HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Giants Coaching Notes: RBs Coach, ST Coordinator, Daboll, Kafka

January 16th, 2024 at 6:35pm CST by Ben Levine

The Giants have added two coaches to their staff. The team announced that they’ve hired Joel Thomas as their new running backs coach and Aaron Wellman as their executive director of player performance.

Following a long stint in college coaching, Thomas was named the Saints running backs coach in 2015. Since then, the Saints are tied for second in the NFL with 161 rushing touchdowns, with Alvin Kamara earning five Pro Bowl selections over that span. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Saints didn’t block the interview despite the lateral move, with the organization “not wanting to hold a coach back.”

Thomas is set to replace Jeff Nixon, who left his role with the Giants after one season to become Syracuse’s offensive coordinator.

Wellman was previously the Giants’ strength and conditioning coach on both Ben McAdoo and Pat Shurmur’s staffs. He’s spent the past four years as Indiana University’s senior assistant athletic director for football performance.

More Giants coaching notes:

  • Thomas McGaughey was fired after six seasons as the Giants special teams coordinator, and the organization has started to look for his replacement. According to Rapoport, the Giants interviewed Matt Harper last weekend for the coordinator job. Harper has been with the 49ers organization since 2021, serving as the team’s assistant special teams coordinator.
  • Meanwhile, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports that Carlos Polk is also expected to be a candidate for the special teams job. The veteran coach spent the past two seasons as the Bears assistant special teams coach, and he previously held that same role with the Jaguars, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Chargers.
  • There’s more fallout from the sudden Giants/Don Martindale divorce, with much of it focused on head coach Brian Daboll and his handling of the coaching staff. According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, the coaching staff’s finger pointing got so bad that GM Joe Schoen ended up tuning in to the coach’s headsets during games. This decision may have stemmed from the opinion of some coaches that Daboll’s sideline behavior was “destructive,” with Leonard noting that the coach’s input “was never proactive, always reactionary.”
  • While the Daboll/Martindale argument grabbed headlines, Daboll also didn’t have the rosiest relationship with Mike Kafka. The offensive coordinator “received the brunt of Daboll’s fury” and was constantly second-guessed. This latter point was clear in Daboll’s handling of play-calling duties, as Kafka’s in-game responsibilities were constantly changing

Eagles’ Lane Johnson, Brandon Graham Intend To Play In 2024

January 16th, 2024 at 5:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Following last night’s disappointing playoff loss, we learned that at least one Eagles star was calling it career. Fortunately for the organization, a pair of veterans made it clear that they’ll be sticking around for 2024. Defensive end Brandon Graham and offensive lineman Lane Johnson told reporters that they intend to play next season, per Zach Berman of PHLY.

[RELATED: Eagles C Jason Kelce To Retire]

After spending the past 14 years in Philly, it was unclear if 2023 would be the final season of Graham’s career. While the 35-year-old didn’t come close to replicating his 11-sack campaign from 2022, he still finished the season having compiled 16 tackles, three sacks, and six QB hits. While the counting stats were down, Pro Football Focus ranked Graham 17th among 118 qualifying edge defenders.

Graham has continued to re-sign with the Eagles on short-term deals, and it sounds like he intends to stick around for at least one more season.

“I still feel like I got a little bit of juice,” Graham told reporters (h/t SPORTSRADIO 94WIP on X). “I really just want to have this one be [season No.] 15, farewell tour, call it a day, and move up in the organization and go upstairs and do that part on serving the guys. Keep building this thing.”

Johnson earned his third-straight All-Pro nod in 2023, and he managed to get into 16 games for the first time since the 2015 season. Despite the 2023 campaign marking his age-33 season, Johnson still managed to rank 11th among 83 qualifying offensive tackles, per Pro Football Focus. While Graham hinted at one more year, it sounds like Johnson could be sticking around the NFL for a few more years.

“I plan on finishing my career strong,” Johnson said (via Berman). “I think I have a few good years left and I’m going to take it to the limit.”

We learned this morning that center Jason Kelce was calling it career. As Berman notes, it’s uncertain whether long-time Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox will be back for the 2024 campaign.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/16/24

January 16th, 2024 at 5:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tuesday’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed off Jets practice squad: S Trey Dean

Sims has been elevated from the practice squad three times, so any further action required he be added to the active roster. The former UDFA has only seen 10 offensive snaps (making three catches) this season, his first with the Texans, though he has been used slightly more on special teams. Sims will look to fill the complementary role of Noah Brown to an extent, after the latter was placed on season-ending IR yesterday.

Seahawks Request HC Interviews With Ben Johnson, Bobby Slowik

January 16th, 2024 at 4:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

As the Seahawks continue to cast a wide net in search of a Pete Carroll replacement, they plan to speak with two of the 2024 cycle’s most popular candidates. Seattle has requested a head coaching interview with Lions OC Ben Johnson, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. In addition, Texans OC Bobby Slowik has received a slip, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports.

[RELATED: 2024 Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Seattle moved Carroll into an advisory role last week, despite his public comments suggesting he was prepared to coach the team for a 15th season. Interview requests have begun as a result of the move, with general manager John Schneider at the helm of the coaching search. As he confirmed in a Tuesday press conference, the latter will handle all personnel matters after Carroll held final say in that regard during his lengthy HC tenure.

Johnson has received an interview request from each HC-needy team except the Patriots and Raiders to date. The up-and-coming play-caller is believed to have a mutual interest with the Chargers, but significant competition will exist for his services. The Commanders and Panthers have identified Johnson, 37, as their top target. Seattle will thus have a number of suitors to outmaneuver if the team is to land him in this year’s cycle.

Much Like Johnson last year, Slowik has boosted his stock considerably in his first year as a coordinator. The former 49ers passing game coordinator followed DeMeco Ryans from San Francisco to Houston this offseason, and he has delivered a strong performance. The Texans ranked seventh in the league in passing yards this season despite quarterback C.J. Stroud missing time due to a concussion. Slowik, 36, is lacking in experience compared to a number of other candidates available this year. He has nevertheless received interview requests from the Falcons, Panthers, Titans and Commanders.

Schneider said he intends to begin Seattle’s coaching search tomorrow with virtual interviews (in-person meetings with coaches still in the playoffs cannot take place until after the divisional round). CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes the Seahawks’ interview with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is scheduled for Thursday. Quinn was immediately named as a candidate to watch given his ties to the franchise, though he too has garnered considerable interest from other teams with a HC vacancy.

Given the fact the team has several roster pieces in place from last year’s run to the postseason and the continuity strived for in terms of adding a coach similar to Carroll in terms of culture-building (as Schneider added will be the goal), Seattle’s hiring process will be worth watching closely. The team has targeted staffers from both sides of the ball, and the ultimate selection will be tasked with the significant challenge of matching Carroll’s success.

Rams TE Tyler Higbee Suffers Torn ACL

January 16th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 16: Higbee did indeed tear his ACL, an MRI confirmed (h/t NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). He now faces a steep challenge with respect to recovering in full in time for the beginning of the 2024 campaign, one in which he will look to return to form and the team will aim to repeat this year’s offensive success in particular.

JANUARY 15: The Rams’ campaign came to an end on Sunday night, and Tyler Higbee is likely to face an offseason of recovery. The veteran tight end is believed to have suffered a torn ACL during the team’s wild-card loss, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Higbee suffered the injury after being hit by Lions safety Kerby Joseph in the fourth quarter. He had not made a catch up to that point in the game (with the play in which he went down coming on his lone target of the contest), but his absence nevertheless dealt a blow to the Rams’ offense. Schefter notes an MRI will take place today to confirm the initial diagnosis.

The 2023 campaign was Higbee’s eighth in the NFL, all of which have come with the Rams. The former fourth-rounder has been a full-time starter since his rookie season, and he has served as a consistent option in the passing game over the course of his tenure. Higbee has played at least 15 games every year, and his durability has of course been a key factor in his success. Assuming he has indeed torn his ACL, he will face a challenging recovery period to be available for the start of next season.

Higbee recorded his fourth consecutive season with at least 521 receiving yards in 2022, seeing a career-high 108 targets along the way. His production and continued importance to the team’s passing attack earned him an extension in September. The 31-year-old is under contract through 2025 as a result, with scheduled cap hits of $11.6MM and $9.6MM. A return to form would be a welcomed development as the Rams look to build off of this year’s offensive success.

Higbee had a smaller share in the team’s overall production this year, posting a 47-495-2 statline. The emergence of fifth-round rookie Puka Nacua into one of the the league’s leading receivers played a large role in that, of course, but having he, fellow WR Cooper Kupp and Higbee healthy will go a long way in ensuring offensive production moving forward. The latter’s health situation could be a key storyline for the team in the offseason, however.

Latest On Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Negotiations

January 16th, 2024 at 2:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

Having interviewed with the Chargers yesterday, Jim Harbaugh is once again firmly in the running for an NFL return. His candidacy for a coaching gig at the pro level has helped give him substantial leverage in negotiating a new Michigan contract as well, however.

The national champions have long been in talks with Harbaugh on a new contract, and a number of terms on that hypothetical pact appear to have been worked out. A major sticking point, however, pertains to the matter of potential discipline handed down by the NCAA over Harbaugh’s involvement in Michigan’s various scandals. Yahoo! Sports’ Dan Wetzel reports Harbaugh is seeking a number of provisions in his new Wolverines contract if he elects to remain with the school

Specifically, Harbaugh is aiming to have a clause included in his pact which will prevent Michigan from being able to fire him as a result of any NCAA sanctions brought about by its ongoing investigations. In addition, the 60-year-old wants any potential ‘for-cause’ termination decision to be made by a three-member arbitration panel. Traditionally, such matters would be handled by athletic director Warde Manuel, who under Harbaugh’s proposed terms would still be able to fire him for on-field reasons.

After Michigan went undefeated en route to the national championship (a feat accomplished in spite of Harbaugh being suspended for the three games to begin and end the regular season), interest from the NFL has once again picked up. The Chargers have been connected to him early and often this offseason, but plenty of buzz linking him to the Raiders has existed as well. No matter how the 2024 hiring cycle plays out, Harbaugh will be able to secure a lucrative contract for 2024.

On that note, Wetzel adds Harbaugh is seeking to have the start date of his latest Michigan extension delayed. As things currently stand, an NFL team would be required to pay a buyout of $1.5MM to hire Harbaugh away. The school is aiming to raise that figure to roughly $4MM. Harbaugh wants to push back the point at which that happens to February 15 – in other words, after this year’s NFL coaching hires have been made – per Wetzel. That request, coupled with Harbaugh’s decision to hire an agent, continue to point toward an NFL return.

Harbaugh enjoyed a successful run with the 49ers from 2011-14, and he discussed NFL openings in each of the past two offseasons. If 2024 proves to represent the year in which he made the jump, it will have come after a lengthy negotiating period with his alma mater. If not, he will have protection against NCAA discipline. something which would likely help his market with respect to future NFL opportunities.

Packers Fear Kingsley Enagbare Suffered ACL Tear

January 16th, 2024 at 12:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers pulled off an upset win over the Cowboys on Sunday, allowing their season to continue. Green Bay will likely be shorthanded on the edge the rest of the way, however. Kingsley Enagbare is believed to have suffered a torn ACL, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports.

The 2022 fifth-rounder logged a notable workload as a rookie, particularly after Rashan Gary suffered an ACL tear of his own. Enagbare wound up starting seven games and shouldering a 45% defensive snap share last year. He flashed potential with three sacks and eight quarterback hits. Even with Gary back to full health, Enagbare remained a key member of the Packers’ edge contingent this campaign.

The latter appeared in all 17 regular season contests for the second straight year, starting four. His playing time remained roughly on par with that of his rookie campaign, and posted similar numbers as a result. Enagbare registered two sacks, 37 total tackles, 11 QB pressures and a forced fumble. He added a pair of quarterback hits in Green Bay’s wild-card victory, and his loss will be felt on a Packers defense which faces a stiff challenge this weakened against the 49ers.

The Packers will move forward with Gary, Preston Smith and first-round rookie Lukas Van Ness in the pass rush room. Van Ness has found himself behind Enagbare on the depth chart with respect to playing time, but four of his five total sacks (regular and postseason combined) have come in the past seven games. He could be in line for an increased workload against San Francisco if further testing confirms Enagbare will indeed miss the remainder of the campaign.

Should that be the case, the 23-year-old will turn his attention to a lengthy recovery process in an attempt to heal in time for Week 1 of the 2024 season. Enagbare’s absence will leave Green Bay without a key rotational presence on the defensive front for the divisional round, an unwanted development for the team as it tries to continue an unexpected postseason run.

Mike Tomlin Undecided On Steelers Future?

January 16th, 2024 at 10:50am CST by Rory Parks

JANUARY 16: Tomlin’s Steelers fell to the Bills on Monday as many expected, bringing the team’s season to an end. To no surprise, Tomlin faced a question about his future, but he declined to address the topic. He instead elected to depart his press conference when his contract was mentioned (video link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). Until further clarity emerges as it pertains to the NFL’s longest-tenured coach, Tomlin’s status will be worth monitoring.

JANUARY 14: The Steelers will take on the Bills in a wild-card matchup tomorrow, a game that was pushed back a day due to heavy snow in Buffalo. Pittsburgh is a heavy underdog in that contest, and according to a number of high-profile NFL pundits, it is fair to wonder whether it will be head coach Mike Tomlin‘s last game on the Steelers’ sidelines.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says that whenever Pittsburgh’s season comes to an end, Tomlin will discuss his future with his family and “reassess his situation.” While such a reassessment takes place at the end of every season, Florio suggests the situation is different this time around because Tomlin is only signed through 2024 and has never inked an extension with just one year left on his contract. In Florio’s estimation, Tomlin could certainly re-up with the Steelers, but he could also forego a new contract, finish out his current deal in 2024, and become a free agent in 2025. Alternatively, like current Broncos head coach Sean Payton did when he was under contract with the Saints, Tomlin could choose to sit out a year and see if another club pursues a trade for his rights (of course, regardless of whether Tomlin re-signs or chooses to enter 2024 as a lame duck, that may not prevent another team from trying to acquire via him via trade).

To be clear, the factual underpinning of Florio’s report is flawed. When Tomlin signed a three-year extension in April 2021, his existing contract at the time only kept him under club control through the end of the 2021 season; in other words, he has indeed gone into an offseason with just one year left on a contract. However, Florio is not the only one who believes Tomlin’s Pittsburgh future is uncertain.

On January 7, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (video link) reported that the Steelers would not fire Tomlin, which jibes with Florio’s own report from last month, when he wrote that Pittsburgh had no desire to move on from its head coach and had no reason to believe that Tomlin did not want to continue his tenure with the club. Glazer did add, however, that “it’ll be [Tomlin’s] choice if he goes back to the Steelers or not, but it will be his choice.”

Just one day later, ESPN’s Adam Schefter (video link via Awful Announcing) said that some league sources believe Tomlin could decide to take a year off, a la Payton. While Schefter did confirm that the Steelers have no intention of parting ways with Tomlin if the Super Bowl-winning head coach wants to return, he noted that Tomlin is a Washington, D.C. native and that his wife loves Los Angeles, thereby implying that the Commanders’ and Chargers’ HC vacancies may be appealing to him.

Although the 2023 campaign looked to be heading nowhere after three straight losses from Weeks 13-15 — including defeats at the hands of the woeful Cardinals and Patriots — Tomlin’s decision to insert quarterback Mason Rudolph into the starting lineup in Week 16 paid immediate dividends, as the Steelers rattled off three consecutive victories at the end of the season to sneak into the seventh and final spot in the AFC playoff field. That said, no matter what happens in the playoffs, Pittsburgh’s long-term QB situation is decidedly unsettled, and between the in-season firing of OC Matt Canada and some locker room tension, 2023 has doubtlessly been a trying one for Tomlin.

As such, it would not be as surprising as it might have been in past years to see Tomlin step away for a time or move on to a different team. If he opts for the latter course, there will be no shortage of interest in his services. Now that Bill Belichick and the Patriots have parted ways, Tomlin is the longest-tenured head coach in the league, but he is still just 51 (he will turn 52 in March). While the contingent of Pittsburgh fans that believe Tomlin should be fired are surely tired of hearing about it, Tomlin has famously never had a sub-.500 season, and he boasts a 173-100-2 regular season record.

Detractors will point out that Tomlin is 8-9 in the postseason and has not won a playoff game since 2016, both of which are fair criticisms. Nonetheless, his overall body of work has kept him in good stead in the Steelers’ front office and will make him a hot commodity elsewhere if he seeks a change of scenery.

Bears Interview Greg Roman For OC Position

January 16th, 2024 at 10:05am CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears’ search for an offensive coordinator has led to another interview. Chicago spoke with Greg Roman about the position on Monday, per Peter Schrager of NFL Network.

The Bears elected to retain head coach Matt Eberflus, but to little surprise OC Luke Getsy was dismissed at the end of the season. Improvement on the offensive side of the ball will be a clear priority for the team after it showed a significant defensive turnaround in the second half of the campaign. Chicago’s next offensive coordinator – the third in the past four seasons – will be tasked with either developing Justin Fields further or starting fresh with a new quarterback brought in to replace him. The latter route could very well include selecting Caleb Williams first overall after he declared for the draft yesterday.

Roman has experience as a play-caller at the NFL level, and in particular working with mobile quarterbacks. He has held OC positions with the 49ers, Bills and, most recently, Ravens. His Baltimore tenure included back-to-back seasons in 2019 and ’20 in which the team led the league in scoring. The Ravens’ Lamar Jackson-led attack developed a strong reputation for its success on the ground, which falls in line with Roman’s track record. Offenses he has guided have never ranked worse than eighth in the NFL in yardage on the ground.

However, Roman-led units have not matched that success through the air. The Ravens’ 13th-place finish in passing yards in 2021 represents the most productive campaign in terms of passing yards he has overseen in his career. Much of Fields’ success to date has come on the ground, although he did see an uptick in many passing categories in 2023. If the Bears decide to keep the 2021 first-rounder in the fold, an OC with a stronger track record in the passing game would likely represent a more suitable choice. Chicago has yet to make a determination with respect to moving on from Fields (clearing the way for Williams to be drafted) or giving him at least one more season to establish himself as a franchise passer.

Roman, 51, joins Seahawks OC Shane Waldron, 49ers passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak, as well as Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen and Seahawks QBs coach Greg Olson in receiving interest for the Bears’ OC gig. After Roman’s four-year Ravens tenure ended last offseason, he took this past year off from coaching.

Falcons Interview Bill Belichick For HC Opening

January 15th, 2024 at 10:10pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bill Belichick sweepstakes has officially kicked off. The Falcons announced this evening that they’ve interviewed the iconic head coach for their own HC vacancy.

[RELATED: Falcons To Carry Strong Interest In Bill Belichick?]

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Belichick recently met in person with Falcons owner Arthur Blank to discuss the opportunity. While no deal is imminent, Pelissero notes that there’s mutual interest between the two sides and “conversations are ongoing.”

Once the Patriots and Belichick made their divorce official, we heard that the Falcons could make a strong push for the head coach. There were also whispers that Blank was seeking more experience during this coaching cycle. While the owner’s previous hires (Jim Mora Jr., Bobby Petrino, Mike Smith, Dan Quinn, Arthur Smith) were first-time head coaches, Blank’s current focus on experience certainly made Belichick a logical target.

Of course, there’s a bit of history between the two sides. Belichick was famously on the sideline when his Patriots erased a 28-3 deficit to defeat the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Since then, the Falcons have seen an NFC South rival, the Buccaneers, snag a future Hall of Famer from New England and win a Super Bowl. Blank and the Falcons brass are clearly banking on similar fortunes this time around.

The Falcons have loaded up on skill positions in recent drafts, and Pro Football Focus ranked Atlanta’s offensive line — one spearheaded by Chris Lindstrom and Jake Matthews — fourth overall. Further, the front office invested some money into the defense in 2023, and the organization will presumably invest similarly in 2024 if Belichick takes over. The Falcons are expected to reside in the middle of the cap-space pack, with the organization projected to carry more than $21MM.

Of course, the team’s lack of certainty at quarterback could scare away some HC candidates, even with the organization expected to take a bigger QB swing heading into the offseason. Of course, Belichick has famously downplayed the significance of the QB position, a sentiment that played a role in the growing tension between him and Tom Brady. Belichick would surely welcome the question marks at quarterback, and he’d probably push against the instinct to invest significant draft or free agency capital into the position.

While it’s easy to assume that one of the most accomplished head coaches of all time would be atop the Falcons wish list, that hasn’t stopped the organization from eyeing other candidates for their vacancy. Belichick is now the 10th official candidate for the role, joining a growing list that includes:

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