Two head-coaching jobs have been filled, and five (for now) remain vacant. Two of the teams still looking have caused some grumbling in NFL circles over the width of their nets.
Per a league source, some teams believe the Bears and Eagles are employing the Al Davis approach to interviewing coaching candidates. Davis was notorious for using a head-coaching vacancy as cover for bringing in assistant coaches from other teams and picking their brains, all under the guise of possibly hiring them.
In Chicago specifically, the feeling is that G.M. Phil Emery wants to get as much intelligence as possible regarding how the various candidates would fix quarterback Jay Cutler and/or a perennially porous offensive line. At last count, the Bears’ list of candidates included Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman, Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, Falcons special-teams coordinator Keith Armstrong, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan, Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, Cowboys special-teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis, Packers offensive coordinator Tom Clements, and Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.
There are no limits on the number of interviews a team can conduct. And if an assistant coach believes that there’s no serious interest in hiring him, he has no duty to accept the invitation to interview.