2021 January - Pro Football Rumors

Packers Sign Tramon Williams

January 21st, 2021 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

THURSDAY: The Packers are bringing Williams back for a third stint. They will reacquire the 14th-year vet via practice squad deal. Since no team claimed Williams on waivers after the Ravens cut him, he would be eligible to play for the Packers in Sunday’s NFC championship game.

Green Bay released punter Ryan Winslow from its taxi squad to clear a spot for Williams. This will mark Williams’ second P-squad agreement this season; the Ravens initially stashed him on theirs in November.

WEDNESDAY: Tramon Williams may make yet another return to Green Bay. The veteran cornerback is visiting the Packers on Wednesday, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter).

The Ravens cut Williams earlier this week, paving a way for the enduring defender to sign with another team. Williams spent the first eight seasons of his career in Green Bay, before departing after the 2014 slate, and wound up back in Wisconsin for the 2018 and ’19 campaigns.

Williams worked as a depth player in Baltimore and would do the same in Green Bay, should he be asked to return to add some bonus miles to his age-37 season. But Williams started 16 games for the 2018 Packers, working as a safety, and saw time at multiple spots in seven starts for last season’s Green Bay edition. Williams played in both of the Packers’ 2019 playoff games and may be an intriguing late addition to the 2020 squad’s run.

The Packers have primarily used Kevin King and Chandon Sullivan opposite Jaire Alexander this season, with Josh Jackson also seeing time. None of these players is battling an injury presently, so it will be interesting to see if the Packers bring Williams back for a third stint. He would bring familiarity with Mike Pettine‘s system, having played for the current Packers DC in Cleveland and Green Bay.

Rams Hire Raheem Morris As DC

January 21st, 2021 at 2:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams made it official Thursday. Raheem Morris will become the team’s third defensive coordinator in three years.

Morris will replace Brandon Staley, who made a late surge to land the Chargers’ HC job last week. While Morris has been a head coach and interim HC, this move marks the first time a team has hired the 44-year-old coach to become its defensive coordinator. Morris worked his way up to that role in Atlanta, rising to the position in 2020, after spending five seasons as a position coach under Dan Quinn. This interestingly included stays coaching the Falcons’ DBs and wideouts. The Falcons fired Quinn in October and promoted Morris but tabbed Arthur Smith as its full-time HC last week.

A former Tampa Bay head coach, Morris will reunite with Sean McVay in Los Angeles. McVay’s first NFL job, as an offensive assistant, was under Jon Gruden with the 2008 Buccaneers. Morris coached Tampa Bay’s DBs that season, prior to being promoted to head coach in 2009. The pair again worked together in Washington, with their tenures as OC (McVay) and DBs coach (Morris) overlapping in 2014.

With this move coming four days after Staley’s departure, the Rams did not conduct a wide-ranging search before hiring Morris. The longtime Falcons coach, however, interviewed for the Atlanta full-time HC gig and met with the Jaguars about their HC and DC positions. The Rams are coming off a season in which they used a bevy of defensive schemes to rank first in both scoring and total defense. With Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey signed long-term, Morris will enjoy a personnel upgrade from the defense he coached in Atlanta.

Jets Hire Jeff Ulbrich As DC

January 21st, 2021 at 2:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have hired Jeff Ulbrich as their new defensive coordinator, per a club announcement. In addition, head coach Robert Saleh has appointed five new assistants to his staff.

Ulbrich started 2020 as the Falcons’ assistant head coach and linebackers coach. Then, when Dan Quinn was fired, he was promoted to defensive coordinator under interim HC Raheem Morris. The Falcons improved in the later months of the year, positioning Ulbrich for a step up.

Ulbrich was a third-round pick of the Niners back in 2000. He went on to enjoy a long career in SF, tallying 488 tackles through 2009. He’s been working as a coach ever since, including stops with the Seahawks and the UCLA Bruins. He’ll have his work cut out for him in New York, though the roster is something of a blank canvas. Armed with one of the top picks in this year’s draft, the Jets are prepared for a total reboot.

In addition to Ulbrich, the Jets have also appointed Aaron Whitecotton, Nate Ollie, Chip Vaughn, Ricky Manning Jr., and Hayes Pullard to jobs on Saleh’s staff.

Lions Hire Aaron Glenn As DC

January 21st, 2021 at 1:46pm CST by Zachary Links

After a false start, Detroit has sealed the deal. The Lions have agreed to hire Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn as their defensive coordinator (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter).

[RELATED: Lions Hire Dan Campbell]

Glenn’s stock has skyrocketed in recent years. The longtime NFL cornerback was even considered for the Jets’ head coaching vacancy, before Robert Saleh came away with the job. The Bengals also tried to interview him for their DC role back in 2019, before they were blocked by the Saints.

Glenn entered the league as a first-round pick of the Jets and went on to enjoy 15 years in the league. He stayed in the game after his retirement in 2008 with scouting role before launching his coaching career with the Browns in 2014.

Saints head coach Sean Payton has spoken highly of Glenn, so it’s no surprise to see him move up the ladder. With offensively-minded head coach Dan Campbell at the helm, Glenn figures to have ample control over the other side of the ball.

Steelers To Sign Dwayne Haskins

January 21st, 2021 at 1:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Dwayne Haskins has a new home. On Thursday, the Steelers agreed to sign the quarterback to a one-year deal, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Steelers met with the former first-round in the morning and quickly decided to bring him on board. It’s likely a minimum-salary deal for Haskins — or something close to it — so this is about as low-risk as it gets. Haskins was horrendous in Washington, but he was the No. 15 overall pick less than two years ago.

Haskins dazzled evaluators with his arm strength coming out of Ohio State. The cannon is still there, though his decision making — both on and off the field — was questioned in Washington. Head coach Ron Rivera released Haskins after a terrible Week 16 showing. Just one week prior to that, Haskins was photographed maskless at a birthday party.

Now, Haskins has a chance at NFL redemption. He won’t be starting, but he will have an opportunity to learn from one of the best in Ben Roethlisberger.

Jaguars Hire Joe Cullen As DC

January 21st, 2021 at 1:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars have hired Ravens defensive line coach Joe Cullen as their new defensive coordinator, according to ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley and Dan Graziano (on Twitter). Cullen, who once served as Jacksonville’s DL coach, was Urban Meyer‘s No. 1 choice for the DC vacancy.

Cullen comes from the Wink Martindale coaching tree with experience spanning the league. Previous stops for Cullen also included the Buccaneers, Browns, and Lions. He also donned the headset for Indiana and Richmond at the college level.

The Jaguars’ new-look regime is coming together quickly. On Thursday morning, they officially hired ex-49ers czar Trent Baalke as their general manager. Now, they’ve got Cullen to manage Meyer’s defense. Scott Linehan and Raheem Morris were also considered for DC, though Morris has since accepted the same role with the Rams.

The Ravens, meanwhile, will have to fill multiple spots on their defensive staff. In addition to Cullen, they need replacements for linebackers coach Mike Macdonald and defensive backs coach Jesse Minter who left for UMich and Vanderbilt, respectively.

Eagles To Hire Nick Sirianni As Head Coach

January 21st, 2021 at 1:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have found their new head coach. On Thursday, the Birds agreed to hire Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Sirianni is a logical candidate for the Eagles, who are looking to get Carson Wentz get back on track. Sirianni spent three seasons as a Chiefs assistant, five seasons with the Chargers, and the past three with the Colts. After working with Philip Rivers in 2020, the 39-year-old will try to work his magic with Wentz and understudy Jalen Hurts.

Under Sirianni’s watch, Rivers completed 68% of his throws for 4,169 yards with 24 touchdowns against eleven interceptions. The Colts went on to make the playoffs, though they fell to the Bills in the Wild Card round.

Sirianni isn’t just a quarterback specialist — he’s coached multiple positions with a proven track record of cultivating young talent. Wide receivers Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, and Zach Pascal all excelled under his watch. Sirianni also figures to hit it off with Wentz, since his ex-boss Frank Reich got the best out of the QB when he was in Philly.

Sirianni beat out a number of well-established candidates and rumored named for the job, as shown in PFR’s 2021 Head Coaching Search Tracker:

Eric Bieniemy, Chiefs offensive coordinator
Todd Bowles, Buccaneers defensive coordinator
Joe Brady, Panthers offensive coordinator
Mike Kafka, Chiefs quarterbacks coach
Jerod Mayo, Patriots inside linebackers coach
Josh McDaniels, Patriots offensive coordinator
Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma head coach
Robert Saleh, 49ers defensive coordinator
Arthur Smith, Titans offensive coordinator
Brandon Staley, Rams defensive coordinator
Duce Staley, Eagles running backs coach

McDaniels, who famously spurned the Colts a few years ago, was believed to be the other finalist.

Coaching Rumors: 49ers, Chargers, Jaguars, Eagles

January 21st, 2021 at 11:14am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers‘ staff is starting to come together, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic writes. Chris Foerster has been bumped up to primary offensive line coach while Rich Scangarello will return as the quarterbacks coach. Scangarello served as SF’s QBs coach in 2017 and 2018 before the Broncos tapped him as their OC in 2019. After a rough time in Denver and one year in Philly, he’s headed back to the Bay Area.

Here’s a look at the latest coach and coordinator news:

The Chargers will interview Colts defensive backs coach Jonathan Gannon for their defensive coordinator job, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Gannon is also being considered by the Bears for their DC role.
Meanwhile, new Chargers coach Brandon Staley is bringing Rams assistant Joe Barry along for the ride as his defensive passing game coordinator and linebackers coach (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com).
The Jaguars have requested an interview with Colts quarterbacks coach Marcus Brady for their offensive coordinator job, as Pelissero tweets.
The Eagles are interested in interviewing Cowboys special teams coach John Fassel, according to Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Fassel, the son of ex-Giants head coach Jim Fassel, spent eight years as the Rams’ ST coordinator. He also served as the Rams’ interim head coach for the final three games of 2016.

Steelers Interviewed Hue Jackson For OC Job

January 21st, 2021 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers interviewed former Browns head coach Hue Jackson earlier this week for their offensive coordinator vacancy (Twitter link via Dianna Russini of ESPN.com). However, it doesn’t seem that Jackson will get the job, since quarterbacks coach Matt Canada has been ticketed for a promotion.

At one point in time, Jackson was regarded as one of the NFL’s top offensive gurus. Then, he went 3-36-1 record across two-and-a-half tumultuous seasons with the Browns and his stock plummeted. The Browns placed much of the blame on Jackson’s shoulders. Jackson, naturally, sees things differently. Jackson has been out of the NFL picture ever since, save for a brief return to the Bengals as an assistant to Marvin Lewis in late 2018.

While his work as a dual head coach/OC with the Browns was ineffective, Jackson did lead the Bengals to a No. 2 ranking in offensive DVOA in 2015, his last season as strictly an offensive play-caller. Jackson won’t make his comeback in Pittsburgh, but other teams could still consider the veteran coach in this cycle.

Dwayne Haskins To Visit Steelers

January 21st, 2021 at 10:50am CST by Zachary Links

Former Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins will meet with the Steelers on Thursday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The former first-round pick could provide quarterback depth and upside for Pittsburgh on a low-cost, low-risk deal.

The Panthers also kicked the tires on Haskins recently, though that meeting ended without a deal. No one’s expecting greatness from Haskins — at least, not immediately — but he would likely come on a minimum-salary contract.

Before his late-season release, Haskins averaged 6.3 yards per attempt with 12 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. After getting dumped by Washington, Haskins mutually parted ways with agent David Mulugheta. He’s since caught on with Goal Line Football agency and his new reps are searching for his best fit.

Washington had high hopes for Haskins in 2019. Ultimately, his Week 16 performance in 2020 was the final straw. Starting in place of Alex Smith, Haskins completed just 50% of his throws for 154 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. He was leapfrogged by Taylor Heinicke and responded poorly, prompting head coach Ron Rivera to show him the door.