HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Dolphins Expected To Stick With QB Tua Tagovailoa

January 15th, 2022 at 12:09pm CST by Ben Levine

While rumors will always persist, it sounds like the Dolphins are going to stick with their current QB. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Tua Tagovailoa is expected to be the Dolphins starting quarterback for the 2022 season.

[RELATED: Dolphins GM Chris Grier On Deshaun Watson, Tua Tagovailoa]

According to the writer, the organization has “significant” belief in the former fifth-overall pick. The front office will no longer pursue a top-end QB, which would seemingly take them out of the running for Texans QB Deshaun Watson, who the organization has been connected to for the better part of a year. While the team’s new head coach is expected to “evaluate every facet of the football team, including the QB,” the hope is that the new HC will continue to help with Tagovailoa’s development (vs. pushing for a replacement).

Rapoport adds the caveat that the plan is “barring some sort of unforeseen occurrence,” like a “high-profile QB demanding a trade to the Dolphins.” This is an interesting distinction; the franchise won’t pursue a top QB unless that top QB explicitly says he wants to play in Miami. This could indicate that the report is merely posturing by the Dolphins front office.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter provides a bit more context (on Twitter), noting that the firing of Brian Flores was what ultimately “diminished” the Dolphins’ chances of acquiring Watson. According to Schefter, Flores was one of Watson’s main proponents, while owner Stephen Ross was on Team Tua. However, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com pushes back at this notion, tweeting that he’s heard that Ross was “obsessed” with acquiring the Texans QB.

Tagovailoa dealt with injuries once again in 2021, but he still managed to start 12 of his 13 games. The Dolphins went 7-5 in those 12 starts, and the 23-year-old finished the season having completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 2,653 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

Vikings Request Permission To Speak With Six More Coaches About HC Job

January 15th, 2022 at 10:04am CST by Ben Levine

And like that, we’ve got a growing list of candidates for the Vikings HC job. Following news that the Vikings requested permission to interview Todd Bowles for the gig, we’ve learned that the organization requested permission to interview six additional coaches:

  • Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles) (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Twitter)
  • Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers) (via Pelissero on Twitter)
  • Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys) (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter)
  • Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams) (via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Twitter)
  • Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys) (via Pelissero on Twitter)
  • DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers) (via Pelissero on Twitter)

Five of those coaches have already been connected to other HC vacancies, but this is the first reported interview request for Ryans. The former NFL linebacker has been on the 49ers coaching staff since 2017, and he was promoted to defensive coordinator last offseason after Robert Saleh left for New York. During his first season in the role, the 49ers defense ranked third in yards allowed and ninth in points allowed.

Of course, the Vikings may not be sticking with only seven candidates. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin tweets that the Vikings have also explored the candidacy of Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

Per Pelissero (on Twitter), the Vikings are hoping to find a replacement for former GM Rick Spielman before they hire a replacement for former HC Mike Zimmer. However, considering the anti-tampering rules, the Vikings only have until Sunday to interview coaches on byes, so they have reason to speak with someone like Hackett ASAP. The Vikings plan to kick off their GM interviews on Sunday, with Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort first in line.

Vikings Request Permission To Interview Todd Bowles

January 15th, 2022 at 9:22am CST by Ben Levine

We’ve got our first definitive candidate for the Vikings head coaching gig. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter), the Vikings have requested permission to interview Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

We haven’t heard a whole lot about potential candidates for the Minnesota HC job since Mike Zimmer was fired. There was a report that Doug Pederson was expected to interview for the gig, but it remains to be seen if that interview will actually happen. With today’s news, we definitively know that the Vikings at least have their eye on Bowles. The defensive guru does have a kinda-sorta relationship to Minnesota’s organization; Bowles and the Wilf family (who own the Vikings) are both from Elizabeth, New Jersey. Plus, as Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune tweets, Bowles was one of the Vikings’ leading candidates before they hired Zimmer eight years ago.

The DC is turning into a popular name on the HC circuit, as he’s already been connected to jobs in Chicago and Jacksonville. And for good reason, despite the fact that he would be a second-chance HC candidate. Following his Jets exit, he has overseen one of the league’s top defenses in Tampa Bay for the past three years. Bowles’ game plan helped the Bucs ground the high-flying Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

The Buccaneers gave Bowles an extension back in August, but the new pact didn’t “preclude him from taking another head coaching job.” There were rumblings that Bruce Arians would like Bowles to succeed him as Buccaneers head coach whenever he retires, but Arians might stick around too long for that to come to fruition.

Bears Expected To Interview Jim Caldwell For HC Job

January 15th, 2022 at 9:09am CST by Ben Levine

After sitting out the last two years, Jim Caldwell has now gotten his second head coaching interview of 2022. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter), Caldwell is expected to interview for the Bears head coaching gig. Caldwell previously interviewed for the Jaguars HC job.

Caldwell, 66, served as the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach in 2019 before health issues forced him to step aside. Fortunately, he’s said to be back to full health now, and it sounds like he’s ready for his next job.

Between his time with the Colts and Lions, Caldwell owns a career 62-50 record as a head coach with four playoff berths and one Super Bowl appearance. Caldwell’s last stop in Detroit saw him never finish with fewer than seven wins, but he was still canned following back-to-back 9-7 seasons.

Caldwell is now the 10th head coaching candidate for the position previously held by Matt Nagy. The group of candidates includes:

Eagles’ Miles Sanders Active For WC Game

January 14th, 2022 at 9:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles learned they will have a key piece to their offense back when they look to upset the defending champions on Sunday. Starting running back Miles Sanders will be active for the team’s Wild Card game against the Buccaneers (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Zach Berman). 

When speaking to the media, head coach Nick Sirianni said “No limitations for Miles. He’ll be our guy”, clearing the way for the 24-year-old to potentially carry a starter’s workload. Sanders has been out of the lineup since suffering a broken bone in his hand in Week 16. That put an end to what had been a productive third season in the NFL. In 12 games, Sanders totalled 754 rushing yards on 137 carries, along with 26 catches for 158 yards. While he failed to find the endzone, his 5.5 yards per carry were a career high, and he seemed to be on his way to a third consecutive 100-plus yard rushing performance prior to the injury.

Sanders hasn’t been the only piece in the Eagles’ league-leading rushing attack, of course. The team has gotten contributions from fifth-round rookie Kenneth Gainwell (544 scrimmage yards, six total touchdowns), along with veterans Boston Scott (456 and seven) and Jordan Howard (425 and three). Four running backs with over 400 total yards each is impressive enough, but that stat doesn’t even include the team’s leading rusher, quarterback Jalen Hurts, with 784 yards.

The Eagles will bring a full running back committee to Tampa Bay, hoping to continue its midseason transformation as a ground-and-pound team to pull off an upset.

Chiefs’ Clyde Edwards-Helaire Out For WC Game

January 14th, 2022 at 8:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

When they begin their playoff journey to try and repeat as AFC champions, the Chiefs will still be without their top running back. According to a tweet from ESPN’s Field Yates, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is out for Sunday’s Wild Card game against the Steelers. 

Edwards-Helaire is still dealing with the shoulder injury that he sustained in Week 16 against those very same Steelers. As a result, he missed the Chiefs’ loss to the Bengals the following week – an outcome which essentially ended the team’s chances of finishing atop the AFC and receiving a bye in the first round of the playoffs as a result.

He was absent in practice throughout the following week, meaning he was also sidelined for the team’s regular season finale, the win over Denver which solidified their position as the conference’s No. 2 seed. It also concluded his second career NFL regular season, which saw him appear in 10 games. Operating in a time-share with backup Darrel Williams for much of the year, the 2021 first rounder totalled 517 rushing yards on 119 carries (an average of 4.3 per rush) and four touchdowns. He also added 129 yards and another two majors in the passing game.

This news means Williams will again serve as the starter on Sunday. With by far the heaviest workload in his four-year career, the 26-year old has played in all 17 games in 2021, producing 1,010 scrimmage yards and eight total touchdowns. In the Week 16 win over Pittsburgh, Williams rushed 11 times for 55 yards, and made three catches for 30 yards. The Chiefs’ other options at the position will be veterans Derrick Gore and Jerick Mckinnon.

Texans Interview Brian Flores For HC Job

January 14th, 2022 at 6:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barely a day after the Texans fired David Culley, they interviewed one of the frontrunners to succeed him. Brian Flores completed a Houston HC interview Friday, the team announced.

Flores and Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo have been mentioned as the favorites for this post, but the recently fired Dolphins HC was the first name to come up here. Flores and Texans GM Nick Caserio worked together in New England for over a decade. Flores, 40, also completed an interview with the Bears on Friday.

The Texans do need to interview at least one more minority candidate to satisfy the NFL’s current Rooney Rule requirements. This process could move fast, given Flores’ connection to Caserio. With the second-year GM pulling the plug on Culley so quickly, it is fairly clear he has a candidate in mind.

Josh McDaniels was most frequently linked to Caserio during previous hiring periods, but Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 reports the Patriots OC will not interview during his team’s playoff run. McDaniels also might not be interested in Houston’s job, Wilson notes. That would narrow the field of notable Patriot assistants or ex-Patriot staffers, opening a wider path for Flores. The Patriots had Flores on staff from 2004-18, and he ran their defense during their most recent Super Bowl-winning season. Caserio was in Foxborough throughout Flores’ stay.

Despite taking over what was almost certainly the NFL’s worst roster in 2019, Flores won five games in Miami that season. He then reeled off back-to-back winning seasons over the past two years. Flores’ tenure included a 4-2 record against the Patriots, with the Dolphins becoming the first team to sweep the Pats since Bill Belichick‘s first season with the franchise (2000). However, clashes with management and Tua Tagovailoa are believed to have soured the Dolphins on Flores.

A Houston landing would certainly be interesting because of the team’s quarterback situation. Flores spent months deflecting Deshaun Watson questions leading up to the trade deadline. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was believed to be behind the team’s Watson push, but the quarterback was interested in playing for Flores. Watson is expected to keep his trade request in place, regardless of the Texans’ HC choice.

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