Kiszla: One more reason for Broncos Country to hate the Raiders and Chargers By Mark Kiszla Denver Post January 20, 2017 The NFL is a shameless whore. So it only makes sense the Raiders have filed paperwork to leave Oakland for Las Vegas, a city built on quickly separating thrill-seeking fools from their money. Sorry, Broncos Country. The AFC West neighborhood ain’t what it used to be. The Chargers have dumped beautiful San Diego for a soccer stadium in the middle of a 24/7 traffic jam somewhere in the burbs of L.A. Raiders owner Mark Davis’ idea of heaven is the wind blowing through his bad haircut while driving a convertible on the Strip in Sin City. Maybe the dirty business of pro football should not make me mad. But it does, because the NFL holds loyal fans hostage to build shiny new stadiums, financed in no small part with public money that could be spent on sidewalks or schools. NFL owners were truly born without the capacity for shame. How else to explain how the Raiders could issue season-ticket renewal requests to the good people of Oakland, crassly asking for their financial support until a new stadium in Vegas is ready to open in 2020? Maybe the Chargers and Raiders abandoning towns they professed to be home should also matter to you, because while the NFL likes us all to believe “Football is family,” as those schmaltzy television commercials suggest, the league will divorce your cute little thunderbolt-painted face in a heartbeat. Unless we’re talking about how Stan Kroenke and Jerry Jones sit around the pool at a five-star hotel and devise ways to make their fraternity of billionaires even richer, the NFL doesn’t give a flip about its football family. Just ask the working stiffs who opened their hearts and wallets to sad-sack football teams in Oakland, San Diego or St. Louis. Yes, I probably should feel lucky to live in Denver, where Pat Bowlen put down deep roots that will survive long after he passes away. Broncos management, however, did let a 56-year marriage between the Chargers and San Diego die. If Denver is among 24 teams that cast an approving vote to let the Raiders pack up and leave, it will feel as if we’ve sold another piece of the AFC West’s soul. Los Angeles needs another NFL team like it needs another BMW on the 405 freeway. Oakland is real and gritty; Las Vegas is plastic, as fake as a showgirl’s eyelashes. Hey, call me sentimental. But I love my AFC West neighborhood. It feels like an old friend. For me, traveling the AFC West is thumbing through the vinyl stacks for treasure at 1-2-3-4 Go! Records on 40th Street in Oakland. It’s sipping coffee next to a surfer dude at Katy’s Cafe on Imperial Beach outside San Diego. To me, the AFC West looks like a fan dressed in a Darth Raider costume at the Black Hole and smells like burgers sizzling on a tailgater’s grill outside sunny Qualcomm Stadium, the coolest dive in all of pro football.

But to greedy NFL owners, the AFC West ain’t nothing but an ATM machine. History doesn’t count for much to NFL owners such as Dean Spanos, who turned his back on San Diego without a proper goodbye. Honoring tradition or rewarding loyalty? C’mon, man. That’s so very 1950s. We’re not in this together. The AFC West? It’s an ATM machine coming soon to a city near you, looking to drain every dollar from poor saps that foolishly think wearing $99.99 Derek Carr jerseys in the stands can make Las Vegas look major league.

Brock Olivo heads to the Broncos as special teams coach, filling out Vance Joseph’s new staff By Nick Groke Denver Post January 20, 2017 The Broncos’ drawn-out process for finding a special teams coordinator is at an end after they decided to poach a coach from Kansas City. Denver is expected to hire Brock Olivo, the assistant special teams coach with the Chiefs, to replace the departed Joe DeCamillis, according to an NFL source. Olivo fills the Broncos’ final coordinator job under new head coach Vance Joseph. Mike McCoy was hired as offensive coordinator last week and Joe Woods was promoted to defensive coordinator earlier this week. Olivo, 40, has been an assistant special teams coach at Kansas City the past three seasons under coordinator Dave Toub. The Broncos interviewed Toub on their short list of head coaching candidates before deciding on Joseph. Now they are about to get his assistant. “Working with the best special-teams coach in the league is like an aspiring physicist getting to work with Einstein,” Olivo told the Kansas City Star in 2014. A special teams coach with the Detroit Lions for four seasons between 1998-2001, Olivo went on to play football in Italy before returning to the United States. He also ran a failed bid for the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican from Missouri in 2008. His coaching career started as an assistant at Coastal Carolina in 2012. DeCamillis left the Broncos soon after Joseph was hired, taking the special teams coordinator job at Jacksonville. He had been with Denver for two seasons. Joseph and Denver general manager John Elway moved quickly to fill out a coaching staff after coach Gary Kubiak suddenly retired the day after the end of the season. Joseph was hired from a short list of candidates that included Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Olivo rounds out the top of Joseph’s staff. Olivo is the latest former coach of an AFC West team last season to join the Broncos. McCoy came from the San Diego Chargers and quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave from the Oakland Raiders. Marcus Robertson, the Broncos new’ defensive backs coach, and Johnnie Lynn, his pending assistant, also came from the Raiders.

Broncos expected to hire Johnnie Lynn as assistant DBs coach By Nicki Jhabvala Denver Post January 20, 2017 The Broncos are expected to hire Johnnie Lynn as their assistant defensive backs coach, according to an NFL source. Lynn would take over for Samson Brown, who was expected to leave amid Denver’s coaching overhaul and who, according to The Sporting News’ Alex Marvez, may reunite with Wade Phillips on the Rams’ staff. Los Angeles hired Phillips as its defensive coordinator. Lynn, a seven-year defensive back with the Jets, was a secondary coach alongside new Broncos head coach Vance Joseph on the 49ers’ staff from 2016-10. Lynn started his NFL coaching career with the Bucs as a secondary coach from 1994-95. One season with the 49ers was followed by seven with the Giants — first as a defensive backs coach (1997-01) and then as a defensive coordinator (2002-03) — and two with the Ravens (2004-05). After returning to the 49ers, he went on to the Eagles (2011) and, most recently, the Raiders (2012-14). Lynn was succeeded by Joe Woods and Marcus Robertson in Oakland, who are now the Broncos’ defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, respectively.

Garett Bolles to Broncos? Mel Kiper has Denver selecting Utah OT in mock draft. By Cameron Wolfe Denver Post January 20, 2017 Offensive line should be, and likely will be, the Broncos’ No. 1 priority this offseason in both free agency and the NFL draft. Long-time ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his first mock draft Thursday and he has the Broncos attacking that offensive-line need in the first round with Utah offensive tackle Garett Bolles at pick No. 20. Bolles, who will be 25 at the start of the 2017 season, served a church mission before restarting his football career at Snow College, then Utah. A left tackle, he was a first-team all-Pac-12 selection in his lone season at Utah. “Bolles started only one season for the Utes after coming over from a junior college, but he was tremendous,” Kiper said. “He has nice feet and can drive defenders off the ball at 6-5, 300 pounds.” Bolles held his own against some of the Pac-12’s best pass rushers. Like most rookie offensive linemen, the questions come on how he will transition from a college spread system to an NFL scheme. The Broncos could be looking to upgrade at both offensive tackle spots during the offseason. Donald Stephenson struggled at right tackle this past season and appears to be a prime candidate to be released before his 2017 contract is guaranteed in mid-March. Left tackle Russell Okung, meanwhile, has a bonus due in March that would guarantee him more than $20 million. The Broncos are unlikely to pick up that option. The 2017 draft class is one of the worst in recent memory for teams needing offensive linemen. Kiper only gave three offensive tackles a first-round grade: Alabama’s Cam Robinson, whom he had going seventh to the Chargers; Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk (23rd, Giants); and Bolles. One position expected to be strong in the upcoming draft is tight end. Kiper raved about Alabama’s O.J. Howard, Virginia Tech’s Bucky Hodges and Miami’s David Njoku as potential first-round prospects. Howard and Hodges didn’t put up great receiving numbers, but some of that was because of how they were used in college. Howard, in particular, showed big-play ability, in particular the past two national championship games. Njoku had great production this past season with 698 yards receiving and five touchdowns. He has the speed to create mismatches for linebacker and safeties at the next level. Kiper also mentioned Michigan’s Jake Butt, Clemson’s Jordan Leggett and Louisville’s Cole Hikutini as potential second- or third-round options at tight end. Kiper also talked about South Alabama’s Gerald Everett and Ashland’s Adam Sheheen as talented early day-three options.

“If you want a tight end, this is the year you should be able to get one,” Kiper said. Tight end might not be as big of a need as offensive line or defensive line for the Broncos, but they received sub par production from that position for the second straight season. Jeff Heuerman, Denver’s 2015 third-round pick, had a disappointing season that saw him inactive for seven games mostly because of productivity. Virgil Green, the Broncos starting tight end, was productive as a run blocker but finished the season with just 237 receiving yards and one touchdown. Green is also in the final year of his contract. A.J. Derby, a midseason trade pickup from the Patriots, showed promise at times. Denver had five tight ends combine for 53 catches, 591 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

New Broncos special teams coordinator hired By Mike Klis KUSA January 20, 2017 The Denver Broncos’ new special teams coordinator is Brock Olivo, who spent previous three seasons serving as special teams assistant to Dave Toub in Kansas City. The Broncos and Olivo have agreed to terms and are finalizing a contract Thursday morning. Olivo, 40, was a special teams’ teammate of Broncos’ director of player personal Matt Russell for two years (1998-99) with the Detroit Lions. Olivo is the second new member of the Broncos’ coaching staff. The other is head coach Vance Joseph, who was Russell’s teammate at the University of Colorado in 1993-94. Although Russell may have dozens of former teammates who want to be a Broncos coach, the connection couldn’t have hurt Olivo, who has no previous coordinator experience but has widely been considered a rising star in the NFL coaching ranks. Olivo replaces Joe DeCamillis, who left two weeks ago to become special teams coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars. A former star running back at Missouri, Olivo played four seasons with the Lions. Although he had just two carries and seven catches, he was a core special teams’ player for the Lions. Olivo’s immediate boss in Kansas City was Toub, who was one of Denver’s three head coaching candidates earlier this month. Although the Broncos selected Joseph for the head job, the search committee led by general manager John Elway was obviously impressed enough with Toub to hire away his top assistant. With the Broncos, Olivo inherits two talented young kickers in Brandon McManus and punter Riley Dixon. The top returner is Kalif Raymond who got a last-season audition this season. From 1994-97, Olivo averaged 757 yards rushing a season on 4.4 yards per carry and scored 31 career touchdowns. Toub was Missouri’s strength and conditioning coach during that period. After Olivo’s NFL playing career ended, he was a player-coach for the SS. Lazio Marines in Rome, Italy. He unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2008 when he was defeated in the Republican primary. He then coached one year for the United Football League’s Omaha Nighthawks, and coached two years for Coastal Carolina before catching on as Toub’s assistant in Kansas City. The hiring of Olivo leaves Joseph with only the tight ends position remaining to fill the top-end of his coaching staff.

Broncos influenced Vance Joseph's career long before he became head coach By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com January 20, 2017 Somehow, it's fitting that Vance Joseph ended up as the 16th head coach in Denver Broncos history. The state of Colorado -- Broncos included -- is all over his resume. He played and started his coaching career at the University of Colorado. In his 14 years as an NFL assistant, Joseph worked under three head coaches who have been on the Broncos' staff at some point in their respective careers -- Mike Nolan, Gary Kubiak and Adam Gase. Mike Singletary and Marvin Lewis are the only coaches for whom Joseph has worked who have not passed through the Broncos' hallways. Joseph said he took a few things from all of those coaches in preparation for the job in Denver. He's combining that with what he believes it will take to get the results he -- and the Broncos -- expects. "I do think I took away important things from each of them," Joseph said of his previous bosses. "They all had risen to that job for good reason. You should pay attention to how things are done, and I think I did -- things to combine with my core beliefs about the way I hope to do things." John Elway said it was the experiences with those coaches -- people the Broncos' executive vice president of football operations/general manager knows well from his time with the organization -- that helped tipped the scales in Joseph's favor. "[Joseph] has been called upon -- he's well respected," Elway said. "He's been in the middle of things and has been in the middle of big decisions. That's why this job won't be too big for him." It was Nolan, who had stints as a Broncos assistant under Dan Reeves and Josh McDaniels, who brought Joseph into NFL coaching circles. As the San Francisco 49ers' coach, Nolan hired Joseph as an assistant defensive backs coach in 2005, and Joseph served as the defensive backs coach from 2006 to 2010. Nolan taught Joseph "how to work" and the importance of details. "He was a detail guy and he was a hard worker," Joseph said. "A great influence on me being my first NFL head coach." Joseph was also with the 49ers under Singletary, who taught him the importance of being "honest and transparent" with players. Joseph then was on Kubiak's staff with the Houston Texans for three seasons. From Kubiak, the coach he has replaced with the Broncos, Joseph learned how to deal with team issues in terms of "right and wrong."

"It was one way," Joseph said. "It was right and it was wrong. That was a great trait that Gary passed on to me." Joseph was on Lewis' staff with the Cincinnati Bengals when Elway interviewed him for the head-coaching vacancy in 2015, but Kubiak was hired. Among NFL coaches, only the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick has been in his current job longer than Lewis has been with the Bengals. Joseph said Lewis' approach showed him how longevity is possible in a league not known for its patience with head coaches, that "if you do it right, it equals longevity." Joseph spent one year as Gase's defensive coordinator with the Miami Dolphins before the Broncos came calling. And Joseph spoke of how Gase had taken over a team in a playoff drought and had to not only deal with a roster makeover but had to "change the culture." The Dolphins finished 10-6 this season and edged the Broncos out for the last playoff spot in the AFC. "Adam is a young guy, but he showed great courage in Miami, making some tough moves during the season to put us over the top," Joseph said. "It was a slow start but wound up being a fast finish with Adam's leadership." Add in Bill McCartney from Joseph's time as a player at Colorado. And Gary Barnett, who hired Joseph as the Buffaloes' grad assistant in 1999. And all the other assistants Joseph has called influences. Put it all together, and it adds up to the guy the Broncos hired. "Obviously having talent equals winning," Joseph said. "The culture is set by the head coach and it's set by the staff. I think being a leader of men means you can get guys to follow you. It's a tough business and it's a tough, long season. It takes convincing to do hard things in life. I think having the ability to have guys follow you and follow you anywhere, that's an ability I have with players. That's a trait that most head coaches have that are winning."

Broncos will fill biggest need early in Mel Kiper Jr.'s first mock draft By Jeff Legwold ESPN.com January 20, 2017 The NFL draft is still over three months away, but it’s already abundantly clear where John Elway thinks the team’s biggest need will be on the board. And ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. agrees, at least in Kiper's first mock draft of 2017. But the day after the Broncos’ season officially ended with a 9-7 finish and a playoff miss, Elway was asked about the team’s offensive line, which has been an issue in each of the last two seasons. “[We’ll] go back to work on it and try to fix it again,’’ Elway said. “I think obviously we didn’t do a good job up front, but also as an offense. ... I think offensively we have to take that on as a challenge and find guys who want to compete. We have to get better offensively and we have to compete better offensively.’’ Kiper is on the same wavelength and made Utah tackle Garett Bolles the Broncos’ first-round pick. Bolles is athletic with plenty of upside, but he was just a one-year starter at Utah after his transfer from Snow Junior College. Bolles certainly fits the Broncos' offseason profile, however, as they are poised for another makeover in the offensive line. There probably will be multiple positions where there are new starters in the coming season. The only starter up front whose position wouldn’t be in question, or at least up for competition, is center Matt Paradis. But even Paradis comes with a question in tow this offseason as he is scheduled to have surgery on both hips – he already has had the first procedure and will have the next one, on the other hip, in the coming weeks. The Broncos also have decisions to make on their starting tackles, Russell Okung and Donald Stephenson. The two were signed in free agency last year and neither performed to his contract. Okung has an option bonus due March 9 that kicks in the final four years of his deal and would guarantee him $21 million, so unless they have a change of heart, the Broncos are not expected to pay the bonus. Stephenson’s $4 million base salary is guaranteed if he’s on the roster on March 13. It’s not considered a particularly deep year at tackle in the draft, especially left tackle, so if the Broncos want tackles in the draft they are likely going to have to use premium picks in the first two days to get them. The Broncos have selected eight offensive linemen in the six drafts that Elway has overseen.

Raiders' Derek Carr wins AFC offensive player of the year By NFL Nation staff ESPN.com January 20, 2017 Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was voted AFC West offensive player of the year by the four reporters covering the division for ESPN.com. Paul Gutierrez, Oakland Raiders reporter: Any questions about just how “valuable” Carr was to the Raiders’ fortunes need only look at how Oakland played after he went down with a broken fibula in his right leg in the fourth quarter of Game 15. Shell-shocked, Oakland was outscored by a combined 62-20 following Trent Cole rolling over Carr’s leg and the once-prolific offense became a shell of itself under Matt McGloin and Connor Cook as the Raiders lost consecutive games for the first time this season. Two years ago, Carr’s NFL career started 0-10, then Oakland went 7-9 last season and the Raiders were about to be 12-3 when the Raiders’ spiritual leader went down. “Obviously, when you lose an MVP, it takes a toll,” Khalil Mack said. And after passing for 3,937 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions for a passer rating of 96.7, Carr, who had seven comeback victories in the fourth quarter or overtime, epitomized “valuable,” not just for the Raiders or the AFC West but also for the entire league. Jeff Legwold, Denver Broncos reporter: It’s Carr. If you need proof, take a gander at the Raiders’ losses to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round and the Broncos in the final game of the regular season. Carr missed those two games because of a fractured lower leg suffered Dec. 24 against the Indianapolis Colts. Without him the Raiders had 221 net yards of offense against the Broncos to go with just 203 net yards in the wild-card loss to the Texans. Before the injury, Carr was in the conversation for the league’s MVP award. He finished 63 yards shy of a 4,000-yard passing season to go with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. And an indication of how well he managed himself in the pocket -- to go with investment the Raiders made in the offensive line -- Carr was sacked 16 times in his 15 starts. Adam Teicher, Kansas City Chiefs reporter: If the Raiders needed to know how important Carr was to them, the only evidence they needed was the two games they played without him. Oakland collapsed after losing Carr with a broken leg and lost the final regular-season game to the Broncos, costing the Raiders the division championship and a first-round bye in the playoffs. In the 15 games before his injury, Carr was generally at his best in the fourth quarter -- when he threw for 10 touchdowns and just one interception. Eric Williams, San Diego Chargers reporter: Carr had a breakout season in leading Oakland to the playoffs for the first time since 2002, and in my opinion meant more to his team than any other player in the AFC West. Carr completed 64 percent of his passes, finishing with 28 touchdown passes and six interceptions. Carr was even more impressive when games matter most in the fourth quarter, throwing 10 touchdown passes and just one interception. A broken right leg suffered by Carr in garbage time against the Colts derailed Oakland’s playoff hopes.

Jackpot! Vegas looks to score big win by landing Raiders By Tim Dahlberg Associated Press January 20, 2017 First the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights. Soon, maybe, the Las Vegas Raiders. Once looked on with disdain by major sports leagues, this gambling city is now just 24 votes away from cashing in on one of the biggest sports jackpots ever. The Raiders made it official Thursday by filing for relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas, the culmination of a whirlwind romance to bring an NFL team to a city that the league had previously gone out of its way to shun because of sports betting fears. League owners are expected to vote on the move in March, and it's hard to find anyone betting it won't happen. "I don't know how you can put a price on this," said Steve Sisolak, a county commissioner who has been involved in the efforts to land the team. "There are only 32 cities that can say they have an NFL team and we will be one of them." Actually, there is a price on it. Tourists will pay increased room taxes to fund $750 million of the cost of a new $1.9 billion stadium as part of a deal rammed through a special session of the Nevada Legislature by powerful casino owner Sheldon Adelson's family. The stadium will be just off the glittering Las Vegas Strip, where the Golden Knights will begin play this fall in a new arena of their own. The expansion hockey team is the first major sports franchise to call the city home. "Without the Golden Knights I don't know if the Raiders would have thought this was a viable market," Sisolak said. "They kind of broke the glass ceiling." If approved, the move would be the third announced by an NFL team in a year as the league undergoes a geographic shift unlike any in recent history. The Rams returned to Los Angeles from St. Louis this season, while the San Diego Chargers will begin play in LA next season. "(Raiders owner) Mark Davis is a man of his word and the filing of the Raiders' application for relocation of the franchise with the NFL is a significant step in bringing the team to Las Vegas," Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval said. The NFL has long been opposed to any association with Las Vegas, to the point where just a few years ago it refused to allow the city to advertise on the Super Bowl telecast because it offered legal betting. But the league's opposition has softened, and so has the stance of Commissioner Roger Goodell. "I think there are some real strengths to the Las Vegas market," Goodell said at an owners' meeting last month. "It's clear the Las Vegas market has become a more diversified market, more broadly involved with entertainment, hosting big events. And there's a growth to the market."

Las Vegas, which has about 2.5 million people in the metropolitan area, would be a smaller market than the Bay Area. But fans from other cities are expected to fill a third of the proposed 65,000-seat stadium, and the team will also be able to draw on Raiders fans from throughout California. Influential owners like Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots have spoken favorably about the prospects of a move, and Raiders owner Mark Davis has been lobbying behind the scenes to secure the votes of three-fourths of the 32 owners needed for relocation. The vote is expected to take place during league meetings March 26-29 in Phoenix. Davis did not comment Thursday on the relocation application, but has made no secret of his commitment to Las Vegas. At a stadium meeting last year in the city he brought along a program from a 1964 American Football League exhibition game in the city where the Raiders beat the Houston Oilers. Davis has said the team will continue to play in Oakland until the Las Vegas stadium is finished, likely by the 2020 season. There are two sites currently being looked at for the stadium, both adjacent to the Strip. One possible hang-up could be Adelson's participation in the project. He's the one who initiated conversations with Davis last January, and was instrumental in getting a tax increase passed by the state legislature in October. Adelson's family has offered $650 million toward the stadium, but has reached no deal with the Raiders yet. Team representatives say they have secured the funding to replace Adelson's investment in case a deal isn't reached. NFL rules prohibit casino operators from having ownership roles in teams. Andy Abboud, the executive working on the project for Adelson, called the filing "one of those moments that makes it real" and vowed that necessary negotiations will be completed. "The people of Las Vegas should be excited that the NFL is coming to town," Abboud told AP. "Business deals take time to work out, but everything will work out in the end." The Raiders have two one-year options to play at the Oakland Coliseum in 2017 and 2018 and are already taking season ticket renewals for next season. But the Raiders have largely ignored a proposal by former player Ronnie Lott to build a new stadium in Oakland to keep the team permanently. "We are in this game and we are playing to win," Lott's group said in a statement, vowing to push ahead. Under Davis' father, Hall of Fame owner Al Davis, the Raiders moved from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1982 then returned to the East Bay in 1995.

Wade Phillips eager to work for young boss McVay with Rams By Greg Beacham Associated Press January 20, 2017 Wade Phillips has done just about everything in his four-decade NFL coaching career, so he wasn't exactly worried by the prospect of working for a head coach less than half his age with the Los Angeles Rams. A week after 30-year-old head coach Sean McVay said the 69-year-old Phillips would be his defensive coordinator, their partnership finally was made official Thursday after Phillips signed his deal with the Rams. "With Sean, between us, we're 50 years old and we've got 23 years of experience, so I think that'll work out all right," Phillips said with a laugh. Phillips begins his 40th NFL season as a coach with the Rams, the 10th franchise to employ him. He was a head coach at Dallas, Buffalo and Denver, and he served as an interim head coach for New Orleans, Atlanta and the Houston Texans. Phillips might seem to be an unlikely partner for McVay, the youngest head coach in modern NFL history. But they have a strong family connection: Phillips' son, Wes, was the Washington Redskins' tight ends coach for the past three seasons under McVay, their offensive coordinator. "Wes just talked great things about him all the time," Wade Phillips said. "And then I met him, and he was very impressive. And then when he started the process, he asked me if I would consider coming with him if he got a head coaching job. I said, 'Well, I don't have a contract, so sure.'" The Rams are rebuilding after finishing 4-12 in their 13th consecutive non-winning season, and the son of famed coach Bum Phillips has been one of the NFL's top defensive minds for decades. He spent the past two years reaching another career height with the Broncos, coordinating the dominant defense that won the Super Bowl last season and finished fourth in total defense this season. "Wade has seen it all in our league, and I believe that his wealth of knowledge and experience will be a tremendous asset to our entire coaching staff and players," McVay said in a statement. "Our defense has been one of our core strengths, and I expect it to continue to grow and thrive under Wade's leadership." Gregg Williams was Jeff Fisher's defensive coordinator last season with the Rams, who haven't made the playoffs since the 2004 season in St. Louis. Williams left for the Cleveland Browns shortly after the regular season ended with the Rams losing the final seven games in their homecoming season. But Williams' defense was one of the NFL's top groups until a late-season fade, and Phillips is grateful he won't be starting from scratch.

"Most of the time I'm going somewhere, the defense hasn't done well before," Phillips said. "(Los Angeles) is a different experience. I've got a good defense. ... It's a process like they always talk about, no matter where you are, of identifying the good players and the great players, and we'll utilize them." Phillips traditionally runs a 3-4 defense, but defensive linemen Aaron Donald, Robert Quinn and Michael Brockers all excelled in Williams' 4-3 scheme. McVay said last week that he expects Phillips to have no problem coming up with ways to maximize the success of Los Angeles' talented defensive line. Phillips said he has inherited a 4-3 defense in four of his previous five jobs. "And we went to the playoffs every year, so I think what we run will fit up there," Phillips said. "You know, the Broncos were running a 4-3 when we got there." Phillips and his wife also have personal reasons to be excited about a move to Southern California. Their daughter, Tracy, works in Los Angeles as a dancer and choreographer. "We're looking forward to being out there with her," Phillips said. "She was so happy that we were coming, she was crying. It makes you feel good that she's excited."

Bills agree to hire Rick Dennison as offensive coordinator By John Wawrow Associated Press January 20, 2017 Newly hired Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott is turning his offense over to former Denver Broncos coordinator Rick Dennison. The Bills on Thursday announced an agreement to hire Dennison as their offensive coordinator. He has 22 year of NFL coaching experience, including the past two running the Broncos' offense. Dennison has been a coach on Denver's three Super Bowl-winning teams, including as a special teams assistant in 1997 and '98 He also has ties to Bills starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor, whose future in Buffalo is uncertain. Dennison was the Ravens' quarterbacks coach in 2014 during Taylor's final season in Baltimore before he signed with the Bills in free agency. The Bills have until mid-March to determine whether to activate the first year of the five-year contract extension Taylor signed in August.

Broncos hire Brock Olivo as special teams coach By Troy Renck KMGH January 20, 2017 This much is certain: the Broncos' new coaches bring inside knowledge of their opponents. The Broncos hired Brock Olivo as their special teams coordinator on Thursday. He worked the past two seasons as an assistant with Kansas City Chiefs under Dave Toub, who interviewed for the Broncos' coaching job. Olivo's addition provides an interesting wrinkle: three of the Broncos most important hires worked in the AFC West the last few seasons. Mike McCoy, the new offensive coordinator, coached the San Diego Chargers. Bill Musgrave, the quarterbacks coach, ran the Oakland Raiders' offense. And Olivo prepped with the Chiefs. Broncos coach Vance Joseph interviewed multiple candidates for the special teams job. It was vacated when Joe DeCamillis was understandably not comfortable waiting for the the selection process to play out. He was a candidate to stay, but took the same job with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Olivo served as a special teams ace as a player for the Detroit Lions from 1998-2002 after a successful career at Missouri. He played in Italy and began coaching at Coastal Carolina. His stint with the Chiefs followed. The Broncos also added Johnnie Lynn as their assistant defensive backs coach.

History behind the headlines: Vance Joseph calls sexual assault allegations "false" By Mark Belcher KMGH January 20, 2017 Countless stories have been penned since the Broncos made the decision to move forward with Vance Joseph as head coach. Some were optimistic, however others sought to remind Broncos fans of the coach's past brush with the law -- a history for which the coach was never charged. The reports brush on a darker time in University of Colorado Boulder's past -- ranging back more than a decade. The university faced allegations of sexual assault, rape, questionable recruitment policies and more. Vance Joseph attended CU, playing quarterback for the team from 1990 through 1995, then returning to the team in a coaching role in 1999. He would keep that role until 2004, when under questions by the university, he was suspended. He then took another football job at a different college out of Colorado. The questions surrounding his time at CU have bubbled up to the surface with his high-profile promotion to head coach. Reporters recalled two incidents in which Joseph is named. -- The deposition -- In 2004, Elizabeth Hoffman, the then CU President, spoke in a deposition in a larger civil suit brought to court by two women who claimed the school's environment led to their rape by players. In the public deposition, Hoffman mentioned Joseph -- a coach at the time -- by name, saying he was under investigation for two "incidents." The incidents included, "Having sex with a trainer in the steam room and the other was picking up two trainers at a bar and taking them home with him." Hoffman went on to say the university had "no reason to believe that it was not consensual, but since since he is a coach, we consider that it was probable or possible sexual harassment, so we followed our sexual harassment protocols." The protocols called for Joseph to be suspended pending an investigation, however he left the university before further action. Joseph never had an opportunity to be interviewed in the deposition or respond to those claims. -- The Boulder Police investigation --

In 2004, Boulder police investigated a reported sexual assault, naming Vance Joseph as the suspect. That case was exceptionally cleared, however it remains on the public record. The criminal investigation led police to talk with two women -- one who declined to be interviewed -- but the other who claimed Joseph acted inappropriately when both women slept over at his house after a party in 2002. Before even speaking with police, the woman who spoke said she did not want to press charges. She then detailed the night that fall, when she claims Joseph attempted to get into bed with her and her friend while naked. She said both she and her friend rebuffed Joseph in different ways -- she pretended to be unconscious and her friend verbally rebuffed Joseph. In her account, Joseph left both of them alone after that. Joseph was never interviewed, and police never charged him with a crime. -- Joseph in the present -- The Broncos went forward with Joseph full-well knowing his history. They were aware of the past allegations, and he has told the team the sexual assault claims are false. The team told Denver7 it spoke with Joseph on multiple occasions and is prepared to move forward with Joseph in his current role. In his only comments publicly about the allegations since his promotion, Joseph told the Denver Post the sexual assault claims "are false." He also touched on the civil case, which surfaced during his time as a coach in a position of authority. He told the Post, "That was resolved a long time ago. For myself, for my family, for the Denver Broncos, I'm disappointed and embarrassed. I was a young guy and it showed to my immaturity and irresponsibility in my life when I was younger." Joseph also told the Post he has moved forward as a person, growing significantly since 2002. "Everyone who knows me knows that I try to live my life the right way, and I regret that my name is even associated with this," Joseph said.

New Broncos coach Vance Joseph disputes sexual assault allegations By Jared Dubin CBSSports.com January 20, 2017 New Denver Broncos coach Vance Joseph responded Wednesday to recently resurfaced allegations that he sexually assaulted two female trainers at the University of Colorado while he was a defensive backs coach there during the 2003-04 seasons. Joseph told the Denver Post that the allegations are false. "That was resolved a long time ago," Joseph said. "For myself, for my family, for the Denver Broncos, I'm disappointed and embarrassed. I was a young guy and it showed to my immaturity and irresponsibility in my life when I was younger. But I've grown so much and that's why I'm disappointed, because I've grown so much as a person, as a coach, as a father, as a husband. "Everyone who knows me knows that I try to live my life the right way, and I regret that my name is even associated with this." The allegations against Joseph were investigated by a state task force that examined a recruiting scandal at the school and Joseph was not arrested or charged. One woman didn't want to talk with police, and the other declined to press charges. Via the Daily Camera, here is what they alleged The woman told police that she and her friend were out at what was then The Foundry in downtown Boulder when they saw Joseph, who would have been 30 at the time. Neither of the two had dated him, but the woman said they had socialized with him before in groups. According to the police report, the woman said Joseph bought them drinks, and that they then went back to a house, where she said they continued to drink, and where they also smoked marijuana. The woman told police that, at some point, she went to bed, but woke to find Joseph had entered the bedroom, taken off his clothes and gotten into bed with her while he was naked. She said he began "touching her all over with his hands and rubbed his body against her," according to the police report. The woman said she pretended to be passed out, and that Joseph eventually left the room. The next morning, according to the police report, the woman's friend told her Joseph had done the same thing to her, and that her friend had told him to "get the hell out." The Broncos responded to the resurfacing of the allegations last week, after Joseph spoke with general manager John Elway and team president Joe Ellis, releasing the following statement through VP of public relations Patrick Smyth: "While we were aware of these accusations, he was not charged with anything from the report filed in 2004."

Raiders file Las Vegas relocation paperwork, vote set for March By Jared Dubin CBSSports.com January 20, 2017 The Oakland Raiders have been rumored to be on the move for some time now, and it appears the process may finally, officially be underway. Clark County (Nev.) Commission Chair Steve Sisolak stated on Twitter that the Raiders have filed their relocation paperwork to move to Las Vegas. Steve Sisolak @SteveSisolak It is official! The @RAIDERS have filed their paperwork to relocate to #LasVegas. NFL Network later reported that the league has indeed received the Raiders' relocation paperwork. Ian Rapoport ✔ @RapSheet The @NFL has just received the #Raiders paperwork. Should be a March vote. The Raiders were one of three teams (along with the Rams and Chargers) that attempted to move to Los Angeles last offseason. The NFL sided with the Rams' proposal over the joint Raiders-Chargers proposal, and the Rams played the 2016 season in Los Angeles. They were joined there last week by the Chargers. Soon after the Raiders' L.A. move was rejected, Las Vegas surfaced as a potential destination. There has been a strong effort put forth by a group that includes former NFL star Ronnie Lott to keep the Raiders in Oakland, but the team has nonetheless been determined to move. If the move is approved by a vote at the March 2017 owners' meetings, the Raiders would be the second professional sports franchise in Las Vegas, as the NHL announced the expansion team the Vegas Golden Knights last year.

Donald Trump says Jets owner will be next ambassador to United Kingdom By John Breech CBSSports.com January 20, 2017 With his inauguration less than 24 hours away, President-elect Donald Trump has begun the process of filling several ambassador roles, and it looks like one of the most important jobs on the list is going to go to Jets owner Woody Johnson. During a luncheon in Washington D.C. on Thursday, Trump indicated that Johnson will fill the role as ambassador to the United Kingdom. During a speech at the luncheon, Trump mentioned that he was "sitting next to the ambassador Woody Johnson," the Associated Press reported. Trump also added that Johnson will be "going to Saint James." The United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James used to be the formal title for the position. Of that wasn't enough, the president-elect also tossed in a "Congratulations, Woody," at the end of his speech. Johnson's appointment basically means that he'll be the main conduit between the United Kingdom and the United States during Trump's presidency. The fact that Johnson was given the job isn't a surprise. Not only did the Jets owner serve as the vice chairman of Trump's victory committee, but he was also one of the first billionaires to come out and openly support Trump while he was a presidential candidate. Johnson announced his support for Trump back in May. "He's going to be the nominee of the party," Johnson said at the time. "I've always supported the party, I think it's important that we do have unity. Maybe not the kind of unity we all understand, but we'll have some sort of unity." The two men have a relationship that spans back nearly three decades. With Johnson set to take the ambassador role, the job of running the Jets will he handed over to his brother, Chris Johnson, according to Pro Football Talk. Woody Johnson's new role could actually be a boon for the NFL. The league will now have one of its 32 owners serving in a key role in an area where the NFL hopes to see continued growth. The NFL will be holding a total of four games in London next season, which is the most in league history. There also continues to be chatter that the league could eventually move a team to London sometime in the near future. Back in April, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said there's a "realistic" chance that London will one day get an NFL franchise.

Ravens owner says NFL games need to have fewer commercials By John Breech CBSSports.com January 20, 2017 After a 2016 season where NFL ratings dropped roughly eight percent compared to the previous year, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti thinks it's time to make a few changes that might bring some viewers back. The biggest complaint most people have when watching an NFL game is the amount of commercials, and it's a complaint that Bisciotti can empathize with. As a matter of fact, Bisciotti wants to see fewer commercials in NFL games going forward. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out that nobody wants to see two minutes of commercials, come back, kick the ball and then go to a minute-and-a-half of commercials," Bisciotti said this week, via the Ravens' official website. "I've thought that was absurd since I was 20 years old." Bisciotti isn't the only person who thinks commercial-kickoff-commercial sequence is absurd. Viewers regularly complain about it on Twitter. Nick McLaren @xDQ44 Call your congressmen and tell them to outlaw football broadcasts going commercial-kickoff-commercial eric coyle @E_Dub15 Reasons why I hate the NFL *commercial break* *kickoff* *back to commercial break* @LGrahamLJG3 Worst thing in sports is when NFL goes commercial, kickoff, commercial in a tied playoff game, ruins the flow and experience The Ravens owner says that the league needs to get rid of sequences like that. "We've got to figure that out," Bisciotti said. The one problem with eliminating commercial time is that it would also eliminate a means of income for the NFL and the networks that televise the league. According to Bisciotti, for the commercials to disappear, both players and owners would have to be willing to make a little less money. "If you change that, it could mean a reduction in income, but that's going to hit the players more significantly than it's going to hit the owners," Bisciotti said. "I still don't know any owner that's in this business because of the money."

If every owner thinks like Bisciotti, then it's definitely possible that there could be a cut down in commercial time in the near future. "Everything is on the table, and if we have to go to ABC and NBC and say that we've got to cut some commercials out and give some money back and half of that money doesn't go into the player pool, maybe that's what we're going to have to do," Bisciotti said. "But our expenses would be adjusted accordingly too. So, I'd like to see some things cleaned up." The NFL actually experimented with adjusting the length of commercials in Week 16. That experiment may become a permanent one if it's something that the owners and networks can all get on board with.

President-elect Donald Trump picks Jets owner Woody Johnson as UK ambassador By Eric Edholm Yahoo! Sports January 20, 2017 The NFL’s presence overseas just took a strange and interesting turn. President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday that New York Jets owners Woody Johnson would be named to the post of U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom. Trump revealed his newest appointment at a luncheon in Washington D.C. the day prior to being sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. Robert Wood “Woody” Johnson IV purchased the Jets 17 years ago on Wednesday. He is a longtime Republican donor who served Jeb Bush’s campaign before shifting his support to Trump once Bush dropped from the race. Johnson also served as vice chairman of Trump campaign’s victory committee and hosted several fundraisers for him. The ambassador position is considered a plum job, and Trump said Thursday that Johnson would be “going to St. James” — a reference to the Court of St James. Johnson reportedly plans to shift ownership of the team to his younger brother, Christopher Wold Johnson, in a move that might elicit cheers from Jets fans — no matter their political leanings — who have been dismayed with the direction of the team the past several seasons. We have no idea how Woody Johnson will fare as ambassador, but it might serve Trump well if Johnson fares better than he has as an NFL team owner. Johnson is likely to be a big figure as the NFL increases its reach overseas, specifically into England, where four London games are on the schedule for the 2017 season. Could the NFL one day land a franchise in England? If so, Johnson would figure to be involved in the process, if that occurs, over the next four years and perhaps beyond. It also wouldn’t be the least bit shocking to see the Jets featured in more London games going forward. To date, the Jets have appeared in one game in the NFL’s International Series — 2014 against the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium — but could end up being fixtures there, much like the Jacksonville Jaguars have become, as more games are likely to be added. Although the appointment might seem odd to some, it’s very common for high-profile donors to earn posts with Western allies such as the U.K. Johnson will be replacing Matthew Barzun, who served as President Barack Obama’s national finance chairman in 2012.

Blanket Coverage: Recent coaching hires stray from the NFL's winning formula By Greg Bedard Sports Illustrated January 20, 2017 With Kyle Shanahan all but signed on as the 49ers’ next sacrificial lamb head coach, all six coaching jobs have been filled. Shanahan joins Sean McVay (Rams), Doug Marrone (Jaguars), Sean McDermott (Bills), Anthony Lynn (Chargers) and Vance Joseph (Broncos) as the coaching Class of 2017. I certainly have made my thoughts known on the state of NFL coaching, and I’m not overly enthused about this group outside of Shanahan and McDermott, who both have the type of track record (multiple years as a coordinator, coaching in different systems with different coaches) that seems to be indicative of success. But I wanted to get more of a sense of what people inside the game think about the big picture in regards to this latest round of coaching hires, a job pool that didn’t entice Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels enough to take a job. So I asked three executives, all from successful franchises, what they thought. It wasn’t pretty, and their scorn was universally aimed at one place: the owners. “They’ve made a lot of money in business, but it’s incredible to me how far out of their depth they really are on this,” said one executive. “They have absolutely no idea what they’re doing. Look at Jacksonville. They keep Marrone—I mean, he was an assistant head coach on that team the past two years [8–24], was he not?—and say he’s by far the best candidate. After speaking to McDaniels, Shanahan and Mike Smith? Are you kidding? He was obviously the best candidate to give that whole group another shot at proving they put together a good team and quarterback. Bulletin: They’re not that good, it wasn’t Gus’s fault. And then, after hiring Marrone, the owner hires Tom Coughlin to oversee everything. Basically he’s telling [GM] Dave [Caldwell] what to do? How else is that going? I don’t know. I think that most of these places are screwed up.” That was basically the consensus: Owners are morons. “I think the one thing about these jobs is the only way for true success is if you’re philosophically aligned in everything that you do,” said another executive. “And that means everything. From how you grade draft prospects to what your philosophy is on surgeries to your free-agent process and your position descriptions. There’s a laundry list of things that you have to have the right partner. You can’t be trying to mesh two philosophies that are different. It’s just very difficult. Somebody’s got to be the bull, whether it’s the GM or the coach, and they both have to see everything the exact same way.” They have a point. Look at this season’s most successful franchises. Bill Belichick has full control of the Patriots. In Dallas, Jason Garrett had been with the Cowboys and knew exactly what he was signing up for. In Kansas City, Andy Reid brought in long-time friend John Dorsey to run personnel. In Atlanta, coach Dan Quinn was given final organizational say and works with GM Thomas Dimitroff on everything. The Steelers have a tried and true organizational philosophy. The Seahawks are Pete Carroll’s show, and GM John Schneider was brought in to get Carroll’s players. In Green Bay, Ted Thompson is a strong GM,

but he had previous experience with Mike McCarthy before hiring him. John Elway runs the show in the Denver, and he won biggest with a coach (Gary Kubiak) he had a lot of history with. Now let’s look at the recently failed regimes, they all have the same theme: all five involved shotgun marriages between coaches and GMs that had no previous working relationships (Les Snead/Jeff Fisher, Rams; Dave Caldwell/Gus Bradley, Jaguars; Doug Whaley/Rex Ryan, Bills; Tom Telesco/Mike McCoy, Chargers; Trent Baalke/Chip Kelly, 49ers). None of this year’s new hires has a past with the dominant power broker in the building. Elway at least has a loose relationship with Joseph through Kubiak, who had Joseph on his Texans staff. Marrone and Caldwell certainly have a history from the past two years, but if Coughlin now calls all the shots, that doesn’t count for much. All the while, both McDaniels and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will be in their current jobs for at least another year. Why? No one has a good answer. The 49ers insisted on interviewing GM candidates, which may have turned off McDaniels, who wanted to choose his own GM. McDaniels likely told the Rams and Jaguars the truth—that both their young quarterbacks (Jared Goff and Blake Bortles) were not the answer—while the GMs that traded up (Rams) or overdrafted (Jaguars) to get both were part of the interviews. Gee, I wonder why both teams then went with coaches (McVay and Marrone) who will gladly work with those quarterbacks. “The only way McDaniels is going to take a head job is it’s got to be that way: He has to be working with somebody that he knows,” said another executive. “Belichick is a brilliant guy and Brady is awesome, I get all that. But if you were an owner and you hire a guy from that system, wouldn’t you want that guy to use that model? Why argue against that model? That model has been successful for 16 years now. It’s incredible. Belichick only wins because of Brady? That’s the dumbest thing you could ever say. There’s a process to how they do things. Why wouldn’t you encourage him to utilize that process? I don’t understand it.” Between keeping Roger Goodell in his job and failing to fill open jobs within their own franchises efficiently, this is the latest installment of the running series “how owners are ruining the NFL”. Blanket Report Your resident “Wet Blanket of Reason” takes the temperature of the most intriguing storylines in the NFL this week: Go crazy, folks Travis Kelce needs to grow up: Kelce is 27 years old and he just finished his fourth season in the NFL. There is absolutely no excuse for the way he continually kills his team with his selfish play on the field and his embarrassing words off it. Peter Pan, it’s time to grow up. Taylor would be great fit for Browns: ESPN reported that the Browns are expected to go after Bills QB Tyrod Taylor should he, as expected, be released by Buffalo. Taylor had a good season for the Bills and has room to grow. He would be a terrific fit for Hue Jackson’s offense, so this would be a great move for Cleveland.

Slow your roll Tomlin was right on Brown, but he created the problem: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin did a great job calling out Antonio Brown in the wake of his post-game Facebook video. This part, especially, rang true and honest: “He’s a great player, he’s a hard-working player, he’s respected largely in the locker room for those things, but incidents such as this don’t help him in that regard. … I think that’s oftentimes why you see great players move around from team to team. I definitely don’t want that to be his story. I'm sure he doesn’t want that to be his story, so he has to address these things that put him and us in position from time to time in settings such as this that need to be addressed.” That was great stuff by Tomlin. But what shouldn’t be overlooked is that Tomlin created the atmosphere for Brown’s actions and some of the other nonsense that goes on with the Steelers, including multiple suspensions and how such a talented team constantly underachieves during the regular season. Godsey wasn’t a fall guy in Houston: The Texans had a historically bad offense, and free-agent QB Brock Osweiler did not have a good season. One day after losing to the Patriots, offensive coordinator George Godsey and the team mutually parted ways. It’s certainly easy to say that Godsey was made the fall guy by coach Bill O’Brien, but that wasn’t the case. Godsey did a good job there but was a victim of circumstances, and a fresh start was probably wise for everyone involved. Godsey is well respected and will likely land somewhere as a quarterbacks coach in short order. What happened in Houston wasn’t Godsey’s fault, but now it’s up to O’Brien to get it fixed. What to watch on Sunday NFC Championship Game Hope the Georgia Dome scoreboard operator has strong fingers, because they’re going to get a workout when the NFL’s No. 1 scoring offense (33.8 points per game) hosts No. 4 (27.0). In the postseason, both teams have been even better, with the Packers averaging 38 points per game and the Falcons 36. They were also among the bottom third in points allowed. Like Atlanta’s 33–32 victory in the team’s regular season meeting, this game will come down to which defense can force the most punts. With Clay Matthews healthy for the rematch, the Packers have more potential play disruptors on defense. Falcons edge rushers Vic Beasley and Dwight Freeney have a much more difficult assignment getting past Green Bay’s excellent pass protection to affect the scorching-hot Aaron Rodgers, who killed Atlanta in Week 8 with 60 yards on scrambles. One injury to watch: Julio Jones (toe) did not look right against the Seahawks. The Falcons can’t afford to lose him like the Packers can Jordy Nelson (who is unlikely to play through his broken ribs). Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will have a great gameplan as usual, focusing on the Packers’ inside linebackers who are weak in coverage and then attacking the voids in the deep zones, but Rodgers is in such a zone right now it’s difficult to see a middling defense like Atlanta’s getting enough stops.Packers 38, Falcons 32. AFC Championship Game This will be an old-school we-hate-them, they-hate-us grudge match with modern trappings. The Steelers think the Patriots cheated them out of Super Bowls in 2001 and ’04 because of Spygate. And you may recall that when these teams met in Foxborough in ’15, Pittsburgh’s headsets went on the fritz and started pumping out the local radio broadcast of the game. No wonder coach Mike Tomlin called

the Patriots a------s after beating the Chiefs on Sunday. The Steelers ought to be less concerned about past slights and more worried about finding a way to slow Tom Brady, who has owned them at Gillette Stadium (he’s 4–0 against Pittsburgh there) and has completed 75.9% of his passes with a 136.4 rating in two games against defensive coordinator Keith Butler. Butler’s units have had no answer for receiver Julian Edelman, who has caught 20 of 22 targets in those two meetings, but without Rob Gronkowski and with a banged-up receiving corps, someone will need to step up—TE Martellus Bennett and WR Chris Hogan need big games. One thing to keep in mind: In their past get-togethers New England has never faced the full combined firepower of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. Which means that Sunday will present an altogether new challenge for the Patriots’ defense. The best skill-position combo they faced this season was way back in Week 1 against the Cardinals: Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson. The best quarterback they’ve faced since then was Russell Wilson, in Week 10, and he torched them in a 31–24 Seahawks win. The Patriots simply are not battle-tested against an offense of this caliber. If Roethlisberger doesn’t rapidly improve on the road, however, it won’t matter. On the road in the regular season, he completed just 59.4% of his passes for 238 yards per game, with nine touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 78.4 rating. At Arrowhead Stadium last week, he was even worse: 224 yards, no TDs, one pick and a 72.5 rating. Pittsburgh has zero chance against New England if Road Ben shows up. Patriots 30, Steelers 27.

In Southern California, An NFL D-League Grows By Emily Kaplan MMQB January 20, 2017 For years, NFL coaches, front office personnel and players on the fringes of rosters have griped over the absence of a developmental league. Even some in the NFL league office, most notably VP of Football Operations Troy Vincent, have joined the chorus. A D-league, following the spirit of NFL Europe, could provide a haven for dozens of players struggling to navigate the choppy waters between college and professional football. And for those players, last week brought a welcome announcement. Don Yee, best known as Tom Brady’s agent, revealed he is launching a new professional league. Yee’s Pacific Pro Football aims to begin play in 2018, with four teams based in Southern California. This is not the conventional developmental league Vincent has called for, but it is an intriguing complement. The Pacific Pro League would only employ players not yet eligible for the NFL. Players would receive, on average, $50,000 a year, though multiple people briefed on the idea stressed there might not be a cap (a star running back, for example, could earn $100,000, plus opportunity for endorsements). Yee has promised that the style and schemes would mimic professional football, not college. “I’d still like to see a more traditional D-league, but if this actually comes through, those two entities can co-exist,” explains a high-ranking executive in an NFL front office. “Yee’s league seems like a promising concept. It addresses a few areas of concern we’ve been seeing [regarding] the gap between college and our game. I’m looking forward to hearing more about it.” Adds The MMQB’s Andrew Brandt: “We’ve seen professional leagues come and go, but it has always competed with the NFL product. This project, in a sense, is competing with college.” The PPL addresses the growing stylistic divide between the collegiate and professional games while rectifying college football’s most sensitive pressure point: properly compensating its athletes. But what type of player would choose to play in this league and forgo college football, the NFL’s natural feeder program? One NFL scout was skeptical the startup league could pull top talent. “Elite recruits are always, in my opinion, going to want to go to the elite programs and compete against the best competition, and for championships,” he says. “This league won’t pit the best against the best; this will be middle-of-the-road recruits or student-athletes that got buried on the depth chart [and] bail on college early and seek the money of that league.” Longtime agent Leigh Steinberg offered a different take: “As much as you and I might want every young adolescent to matriculate in college and lay a solid foundation for the rest of their life, many of these guys simply don’t have interest in college. We can be judgmental and say, every player should have a profound interest in preparing for a second career, but the truth is sometimes these kids go to college with the sole motivation of biding time, the three years removed from high school, until they can enter the NFL.” The Pacific Pro League might also attract special exception cases. Brandt brought up Maurice Clarett and Mike Williams. In 2004, the two were among nine players who declared for the NFL draft after Clarett successfully sued the NFL to allow him into the draft despite being only two years removed from high

school. When the ruling was overturned on appeal, both players were locked out of the draft and also ineligible to return to school (Clarett had already been dismissed from Ohio State, Williams had been on good terms at USC). They trained on their own for a year, Williams going 10th overall to the Detroit Lions and Clarett third round to the Denver Broncos in 2005. Neither four success in the NFL, and perhaps their paths would have been different if they had the option of a league like the PPL. Additionally, a scout explained the Pacific Pro League could be “for a guy in an SEC program who doesn’t qualify academically, then instead goes to this league instead of FCS or JUCO.” No matter how much dysfunction the NCAA harbors, the NFL is blessed with a free farm system. But while the NFL is unlikely to officially sanction Yee’s league, it might not denounce it either. Uniformly, those interviewed for this story said NFL teams would have no problem drafting players from this league as long as they were talented. Yee’s league established football legitimacy by announcing a founding roster with strong NFL ties. Long-time receiver Ed McCaffrey and former Fox Sports executive Jeff Husvar are founding partners, and the advisory board includes Mike Pereira, Adam Schefter, Mike Shanahan and Jim Steeg. While the concept is strong, the biggest hurdle is sustainability. Does the league have enough money to not only survive, but thrive? Yee appears to have seed money and an initial crop of angel investors, though not many details were disclosed. Travel costs would be low with all the teams based in Southern California, but bills for equipment, stadium rental, player salaries, coach salaries and insurance accumulate to millions. It is unclear how much interest the league could attract for a television contract, and other large questions remain unresolved, such as ownership structure. (Would the league own all teams or open to an NFL model for each team to be owned individually?) “The barrier to owning an NFL team is huge, but there’s no shortage of people in Southern California, with economic means, who would love to own a football team,” Steinberg says. “I’d imagine there would be great interest.” * * * FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. The 2017 NFL draft’s traveling circus commences this Saturday. First stop: Mobile, Alabama for Senior Bowl week. While the game is billed as the premiere showcase for draft talent, NFL teams put more weight into the six days of preparations, from practices to informal interviews. In fact, most NFL coaches will leave town before the game is actually played on Jan. 28. This is the first gauge on some of the draft’s top names (plus a literal gauge, with formal weigh-ins) and I’ll be on site to track it all (along with colleagues Andy Benoit and Albert Breer). We’ve mentioned in this column about it being a weak senior quarterback class; the two top signal callers are Nathan Peterman from Pittsburgh and Davis Webb of Cal. Both could improve their stock. Meanwhile Chad Kelly of Ole Miss will be on site, but won’t participate in any physical activities as he rehabs from knee surgery. Kelly needs to show teams he has matured. A few other players I’ll be monitoring: Alabama’s O.J. Howard, who can cement his status as the No. 1 tight end in an exceptionally strong tight end class; Zay Jones of East Carolina and Cooper Kupp of Eastern Washington, two small-school wide receivers who have received rave reviews from scouts; Julie’n Davenport of Bucknell and Forrest Lamp of Western Kentucky, two small-school offensive linemen who need to prove they can hang with big competition, and Takkarist McKinley, the edge rusher from UCLA who catapulted onto the scene mid-season as a potential top-15 pick.

2. Deshaun Watson will not attend the Senior Bowl. The Clemson quarterback waited until the two-minute warning to announce that. There were two schools of thought here: Some believed Watson was so impressive in the national championship game that he should preserve himself. Conversely (and here is where I fall), Watson could only have helped himself by attending. He didn’t need to play in the actual game, erasing injury risk. However, evaluators have heard rave reviews about Watson’s demeanor and work ethic at Clemson and he might have cemented that reputation by showing up for interviews and practice. The Senior Bowl teams will be coached by the Bears and the Browns, two quarterback-needy teams that have a combined three picks in the Top 12. There is a lengthy history of teams becoming enamored with quarterbacks while coaching them at the Senior Bowl, ranging from the Chargers and Philip Rivers in 2004 to the Cowboys and Dak Prescott last year. Ultimately, I don’t think teams will hold the absence against Watson. Selfishly (though I’m likely speaking for the Bears and Browns, too), I wish he would have gone. 3. Last week we discussed the increasing length of college football games. There are plenty of contributing factors, but here’s an odd paradox: longer games (something television executives and commissioners frown upon) are due, in part, to an offensive boom (more scoring, which in theory should make games more exciting). The NCAA released its final season statistics, and for the first time ever, average scoring has surpassed 30 points per game. The 2016 average (30.04 points per game) is up from 2015 (29.7) and continues an uptick trend we’ve seen over the past decade and a half. 4. Yearning for an eight-team playoff? That doesn’t look like it’s happening any time soon. In an excellent piece for Fox, Stewart Mandel polled numerous athletic directors, conference commissioners and television executives who explained satisfaction with the current system. Here’s a telling passage from Mandel: “Before the CFP started, I predicted the system would expand halfway through ESPN’s 12-year contract. I was wrong. There’s even less support for the idea now than there was then.” 5. The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2017 Draft was on Monday. The NFL will announce an official roster on Jan. 20, but by my count there will be more than 90 sophomores and juniors making the jump. A few players waited until the two-minute warning, including USC cornerback Adoree’ Jackson who ultimately declared. * * * FACTOID OF THE WEEK Urban Meyer might be college football’s answer to John Calipari. The Ohio State coach has created a factory for churning out NFL-ready players, and for the second straight year many of the Buckeyes’ most talented prospects have bolted as soon as they were eligible. After nine underclassmen departed in 2015, Ohio State had six players apply for early entry to the draft, including 75 percent of its starting secondary: cornerbacks Gareon Conley and Marshon Lattimore and safety Malik Hooker. They’re joined by linebacker Raekwon McMillan, running back Curtis Samuel and wide receiver Noah Brown. And yet just like Calipari with Kentucky basketball, Meyer has created an infrastructure that immediately replenishes. With national signing day a month away, Meyer is poised for a ridiculous recruiting haul for his secondary. According to scout.com, the Buckeyes currently have the No. 1, No. 4, No. 9 and No. 10 best cornerbacks in the 2017 class slotted as commits. Meyer also has the No. 6 ranked safety and No. 1 best JUCO corner committed as well because… luxury.

Oakland Raiders file Las Vegas relocation paperwork By NFL.com staff NFL.com January 20, 2017 The Raiders have filed their relocation paperwork with the NFL to move from Oakland to Las Vegas, the league announced in a statement Thursday. "Today, the Oakland Raiders submitted an application to relocate their franchise to Las Vegas, as is provided for under the NFL Policy and Procedures for Proposed Franchise Relocations," the statement read. "The application will be reviewed in the coming weeks by league staff and the Stadium and Finance Committees. The relocation of a franchise requires the affirmative vote of three-quarters of the NFL clubs." The move was anticipated. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday the Raiders would file their relocation paperwork within days. It is the first step in a relocation process that won't become official until the Raiders receive 24 votes from NFL owners to formally make the move. The Raiders had until Feb. 15 to file relocation papers. NFL owners could vote on the team's relocation proposal at the Annual League Meeting in March, per Rapoport. If the Raiders are given the green light to move, they likely wouldn't relocate to their proposed, 65,000-seat stadium in Las Vegas until 2020. The city of Oakland has made no progress to keep the team, sources told Rapoport. It has not come up with a stadium proposal that league or independent sources believe is credible. The proposal comes a week after the Chargers announced their decision to relocate from San Diego to Los Angeles and a year after the Rams moved back to L.A. from St. Louis.

Vance Joseph: Sexual assault claims are false By Josh Alper Pro Football Talk January 20, 2017 Broncos head coach Vance Joseph responded to the publication of details from a 2004 Boulder Police Department report that included sexual assault allegations against him. Joseph was accused of sexually assaulting two trainers at the University of Colorado, where he was working as an assistant coach, but was neither charged nor interviewed by police. One of the two women in the report did not want to press charges and the other didn’t agree to speak to police, which led to the case being closed. On Wednesday, Joseph, who left the school shortly after the alleged incidents, told Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post that the claims “are false.” “That was resolved a long time ago,” Joseph said. “For myself, for my family, for the Denver Broncos, I’m disappointed and embarrassed. I was a young guy and it showed to my immaturity and irresponsibility in my life when I was younger. But I’ve grown so much and that’s why I’m disappointed, because I’ve grown so much as a person, as a coach, as a father, as a husband. Everyone who knows me knows that I try to live my life the right way, and I regret that my name is even associated with this.” Joseph said that he spoke with General Manager John Elway and team president Joe Ellis about the allegations and the Broncos released a statement last weekend saying they were aware of them while noting that Joseph was not charged.

Broncos hire Brock Olivo as special teams coach By Darin Gantt Pro Football Talk January 20, 2017 The Broncos interviewed Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub for their head coaching opening. They hired his assistant to be one of their assistants. According to Mike Klis of KUSA, the Broncos are hiring Brock Olivo to coach their special teams. Olivo played four years in the NFL with the Lions, and has worked for the Chiefs as an assistant special teams coach the last three seasons. They also interviewed Bears assistant special teams coach Richard Hightower and former Saints special teams coach Greg McMahon.

Oakland mayor issues statement regarding Raiders relocation By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk January 20, 2017 The Raiders, as expected, have filed for permission to move to Las Vegas. The team’s current home, as expected, has issued a statement cloaked in political cover. “It’s no surprise that the Raiders have filed for relocation,” Mayor Libby Schaaf said, via Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal. “Oakland welcomes the chance to show them and the NFL’s other owners why Oakland is the only home for the Raiders and always will be. Our winning team of the Lott Group, the County and my colleagues on the Oakland City Council has accomplished so much in the last few months. We’ve identified the mechanisms to responsibly finance public infrastructure improvements, we have in the Lott Group a private partner prepared to finance stadium construction, and we have an entitled site for a world-class NFL stadium and new development that enhances fan experience while invigorating East Oakland’s economy. “But this isn’t all Oakland has to offer. Oakland’s Raiders stadium will be on the most transit-accessible site in the nation, in the sixth largest television market, and in one of the wealthiest and most innovative regions in the world. But above all else, Oakland has something no other city ever will — a die-hard fan base that is loyal and true to the Raiders and wants to see them stay here in Oakland where they were founded. Only Oakland brings the Raiders and the NFL a competitive stadium proposal, along with legacy and loyalty. “I look forward to the League giving our team a chance to compete.” The problem is that Raiders owner Mark Davis has no desire to permit a competition to occur. And there currently aren’t, and likely won’t be, enough owners willing to block the move. Oakland surely knows this. But they need to create the impression that they did all they could to keep the Raiders, even if there’s no way Oakland will ever be able to do enough.

49ers may have trouble hiring a G.M. By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk January 20, 2017 As the 49ers continue to look for a G.M. who, as a practical matter, will be working for coach Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers could be facing a different set of challenges. If control over the roster was promised to Shanahan in order to get him to take the job at a time when everyone else had bailed, the current employers of the candidates for the G.M. job could block the move, since it wouldn’t entail the typical powers of a G.M. Throw in the perception/reality that Paraag Marathe will be involved in football operations (and possibly negotiating contracts), and more of the finalists for the G.M. job could decide to pass, in the same way that Packers executive Eliot Wolf has done. For Wolf, why swap the opportunity to eventually (if not sooner) run the Packers’ football operation for being a third spoke in the wheel at best, a glorified scout at worst? The other candidates will need to ask themselves those same questions, before, during, and/or after their upcoming interviews with the presumed next coach of the team. And it will be important to know whether the G.M. will indeed have final say, since that aspect of the job could be the thing that ultimately keeps the 49ers from getting the guy they want.

NFL moves Commissioner’s Super Bowl press conference from Friday to Wednesday By Mike Florio Pro Football Talk January 20, 2017 Super Bowl week typically ends with a Friday press conference involving the Commissioner. Although he speaks on various other occasions throughout the year (but hardly “almost every day“), there’s a different feel for the Super Bowl press conference, especially given the sheer number of reporters present and the lingering sense that a curveball, a screwball, and/or a spitball could be coming for him at any given moment. This year, there will be a change. Via Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal, the Commissioner’s press conference has been moved from Friday to Wednesday. As Kaplan notes, it’s a “major break” from tradition, which could mean that fewer reporters will attend, since plenty don’t arrive until the final few days of the week. “Our overall thinking is by Friday people are really focused on the game,” NFL executive V.P. of communications Joe Lockhart told Kaplan. I’ve been to the site of the Super Bowl every week since 2009, and that’s just not the case. Monday through Friday (and in many cases Saturday) is about everything but the game, save for the pool reports from team practices, which in most cases really don’t tell the people anything they don’t already know. The overall activity builds exponentially throughout the week, and by Friday every nook and cranny of the Super Bowl media center has maximum attendance and maximum buzz. Wednesday’s overall crowd typically a fraction of the throng that attends on Friday. Maybe the goal is to get more people there earlier in the week. If that was the case, however, the league should have disclosed the change far earlier than precisely two weeks before the event. The logical conclusion, then, is that the people responsible for the care and feeding of the Commissioner’s image hope to expose him to a crowd of reporters that will be smaller and, in turn, more predictable and more manageable. There’s one major flaw in that logic. If the Patriots make it, the concentration of reporters who will be more inclined to pose tough, aggressive questions about #DeflateGate will be much greater, since the folks who cover the Patriots definitely will be there on Wednesday if the Patriots are there all week.

Bills hire Rick Dennison as offensive coordinator By Michael David Smith Pro Football Talk January 20, 2017 New Bills head coach Sean McDermott has made the most important hire on his staff. Rick Dennison will be the Bills’ offensive coordinator, the team announced. Dennison spent the last two years as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator under Gary Kubiak but was not retained by new head coach Vance Joseph. Dennison was in his second stint as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator, having also served in that role from 2006 to 2008, and he was also offensive coordinator of the Texans from 2010 to 2013. In Buffalo, Dennison will run the offense for a new head coach who comes from the defensive side of the ball. Dennison and McDermott have never worked together, but McDermott apparently feels confident that Dennison is the right coach for the job. Dennison joins a Bills team that has a big decision to make on whether to keep Tyrod Taylor as the starting quarterback. Dennison was the quarterbacks coach of the Ravens in 2014 when Taylor was in Baltimore as Joe Flacco’s backup, so that could be a sign that Taylor remains in the Bills’ offensive plans.

Mark Gastineau diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons By Darin Gantt Pro Football Talk January 20, 2017 Former Jets defensive end Mark Gastineau said during a radio interview with WOR that he’s been diagnosed with multiple brain problems, which he traces back to his days in football. “When my results came back, I had dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s,” Gastineau said, via Seth Walder of the New York Daily News. “Those were three things that I have.” The 60-year-old Gastinueau traced the illnesses back to his days in the NFL. He played 10 seasons with the Jets, registering 74.0 sacks, with 41.0 of those coming in 1983 and 1984. He also boxed professionally after leaving football. And while he said football was the beginning of his problems (“I led with my head all the time,” he said) he also wanted to use his plight to educate others. “You know, my first reaction was that I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it,” Gastineau said. “My second reaction was how can I help other people coming in to the NFL? That’s what it’s all about. . . . “I know that there’s techniques out there that if I would have had ‘em, if I would have had the techniques out there that I’m teaching now to these kids, I know I would not be probably, . . . I know I wouldn’t have the results that I have now. ‘ Gastineau serves as an ambassador for USA Football, and said the Heads Up Football program was a way to protect future generations of players. “I don’t want [my diagnosis] to over shadow the Heads Up Program,” he said. “I want it to be a warning to mothers and fathers to be able to put their kids in the safe places to be able to carry on a team sports that I think is going to be way more beneficial for them than if they didn’t have it in their lives.” While Gastineau’s diagnosis is obviously terrible news, he wants to use his platform to make the game safer. Whether the moms who hear his message are able to separate the former from the latter might be a more difficult sell.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. mocks Garett Bolles to Broncos, but sees depth at tight end, defense By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com January 20, 2017 Let the mock-draft season begin. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. posted his first mock draft Thursday morning, then answered questions from media on a crowded conference call hours later. Kiper had Utah offensive tackle Garett Bolles mocked to the Broncos with the No. 20 overall selection. Bolles, an energetic, physical tackle, will be 25 years old during the 2017 regular season, as his path detoured because of high-school legal issues and an LDS mission in Colorado Springs before he began his junior-college stint at age 22. Bolles was one of just three offensive tackles in Kiper's first-round mock, joined by Alabama's Cam Robinson and Wisconsin's Ryan Ramczyk. "It's a mediocre year for offensive tackles in general," Kiper said. He sees the depth of the draft on defense, especially on the defensive line. But he also likes the group at tight end, which he addressed when asked about the Broncos' potential pick. "It's a great tight-end class in terms of the top, and there is some really good depth at that position," Kiper said. He began by mentioning Alabama tight end O.J. Howard, who will be at next week's Senior Bowl. Howard is the only tight end in Kiper's first-round mock; he had him pegged to the New England Patriots with the projected No. 32 pick. "I wish he would have got the ball a lot more. I think Alabama Crimson Tide fans wish that, as well. He didn't, but he's got that ability," Kiper said of Howard, who averaged 3.2 receptions per game this season -- but had the only 100-yard games of his college career in the last two national-championship games against Clemson. "He'll drop a catchable ball now and then, but for the most part, he's a tremendous weapon that they didn't utilize, in my opinion, enough." Next, Kiper brought up Virginia Tech's Bucky Hodges, a versatile 6-foot-7, 245-pound talent who can line up at any pass-catching position, from a standard tight-end alignment next to the tackle to the "X" and "Z" spots on the outside. "[Hodges is] another kind of enigma," Kiper said. "You thought he could be a top-15-to-20 pick. He didn't play like that. But he should test well. He's got tremendous size."

David Njoku, a chiseled, athletic 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end from Miami (Fla.) is another prospect earning notice, especially after racking up seven touchdowns and 397 yards on 26 catches in his final six games. "He's had a great year. Look at the later portion of his season; most of his touchdown catches came over the second half of the season," Kiper said. "He can stretch the deep middle. He's got tremendous speed and athletic ability. I thought about giving him to New England in the late first [round] -- I gave them O.J. Howard, [but] could have very easily given him David Njoku." Michigan's Jake Butt, who is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and Clemson's Jordan Leggett were among the other prospects Kiper noted,. That group also included athletic Division II prospect Adam Shaheen from Ashland University in Ohio, who Kiper projects as an early Day 3 pick. Kiper also put three running backs into his first-round mock draft -- LSU's Leonard Fournette (No. 8, Carolina), Florida State's Dalvin Cook (Cleveland, No. 12) and Stanford's Christian McCaffrey (Green Bay, projected No. 29). "These kids this year -- whether it be Fournette, Cook, McCaffrey or even D'Onta Foreman from Texas, they are deserving of being in the first-round discussion -- maybe even in the high first-round discussion," Kiper said.