HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Jaguars Meet With Josh McCown

January 21st, 2022 at 11:42am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars — who are searching for their next head coach — recently “had a conversation” with Josh McCown, according to Aaron Wilson of SportsTalk790. However, their chat with McCown was not a formal interview for the position. 

[RELATED: Latest On Texans, McCown]

The Texans, meanwhile, seem to be very bullish on McCown as their next HC, despite his lack of experience. Because the longtime quarterback has never coached at the NFL or NCAA level, the Texans are reportedly hoping that other teams will interview McCown. This “conversation” with the Jaguars doesn’t exactly fit the criteria, but it might be enough for GM Nick Caserio to move on McCown, if that is indeed his preferred hire.

McCown, 42, spent the later part of his career as a mentor of young quarterbacks. He is, by all accounts, universally beloved and respected for his leadership qualities and football IQ. However, to date, his only coaching experience has come at the high school level, guiding his sons at Charlotte’s Myers Park High School.

In addition to McCown, the Texans are also weighing ex-Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, Chargers OC Joe Lombardi, Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon, and Rams OC Kevin O’Connell. The Jaguars, as you might expect after the Urban Meyer debacle, are prioritizing experience with this group of candidates:

Giants Hire Joe Schoen As GM

January 21st, 2022 at 10:46am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have hired former Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen as their new GM, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Now, per a press release from the team, Schoen has been officially tapped as Dave Gettleman‘s replacement.

[RELATED: 2022 NFL General Manager Search Tracker]

“We are pleased and proud to name Joe as our general manager,” said Giants president John Mara. “Throughout our search, Joe impressed us with his ability to communicate a progressive and comprehensive vision for our team. His philosophy and collaborative approach to building a roster and coaching staff align with what we were looking for in a general manager.”

The Giants spoke with at least nine candidates during their search, before narrowing the field to three finalists: Schoen, 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters, and Chiefs executive Ryan Poles. This morning, the Giants informed Peters and Poles that they will be hiring someone else (Twitter link via Schefter) — that someone was Schoen.

“Steve [Tisch] and I were both impressed with all nine candidates,” Mara said, via the team’s press release. “We came away from this process feeling like all nine will be a general manager in this league at some point. We just felt like Joe was the right fit at the right time for us.”

Schoen, 42, has spent the past five seasons as an assistant under current GM Brandon Beane, who has a relationship with Schoen dating back to 2001 when he was the GM of the Panthers. The turnaround in Buffalo over the past few years, and Schoen’s role in that process, earned him plenty of GM interest. In addition to the G-Men, the Bears were also high on him, but they’ll have to look elsewhere.

“[Schoen is] going to be a GM,” Beane told The Athletic back in 2019. “The thing about him is that he’s smart enough to know that he’s still learning and growing, and he’s trying to get stronger at his craft. He wants to be totally ready when he gets in there.”

“Instead of just rushing to the seat and then trying to figure it out, Joe’s that guy that he wants to have all the answers to the test before he goes and sits down. Very few people are like that. There’s so many people in this business that are just trying to get into that head coach seat, that GM seat, and maybe they’re not ready for it. I have no doubt he’s going to be ready for it. He’s a great communicator. He understands people. You’re not going to outwork him.”

With Schoen at the helm, Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll may have a leg up in the Giants’ head coaching search. It’s also worth noting that Giants ownership was high on Daboll, even before Schoen got the job today. Cowboys DC Dan Quinn and ex-Dolphins head coach Brian Flores are also expected to garner serious consideration.

Latest On Texans, Josh McCown

January 21st, 2022 at 10:28am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans are really keen on Josh McCown, despite his lack of coaching experience. With hopes of legitimizing the potential hire, the Texans are hoping that other clubs bring the longtime NFL quarterback in for head coaching interviews, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT. 

McCown has reportedly been on GM Nick Caserio‘s radar for a while, even before/during/after the hiring of David Culley. Of course, Culley lasted just one year in Houston, as his own lack of HC experience seemed to hinder him. Even though McCown is highly respected in the football world, going with another green hire will surely raise some eyebrows. Caserio & Co. may be able to dodge some fan backlash, however, if McCown is considered for vacancies elsewhere.

In addition to McCown, the Texans are also weighing:

McCown, who has been with a dozen pro teams as a player, has never coached at the professional or collegiate level.

This Date In Transactions History: Titans Hire Mike Vrabel

January 21st, 2022 at 8:41am CST by Zachary Links

Four years ago today, the Titans tapped Mike Vrabel as their next head coach. The former Texans defensive coordinator wasn’t thought to be a frontrunner for the job, but he proved to be the “leader of men” that GM Jon Robinson was looking for.

Early on, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was said to be at the top of the Titans’ list. A few weeks later, it was clear that they made the right choice. McDaniels, of course, was announced as the next HC of the Colts, only to leave them at the altar that same day.

Robinson, a one-time Patriots scout, immediately clicked with the longtime Pats linebacker, according to Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk.

“You could see their connection right away from the history they have with one another – seeing the game in a similar way and talking the same language,” Strunk said. “Mike has a commanding presence and a deep knowledge for how he will attack this head coaching opportunity.”

With that, Vrabel became the 19th head coach in franchise history and the fourth since 2011. They also managed to snag runner-up Matt LaFleur, luring the Rams OC to Nashville for the same role. LaFleur would leave one year later to become the Packers’ HC, but Vrabel continued to deliver results.

Vrabel’s first Titans team went 9-7, even without Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker on the field. Since then, he’s taken the Titans to the playoffs in each of the last three seasons with AFC South titles in each of the last two years. With a win over the Bengals tomorrow, Vrabel can bring his club back to the AFC title game and one step closer to winning its first Super Bowl in over 20 years.

Bears To Interview Saints DC Dennis Allen

January 20th, 2022 at 11:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s add another name to the list of Bears head coaching candidates. Per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football (on Twitter), Chicago will interview Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen for the vacancy. The interview is expected to be next week.

Allen was the head coach of the Raiders for two-plus seasons from 2012 to 2014. He collected an 8-24 record during his first two seasons at the helm, and an 0-4 start to the 2014 campaign led to his firing.

Obviously that record doesn’t inspire much confidence, but he’s done a great job rehabilitating his reputation in New Orleans since landing on Sean Payton’s staff in 2015. The Saints often had one of the worst defenses in the league before Allen’s arrival, and he stabilized the unit and turned them into an elite group the past few years. Allen also filled in as HC when Payton was forced to miss a game earlier this season.

The list of Bears HC candidates also includes:

Texans Interview Josh McCown For HC Vacancy

January 20th, 2022 at 11:16pm CST by Ben Levine

An interesting name has emerged in the Texans’ hunt for a new head coach. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), Houston completed an interview with Josh McCown for their head coaching vacancy.

McCown did not see any action with the Texans last season and has not started a game since filling in for Sam Darnold in 2018. However, he did play the bulk of the 2019 Eagles’ wild-card loss to the Seahawks, after Carson Wentz exited. A 2002 draftee, McCown has been with a dozen teams — the Cardinals, Lions, Raiders, Dolphins, Panthers, 49ers, Bears, Buccaneers, Browns, Jets, Eagles and Texans — in his near-two-decade NFL run. He remained unsigned for the entire 2021 campaign.

Recently, McCown has been mentioned as a potential coaching candidate, but it was expected that he’d pay his dues on the sideline before being considered for HC gigs. He was mentioned as a candidate for the Texans job last offseason.

In addition to McCown, the Texans head coaching search includes:

Jets, Braxton Berrios Have Discussed Deal

January 20th, 2022 at 5:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Jets’ struggles continued this season, they put a kick returner on the All-Pro team for the second time in four years. Braxton Berrios followed Andre Roberts‘ offering, and after the team opted not to keep Roberts in 2019, a path for Berrios to stay has formed.

An unrestricted free agent in March, Berrios can only negotiate with the Jets until the legal tampering period begins. The sides have discussed a deal for Berrios to stay, the young receiver/return man said during an appearance on Pardon My Take (via SNY). “We’ve talked,” Berrios said, though he is not committed to working out a deal with the Jets.

“I don’t look at it as, like, ‘Oh, I want to go to this division or this conference,'” Berrios said. “That’s not where my head’s at, at least. … It’s two sides [in negotiations]. We’ll see what happens. We’ll see what happens.”

Berrios, 26, did praise the current Jets coaching staff, Robert Saleh in particular, and has carved out a key role during Joe Douglas‘ GM regime. The former Patriots UDFA addition will have an interesting market, with the cap set to spike near $210MM after 2021’s pandemic-induced reduction.

The ex-Miami Hurricane scored five touchdowns, in three varieties, in his third Jets season and finished as the NFL’s leader in yards per kick return (30.4). His 102-yard score in the Jets’ Week 16 win over the Jaguars increased that figure significantly. For a Jets squad that played without Corey Davis and Elijah Moore for extended periods, Berrios stepped in as a receiver as well. He finished with 46 catches for 431 yards and two TDs — one coming during the team’s near-upset over the Buccaneers in Week 17 — while adding two rushing scores. Berrios did not play in New York’s finale due to a quadriceps injury.

New York has Davis and Moore locked up long-term, but a deal with Berrios makes sense. Given Denzel Mims‘ lack of development, the team figures to still have a receiver need even if it does re-up Berrios. Jamison Crowder and Keelan Cole (896 receiving yards between them) are also set for free agency.

Packers Activate Randall Cobb From IR

January 20th, 2022 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Randall Cobb is back on the Packers’ active roster. Green Bay used the full three-week ramp-up period to prepare its slot receiver for the playoffs, and Cobb is officially off IR.

The 11th-year veteran suffered a core muscle injury suffered while catching a touchdown pass against the Rams in November. The injury required surgery, but Cobb made a quicker-than-expected return to practice. After coming back to practice Dec. 30, Cobb is on track to play against the 49ers on Saturday.

While Cobb has played many playoff games as a Packer, has not suited up for a postseason contest since the 2016 NFC championship game. The Packers let Cobb walk in free agency after the 2018 season, and after one-year stints with the Cowboys and Texans, he returned to Green Bay via late-summer trade at Aaron Rodgers‘ request.

Cobb, 31, proved a key weapon in certain spots for Rodgers this season. During a Week 8 win over the then-unbeaten Cardinals, a game that featured Green Bay’s top wideouts shelved on the reserve/COVID-19 list, he caught two touchdown passes. Cobb also caught two TD passes against the Steelers earlier this year. The Rams TD catch was his fifth, but it ended up costing him extensive time. Cobb ended the regular season with 28 receptions for 375 yards and five TDs, amassing these totals in 12 games.

The Pack are expected to have a host of injured players back when they return to action. David Bakhtiari played against the Lions in a meaningless Week 18 game, and fellow Pro Bowlers Jaire Alexander and Za’Darius Smith have joined Cobb in ramping up for the playoffs. Center Josh Myers also played against the Lions, after a two-plus-month absence, and right tackle Billy Turner returned to practice last week. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, however, is not expected to play against San Francisco. A back injury has the veteran deep threat doubtful.

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