Smith is quickly filling out his Falcons' staff
Associated Press
Sunday, January 27, 2008

ATLANTA --- New Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith continued to fill his staff Saturday with four additions, including receivers coach Terry Robiskie and defensive line coach Ray Hilton , who previously worked with Smith in Jacksonville.

Smith also hired running backs coach Gerald Brown and offensive quality control coach Glenn Thomas .

Robiskie had 25 years of NFL coaching experience, including briefs stints as an interim head coach in both Washington and Cleveland.

He was the second consecutive assistant hired from the staff of former Miami coach Cam Cameron , who was dumped after a 1-15 season. Mike Mularkey, the Dolphins' tight ends coach in 2007, joined the Falcons as offensive coordinator on Friday. Smith also announced that interim Falcons coach Emmitt Thomas will stay on as assistant head coach and work with the secondary.

BENGALS: The NFL cleared linebacker Odell Thurman to resume working out with Cincinnati on Saturday, a step toward reinstatement from his two-year suspension.

The former Georgia player will be allowed to work out with the training staff at Paul Brown Stadium. He's hoping for full reinstatement before the team's minicamp in April.

"We see it as a positive," agent Safarrah Lawson said Saturday in a phone interview. "It's an opportunity to get reacclimated with the team, to work with the strength and conditioning staff in preparation, hopefully, for minicamp and training camp."

JAGUARS: Added former New York Jets and Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson to their staff.

Coach Jack Del Rio confirmed the hiring, but said Henderson's role on the defensive staff will be decided later.

The Jaguars lost defensive coordinator Mike Smith this week when he took the head coaching job with the Atlanta Falcons.

Henderson, who worked with Del Rio in Baltimore, was out of coaching last year. He spent the 2006 season as defensive coordinator in Detroit and served in the same capacity with the Jets from 2004-05.

Henderson was the Ravens' defensive backs coach from 2000-03. Baltimore finished in the top 10 in pass defense in three of his four seasons.

He could end up tutoring Jacksonville's secondary, which struggled most of last season.

Del Rio hopes to name a new defensive coordinator soon.

REDSKINS: Fired assistants Gregg Williams and Al Saunders on Saturday, promoted Greg Blache to lead the team's defense and announced that a head coach would likely not be in place for at least another week.

The Redskins also formally announced the hiring of Jim Zorn, who agreed to a three-year deal Friday to lead the offense.

"The process of selecting a new head coach continues, although no hire is planned until after the Super Bowl so as not to distract from the championship game as well as to keep open all our options," owner Dan Snyder said in a statement, his first public comments on a coaching search that began more than two weeks ago.

"We are on track with our interviews," Snyder added. "But in the interim we also are filling our coaching positions and re-signing several existing staff members."

BROWNS: Made contract offers to quarterback Derek Anderson and running back Jamal Lewis .

A team spokesman confirmed proposals were sent to the representative for both players, but he could not provide details about the length or value of the deals.

Anderson, who won 10 games and threw 29 touchdown passes in his first season as a starter, is scheduled to become a restricted free agent on Feb. 29. If the Browns can't lock him up with a long-term deal before then, they can tender him with a one-year contract worth $2.52 million.

CHARGERS: Kicker Nate Kaeding played in nearly five full games with a fractured lower left leg, including hitting four field goals in Sunday's loss to New England in the AFC Championship Game.

Kaeding's left leg is his plant leg.

From the Sunday, January 27, 2008 edition of the Augusta Chronicle
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