League to check Gruden hire

The NFL says it will investigate whether the Oakland Raiders violated the “Rooney Rule” when they hired Jon Gruden as coach.

Spokesman Brian McCarthy said Thursday in a statement that the NFL will “look into this.” The Fritz Pollard Alliance called for the investigation on Wednesday out of concern that Raiders owner Mark Davis came to an agreement with Gruden before the team interviewed any minority candidates as required by the NFL since 2003.

Davis said Tuesday after the introductory news conference that he believed that Gruden was “all in” to take the job during a meeting Dec. 24.

Davis fired Jack Del Rio a week later and the team officially hired Gruden on Jan. 6 after interviewing two minority candidates, Oakland tight ends coach Bobby Johnson and USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin. Family reunion?

The Carolina Panthers will hire Norv Turner as their offensive coordinator, a source told the Charlotte Observer on Thursday evening. Turner’s son, Scott, will also be hired as the team’s quarterbacks coach.

On Monday, the Panthers announced that they had fired offensive coordinator Mike Shula and quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey, who had been in their respective positions since 2013.

Coach Ron Rivera said in a news conference later that day that he and interim general manager Marty Hurney had “a plan in place” to fill the positions, and that whoever did so would have to have a “different perspective.”

Rolling to the NFL

National champion Alabama once again must replace a number of key players leaving early for the NFL draft, including AllAmerica safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick, safety Ronnie Harrison and tailback Bo Scarbrough announced Thursday they’re skipping their senior seasons. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban says defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne is also entering the draft, and wide receiver Calvin Ridley already had announced his departure.

Fitzpatrick, regarded as a potential top-10 pick, said it wasn’t a tough call for him.

“I think it was a pretty clear decision with my family and my coaches,” he said. “I feel I played well enough to go high as I wanted to. I got a good grade from my coaches and the NFL. So it wasn’t a difficult decision. It was a little bittersweet.”

Fitzpatrick, Ridley and Payne are projected as likely first-round draft picks.

Harrison said he received a second-round grade from the College Advisory Committee.

Scarbrough declined to say what feedback he got.