Monday Notes: Lions Interview Gray; Billick Contacted?

by Sean Yuille on Jan 5, 2009 1:16 AM EST in Notes Comment 4 comments

Lions quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler may be hired by the University of Florida sometime after the Gators' national title game on Thursday. Loeffler worked for Michigan before joining the Lions this past season, and there was a report last month that he might end up heading to the University of Washington. He definitely seems to want to be in college, so this doesn't come as a big surprise.
Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray was interviewed by the Lions on Friday and said he was "surprised" to get an interview. I don't really think Gray will end up getting hired by the Lions, but the Washington Post's Jason La Canfora brings up a good point that Gray could potentially become the Lions' defensive coordinator after a coach is hired. Just because he may not get the head coaching job doesn't mean he would not be considered for the defensive coordinator position.
Despite multiple reports that the Lions have contacted former Ravens coach Brian Billick, Tom Kowalski maintains that the Lions have done no such thing. I'll hold off on adding Billick to the list of candidates until something more concrete comes out.
ESPN's Chris Mortenson thinks Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey are two people to watch with regards to the Lions' search for a new head coach. Mortenson thinks we should keep an eye on Mularkey because the Lions will probably draft a QB with the #1 overall pick, and Mularkey worked with rookie quarterback Matt Ryan this past season.
The Free Press has a transcript of what Matt Millen said during an interview with NBC on Saturday. I posted the most notable quotes already, but there is now a video of the interview (see below).
Following the interview, Millen stayed behind the camera as an analyst for the rest of the day and apparently will do so the same thing for NBC at the Super Bowl. I'm not the least bit surprised that Millen is back on TV, but I really can't take anything he says seriously. Although he isn't a bad TV personality, his pathetic performance as a general manager has diminished any credibility he had as an analyst in my mind.
Last Friday on the Dan Patrick Show, SI's Peter King apparently said that there was a 50% chance Bill Parcells would end up in Detroit and a 50% chance that he would end up staying in Miami. King was talking about whether or not Parcells will opt out if new ownership takes over the Dolphins, and his comments really surprised me. Parcells would only come to Detroit if he had control, and with the current situation being what it is, he wouldn't have very much control. King's statement about the Lions' chances with Parcells certainly seemed odd, and it is now moot, as The Big Tuna is reportedly staying in Miami.
Many expect Rod Marinelli to be hired by the Bears, but it now looks like he could end up landing in Seattle.
The Patriots are reportedly going to put the franchise tag on quarterback Matt Cassel, who is scheduled to become a free agent after this season.

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Debate at work

Does anyone know if a franchise tag is placed on someone (such as Matt Cassell) can they still be traded or is that person locked in for whatever time frame is specified. My thinking is that it would seem odd that NE would pay more for Cassell than Brady and may be using the franchise tag to trade him and getting something for him rather than see him go through free agency.

by NYCLionsfan on Jan 5, 2009 10:03 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, they can be traded...

but it will cost the team two first round draft picks… one this year and one next year. A bit too pricey for any player, let alone one with only a year of starting under his belt since high school! I’d love to see Cassel come to Detroit, but not under that condition. Patriots have a way of screwing the rest of the league… it’s the Belichick way, I guess.

by DrewsLions on Jan 5, 2009 12:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm pretty sure they can still be traded

Check out Pride of Detroit, SB Nation's Lions Blog

by Sean Yuille on Jan 5, 2009 10:10 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

From askthecommish.com

Here’s a bit from www.askthecommish.com.

Each Club can designate one of its players who would otherwise be an UFA or RFA as a Franchise Player each season. Something that even some of the most knowledgeable sports fans do not realize is that a team has the option of designating a Franchise player with one of two tags: “Exclusive” or “Non-Exclusive”

Any Club that designates a Franchise Player as “Exclusive” shall be the only Club with which that Franchise Player may negotiate or sign a contract. In order to designate an UFA or RFA as an Exclusive Franchise Player, the team must tender the player a one year contract that is the minimum of the average of the five largest salaries (as calculated at the end of the free agency signing period) for players at the position at which he played the most games during the prior year, or 120% of his prior year salary, whichever is greater.

If the team elects to name the player “non-exclusive” then the player shall be permitted to negotiate a contract with any Club as if he were an UFA; however, Draft Choice Compensation of TWO first round draft selections shall be awarded to the prior club in the event that he signs with the new club. For Non-Exlusive Franchise Players, the team must tender the player a one year contract that is the minimum of the average of the five largest PRIOR-YEAR salaries for players at the position at which he played the most games in the prior year, or 120% of his prior year salary, whichever is greater.

"Well, art is art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water! And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now, uh... now you tell me what you know. " ~Groucho Marx

by Jettero2112 on Jan 5, 2009 9:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs