HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Jaguars Plan To Hire Jim Bob Cooter

February 9th, 2022 at 3:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Former Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter will be one of the key voices in charge of getting Trevor Lawrence on track next season. The Jaguars are hiring the young assistant, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Cooter will serve as the passing-game coordinator under Doug Pederson in Jacksonville. This will be Cooter’s most notable role since his time as Detroit’s OC (2015-18). Previously, the 37-year-old staffer worked as a consultant with the Eagles.

The Lions hired Cooter to be Matthew Stafford‘s position coach in 2014 and quickly bumped him up to OC. The Jim Caldwell-era assistant stuck around for one season under Matt Patricia but was not retained for the 2019 campaign. Cooter spent the next two seasons as the Jets’ running backs coach.

Ex-Eagles coach Press Taylor was also in the mix for this job, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane (on Twitter). A former Pederson lieutenant, Taylor spent the 2021 season with the Colts.

Pederson called plays with the Eagles and said he will do so with the Jags as well. The Jags attempted to interview Texans assistant Pep Hamilton for their OC vacancy, but new Houston HC Lovie Smith promoted him. The Jags have hired ex-Chargers HC Mike McCoy as their quarterbacks coach but do not employ a nominal OC yet. For now, Pederson, McCoy and Cooter will be in charge of developing Lawrence.

Panthers Extend LS J.J. Jansen

February 9th, 2022 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers now have their long snapper under contract for at least one more season, coming to terms with J.J. Jansen on another new deal Wednesday.

Carolina’s deep snapper since 2009, Jansen agreed on a one-year extension through the 2022 slate. This does not necessarily assure Jansen of keeping his job next season, with the Panthers using a draft choice on a long snapper — Thomas Fletcher — in 2021. But this does renew that competition for another year.

Fletcher spent last season on IR, tabling a competition with Jansen. However, the 2021 sixth-round pick won the Patrick Mannelly Award for the nation’s best long snapper while at Alabama. He would certainly represent competition for Jansen, despite the latter’s lengthy run with the Panthers. Fletcher is under contract through 2024.

Jansen has played in every Panthers game since beginning his long-snapping tenure with the team in 2009. His 209 regular-season games trail only John Kasay (221) for most in team history. Jansen, 36, made the Pro Bowl in 2013. He signed a five-year extension in 2016 and returned to Carolina on a one-year deal in 2021.

Vikings To Hire Ed Donatell As DC?

February 9th, 2022 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings are eyeing Ed Donatell as their next defensive coordinator, according to Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Nothing has been finalized just yet, but Donatell is the favorite for new head coach Kevin O’Connell. 

[RELATED: Vikings Hire Ryan Grigson]

Offense is O’Connell’s bread and butter, so Donatell would be able to provide him with decades of defensive know-how. All together, the 65-year-old offers 31 years of pro coaching experience, including ten years as an NFL DC.

Donatell was on the verge of joining the Seahawks’ coaching staff, but he has a much stronger opportunity in Minnesota. He’s spent the last three years as the Broncos’ DC and guided his unit to a solid showing in 2021. The Broncos allowed the eighth-fewest yards of any team last year while allowing just 322 points overall.

The Vikings have also considered ex-Bears DC Sean Desai, Ravens assistant Anthony Weaver, and Lions defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant for the role. But, by the end of the business day, Donatell could be installed as the Vikes’ new defensive lead.

Vikings Hire Ryan Grigson

February 9th, 2022 at 11:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings have hired Ryan Grigson for a senior personnel role, per a club announcement. Grigson, once the GM of the Colts, will work under new Minnesota GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. 

Grigson, 49, has been in the NFL ranks since 1999. His most recent stop came in 2020, when he served as a senior football advisor for Browns GM Andrew Berry. The two had history and a solid working relationship, but Berry brought him in for more than just familiarity.

“[Grigson] is here because I think he is very good,” Berry said at the time of the hire in 2020. “He has a very established track record as a personnel evaluator from his time in St. Louis at the time, Philly and then obviously, Indianapolis. General Manager experience, rebuilt the Colts into a winner very quickly, Executive of the Year. And that is something that is valuable to me.”

It’s a similar story this time — Adofo-Mensah and Grigson overlapped in Cleveland, where they both managed key leadership decisions. Still, Grigson is best known for his tenure as Colts GM, where he captured Executive of the Year honors in his first year at the helm. The Colts went 49-31 during Grigson’s five year run, though they failed to qualify for the playoffs in those final two years.

Steelers Request Morocco Brown Interview

February 9th, 2022 at 9:57am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers requested permission to interview Colts college scouting director Morocco Brown for their GM vacancy (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). If their request is granted, Brown will be one of a handful of candidates to potentially take over for longtime GM Kevin Colbert.

Brown was also in the running for the Bears’ GM search, but Chicago ultimately went with Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles. Before joining the Colts, Brown enjoyed a seven-year stint as the Bears’ assistant director of pro personnel, so he was believed to be a strong candidate. The Bears were also said to be impressed with him after his initial GM interview.

His last five years have been spent as a top executive in Indy. Brown has long been lauded for his scouting ability, which explains why the Browns retained him in 2017, even as most of the front office was sent packing. His biggest draft hits include the likes of linebacker Darius Leonard and guard Braden Smith, who contributed to some of the Colts’ very best offensive lines.

Here’s the current rundown of the the Steelers’ GM search:

  • Morocco Brown, college scouting director (Colts): Interview requested
  • Ryan Cowden, vice president of player personnel (Titans): Interviewed by 2/4
  • Ed Dodds, assistant general manager (Colts): Interviewed by 2/4
  • Omar Khan, vice president of football and business administration (Steelers): Mentioned as candidate
  • JoJo Wooden, director of player personnel (Chargers): Interviewed by 2/4

NFC Staff Notes: Panthers, Bears, Cowboys

February 8th, 2022 at 10:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

After two years back in college, Paul Pasqualoni is returning to the NFL. The Panthers hired the septuagenarian assistant as their defensive line coach Tuesday. Like Matt Rhule, Pasqualoni has spent most of his coaching career at the college level, being best known for his lengthy tenure as Syracuse’s head coach. Pasqualoni and Rhule were each head coaches, the former at UConn and the latter at Temple, in the American Athletic Conference’s debut season (2013). Pasqualoni, 72, resurfaced in the NFL in 2018, when he became Matt Patricia‘s defensive coordinator in Detroit. After Patricia fired him, Pasqualoni spent the past two years as a special assistant at Florida.

Here is the latest from the NFC coaching carousel:

  • The Bears have made a few more hires, staffing their front lines. They added Travis Smith to coach their defensive line. This will mark a notable change for Smith, who was with the Raiders for the past 10 years, coaching under Dennis Allen, Tony Sparano, Jack Del Rio, Jon Gruden and Rich Bisaccia. Chicago also added Jim Dray as its tight ends coach. A veteran tight end who retired not that long ago, Dray is moving up from the quality control level. This will be the 35-year-old assistant’s first position coaching gig, having been a QC coach in Cleveland over the past two years. Austin King is also set to become the Bears’ assistant O-line coach. King worked with Smith this past season, being the Raiders’ tight ends coach. He was Dayton’s OC from 2017-19.
  • Cowboys wide receivers coach Adam Henry is interviewing with the Giants. He will do so after turning down a new Cowboys contract, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Robert Prince is set to replace him, per ESPN’s Todd Archer and Field Yates (on Twitter). Prince and Cowboys OC Kellen Moore have an interesting history. Prince, 56, was a Boise State staffer during Moore’s final season (2011). He later joined the Lions’ staff during Moore’s QB tenure there. Prince spent seven seasons in Detroit as the team’s wideouts coach.
  • Curtis Modkins is likely to become the Vikings‘ next run-game coordinator and backfield coach, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The Broncos’ running backs coach over the past four seasons, Modkins played a key role in Phillip Lindsay‘s rapid rise from UDFA to Pro Bowler and then aided Javonte Williams during his quality rookie season. Modkins, 51, is a two-time NFL OC, having served in that role with the Bills in the early 2010s and with the 49ers in 2016.
  • The Seahawks are in talks to add Karl Scott as their defensive passing-game coordinator, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Alabama’s DBs coach from 2018-20, Scott made his NFL coaching debut this past season as Vikings secondary coach. The Seahawks adding Scott would not be as a Sean Desai backup plan, per Condotta. Both could join the revamped staff. Seattle is targeting the 2021 Chicago DC for an assistant role, in the event Minnesota does not hire him as its next DC.

AFC Staff Notes: McCown, Kelly, Broncos

February 8th, 2022 at 9:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans‘ coaching search meandered from Brian Flores and Josh McCown to the latter’s former head coach. Lovie Smith coached McCown in Chicago and then brought him to Tampa in 2014. McCown interviewed for Houston’s HC job three times over the past year and change but still does not have any NFL coaching experience. While it is clear the Texans’ front office would be on board with having McCown on staff, Smith might not be. At least, not in 2022. The new Texans HC praised McCown as a future coach and added (via Fox 26’s Mark Berman, video link) he would want him on his staff “eventually someday.” Smith already promoted quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton to offensive coordinator. McCown could conceivably fill Hamilton’s old post as QBs coach, however, if the Texans are indeed intent on him eventually becoming their head coach.

Here is the latest from the AFC coaching ranks:

  • John Pagano spent the past two seasons as the Broncos‘ outside linebackers coach, taking over after Brandon Staley departed for Los Angeles in 2020. During that span, the Broncos saw some new edge contributors — Malik Reed, Stephen Weatherly and seventh-round rookie Jonathon Cooper — help out to the point the team felt OK trading Von Miller. Pagano, however, will not be on Nathaniel Hackett‘s first Denver staff, per Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). The former Raiders and Chargers DC has now been an NFL staffer for 26 seasons.
  • Tim Kelly will serve as the Titans’ new passing-game coordinator, per TennesseeTitans.com’s Jim Wyatt. Kelly, the Texans’ OC from 2019-21, will work alongside Titans OC Todd Downing. Tim Kelly, the older brother of ex-Titans right tackle Dennis Kelly, and Mike Vrabel worked together on Houston’s staff ahead of the latter’s move to Tennessee. The Titans also hired Bobby King to be their inside linebackers coach. King also worked in Houston alongside Vrabel in 2017; he finished his Texans tenure as the team’s D-line coach this past season.
  • Denver interviewed Jason Simmons for its defensive coordinator job — a post expected to go to Rams secondary coach Ejiro Evero — but the Carolina assistant will instead head to Las Vegas. The Raiders are hiring Simmons as their secondary coach, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Simmons worked with new Raider DC Patrick Graham with the Packers in 2018.
  • The Steelers did not renew Ike Hilliard‘s contract, per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly (on Twitter), and hired Frisman Jackson to coach their wide receivers. Jackson will leave Matt Rhule‘s hub for ex-Temple and Baylor coaches for Pittsburgh. The former NFL wideout, after stints with Rhule at both college programs, coached the Panthers’ receivers in each of Rhule’s first two years. Hilliard served as the Steelers’ receivers coach during that span.
  • Ex-NFL D-linemen-turned-assistants Brentson Buckner and Phillip Daniels may be vying for the Jaguars‘ D-line coach role, with Wilson adding the team is considering each for the position (Twitter link). Buckner currently serves as the Cardinals’ D-line coach. Daniels has less experience but worked under Doug Pederson in Philadelphia, working with the Eagles’ D-line from 2016-19. The Eagles fired Daniels after the ’19 season.
  • The Jags are also hiring Louisiana assistant head coach Rory Segrest, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman tweets. Segrest has been in the college ranks for over a decade but was with the Eagles during Pederson’s time working under Andy Reid in the late 2000s.
  • Circling back to the Broncos, they added a few more assistants early this week. UNLV DC Peter Hansen signed on to be Denver’s linebackers coach, Klis tweets. Hanson and Eviro were on Vic Fangio‘s 49ers staff from 2011-13. The Broncos also named Ben Steele their tight ends coach, Klis notes. Steele was the Vikings’ assistant O-line coach under Klint Kubiak this past season. Mike Mallory also joined Hackett’s Denver staff as assistant special teams coordinator (Twitter links). Mallory spent eight seasons with the Jaguars, as their ST coordinator and assistant ST coordinator (2013-20), working with Hackett for part of that stretch.

Darrell Henderson, Sebastian Joseph-Day Likely To Return For Super Bowl?

February 8th, 2022 at 8:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two Rams regulars are perhaps ready to re-emerge come Super Bowl Sunday. Sean McVay is optimistic both Darrell Henderson and Sebastian Joseph-Day will suit up against the Bengals.

Joseph-Day has been a Rams starter since his career began, but the third-year defensive lineman has been out since Week 7 because of a chest injury. Joseph-Day underwent surgery in November but returned to practice before the Rams’ divisional-round game.

Henderson, Joseph-Day and cornerback Robert Rochell returned to practice Jan. 21. The trio must be activated from IR by Friday in order to play in Super Bowl LVI.

Joseph-Day tallied a career-high three sacks in his seven-game season. The interior defensive lineman being in uniform Sunday would certainly be a bonus for a Rams team that is largely healthy going into the franchise’s fifth Super Bowl opportunity.

Los Angeles’ starting running back for much of this season, Henderson sustained an MCL sprain in Week 16 against the Vikings. Sony Michel had cut into Henderson’s workload, and Cam Akers made a quicker-than-expected return from his July Achilles tear. Still, the Rams having Henderson available would help their cause. The third-year back averaged a career-high 4.6 yards per carry this season, rushing for 688 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games.

Dolphins To Interview Falcons’ Charles London For OC

February 8th, 2022 at 7:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins’ search for Mike McDaniel‘s top lieutenant on offense is underway. Falcons quarterbacks coach Charles London is the first candidate to surface.

Miami is set to interview the veteran position coach, Josh Kendall of The Athletic tweets. A running backs coach for much of his career, London has primarily worked with Bill O’Brien in the pros.

[RELATED: Dolphins Hire Mike McDaniel As HC]

London, 46, followed O’Brien to Penn State in 2012 and returned to the NFL on O’Brien’s first Texans staff in 2014. London coached Houston’s running backs from 2014-17 and joined Matt Nagy‘s Bears staff as running backs coach in 2018. The Falcons, who hired ex-Bears assistant Dave Ragone as offensive coordinator last year, brought London over to work with Matt Ryan and Co.

Miami’s OC position is almost certainly a non-play-calling role, with McDaniel on track to assume that responsibility after being a non-play-calling OC himself under Kyle Shanahan.

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