Denver Broncos 12/30/2008 7:01 PMESPN.com reports Mike Shanahan became the latest and most stunning victim of the NFL coaching purge, fired Tuesday by the Denver Broncos after a late-season collapse knocked the team out of the playoffs for the third straight year. Shanahan joined Eric Mangini, Rod Marinelli and Romeo Crennel on the unemployment line after going 24-24 over the past three seasons, including three straight losses in 2008 that turned a three-game division lead to an 8-8 record.Read more
Cleveland Browns 12/30/2008 4:28 PMAP reports the Cleveland Browns have scheduled an interview Tuesday with fired New York Jets coach Eric Mangini, a person with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press. Mangini, dismissed Monday by the Jets after they collapsed down the stretch and missed the playoffs, will meet with Browns owner Randy Lerner in the New York area, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the interview. Mangini began his NFL career in Cleveland in 1994 as a public relations assistant. He went 23-26 in three seasons and made the playoffs once with the Jets, who went 1-4 in their final five games. The Browns fired coach Romeo Crennel on Monday.Read more
Cleveland Browns 12/30/2008 12:55 PMESPN.com reports the Romeo Crennel era in Cleveland -- with Crennel as head coach -- is over. But his coaching career with the Browns might extend beyond this season, under the right circumstances. Crennel told The Cleveland Plain Dealer in a phone interview Monday that he'd be willing to stay if the new coach wanted him on his staff. "You don't want to get into a situation where somebody other than the head coach is hiring the coaches because now you've got a situation that might not work best," Crennel told the newspaper. "And for this organization to move forward, they need key people on the same page, going in the same direction."Read more
San Francisco 49ers 12/30/2008 9:02 AMThe San Francisco Chronicle reports the San Francisco 49ers have a dozen players whose contracts expired after Sunday's finale against the Washington Redskins. The most prominent among them are linebacker Takeo Spikes, wide receiver Bryant Johnson, backup running back DeShaun Foster, return specialist Allen Rossum and nickel cornerback Donald Strickland. Former starting quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan's contract is also up. "One thing I'd like to see is bring me back," said Spikes, who previously played in Cincinnati, Buffalo and Philadelphia. "I never had any regrets about leaving any of the teams I've been on. I will have regrets if I left this team. I feel like this is home."Read more
