HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Raiders Request To Interview Todd Bowles

January 25th, 2022 at 2:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the most sought-after coaching candidates has received another interview request. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Raiders have requested to meet with Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. 

Bowles has already been linked to the HC vacancies in Chicago, Jacksonville and Minnesota. The buzz around him shouldn’t come as a surprise, of course, considering the work he has done in Tampa Bay. In three years, he has overseen one of the league’s top defenses, which played a crucial role in the team’s Super Bowl championship last season. He signed an extension to stay on in his current role with the Bucs, but the door has always remained open for him to take a head coaching job if possible.

The Raiders, of course, have been connected to Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh since the beginning of the hiring cycle. They’ve also given interim coach Rich Bisaccia a chance to get the full-time position, as he interviewed last week to stay on board. Schefter adds that the interview with Bowles is set to take place in Las Vegas on Thursday.

Bowles, 58, had an up-and-down stint as the head coach of the Jets prior to coming to Tampa Bay. Given the interest being shown in him now, however, there seems to be a very good chance he will get a second opportunity to lead his own staff.

 

Saints’ HC Sean Payton “Stepping Away”

January 25th, 2022 at 12:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

After speculation on his future continued to grow, Saints’ head coach Sean Payton has informed the team that he is “stepping away”, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). The news brings an end to his tenure in New Orleans dating back to 2006.

[Related: Sean Payton Not Certain To Return in 2022]

Rapoport reported earlier in the week that the 58-year-old was weighing his options, and that there was a strong chance he might not be coaching in 2022. Many thought a one-year absence was a possibility, either for Payton to take a year off from coaching altogether, or perhaps to try his hand in broadcasting, as TV networks are apparently interested in him. ESPN’s Dianna Russini reports (via Twitter) that “he is not done coaching football in the future”.

Meanwhile, Nick Underhill of The Athletic has tweeted that Payton has “retired”. That would of course suggest a much greater degree of finality to the decision, as opposed to a temporary break from the spotlight. Payton was back at the Saints’ facility on Monday, the day owner Gayle Benson confirmed that no one in the organization knew his intentions.

Payton has three years remaining on his current contract, but obviously the Saints need to begin looking for a replacement HC. One of the names mentioned as a candidate to take over is defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who has also received interest from the Bears. New Orleans will certainly have competition for any external options, as there are now nine HC vacancies around the league.

One year after the quarterback who delivered the franchise’s only Super Bowl retired, the coach who was an equally integral part of that championship is now departing New Orleans as well.

Bears To Hire Ryan Poles As GM

January 25th, 2022 at 12:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears are in the process of hiring Chiefs assistant director of player personnel Ryan Poles as their next general manager (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). The former player in Chicago is coming back, this time to lead the franchise’s front office.

Poles had gotten a request from the Bears for a second interview earlier this week. The fact that he was a finalist for the job wasn’t a surprise, given the interest he was also receiving from the Vikings and Giants. The 37-year-old was also a finalist for the GM job in Carolina last year.

Widely seen as one of the top-up-and-coming executives in the league, Poles has worked his way up the ladder in Kansas City very quickly. After starting out on the college scouting side of the franchise, he has recently worked alongside GM Brett Veach on a much wider scale. Still, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes that Poles will face “a learning curve”, given that he has yet to handle player contracts, among other things, directly. Overall, though, this is being viewed as a very smart hire, leading to optimism that the Bears can move forward from the previous Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace regime and return to playoff contention. As The Draft Scout’s Matt Miller points out (via Twitter), the Chiefs will receive one third-round compensatory pick this year and next as a result of the hire.

This news represents the second GM hire so far, after the Giants brought in Joe Schoen. With Poles hired, that leaves Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the vice president of football operations for the Browns, as the only remaining finalist for the Vikings’ GM vacancy. He is now the favorite to take over in Minnesota. Be sure to keep up to date with all the latest using our GM Search Tracker.

Mayfield, Wide Receivers Central To Browns’ Offseason Plans

January 25th, 2022 at 12:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Especially if he is able to be fully healthy at the start of next year, Baker Mayfield will play a large role in determining if the Browns can rebound from a disappointing 2021 season. Even if that’s the case, though, the team could still look very different by that time. 

[Related: Browns Plan To Keep Baker Mayfield]

Both head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry have expressed confidence in Mayfield: “It’s easy to forget… what we’ve seen with Baker over the past several years. Obviously he had his most productive season in this offense under [Stefanski in 2020]” Berry said recently. That’s one of the reasons ESPN’s Jake Trotter writes that bringing Mayfield back on his fifth year option “seems to be the most likely outcome”, another being the lack of realistic trade targets. With that said, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal adds that “acquiring someone to push” Mayfield, such as Mitchell Trubisky or Marcus Mariota, is a strong possibility as well. Mayfield will have a price tag of just under $19MM in 2022.

Meanwhile, the wide receiver position is setting up to be an area of focus. With veteran Jarvis Landry in danger of being a cap casualty – he has no guaranteed money left on his deal, leaving Trotter to write that it “feels like he has played his last snap with the Browns” – rebuilding the pass-catching corps is sure to be a priority. While the Browns should have the cap space to target at least one experienced wideout, there is a growing sense of expectation they will use the draft as a means of acquiring a true No. 1. Mel Kiper’s first mock draft has Cleveland taking Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson, while Dane Brugler projects them taking Treylon Burks from Arkansas.

The two reporters are also in synch when it comes to the team’s defensive needs. Defensive tackle in particular looks to be a key area of focus, given the pending unrestricted free agency of 32-year-old Malik Jackson and the recent arrest of Malik McDowell. Trotter adds that edge rusher could also be a need, depending on what happens with Jadeveon Clowney in free agency. Just like receiver, the defensive front figures to see a significant overhaul in the coming months.

For a team that generated so many expectations heading into the 2021 season, the Browns clearly face a number of key roster decisions heading into the offseason to be able to meet them in the future.

 

Panthers, Titans Coaching Updates

January 25th, 2022 at 10:55am CST by Adam La Rose

There’s been a few updates with respect to the changes in the Panthers’ and Titans’ coaching staffs. The largest change so far, of course, is the hiring of Ben McAdoo as offensive coordinator for Carolina. On Monday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed that the team has made that hire official (Twitter link). 

The 44-year-old comes in with a successful background at the OC level, having helped the Giants to top-ten rankings in 2014 and 2015. That earned him the head coaching position in New York, although it certainly didn’t end the way he would have wanted. Still, there are high hopes he can turn around a Panthers offense that struggled mightily in 2021, leading to the mid-season firing of Joe Brady.

Meanwhile, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk reported that Carolina is conducting a second interview with Chris Tabor for the special teams coordinator vacancy. The Panthers fired Chase Blackburn earlier this month, and already met with Tabor, who has previously been a ST coordinator with the Browns and Bears. Unlike the first interview, this one will take place in person. Alper notes that the Panthers had offered the job to current Giants ST coordinator Thomas McGaughey, “but the two sides could not agree on a contract”.

As for the Titans, the disappointing loss on Saturday has led to at least four changes on their staff. As Sport Illustrated’s John Glennon tweets, the coaches being let go include: inside linebackers coach Jim Haslett, assistant defensive line coach Kenechi Udeze, assistant ST coach Matt Edwards and assistant strength and conditioning coach Mondray Gee. Tennessee finished the year atop the AFC, but lost in their opening playoff game for the second straight season.

 

Le’Veon Bell Clears Waivers

January 25th, 2022 at 9:55am CST by Adam La Rose

After having been waived by the Buccaneers on Saturday, running back Le’Veon Bell has, not surprisingly, went through unclaimed. As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports (via Twitter), he is now a free agent. 

[Related: Buccaneers Activate Leonard Fournette, Waive Le’Veon Bell]

Bell signed with Tampa Bay in December to provide depth for a banged-up halfback room. With Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones missing time down the stretch, Bell found himself in essentially the same situation as when he joined the Ravens earlier in the year. Season-ending injuries to J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards had Baltimore searching for veteran replacements, ultimately settling on Devonta Freeman and Latavius Murray throughout the campaign.

The three-time Pro Bowler ended what wound up being a very brief stint in Baltimore with 31 carries for 83 yards and two touchdowns. In Tampa Bay, meanwhile, he totalled 12 touches for 49 scrimmage yards, including one receiving touchdown. Prior to Fournette’s return, Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Giovani Bernard handled a larger share of the workload in the backfield.

Bell’s likeliest move may well have been to re-join the Bucs’ practice squad had they won on Saturday. Now that their season is over, and Bell went unclaimed, he is free to sign anywhere and continue trying to find a new permanent home in the NFL.

Latest On 49ers’ Trent Williams, Deebo Samuel

January 25th, 2022 at 8:56am CST by Adam La Rose

There was cause for concern for the 49ers after their upset win over the Packers on Saturday. Left tackle Trent Williams suffered an ankle injury in the game, and was seen on crutches afterward. 

However, head coach Kyle Shanahan provided an encouraging update on Monday. He said that X-rays on the ankle came back negative, and that he’ll be “managed during practice” throughout the week. He admitted, though, that the 33-year-old’s availability for Sunday’s NFC Championship game is uncertain at this point.

Williams was a question mark to play in the team’s Wild Card win over the Cowboys due to an elbow injury suffered in Week 17. He sat out the regular season finale – which would have ended San Francisco’s season if not for a come-from-behind victory over their next opponent, the Rams – but was able to start once again for both playoff games. The nine-time Pro Bowler has continued to play at an elite level in his second season with the 49ers, an encouraging sign give that he is under contract with the team for another five years after this.

Shanahan also provided an update on Deebo Samuel. He said the hybrid receiver/running back took a helmet to the knee during Saturday’s game, but that he “should be at practice” tomorrow. Especially if Williams were able to suit up, the undisputed catalyst of the 49ers’ offense would once again play a major role in trying to help the team reach a second Super Bowl in the past three years.

Steelers Request Permission To Interview Saints’ Kris Richard For DC Job

January 24th, 2022 at 9:38pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve got another candidate for the Steelers defensive coordinator vacancy. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the Steelers have requested permission to interview Saints defensive backs coach Kris Richard.

[RELATED: Steelers Request Interview With Giants DC Patrick Graham]

Richard served as the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator from 2015-17, and then he was the passing game coordinator and defensive play-caller with the Cowboys from 2018-19. He spent 2020 out of the league before landing on Sean Payton’s staff in New Orleans.

During his lone season with the Saints, Richard helped guide the secondary to a standout season. The Saints defensive backs allowed the third-fewest touchdowns in the league, and the Saints finished with the sixth-most interceptions.

Steelers DC Keith Butler recently retired, and it was believed that the organization would fill the vacancy internally. If the organization goes that route, then senior defensive assistant/secondary coach Teryl Austin, who had been in Pittsburgh for the past three seasons, would likely earn the promotion. However, he’s seen competition from Giants DC Patrick Graham and now Richard.

Latest On Bears’ GM Search

January 24th, 2022 at 8:41pm CST by Ben Levine

At least three finalists have emerged for the Bears GM gig. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the organization has requested second interviews with Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort and Patriots senior consultant Eliot Wolf. We previously learned that Chiefs director of player personnel Ryan Poles would also be getting a second interview. Colts director of college scouting Morocco Brown could also be a candidate for a second interview, per Rapoport.

[RELATED: Bears Request Second GM Interview With Ryan Poles]

Ossenfort has been the director of player personnel in Tennessee for the past two years. Prior to the Titans, he spent 17 seasons in the Patriots’ organization, acting as the director of college scouting in his last six years in New England.

Wolf started off as a pro personnel assistant in 2004 with the Packers, where his father, Ron Wolf, served as general manager. In eight years with the team, Eliot worked his way into the director of pro personnel role, which he held for three years. In his last two seasons in Green Bay, he spent time in the roles of director of player personnel and director of football operations. He left Wisconsin for the assistant general manager position in Cleveland before taking his current position as a senior consultant in New England.

Brown had a seven-year stint as the Bears assistant director of pro personnel. He’s served as a top executive in Indy for the past five years, with Brown earning credit for his draft evaluation. He interviewed for the Falcons GM gig last offseason.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/24/22

January 24th, 2022 at 5:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are Monday’s reserve/futures deals:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

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