NFL on CBS Overhaul

Today, CBS have officially announced significant changes to their coverage of the NFL for the 2014 season.  Since the end of last season, the eye network have made drastic changes in anticipation of the new season, culminating with today's announcements of new announcing pairs and additions to the broadcast, including the return of field reporters to the broadcast.  With the addition of Thursday Night Football, CBS have shook up their commentators and have added additional talent.

The first hint dropped midseason when Dan Dierdorff's surprising retirement announcement (he's since has joined his alma-mater Michigan's radio team, speculating if he jumped before he was to be pushed).  With FOX NFL Sunday soundly defeating CBS in the ratings (39% more viewers), CBS Sports Chairman and the network's Executive Producer Sean McManus, really took a hammer to flagship program, The NFL Today.  Out are Hall of Famers and long time analysts Dan Marino and Shannon Sharpe.  They are replaced by newly retired potential Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez and former All-Pro, Bart Scott, who comes over to the broadcast after spending a season on CBS Sports Network's TOPS.  James Brown will remain as host, along with analysts Bill Cowher and Boomer Esiason, as well as NFL Insider Jason LaCanfora.  

The game coverage will also see significant changes:

•  Jim Nantz and Phil Simms will be the main announcers for CBS & NFL Network's Thursday Night Football.  The tandem will work every Thursday night on broadcast TV (simulcasted on NFLN) and when the game is exclusive to cable.  CBS won the hotly contested bidding for the package agreeing to allow their A-team to call the game and the network to wholly produced the broadcast.  Tracy Wolfson will be the new lead sideline reporter each week for CBS on Thursdays.  She will be the first full time field reporter for CBS since 2005.  Nantz, Simms and Wolfson will appear every Thursday and appear on select Sunday National games.  The pregame show will be hosted by Brown, along with Cowher and NFL Network's Deion Sanders onsite of the game scheduled.  A second team will be announced later this summer
  
  
• Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts, fan favorites affectionately known as 'The Bird and the Beard', have been promoted as the networks B-team.  The long time C team, will now be assigned the highest distributed contest on CBS, when the A team is not available.  They may possibly be assigned to a playoff game if CBS receives one during the divisional round
  
  
• Long time analyst and host Greg Gumbel drops to the C team.  He will be joined by one of the network's newest hire, former NFL QB Trent Green, who has worked for Westwood One's NFL broadcast
  
  
• Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon will form the D team.  The legendary Marv Albert has relinquished his NFL duties to focus on the NBA and College Basketball, allowing his Turner Sports colleague and his former CBS partner to pair up
  
  
• Spero Dedes also moves up pairing with Harlan's former partner Solomon Wilcots on the E-team.  CBS rising star Andrew Catalon will join the NFL coverage as part of a three man booth for the F-team with analysts Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker.  Tasker's former partner Bill Macatee will not return
  
  
• With the network's expanded coverage, CBS will also utilize additional talent when necessary such as Turner Sports announcer Brian Anderson, and Westwood One's Tom McCarthy working play by play for select lower tiered games.  They will be joined in some combination by CBS Sports Network's analysts Adam Achuleta and Chris Simms.  CBS will also hire more sideline reporters, with former Red Sox field reporter Jenny Dell and CBSSN's Evan Washburn assigned to games to be announced.

With new talent, expanded game coverage, including Thurday night games and more NFC contests, CBS is looking to overtake the NFL on FOX, and to a degree NBC's juggernaut Sunday Night Football series as the NFL's #1 network.  Lets see if the new look with will lead to new viewers.