7:37pm: Renck now reports the longtime DC is going to Washington to visit family instead of officially interviewing with the Redskins. While he adds Phillips is a sought-after candidate, an interview with the Redskins has not been scheduled.
6:46pm: The competition for Wade Phillips‘ 2017 services has heated up, and his previous employer has fallen behind — perhaps by choice. Phillips will interview for the Redskins’ defensive coordinator job on Friday, Troy Renck of Denver7 reports (on Twitter). The 69-year-old DC has an obvious connection there; his son Wes Phillips is Washington’s tight ends coach.
The Rams still have interest, Renck reports, especially now that the team hired Sean McVay as HC. McVay wants Phillips as his DC, we heard earlier today. The Browns also expressed interest in Phillips before hiring Gregg Williams.
This comes as the Broncos hired defensive-based Vance Joseph as their next head coach. Joseph may be shifting in a different direction, despite calling Phillips a mentor from their time together with the Texans. The new Denver coach said today (via Nick Groke of the Denver Post) Phillips “is a free agent; he’s free to go where he wants to go” but did not mention any other names for the Broncos’ DC job. Defensive backs coach Joe Woods is considered a key candidate to become the Broncos’ next DC, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post reports. Phillips’ two-year Broncos contract expired after the season.
The Redskins have already interviewed Gus Bradley, Mike Pettine and Steve Wilks for their DC job, with Wilks instead receiving a promotion to become the Panthers’ head coach following Sean McDermott’s Bills defection. Washington attempted to interview Bengals DC Paul Guenther but was denied.
Phillips’ Broncos defenses finished as the No. 1 DVOA units in each of the past two years, with his 2015 Super Bowl group being one of the best defenses in memory.
Wade is the obvious choice here, give him whatever he wants.
If his son really thinks this team has potential and thinks that he can work with the current roster, and that the skins are willing to get the pieces he asks for, he will make sure he lambs in DC.
This, the resigning of Cousins, bringing back both Garçon and Jackson (have them split $20 million a year, we have the cap room), and a decent draft, amd the skins become an instant competitor.
I think Wilks became the Panthers DC, not head coach.