HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Patriots Interviewing Candidates For Coordinator Positions

January 19th, 2024 at 7:45pm CST by Ely Allen

New Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo has been on the job for a week now and is starting to look into filling out his coaching staff. A report from Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS informed of the team’s plan to interview their current defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington for their open defensive coordinator position. In addition, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that New England would interview Rams assistant special teams coach Jeremy Springer for a special teams coaching job.

Covington has been in New England since 2017, when he earned his first NFL job as a coaching assistant. Before coming to the NFL, Covington worked as a defensive graduate assistant at UAB and Ole Miss. He followed that up with a defensive line coaching job at UT Martin and co-defensive coordinator position while coaching the defensive line at Eastern Illinois. Covington was promoted from coaching assistant to outside linebackers coach of the Patriots in 2019, the year Mayo was hired to coach inside linebackers. He transitioned to defensive line coach in 2020, where he’s remained ever since.

Since allowing Matt Patricia to depart for a head coaching gig in Detroit in 2018, the Patriots have not traditionally staffed a defensive coordinator. They’ve had defensive position coaches who delivered play calls to the wearer of the green helmet sticker, like Brian Flores and Steve Belichick after him, and people have speculated that Bill Belichick, a former defensive coordinator himself, was the one determining what plays to call, but much like 2022’s offensive play-calling mystery in New England, the team claims defensive play-calling to be the culmination of many different inputs. While that method may continue into 2024, it appears Mayo interviewing Covington displays a willingness to actually award the coordinator title to someone on staff for the first time since 2017.

Special teams, on the other hand, has been the responsibility of special teams coordinator Cameron Achord since 2020. Rapoport didn’t specify that the position Springer was expected to interview for would be a coordinator position, but Springer is considered one of the rising young coaches in the NFL, so it’s hard to imagine him changing teams for another assistant job. If that’s the case, it could point towards Achord either being an unlikely holdover candidate on Mayo’s new staff or being a likely special teams coordinator candidate wherever Belichick ends up. Springer has been with the Rams for the past two seasons after eight years coaching in at the collegiate level.

Whether or not Covington or Springer end up on Mayo’s 2024 Patriots staff, both interviews underline the start of the new regime in New England. No longer are the Patriots under the watchful eye of a multi-role head coach/coordinator/general manager. Mayo is establishing a new norm in New England, one subscribed to by most other teams in the NFL.

Falcons Scheduling Mike Vrabel HC Meeting, Arranging Second Jim Harbaugh Interview

January 19th, 2024 at 5:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Chargers secured the first HC meeting with Mike Vrabel, the Falcons came up as one of the other interested parties. Unsurprisingly, Atlanta intends to meet with the recently fired coach.

The Falcons are scheduling a Vrabel meeting for next week, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. This comes as the Falcons appear to be giving serious consideration to hiring Vrabel mentor Bill Belichick. The latter is in Atlanta for his second interview.

[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Additionally, the Falcons intend to bring back Jim Harbaugh for a second meeting, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. We heard earlier today the team, Belichick ties notwithstanding, is aiming to conduct a thorough search. Vrabel being added to the list, along with a second Harbaugh summit, would help the team meet that criteria. Harbaugh’s meeting is also expected to take place next week.

Harbaugh came in for his first Falcons interview Tuesday. While the Raiders reached out to the coach’s new agent, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, they did not bring in any high-profile candidates for an interview. The team has since elevated interim HC Antonio Pierce to the full-time position. Harbaugh, however, has met with the Chargers — the other team closely connected to the Michigan coach as the season wound down.

Both coaches are not subject to the recent rule change that prevents candidates attached to NFL staffs from interviewing in-person for jobs until after this weekend’s divisional-round slate. Vrabel and Harbaugh have met with the Chargers in Los Angeles. The Seahawks are being connected to Vrabel (but not Harbaugh), though they have not met with the ex-Titans HC yet. The Falcons are believed to be prioritizing experience this time around. Belichick, Harbaugh and Vrabel obviously would satisfy this new goal for a franchise that has not hired a former head coach to lead the team since its 1997 Dan Reeves addition. That came before Arthur Blank‘s ownership tenure; Blank fired Reeves in 2003. Blank’s five HC hires came in as first-time NFL leaders.

Harbaugh is coming off a national championship win but has again showed interest in an NFL return. The fiery HC interviewed for jobs with the Vikings in 2022 and Broncos in 2023. Harbaugh’s clash with 49ers brass has been well documented, but the nine-year Michigan coach still carries one of the best win percentages in NFL history; his .695 percentage ranks fifth all time. He has guided the Wolverines to three straight CFP fields, a stretch culminating with the program’s victory over Washington this month.

Vrabel’s Titans run cannot match Harbaugh’s San Francisco success, but the former linebacker gained a reputation for fostering toughness and coaxing the most out of his personnel. Despite the lack of a top-tier quarterback, the Titans ventured to three straight playoff brackets. This included an AFC championship game berth (2019) and a No. 1 seed (2021). Clashes with ownership also brought down Vrabel in Tennessee.

Both coaches have been tied to having personnel input, with Vrabel going so far as to request it — during the period in which the Titans did not have a GM in place — in his final year with the Titans. Harbaugh is not expected to require suitors “to allow him to hire his own GM, understanding that the structure [in] NFL buildings has changed and evolved since he last worked in the league.” A team that hires Harbaugh would presumably only do so — based on his undoing with the 49ers — if the accomplished HC approves of the front office decision-maker in place. With Harbaugh still in talks with Michigan about another extension, interested NFL teams will need to present a compelling offer.

The Falcons have Terry Fontenot going into his fourth year as GM, but with these high-profile coaches coming in for meetings, it should not be assumed the young exec is certain to retain his current role into the 2024 season.

Falcons Request Joe Brady HC Interview

January 19th, 2024 at 4:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Brady‘s two months as the Bills’ interim offensive coordinator have landed him back on the head coaching radar. The Buffalo assistant received a request from the Falcons regarding their HC position, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.

In his second season with the Bills, Brady has not interviewed for an NFL HC job since 2021. That offseason brought a host of interviews for the former Panthers OC. The Eagles, Chargers, Jets, Texans and Falcons met with Brady about HC vacancies. After firing the coach they hired during that cycle (Arthur Smith), the Falcons want to check in on Brady once again.

The Bills hired Brady, 34, as quarterbacks coach in 2022, doing so after they promoted Ken Dorsey to OC to replace Brian Daboll. Dorsey’s stretch did produce impressive statistics, and the Bills went 13-3 last season — one that saw a game removed from their schedule following Damar Hamlin‘s life-threatening injury. But Buffalo flamed out in the divisional round and began this season making mistakes that pushed this year’s team to the wild-card fringe. This led to the Bills firing Dorsey and promoting Brady in November.

While the offensive statistics have not spiked under Brady, the Bills are 6-1 in his OC tenure — with the loss featuring Josh Allen accounting for 420 yards against the Eagles. The team has also leaned more on James Cook, who finished with 1,567 scrimmage yards — the most by a Buffalo running back since LeSean McCoy in 2017.

A former pass-game coordinator with LSU’s unbeaten 2019 national championship team, Brady spent two seasons as Panthers OC before being fired during the 2021 campaign.

The Falcons have already gone far down the road with Bill Belichick. The NFL’s second-winningest coach is meeting with team brass this weekend, making it possible the team will not get to all of its interviews requested. Courtesy of PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, here is how Atlanta’s candidate list looks as of Friday afternoon:

Kirk Cousins Sought Guarantees Into 2025 During Latest Vikings Talks

January 19th, 2024 at 2:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Since his franchise tag saga began during the 2010s, Kirk Cousins has been one of the NFL’s financial kingpins. The veteran quarterback’s fully guaranteed $84MM Vikings deal in 2018 remains a landmark NFL accord. He signed two more Vikings contracts, running his career earnings total past $230MM, but is now less than two months from free agency.

Cousins and the Vikings’ most recent negotiations failed, however, leading the 12-year veteran to play out the extension he agreed to in 2022. Minnesota restructured Cousins’ contract last March, adding void years to set up a showdown before the start of the 2024 league year.

Having obviously done extraordinarily well with guarantees since his first Washington tag (2016), Cousins sought multiple additional years of locked-in money during his latest Vikes talks. During the 2023 negotiations, the Pro Bowl passer wanted guarantees through the 2025 season, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune notes. The Vikings, meanwhile, were only willing to offer guaranteed money into 2024. This led to the sides breaking off talks and the restructure coming to pass.

Teams often bend for quarterbacks, and Cousins almost definitely did not ask for fully guaranteed money through 2025. Given his age and performance level, that would have been a non-starter for the Vikings. But it is notable the team did not want to be tied to any Cousins guarantees beyond his age-36 season. The Vikings now must consider paying for that age-36 season; Cousins will turn 36 in August. Both team and player have said they want to complete another contract, and the Vikings face a time crunch now.

Minnesota must re-sign Cousins before the 2024 league year begins on March 13. Otherwise, $28.5MM in dead money would accelerate onto the team’s 2024 cap sheet. A new deal would still bring some dead cap for the Vikings in 2024, per Goessling, but it would be $10.5MM rather than the concerning total that would come about if no deal was agreed upon. The legal tampering period begins March 11, giving Cousins two days to officially explore non-Minnesota options. Though, the Combine regularly gives free agents an idea of their value ahead of the tampering period.

Cousins’ Achilles tear — his first major injury as a pro — will factor into his latest Minnesota negotiations. The Vikings will not having a clear QB answer if they cannot re-up Cousins would play into the financially savvy passer’s hands, but it is unlikely the organization bends on a three-year guarantee following this Achilles malady. It will be interesting to see if the Vikings want to extend this partnership through 2025. Though, that would probably be necessary, seeing as Cousins’ two Washington franchise tags make him an unrealistic tag candidate. Minnesota resides in the strange position of being unable to tag either of its top two free agents-to-be, with Danielle Hunter‘s reworked contract including a no-tag clause for 2024.

Cousins’ affinity for the Twin Cities notwithstanding, he sounds open to exploring the market. Bill Belichick is the favorite to be named the next Falcons HC, and Cousins would be interested in playing for the legendary HC. Regardless of who their next coach is, the Falcons are looking to upgrade on Desmond Ridder.

“I’m not going to turn down an opportunity to play with a future Hall of Fame coach, but we’ll have to see where March leads,” Cousins said, via Isabel Gonzalez of CBS Sports. “It’s just a lot of unknowns right now.”

Cousins has not hit free agency since 2018. He is believed to be ahead of schedule during Achilles rehab and said he wants to extend his career into at least his late 30s. The October injury may affect his market, but with Baker Mayfield stationed as the only other free agent passer who could command a higher-end starter salary, Cousins would attract attention if he truly tested the market.

AFC East Notes: Becton, Jets, Howard, Bills

January 19th, 2024 at 12:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mekhi Becton‘s quest to solidify himself as the Jets‘ long-term left tackle did not come to fruition, but the injury-prone blocker did finish the season without an IR trip. A few other Jets O-linemen could not say the same. Becton’s contract year consisted of 16 games and starts at both right and left tackle. While the 2020 first-round pick would like to re-sign with the Jets, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes the team is unlikely to have a strong interest in a second contract.

Pro Football Focus graded Becton 68th overall among tackles this season, and Next Gen Stats charged the slimmed-down tackle with 12 sacks allowed. That said, the Jets will need to be aggressive in their pursuit of tackle help this offseason. Duane Brown is 38 and played out a two-year contract. He and Becton departing would leave the Jets with two tackle vacancies, though the team has explored the possibility of shifting Alijah Vera-Tucker to right tackle on a full-time basis. But Vera-Tucker, drafted as a guard, has suffered season-ending injuries in each of the past two years.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • A player the Jets look to have more interest in signing, Bryce Huff, will not stay just because he has developed as a Jet. Pointing to his family and those around him, the young defensive end said (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) he will take the best offer he receives in free agency. The Jets, however, do want to re-sign Huff, per GM Joe Douglas. A former UDFA, Huff broke through in his contract year to lead the team with 10.5 sacks despite not starting any games. The Jets and Huff, who has not graded well as a run defender, discussed an extension during the season. The Jets have first-rounders Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald, along with John Franklin-Myers, but losing Huff would be a blow for Robert Saleh‘s defense.
  • On the same note, Xavien Howard is unlikely to accept a pay cut to stay with the Dolphins, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley notes. “No matter where I’m going, I’m still going to do my thing,” Howard said. “Whatever comes with it, I’m excited about what will happen.” The Dolphins’ longest-tenured starter, at eight seasons, Howard is signed through 2026 on the contract he agreed to upon voicing issue with Byron Jones out-earning him. Miami gave Howard a five-year, $90MM extension in 2022, but the veteran ballhawk is now 30 and finished the season sidelined with a foot sprain. The Dolphins, who released Jones as a post-June 1 cut last year, can only recoup notable savings by using this designation on Howard. Now employing Jalen Ramsey as its top corner, Miami would save $18.5MM this year by using the post-June 1 designation on Howard.
  • The Bills will be without Gabe Davis in a second playoff game, ruling out the contract-year wideout for their divisional-round game. Davis is battling a PCL sprain, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Davis represents an intriguing free agent-to-be, having scored 14 touchdowns over the past two seasons, but the Bills have seen 2022 fifth-rounder Khalil Shakir emerge as a player capable of being a low-cost Stefon Diggs complement going forward.
  • Additionally, Buffalo has not ruled out Terrel Bernard for its Kansas City rematch. Bernard was carted off the field against the Steelers, but the Bills’ top tackler only suffered a sprained ankle, Rapoport adds. The second-year linebacker aggravated the ankle injury he sustained earlier this season, per the Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran. While the Bills are already without Matt Milano at linebacker, starter Tyrel Dodson — who missed the team’s wild-card game — is on track to return in Round 2.
  • Leonard Floyd collected an additional $1MM by reaching 10 sacks this season, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The May free agency addition signed a one-year, $7MM deal, one that has been vital due to Von Miller‘s struggle to return to form following his second ACL tear. Floyd, 30, totaled a career-high-matching 10.5 sacks this season.

Commanders’ Next HC To Report To Adam Peters

January 19th, 2024 at 10:53am CST by Sam Robinson

Ron Rivera wielded more power than his Commanders successor will possess within the organization. The since-fired head coach spent much of his time in Washington running the show; the team’s next HC will not.

The Commanders are planning to give their newly hired president of football operations, Adam Peters, the keys. Their to-be-determined head coach will report to Peters, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. This will be a shift for the franchise, who gave Rivera personnel power during the final Dan Snyder years.

[RELATED: Ben Johnson Frontrunner For Commanders’ HC Job?]

While Peters follows Martin Mayhew as a Washington GM being hired from San Francisco, John Lynch‘s longtime lieutenant will be a more empowered figure with the NFC East franchise. After Washington spent 2020 without a GM, Rivera signed off on the Mayhew addition in 2021. While Mayhew held considerable power, Rivera was ultimately in charge. The dismissed HC has since said this setup is not ideal, and new owner Josh Harris had long been expected to bring forth a shift. Following Mayhew and Ran Carthon, Peters is the third Lynch-era 49ers exec to land a GM gig.

Some teams have both their head coach and GM report to ownership separately, while others use the owner-GM-HC workflow model. After rumblings of Harris seeking an organizational restructure, the Commanders can now be slotted in the latter category. Regarding this Peters-fronted restructuring, the new front office boss will evaluate the team’s personnel setup. This evaluation, however, will not include Commanders president Jason Wright, per Front Office Sports’ AJ Perez. Wright’s work will fall outside of Peters’ purview. Snyder hired Wright to head up the team’s business side in 2020.

Peters will have authority to determine the roles of Mayhew and VP of player personnel Marty Hurney. Both of these execs have been rumored to be on the outs, but no firings are known to have transpired yet. Peters and Mayhew worked together for nearly four years in San Francisco. The Peters hire, rather than the organization going with its other finalist (Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham), would seem to point to Mayhew staying in a different capacity.

Peters, who turned down the chance to interview for the Cardinals and Titans’ GM jobs last year, always loomed as a logical candidate. But he officially became a Commanders target in December, when former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers — brought in by Harris as an advisor during this transition — asked ex-Vikings GM Rick Spielman if he would also help out, Breer adds. These two did prep work beginning around Week 16, with Harris wanting good background in the event he fired Rivera. Spielman came up with a 15-person list for the football ops job, and he and Myers whittled it down to the Peters-Cunningham contingent.

Spielman, whom the Vikings fired following the 2021 season, did not tell anyone who he was working for during this research effort, per Breer. The first round of interviews occurred at Harris’ Miami office. Co-owners Magic Johnson, Mitchell Rales and David Blitzer also spent extensive time with the candidates, with Breer adding the latter trio offered Harris input that led to the Peters decision. We will soon see how the Spielman- and Myers-led research effort turns out on the coaching front.

Ravens Designate Mark Andrews For Return

January 19th, 2024 at 10:22am CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 19: While an initial report indicated the Ravens were planning to activate Andrews for their divisional-round game, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates the team will hold off on that. The No. 1-seeded club will not move Andrews back to its 53-man roster before Saturday’s Texans tilt, with Rapoport adding an AFC championship return — provided Baltimore qualifies for that round for the first time in 11 years — has been the goal.

Andrews logged full practices on Wednesday and Thursday this week, but the Ravens will remain cautious with their top pass catcher.

JANUARY 12: As the Ravens continue with their bye week ahead of the wild-card round, they have received encouraging news on the injury front. Tight end Mark Andrews was designated for return from injured reserve on Friday, and he took part in the day’s practice session.

The move opens Andrews’ 21-day day activation window and marks another signficant step in his recovery process. The All-Pro suffered a cracked fibula as well as ligament damage in his ankle in November, an injury which threatened to end his season. After undergoing surgery, however, it became clear the Ravens were holding out hope that he would manage to return at some point down the road.

Andrews has had a successful recovery process to date, strengthening the belief that he could suit up in the event Baltimore made a deep postseason run. By securing the top seed in the AFC, the Ravens earned an extra week of recovery for the three-time Pro Bowler, who was enjoying another productive campaign prior to the injury. Andrews totaled 544 yards and six touchdowns on 45 catches across 10 games before going down.

The former third-rounder has been quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s preferred target in the passing game throughout his career. Andrews has remained a focal point of Baltimore’s offense since signing a four-year, $56MM extension in 2021, but his absence has opened the door for another key contributor on offense in recent weeks. 2022 fourth-rounder Isaiah Likely has taken on a starting role in Andrews’ absence, and he has impressed with the increased workload so far.

Likely has posted a 30-411-5 statline this season, with much of his production coming after Andrews was sidelined. In general, the Ravens’ offense has managed to hold up better than expected with Andrews (along with running backs J.K. Dobbins and Keaton Mitchell, who are out for the year) on the sidelines. Still, his return to the lineup in time for the divisional round would be a major boost to Baltimore’s Super Bowl aspirations.

Andrews now joins wideout/returner Devin Duvernay as well as defensive back Ar’Darius Washington in having his practice window opened. The Ravens have four IR activations remaining, but three of them will be needed to bring each member of the trio back into the fold.

Patriots To Interview Broncos’ Christian Parker, Saints’ Michael Hodges For DC

January 19th, 2024 at 8:43am CST by Sam Robinson

Two coaches on Sean Payton‘s staffs will meet with the Patriots about their defensive coordinator position. Broncos DBs coach Christian Parker and Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges will meet about the gig, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport note.

Often reluctant to hand out titles during Bill Belichick‘s run, the Patriots have not gone into a season with a pure DC on their staff since Matt Patricia‘s initial departure following Super Bowl LII. Brian Flores and Jerod Mayo have operated as de facto Pats DCs, with an obvious assist from Belichick, since Patricia left for Detroit’s HC job. Mayo appears ready to change the team’s policy regarding the position.

Parker, 32, is among the few coaches held over from previous Broncos staffs. Payton thought enough of the Vic Fangio-era hire to interview him for the DC job that ended up going to Vance Joseph last year. This will, then, mark Parker’s second meeting about an NFL DC post. That meeting will occur today, per Pelissero.

The only Broncos assistant kept from the Fangio staff, Parker has been the Broncos’ DBs coach for the past three seasons. That tenure overlaps with Patrick Surtain‘s three-year career. Both Surtain and Justin Simmons have earned All-Pro recognition under Parker, who came over from Green Bay in 2021. Denver also coaxed production from new starters P.J. Locke and Ja’Quan McMillian, the latter a rookie UDFA slot corner, this season.

This does mark Hodges’ first DC interview. A Payton hire back in 2018, Hodges, 37, has been in place as New Orleans’ linebackers coach since 2020. The Saints have deployed Demario Davis as one of the NFL’s most versatile linebackers during Hodges’ span as the position coach. Davis has earned first- or second-team All-Pro acclaim in five straight seasons, totaling at least 105 tackles and 20 combined sacks during Hodges’ four years leading the position group. As a whole, the Saints have ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense during each of Hodges’ seasons in his current role.

Parker and Hodges accompany Panthers outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu as candidates for this position. Parker’s Broncos interview represents this trio’s only previous meeting about a DC post, with Mayo opting for up-and-coming candidates thus far. Patriots defensive reliability has been one of this century’s NFL hallmarks. The Belichick-led unit ranked as a top-15 scoring defense 21 times in his 24-season tenure, finishing as a top-10 unit in 18 of those years.

Latest On Bill Belichick, Falcons; Cowboys, Eagles Looked Into HC?

January 18th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons look to be moving closer to one of the highest-profile coaching hires in NFL history. Arthur Blank has never hired a head coach that had held the position before, but this weekend’s second interview could well lead to an agreement.

Bill Belichick‘s upcoming meeting with a Falcons executive committee — after the first interview consisted of just Belichick and Blank — is expected to double as one in which the 29-year veteran HC inquires about how a prospective partnership would work rather than Falcons brass interviewing the accomplished leader, Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes. Given Belichick’s experience, the Falcons needing to sell him as much as the other way around makes sense. It is not certain Belichick will not take other interviews, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicates league buzz is pointing to the six-time Super Bowl winner ending up in Georgia.

[RELATED: Falcons, Seahawks Showing Interest In Mike Vrabel]

Atlanta remaining in the thick of this pursuit despite Dallas and Philadelphia enduring embarrassing playoff losses is notable, and perhaps telling. Some in league circles believe the Cowboys and Eagles showed interest in Belichick, according to Florio. The Cowboys have since announced they are retaining Mike McCarthy for a fifth season, while the Eagles may be settling on Nick Sirianni retooling his staff. Philly is already believed to have put out feelers to coordinators, pointing to a Sirianni fourth season in charge. Thus far, Belichick has only met with the Falcons.

In order to fire coaches who have accomplished what Sirianni and McCarthy have, the NFC East teams would need to be confident they could lure a better coach. On the Belichick front, Florio adds the all-time great may be done with big-market media. After coaching 24 seasons in the Boston area, Belichick coming to Atlanta would bring a change of pace. That said, Belichick’s presence would naturally make whatever team he ends up a frequent topic of discussion. Low-key NFL teams certainly do exist; the Falcons have operated as one in recent years. But the concept of Belichick residing off the mainstream radar — as he changes teams and sits 14 wins shy of Don Shula‘s all-time wins record — would be difficult to imagine.

If Belichick is truly zeroing in on Atlanta, he would obviously bring credentials that lap the rest of Blank’s hires. The longtime owner saw this firsthand, via Super Bowl LI, and Belichick the coach would provide a major upgrade — particularly on the defensive side. The subject of personnel power would become more complicated. Belichick excelled for years in this area, his issues drafting first-round wideouts notwithstanding, but has struggled recently. The Falcons made a point to say GM Terry Fontenot was not leading this HC search but belatedly said the fourth-year exec’s role has not diminished. It would be interesting to see Belichick, 71, cede power to Fontenot, 43, with the Falcons. The NFC South club could also consider bringing in personnel staffers more familiar with the coach.

On that note, some around the league also believe Belichick would probably reunite with assistants Josh McDaniels, Joe Judge and Matt Patricia were he to become the next Falcons HC, Maske adds. Belichick’s sons, Steve and Brian, are believed to have an opportunity to stay in New England under Jerod Mayo. But it would stand to reason the assistants will be wanted in Atlanta should their father sign on.

McDaniels’ failures as a head coach aside, he provided considerable value under Bill Belichick in New England. The polarizing play-caller was on staff for all six New England Super Bowl wins, the final three coming when he was in place as offensive coordinator. The Patriots’ freefall post-McDaniels probably should not be overlooked. Patricia stands as a key of that downslide, with Belichick strangely installing him as the 2022 team’s primary offensive play-caller. Patricia and Judge, fired by the Giants after two seasons, held the keys on offense for the ’22 Pats edition. Belichick was believed to have wanted Patricia to stay in 2023, rather than the team hiring Bill O’Brien.

Would the Falcons be willing to go with a Patriots South setup? They would be far from the only team to sign up for a Patriot Way effort, but this endeavor would be a bit different, seeing as the architect would be coming rather than a lieutenant being tasked with replicating Belichick’s approach.

The Falcons have already interviewed six other candidates, satisfying their Rooney Rule requirements in the process. The team is set to meet with Rams DC Raheem Morris on Saturday. While Morris is a former Falcons interim HC who spent six years with the team under Dan Quinn, he may not have left on bad terms. But Belichick buzz has overshadowed the Falcons’ search thus far. We could be days away from the former Browns and Patriots HC receiving a third opportunity, one that would put him in position to break Shula’s record, which has stood since 1995.

Chargers Interview Mike Vrabel; Falcons, Seahawks Showing Interest

January 18th, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another big name is on the Chargers’ HC interview docket. Following the Bolts’ Jim Harbaugh meeting, they have scheduled a summit with recently dismissed Titans leader Mike Vrabel.

Vrabel is in Los Angeles today for an in-person interview, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. This is Vrabel’s first known interview since his Tennessee exit. Not attached to a team presently, Vrabel is free to meet in-person with any team.

[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

The Bolts, who have not hired a retread HC since they replaced Marty Schottenheimer with Norv Turner in 2007, have placed a priority on coaches who have been in the top spot before, Pelissero adds. Vrabel joins Harbaugh, Dan Quinn and Leslie Frazier as ex-NFL HCs on the Bolts’ radar. Chargers-Bill Belichick connections emerged early, but the former Patriots icon has only met with the Falcons thus far in his first time on a coaching carousel in 24 years.

As expected, multiple teams are interested in Vrabel for their HC gigs. The Falcons and Seahawks have Vrabel on their respective radars, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, though no meetings have been scheduled just yet. While coaches attached to a team presently must wait until the divisional round’s conclusion to meet in-person with clubs, Vrabel being fired last week exempts him from these newly imposed restrictions.

Clashes with Titans ownership played the lead role in Vrabel’s Tennessee demise, but after the AFC South team had been connected to seeking compensation in a trade, it was surprising to see him fired. The former Super Bowl-winning linebacker proved a natural HC fit early, guiding the Titans to four straight winning seasons without a top-tier quarterback in place. The team ventured to an AFC championship game for the first time in 17 years and won the AFC South over the next two years, earning the conference’s No. 1 seed in 2021. The past two seasons showed some cracks in the Titans’ armor, as a rebuild appears to loom. Despite back-to-back losing seasons, Vrabel is still 54-45 as an NFL HC.

Amy Adams Strunk expressed disappointment when Vrabel trekked to New England to be enshrined in the Patriots’ Hall of Fame in October, and the latter not being onboard with the Ran Carthon GM hire also rankled the second-generation owner. Vrabel, 48, is believed to have sought full roster control prior to the Carthon hire. The Titans refused, keying a downfall for the well-respected leader.

The Chargers are seeking both a head coach and GM, and considering the high-profile names on the radar, it would stand to reason the team will not stick its next sideline leader with an unapproved front office boss. It did not seem a Vrabel-Carthon conflict brought down his run with the Titans, but the former not viewing the latter as ready for the job certainly did not help matters. The Los Angeles job brings natural interest, with Justin Herbert by far the best quarterback tied to a team with a coaching vacancy. The Chargers have not seen their run of first-time hires post-Turner — Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn, Brandon Staley — move the needle, though it will also be interesting how much control they are willing to give a more experienced head coach.

Seattle’s roster also invites intrigue, with Geno Smith still playing like an above-average quarterback and the team deploying one of the NFL’s better skill-position cadres. The Seahawks’ Pete Carroll-led defense has struggled for many years; the past two, in particular, have provided cause for concern. Vrabel did not spend extensive time calling defensive plays in Tennessee, but that is obviously his area of expertise.

The Falcons appear serious with Belichick, setting up a second interview, after Arthur Blank‘s run of first-time hires failing to deliver a Super Bowl win. Though the Falcons have been successful at points in the Blank era (under Quinn, Jim Mora Jr. and Mike Smith), Belichick obviously resides in a different genre as a coach. Vrabel spent eight seasons playing under Belichick, adding appeal, and is 23 years younger than his former mentor. Atlanta has a high-end offensive line, three top-10 skill-position draftees on rookie contracts and saw its defense improve in 2023. The matter of the quarterback remains an issue, however, separating that job from those in L.A. and Seattle.

Load More Posts