Lions Blog

Bates the Lions' next target?

The first order of business for Jim Schwartz is hiring coordinators, and ESPN reported late Thursday night that Denver Broncos quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates is a top candidate to run the Lions' offense.

Bates, 32, recently signed a three-year contract extension in Denver. But despite a strong relationship with quarterback Jay Cutler, Bates has been granted permission to interview with Oakland in the wake of Mike Shanahan's surprising dismissal in Denver and the subsequent hiring of New England's Josh McDaniels as head coach. Bates called the offensive plays for the Broncos last season, but McDaniels, who was the Patriots' offensive coordinator, has said he will assume the play-calling duties.

The ESPN report also suggests New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is a candidate for the Lions' job, but Jets officials reportedly want him to be retained by their next hire as head coach. Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is the leading candidate to land that job.

Bates' father, Jim, is a Pontiac native and longtime NFL assistant who also exited in Denver after spending the 2007 season as the team's defensive coordinator. He also coached briefly in Cleveland when Schwartz was there in the mid-1990s. Jeremy Bates is a former quarterback who started his college career at Tennessee -- he was a backup to Peyton Manning, actually -- and has worked in the NFL with the Jets and Buccaneers.