think of Steve Smith or Muhsin Muhammad without Williamson.
His history with Alabama, some of the greats of all time, started his legacy - being coached by, and then coaching under, Bear Bryant. Catching passes from Joe Namath as a player. After a few eventful stops in the league, including head coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a few games in 1990, which earned him the 1991 season before being the next in a long line of fired coaches under bad management.
Now that such a huge hole has opened, the next step is replacing him.
And there's not a lot there to use. Of the assistants not retained:
*Tyke Tolbert (Buffalo) - solid run with the Bills, but raised heads when he almost left for LSU mid-season
*Robert Prince (Seattle) - first year assistant coach, who was a third-tier (assistant WR coach) guy in Jacksonville
*Stan Hoke (Washington) - six years in Washington, without a lot to show for it
The team could pull a college Offensive Coordinator or WRs coach, but the results and options vary - you're pulling from a group of hundreds hoping you find a gem waiting for the jump to the pros in a bad market.
A far-outside shot might be from two guys in the team's past - James Lofton or Gil Haskell.
Haskell, offensive coordinator in 1998-99, was a WRs coach before that with Green Bay; he wasn't fired by the team, but he was allowed to leave and he's seemed to wait for Mike Holmgren to come back. Since he may not, if he's willing, we probably would be, too.
Lofton, a Hall of Fame receiver, was a favorite of the team's, using him as a color commentator on preseason games for years. He was a receivers coach with the Chargers 2002-2007, coaches with the Raiders' trainwreck in 2008, and went back to broadcasting in 2009. He has ties to the team, has received head coaching mentions in the past, and is experienced (with winning teams).
Williamson, an old-school and gruff assistant, has been with the team since its inaugural year. He's as big a staple on this team as John Kasay - the team's first signee - as Williamson himself was hired before first head coach Dom Capers. Williamson's been here through three head coaches, six offensive coordinators (he himself even took a turn at it, in 2000-01, years he was also assistant head coach), and fifteen years.
He's been the team's WR coach, excluding 2000-01, the entire time. Every playoff game, every major achievement. Two Pro Bowlers, the two penultimate receivers in Panthers history, are his benchmark, and you can't think of Steve Smith or Muhsin Muhammad without Williamson.
His history with Alabama, some of the greats of all time, started his legacy - being coached by, and then coaching under, Bear Bryant. Catching passes from Joe Namath as a player. After a few eventful stops in the league, including head coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a few games in 1990, which earned him the 1991 season before being the next in a long line of fired coaches under bad management.
Now that such a huge hole has opened, the next step is replacing him.
And there's not a lot there to use. Of the assistants not retained:
*Tyke Tolbert (Buffalo) - solid run with the Bills, but raised heads when he almost left for LSU mid-season
*Robert Prince (Seattle) - first year assistant coach, who was a third-tier (assistant WR coach) guy in Jacksonville
*Stan Hoke (Washington) - six years in Washington, without a lot to show for it
The team could pull a college Offensive Coordinator or WRs coach, but the results and options vary - you're pulling from a group of hundreds hoping you find a gem waiting for the jump to the pros in a bad market.
A far-outside shot might be from two guys in the team's past - James Lofton or Gil Haskell.
Haskell, offensive coordinator in 1998-99, was a WRs coach before that with Green Bay; he wasn't fired by the team, but he was allowed to leave and he's seemed to wait for Mike Holmgren to come back. Since he may not, if he's willing, we probably would be, too.
Lofton, a Hall of Fame receiver, was a favorite of the team's, using him as a color commentator on preseason games for years. He was a receivers coach with the Chargers 2002-2007, coaches with the Raiders' trainwreck in 2008, and went back to broadcasting in 2009. He has ties to the team, has received head coaching mentions in the past, and is experienced (with winning teams).
Friday, January 15, 2010
Danny Crossman Fired: Bobby April Unavailable
This Thursday was bittersweet for Panthers fans, and John Fox alike, as Danny Crossman will not be retained.
For Fox, it meant firing a former All-American fullback and safety under him, and a long-time coach. Crossman was around since 2003, over which time we've had change at every position other than RB coach and WR coach (and of course, Fox himself).
For fans, it wasn't bittersweet Crossman himself was let go. They, including myself, had been asking for such a thing for years. The relative unhappiness was over the intended successor - Bobby April - who had signed quietly with Philadelphia the same day. Philadelphia didn't even have an opening until after they signed April, so it was a very shrewd move for the Eagles.
So, with the relative joy that comes from the firing of one of the worst coaches on staff (to be fair, his college cred was very respectable), comes with the problem of replacing him with better.
Immediate names brought up by the media were also-rans:
*Al Everest, who was roundly dressed-down by the somewhat unstable Mike Singletary
*Joe Avezzano, the Christopher Lloyd-looking wild man notably of Dallas' past, who never really seems to coach but sure does look like he has fun yelling
*Bob Ligashesky, who got fired in Pittsburgh this year (honestly, he did have good units at a time)
*Ted Daischer, the guy good enough to get fired for Bobby April
Darin Gantt did suggest a very possible hire: Larry McDuff. He coached with Fox/Skipper in New York, and he was with the UFL last year.
My top two?
Danny Smith, late of Washington, and Bruce Dehaven. Smith has typically had very good coverage units; Dehaven was a long-time Bills assistant scapegoated for the Music City Miracle. Either would be a major upgrade.
For Fox, it meant firing a former All-American fullback and safety under him, and a long-time coach. Crossman was around since 2003, over which time we've had change at every position other than RB coach and WR coach (and of course, Fox himself).
For fans, it wasn't bittersweet Crossman himself was let go. They, including myself, had been asking for such a thing for years. The relative unhappiness was over the intended successor - Bobby April - who had signed quietly with Philadelphia the same day. Philadelphia didn't even have an opening until after they signed April, so it was a very shrewd move for the Eagles.
So, with the relative joy that comes from the firing of one of the worst coaches on staff (to be fair, his college cred was very respectable), comes with the problem of replacing him with better.
Immediate names brought up by the media were also-rans:
*Al Everest, who was roundly dressed-down by the somewhat unstable Mike Singletary
*Joe Avezzano, the Christopher Lloyd-looking wild man notably of Dallas' past, who never really seems to coach but sure does look like he has fun yelling
*Bob Ligashesky, who got fired in Pittsburgh this year (honestly, he did have good units at a time)
*Ted Daischer, the guy good enough to get fired for Bobby April
Darin Gantt did suggest a very possible hire: Larry McDuff. He coached with Fox/Skipper in New York, and he was with the UFL last year.
My top two?
Danny Smith, late of Washington, and Bruce Dehaven. Smith has typically had very good coverage units; Dehaven was a long-time Bills assistant scapegoated for the Music City Miracle. Either would be a major upgrade.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Scherer Staying
Rip Scherer has decided to stay on staff with the Carolina Panthers.
Scherer had interviewed with the University of Virginia as their offensive coordinator last week, having been their only candidate. He was offered the position, prompting the eventual decline from Scherer today.
Assumedly, that would leave the entire Panthers coaching staff intact for 2010, barring any surprises.
Scherer had interviewed with the University of Virginia as their offensive coordinator last week, having been their only candidate. He was offered the position, prompting the eventual decline from Scherer today.
Assumedly, that would leave the entire Panthers coaching staff intact for 2010, barring any surprises.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Scherer Out? Browns' Coaches Staying
Mike Holmgren has stated the entirety of the Browns coaching staff is staying; any convoluted rumors about John Fox being traded away would be ended by that statement.
Jim Mora was fired not long after, leaving a hole in the Seahawks staff; Seattle didn't waste much time, immediately reaching out to USC head coach Pete Carroll, who should be a good fit provided he has the ability to go get a quarterback. The only other job available is the Bills' job, not considered a serious threat to steal Fox away.
So that leaves the Carolina coaching staff essentially untouched, with one possible exception.
Rip Scherer, quarterbacks coach, interviewed and is being offered the offensive coordinator position at the University of Virginia. Scherer wouldn't talk to press, and appeared to be the top candidate before being offered the position; there's no timeline for his decision.
If he leaves, there aren't a lot of options - the team has internal candidate Geep Chryst, the Princeton-educated father of modern statistical analysis in football, who had been a QBs coach and offensive coordinator at the pro level for many years. He's currently the tight ends coach, where the unit has seen three solid years of production.
Other than that, the available coaches are sparse. Turk Schonert was Carolina's QBs coach in 2001, the disastrous year with Chris Weinke and 15 losses in a row. He was fired in September of this year as OC of the Bills. Alex Van Pelt, who was the QBs coach (and then OC when Schonert was fired), is availalble. Neither are shining candidates.
In Seattle, the remaining staff has the ability to stay at this time, so Greg Knapp may return and is likely either a coordinator or QBs coach somewhere. Bill Lazor, the QBs coach, is inexperienced. Washington hasn't employed a QBs coach.
With that in hand, if Scherer did leave, Chryst is the best candidate, and finding a former OL coach to be the TEs coach wouldn't be difficult.
Without exceptional security, some Panthers' coaches did leave last year, including the guy Scherer replaced, Mike McCoy (though it was for a promotion). Some coaches are looking into college jobs, where there definitely won't be work stoppage - the lack of job security, including Fox himself, stems from owner Jerry Richardson's concerns about labor uncertainty. Everyone's under contract through 2010, but not longer.
Jim Skipper typically gets head coach mentions from the college level around this time of year as well. Fans' hopes that Danny Crossman will be hit by space debris have only a moderate chance of happening.
Jim Mora was fired not long after, leaving a hole in the Seahawks staff; Seattle didn't waste much time, immediately reaching out to USC head coach Pete Carroll, who should be a good fit provided he has the ability to go get a quarterback. The only other job available is the Bills' job, not considered a serious threat to steal Fox away.
So that leaves the Carolina coaching staff essentially untouched, with one possible exception.
Rip Scherer, quarterbacks coach, interviewed and is being offered the offensive coordinator position at the University of Virginia. Scherer wouldn't talk to press, and appeared to be the top candidate before being offered the position; there's no timeline for his decision.
If he leaves, there aren't a lot of options - the team has internal candidate Geep Chryst, the Princeton-educated father of modern statistical analysis in football, who had been a QBs coach and offensive coordinator at the pro level for many years. He's currently the tight ends coach, where the unit has seen three solid years of production.
Other than that, the available coaches are sparse. Turk Schonert was Carolina's QBs coach in 2001, the disastrous year with Chris Weinke and 15 losses in a row. He was fired in September of this year as OC of the Bills. Alex Van Pelt, who was the QBs coach (and then OC when Schonert was fired), is availalble. Neither are shining candidates.
In Seattle, the remaining staff has the ability to stay at this time, so Greg Knapp may return and is likely either a coordinator or QBs coach somewhere. Bill Lazor, the QBs coach, is inexperienced. Washington hasn't employed a QBs coach.
With that in hand, if Scherer did leave, Chryst is the best candidate, and finding a former OL coach to be the TEs coach wouldn't be difficult.
Without exceptional security, some Panthers' coaches did leave last year, including the guy Scherer replaced, Mike McCoy (though it was for a promotion). Some coaches are looking into college jobs, where there definitely won't be work stoppage - the lack of job security, including Fox himself, stems from owner Jerry Richardson's concerns about labor uncertainty. Everyone's under contract through 2010, but not longer.
Jim Skipper typically gets head coach mentions from the college level around this time of year as well. Fans' hopes that Danny Crossman will be hit by space debris have only a moderate chance of happening.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Cleveland Rumor; Coaches Drying Up
A few sources (or, more likely, one source) have John Fox being looked at as a possible choice in Cleveland.
For that to happen, Fox would have to want out (he stated on Panthertalk Radio that he looked forward to being here, his only real statement). Cleveland would have to give up compensation, as well.
Mike Holmgren doesn't seem to fit well with Fox, either. At best, the "rumor" stated that Fox would run the defense, and as vice president, Holmgren would "have significant say with the offense."
So, far fetched at best.
In the meantime, other coaches are falling in line and it's only day two of the process. Mike Shanahan's already in Washington, and if Carolina doesn't lose Fox, the only current opening is Buffalo. With Bill Cowher suddenly deciding he likely won't coach in 2010, there aren't a lot of opportunities.
Out of that Buffalo firing, STs coach Bobby April and DC Perry Fewell are solid options for teams looking. As well, it's been noted here many times that Charlie Weis is looking for a team - he looks to have received an offer from Kansas City but may also end up in Chicago.
For that to happen, Fox would have to want out (he stated on Panthertalk Radio that he looked forward to being here, his only real statement). Cleveland would have to give up compensation, as well.
Mike Holmgren doesn't seem to fit well with Fox, either. At best, the "rumor" stated that Fox would run the defense, and as vice president, Holmgren would "have significant say with the offense."
So, far fetched at best.
In the meantime, other coaches are falling in line and it's only day two of the process. Mike Shanahan's already in Washington, and if Carolina doesn't lose Fox, the only current opening is Buffalo. With Bill Cowher suddenly deciding he likely won't coach in 2010, there aren't a lot of opportunities.
Out of that Buffalo firing, STs coach Bobby April and DC Perry Fewell are solid options for teams looking. As well, it's been noted here many times that Charlie Weis is looking for a team - he looks to have received an offer from Kansas City but may also end up in Chicago.
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