HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Bears Plan To Interview Kentucky’s Liam Coen For OC Job; Team Meets With Seahawks’ Greg Olson

January 13th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Ben Levine

8:45pm: Another name can be added to the list of Bears OC targets. Chicago interviewed Seahawks QBs coach Greg Olson yesterday, Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle notes. Olson took his Seattle position last year after a single season with the Rams. The 60-year-old has served as a coordinator with the Lions, Rams, Buccaneers, Jaguars and – in two separate stints – Raiders. He thus profiles as a candidate with considerable experience as Chicago looks for a Getsy replacement.

Olson had not been connected to an OC posting this offseason before the Bears interview, but he has remained on the coordinator radar when holding other roles in the NFL. He interviewed with the Chargers last year before ultimately taking his current Seahawks gig. It will be interesting to see how much interest he gets from other teams in 2024 should more coordinator roles become available.

10:31am: The Bears are looking towards the NCAA to fill their offensive coordinator vacancy. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports that Kentucky offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Liam Coen is expected to interview for Chicago’s OC job.

After spending time in the Northeast college circuit, Coen has bounced between the Rams and Kentucky in recent years. He spent two years as the Rams assistant wide receivers coach before earning the role of assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020. He left to become Kentucky’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2021 before returning to Los Angeles to replace Kevin O’Connell as the offensive coordinator.

The Rams offense struggled with Coen at the helm in 2022. The offense finished the season ranked 27th in points and last in yards, although that was partly due to the Rams starting four different players under center.

Coen went back to his previous role at Kentucky for the 2023 campaign and helped guide the offense to several improvements. Kentucky ultimately finished the season ranked 23rd in red zone TD percentage, 40th in yards per play, and 51st in points per drive (h/t to Adam Luckett of KSR).

Chicago is looking for a replacement for Luke Getsy, who was fired earlier this week. 49ers passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak has already emerged as a candidate for the open job.

Latest On Colts, WR Michael Pittman Jr.

January 13th, 2024 at 8:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2024 free agent class has the potential to boast a number of young wideouts, including Michael Pittman Jr. A new deal for the Colts’ top pass catcher is a priority for the team, but his comments on his situation suggest he would be interested in at least examining his outside market, something complicated by the likelihood of him remaining in Indianapolis for at least one more season.

Pittman has been a model of consistency during his time on a Colts offense which has struggled to find a long-term answer at the QB spot. The former second-rounder has posted at least 925 yards in each of the past three seasons, and he had a career-year in 2023. Pittman ranked fifth in the NFL with 109 catches, totaling 1,052 yards and four touchdowns. Remaining the focal point of the team’s passing game, he drew double-digit targets in a game nine times this season.

Those figures have helped the 26-year-old’s market value ahead of his first career trip to free agency. Pittman could be in line to join a number of other high-profile receivers who have benefitted from the position’s sharp increase in value over the past two years. A lucrative payday will come his way either via a multi-year deal with the Colts or another interested team or the $21.66MM franchise tag. The USC alum is well aware there could be a market for his services outside of Indianapolis.

“I’ve loved my four years here, but I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence if I didn’t explore every option and find the best fit,” Pittman said, via Nate Atkins of the Indy Star. “I think we want to get a sense of what’s out there. We had an agreement that we were going to wait until the season ends before we feel it out.”

Now that the Colts’ season has ended, it will indeed be interesting to see how much progress is made as it pertains to talks on a new deal. Pittman’s comment about exploring other options is notable given the NFL’s offseason calendar. The deadline for teams to apply the one-year franchise tag is March 5, which comes before the new league year (and thus free agency) begins. Any team would therefore only be able to acquire Pittman – or any other tag recipient – by working out a trade contingent on having an extension in place upon arrival. Players are usually averse to playing on the tag, but Pittman added he “wouldn’t say necessarily no” with respect to the idea of playing out the 2024 season with free agency looming once again.

When speaking about Pittman, general manager Chris Ballard said the Colts are prepared to use the tag if talks do not produce a long-term deal. Such a move will not become official (if necessary) until next month at the earliest, but in any case Pittman is an obvious candidate for a contract pairing him with running back Jonathan Taylor (who landed a new pact after his public trade request this summer) and first-round quarterback Anthony Richardson for the long term. Ballard confirmed his desire to work out an agreement which will keep that trio intact.

“I care deeply about him,” the latter said of Pittman, via a separate Atkins piece. “We have a really good relationship. It’s an honest one… The guy is competitive. He’s tough. He cares. He wants to win. We’re going to work to get him back… Pitt is a good football player for us and hopefully he still remains a Colt.”

Players who receive a franchise tag are eligible to continue negotiating a deal until mid-July. The status of talks with Pittman will be worth watching closely, especially if the tag becomes necessary and/or a tag-and-trade market emerges.

Chargers Conduct GM Interview With Ravens’ Joe Hortiz

January 13th, 2024 at 6:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chargers continue to cast a wide net in their ongoing general manager search. The team announced on Saturday that an interview with Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz was completed.

Hortiz has worked his way through the ranks in Baltimore’s front office since joining the franchise in 1998. Beginning in the scouting department, he became the team’s director of college scouting and enjoyed considerable success in the role. Hortiz held that position for 10 years before being promoted once again in 2019. He has overseen both pro and college scouting ever since.

Today’s meeting with the Chargers represents the first known interest shown in Hortiz this year, but he is not a new candidate with respect to GM connections from outside teams. He interviewed with the Cardinals for their general manager vacancy last offseason, and previews of the 2024 hiring cycle listed him as a name to watch. Given the strength of the Ravens’ homegrown core of players, along with the team’s success in finding short-term additions in free agency this year in particular, it would come as little surprise if Hortiz were to take a GM position elsewhere in the near future.

Colleague Nick Matteo has landed on the GM radar this year, having received an interview request from the Panthers. Losing one or both of he and Hortiz would deal a blow to the front office of the Ravens, a team which also has numerous coaches in line for potential moves elsewhere during the 2024 cycle. Hortiz in particular has established himself as a critical member of the franchise over the course of his lengthy tenure, but that experience would of course lead to significant expectations upon arrival with a team prepared to hire him.

The Chargers have been without Tom Telesco at the helm since he was dismissed alongside Brandon Staley midway through the season. The team thus has a vacancy at the former position for the first time since 2013. As is the case for the team’s coaching search, the presence of quarterback Justin Herbert on a long-term deal will likely make the Los Angeles posting an attractive one, but the roster does include a number of veterans on pricey contracts. Plenty of work will need to be done over the short and long term for the new GM to sustainably set the team up for postseason contention during Herbert’s prime.

Here is an updated look at the Chargers’ GM search:

 

Lions Place CB Jerry Jacobs, TE James Mitchell On IR

January 13th, 2024 at 5:45pm CST by Ely Allen

The Lions are the only team today with transactions that aren’t just standard gameday practice squad elevations. In addition to the normal gameday transactions, Detroit also placed starting cornerback Jerry Jacobs and backup tight end James Mitchell on injured reserve before their first home playoff game in 30 years.

Jacobs is certainly the bigger loss of the two. The third-year cornerback out of Arkansas has continued to extend his role in each year, starting 12 games on the Lions’ defense this year. In 15 games this season, Jacobs is tied for second on the team for interceptions (3) and tied for third on the team for passes defensed (8). Jacobs had started the first 12 games he had appeared in this year but was forced to take a bit of a back seat in recent weeks.

With Jacobs in a limited role the past few weeks, Kindle Vildor has been starting opposite usual starter Cameron Sutton, with big contributions coming from second-round rookie Brian Branch and Khalil Dorsey. That plan is expected to continue as Jacobs becomes officially unavailable, though Sutton and Branch are dealing with a few injury issues themselves.

Mitchell was expected to play a bigger role in the offense if starter Sam LaPorta was unable to play after last week’s injury. Luckily, LaPorta seems to have avoided disaster and currently only holds a questionable status heading into tomorrow, so there’s a good chance he will be good to go, lessening the impact of Mitchell’s absence. Brock Wright will continue performing as TE2.

After losing a cornerback and tight end to IR, the Lions promoted a cornerback and tight end from the practice squad, signing Anthony Firkser and Chase Lucas to the active roster. Firkser and Lucas will be able to provide some depth at tight end and cornerback, respectively, as injuries threaten to impact Detroit’s postseason aspirations.

Lastly, the Lions announced their standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow, as well. Joining Firkser and Lucas will be defensive lineman Tyson Alualu and fullback Jason Cabinda.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/13/24

January 13th, 2024 at 4:52pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s transactions and callups for the Saturday night and Sunday games:

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

The three-game limit for practice squad players to be elevated under a single contract is reset in the playoffs, allowing players who weren’t able to be activated anymore by the end of the year to return in the coming weeks.

Packers starting cornerback Jaire Alexander injured his ankle this week in practice, leading to his current questionable status. Long will be elevated to provide some depth in the off chance that Alexander is unable to go versus the Cowboys.

Jaguars To Interview Wink Martindale For DC Job

January 13th, 2024 at 4:06pm CST by Ely Allen

After Ian Rapoport of NFL Network hinted at a connection between former Giants defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale and the Jaguars, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has confirmed that Martindale is scheduled for a two-day interview with the team this week. Martindale will be in Duval Tuesday and Wednesday of this week to interview for the team’s open defensive coordinator position.

The Jaguars fired defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and the rest of the team’s defensive staff after Caldwell’s first two years as a coordinator. Under Caldwell, the Jacksonville defense delivered middling results finishing 12th and 17th in points allowed and 24th and 22nd in yards allowed. This kept a top-10 2022 Jaguars offense from advancing past the divisional round of the playoffs and kept a top-14 2023 Jaguars offense from making it to the playoffs at all.

Plenty of names have been mentioned as names to interview for the position since Caldwell’s departure. The team was blocked access to interview current Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen earlier this week, but Ravens secondary coach and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt, Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, Titans cornerbacks coach and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Harris, and Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel are all set to interview with the team.

Add Martindale to that list. Martindale started in the NFL as a linebackers coach, spending five years with the Raiders before taking the same job with the Broncos. Denver would promote him to defensive coordinator under Josh McDaniels, but Martindale was not retained whenever John Fox took over the following year. He joined the Ravens 2012 Super Bowl-winning squad as the linebackers coach, a role he would hold for six years before eventually replacing Dean Pees as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator.

In his first three years heading up the Ravens defense, Baltimore fielded a perennial top-five defense, often competing for the league lead in points or yards allowed. 2021 would see an anomaly in Baltimore as the team’s defense would finish 19th in points allowed and 25th in yards allowed. Whether or not the lack of success was due to injuries to key contributors like cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters and safety DeShon Elliott, Martindale and the Ravens parted ways.

A few weeks later, Martindale accepted the defensive coordinator position with the Giants. Over the past two years, New York has finished 18th and 26th in points allowed and 25th and 27th in yards allowed. Unhappy with the production of someone who used to be a top defensive coordinator in the league, the Giants and head coach Brian Daboll parted ways with Martindale. News of the separation came days after reports of a multiday standoff that saw Martindale reportedly curse out Daboll and storm out of the building.

Now Martindale will add his name to the list of potential candidates to replace Caldwell in Jacksonville. He’ll be competing with a currently much less experienced field of candidates, though the Jaguars may prefer someone with a bit less history and baggage.

Cowboys’ Dan Quinn, Ravens’ Mike Macdonald Highlight Names To Watch In Seattle

January 13th, 2024 at 2:31pm CST by Ely Allen

Since the Seahawks made the decision to move on from longtime head coach Pete Carroll, they have really been the only team that we haven’t heard from in terms of scheduling interviews for candidates to replace him. Current Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was mentioned as an expected candidate to replace his former boss, and today, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided us with a new name to look out for in Seattle.

Quinn has been considered a head coaching candidate pretty much ever since he was fired from his head coaching gig with the Falcons in 2020. Since Quinn landed in Dallas, the Cowboys have fielded a perennial top-10 scoring defense and have improved their yards allowed each year. This year the team finished in the top five of both categories.

Last year, Quinn interviewed with the Cardinals, Broncos, Texans, and Colts to fill their head coaching openings, and even returned for second interviews in Arizona and Indianapolis before ultimately making the decision to remain in Dallas as a coordinator. The year prior saw Quinn interview with the Bears, Broncos, Dolphins, Vikings, and Giants. He conducted a second interview in Chicago and was considered a finalist for the Denver job, but he ended up once again choosing to remain with the Cowboys, even declining an interview opportunity with the Jaguars.

Quinn’s connection to Seattle, comes from two different stints with the team. After defensive line coaching jobs with the 49ers, Dolphins, and Jets, Quinn accepted that same position coaching gig with the added title of assistant head coach with the Seahawks. He held the position for two years before taking on a defensive coordinator job for the University of Florida. After two more years, Quinn made the move back to the NFL and back to Seattle as an NFL defensive coordinator.

The Seahawks reached back-to-back Super Bowls (and were one offensive play away from winning back-to-back Super Bowls) behind a defense led by Quinn that finished tops in the league in both points allowed and yards allowed. In both years, Quinn’s defense led both categories by a relatively wide margin. His success coaching the vaunted Legion of Doom led to his first head coaching opportunity in Atlanta. Despite an overall winning record of 43-42 that included a Super Bowl appearance for the Falcons, two consecutive 7-9 seasons and an 0-5 start to the 2020 season led to Quinn’s termination.

The other name mentioned by Rapoport has a bit of a different story. Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has far less coaching experience in the NFL. Macdonald started in Baltimore as a coaching intern in 2014, moving up to defensive assistant before coaching defensive backs in 2017 and linebackers from 2018-20. John Harbaugh‘s little brother Jim stole Macdonald away for a season to serve as defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan before the elder Harbaugh called Macdonald back to the NFL for the same role in Baltimore.

In two years under Macdonald, the Ravens have finished third and first in points allowed and improved from 11th in yards allowed to sixth this year. Despite the presence of a star outside pass rusher, Macdonald’s Ravens have consistently been one of the league’s more successful teams at pressuring the quarterback thanks to unique blitzing schemes and disguises. This year, Baltimore added a league-leading 31 turnovers to the resume, as well.

Despite Quinn’s apparent seniority over Macdonald, both coordinators have received extensive interest so far as head coaching candidates. Quinn currently holds interview requests from the Panthers, Chargers, Titans, and Commanders, while Macdonald has interviewed with the Panthers and Falcons and holds requests from the Titans and Commanders, as well. Both coordinators are still in the playoffs and can only conduct virtual interviews at this time, but once the playoffs have finished, expect both coaches to act on the reported interest.

Chargers To Interview Ed Dodds For GM Job

January 13th, 2024 at 12:23pm CST by Ben Levine

A third team has emerged as a suitor for Ed Dodds. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Colts assistant general manager is set to meet with the Chargers on Wednesday regarding their general manager vacancy.

[RELATED: Chargers Expected To Meet With Jim Harbaugh]

We previously heard that Dodds was set to interview for GM jobs with the Raiders and Panthers. Indeed, Schefter notes that the executive met with Las Vegas yesterday and will meet with Carolina tomorrow.

Dodds was named the Colts assistant general manager in 2018. He’s generated six head coaching interviews over the past four years, but he’s continued to stick in Indy as Chris Ballard‘s right-hand man. Dodds has been credited with helping guide the Colts in a post-Andrew Luck era. While the team hasn’t made a whole lot of noise in the AFC over the past five years, the Colts have still earned three winning records, including a 2020 campaign where they went 11-5.

Before his time in Indy, Dodds spent a decade with the Seahawks, overseeing the organization’s college and pro scouting departments. During his time in Seattle, the Seahawks earned six NFC West titles and made a pair of Super Bowl appearances.

This news follows reports from this morning that the Chargers were preparing to meet with Jim Harbaugh next week regarding their head coaching vacancy. It was believed that the Michigan head coach would be seeking some kind of personnel control, and at the very least, the Chargers were expected to pursue a GM who had some connection to Harbaugh. Besides their stints in the NFC West, Dodds hasn’t worked with Harbaugh.

The Chargers have a growing list of candidates to replace Tom Telesco as the Chargers GM. As our 2024 NFL General Manager Search Tracker shows, that grouping includes:

Bills/Steelers Playoff Game Postponed To Monday

January 13th, 2024 at 11:12am CST by Ben Levine

The Bills/Steelers matchup scheduled for tomorrow afternoon has been pushed to Monday. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the first-round playoff game has been postponed to Monday at 4:30pm ET (via Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports). The Bills have officially announced the decision.

Per Jones, Hochul has been communicating with commissioner Roger Goodell about a potential postponement. The storm is expected to reach it’s peak in Buffalo tomorrow afternoon, and the game was set to kick off at 1:00pm. Buffalo is expecting two to three inches of snow per hour, and there will be a travel ban in the city starting tonight through at least 6:00am Sunday morning. Hochul declared a State of Emergency on Friday.

“I’ve been in communication with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell regarding the dangerous conditions in Buffalo this weekend,” Hochul tweeted. “In consultation with our emergency response teams, [Bills] leadership, and the NFL, the Bills game will be postponed to 4:30 pm Monday.”

As Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets, the decision was made to protect those who will be traveling to the game, including fans. In other words, the decision wasn’t made in an effort to improve the on-field product. Per Jones, the Steelers have yet to leave Pittsburgh as of Saturday afternoon, and the organization is now expected to travel on Sunday.

The NFL certainly isn’t afraid of staging playoff games in inclement weather, and while the Bills/Steelers game has been pushed back, the Chiefs and Dolphins are still expected to play tonight in what will rank as one of the coldest games in NFL history (per the Associated Press, via ESPN).

While the NFL rarely moves games, this move isn’t completely unprecedented. In fact, the Steelers previously dealt with a postponed playoff game in 2017, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. The game was pushed back seven hours due to traveling concerns in Kansas City. The Steelers ended up winning that game over the Chiefs, with all 18 of Pittsburgh’s points coming via kicker Chris Boswell.

Patriots Promote Jerod Mayo To HC

January 12th, 2024 at 10:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots have immediately filled Bill Belichick‘s coaching position. New England has promoted linebackers coach Jerod Mayo as the team’s new head coach, ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes. The team has since announced the move.

As previously noted, the Patriots included succession language in Mayo’s latest contract. As a result, the team was not obligated to satisfy the Rooney Rule and interview outside candidates for the position. Instead, Mayo has immediately been tapped to lead the Patriots on the sidelines beginning in the 2024 season, one which will be the first in nearly a quarter century without Belichick at the helm.

Given Mayo’s stock within the organization, the move (which Reiss adds will be made confirmed in a press conference next week) comes as little surprise. The former first-round pick spent his entire playing career in New England, earning a number of accolades along the way including Defensive Rookie of the Year, two Pro Bowl invitations and an All-Pro nod after leading the league in tackles in 2010. He has been a Patriots coach since 2019.

Mayo was seen as a HC candidate in New England but around the NFL as well. The Panthers extended an invitation to interview him for their vacancy last offseason, but he turned it down. With his status as Belichick’s heir apparent seemingly confirmed with his new contract, Mayo was frequently labeled the top candidate to watch in the event the Patriots parted ways with their 24-year coach. Indeed, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports New England made no inquiries into the top outside candidates in this year’s cycle, opting to immediately turn to Mayo once Belichick was officially gone.

At the age of 37, Mayo will now surpass Sean McVay as the league’s youngest head coach. The Rams Super Bowl winner has proven to be a sound hire given his track record, but Mayo’s resume is considerably thinner than that of many other options currently on the market. Nevertheless, he will now be tasked with helping to oversee a signficant organizational reset, a process which will include the hiring of a general manager after decades of Belichick wearing both hats.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirms New England will now look to bring in a GM to partner with Mayo. Given the relative inexperience of the team’s new coach, a lengthy track record in the front office would presumably be a key target for New England’s next hire. Struggles in the draft during the past several years has left the Patriots short on cost-effective talent at a number of positions, something the new decision-makers will look to rectify as soon as possible.

Set to be among the league leaders in cap space ahead of free agency and owners of the No. 3 pick in April’s draft, the Patriots will be a team to watch closely this offseason. Acquiring a franchise quarterback will be a top priority given the struggles shown by Mac Jones over the past two seasons and the lack of starting-level promise shown by Bailey Zappe. It remains to be seen who will lead the organization in the front office moving forward, but Mayo can now begin the transition to head coaching responsibilities for the first time in his career.

Given today’s news, the first of eight HC vacancies around the league has been filled. Plenty of other dominoes have yet to fall, but New England now has its 2024 plan in place along the sidelines before any of the other teams still in need of a new hire.

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