HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Eagles Considering Coaching Staff Changes?

January 12th, 2024 at 10:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles are set to play the Buccaneers on Monday night in their bid to return to the Super Bowl. Given last year’s success, head coach Nick Sirianni entered the campaign on firm footing, but his stock appears to have taken a hit in 2023.

Philadelphia enjoyed a successful run to begin the season, posting a 10-1 record. Things have not gone according to plan since then, however, and last year’s NFC champions lost five of their final six games to close out the regular season. A major change to the team’s defensive staff has already been made – with Matt Patricia taking over play-calling duties from Sean Desai – but more could be on the horizon.

Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports the outcome of the upcoming wild-card round could be critical to the members of Philadelphia’s staff. The Eagles are already contemplating changes mainly the defensive side of the ball, Anderson notes, something which comes as little surprise given the continued struggles since Patricia took on a larger workload. Few staffers would likely be considered locks to return in 2024 if Philadelphia lost to a Tamp Bay team which went 9-8 to win the lowly NFC South.

Indeed, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes that “plenty” of people around the NFL believe Sirianni’s job could be on the line if the Eagles were to go one-and-done in the postseason after a disappointing run in December. The Eagles’ defensive shortcomings were masked in part by top-10 showings in a number of offensive categories, but quarterback Jalen Hurts regressed statistically compared to last season. Pressure on the players and coaching staff could thus be elevated to a higher point than their collective success in 2022 suggested would otherwise be the case.

Both offensive coordinator Shane Steichen (Colts) and DC Jonathan Gannon (Cardinals) departed the Eagles for head coaching gigs last offseason. Current OC Brian Johnson has also received interest for this year’s hiring cycle, so his post could need filling in the near future. Especially in the wake of postseason failure, though, the possibility of more drastic moves could be a storyline to follow.

As both Anderson and La Canfora note, the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy could find themselves in a similar situation should they fall short of playoff expectations. The latter is believed to be safe for 2024 as things currently stand, but the door could be open to a quick change in job security. In the case of the Eagles, that appears to also hold true to a large extent.

Giants To Interview Titans’ Shane Bowen For DC Job; Team Denied Meeting With Panthers’ Chris Tabor

January 12th, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Ely Allen

After parting ways with defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, the Giants have started the process of finding a replacement. In a different search, though, New York continues to stick its nose in unwelcome places as they have once again been denied access to certain interview candidates, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

First, Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is reportedly set to interview for the Giants open defensive coordinator position, according to Turron Davenport of ESPN. Bowen is also set to interview for the same position in Jacksonville. In New York, he will be competing with Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, who interviewed with the team earlier today.

While Bowen technically is still employed in Nashville, the firing of Mike Vrabel leaves Bowen in a precarious position, as whoever eventually replaces Vrabel may not choose to retain him in Tennessee. After five years as an assistant with the Texans and Titans, Bowen got his first coordinator job in 2021. In his first season, Bowen impressed, with Tennessee finished as the sixth-best scoring defense and finishing 12th in yards allowed. The next two seasons saw mostly middling defenses in Tennessee.

New York has also been exerting efforts to fill its special teams coordinator position after the firing of longtime coordinator Thomas McGaughey. The team was denied access by the Chargers to interview Ryan Ficken as well as being denied access to Marquice Williams by the Falcons. The Giants have now been denied thrice, as Schefter reports that the team’s attempt to interview Panthers interim head coach and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor has also been denied.

Tabor and Williams are both currently on captain-less ships after the firings of Frank Reich and Arthur Smith, respectively. Still, Panthers owner David Tepper has shown continuous support for Tabor, encouraging head coaching candidates last year to retain him on the staff. Similarly, though the Falcons have yet to name Smith’s replacement, the team seems to believe that Williams will still have a role moving forward. The Giants will have to continue searching for worthy replacements for McGaughey.

Jaguars Exploring Options For Open DC Job, Scheduling Interviews

January 12th, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Ely Allen

After firing defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and the rest of the defensive staff, head coach Doug Pederson and the Jaguars have started the process of finding replacements. That became clear with a series of reports today that several defensive assistants from around the league would be interviewing for the open position.

In a continuation of what looks like a future decimation of the Ravens‘ coaching staff this offseason, secondary coach and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt will interview for the job, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Baltimore’s coordinators have both been garnering interest for multiple head coaching openings, and earlier today, we saw the team’s defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson interview with the Giants for their open defensive coordinator job. Even Ravens defensive line coach/associate head coach Anthony Weaver has received head coaching interest.

Hewitt has been a staple in Baltimore, coaching with the Ravens since the team’s last Super Bowl season in 2012. The Jamaica-native started off coaching as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the college level for the Fighting Irish before spending eight seasons at Rutgers coaching running backs and cornerbacks. In 2012, Hewitt joined John Harbaugh‘s staff as a defensive backs coach. After another eight years, Hewitt was promoted to pass defense coordinator and has spent the past two seasons in his current role.

Jacksonville isn’t afraid to poach from a division-rival, scheduling an interview with Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. While Bowen technically is still employed in Nashville, the firing of Mike Vrabel leaves Bowen in a precarious position, as whoever eventually replaces Vrabel may not choose to retain him in Tennessee. After five years as an assistant with the Texans and Titans, Bowen got his first coordinator job in 2021. In his first season, Bowen impressed, with Tennessee finished as the sixth-best scoring defense and finishing 12th in yards allowed. The next two seasons saw mostly middling defenses in Tennessee.

Also off the Titans’ coaching staff, the Jaguars will interview Tennessee’s defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Chris Harris, according to Ben Arthur of NFL on FOX. Since entering the NFL in 2013 as a Bears defensive quality control coach, Harris went from assistant defensive backs coach for the Chargers to defensive backs coach for Washington before landing in his current role with the Titans this year. Harris also got some interest in last year’s coordinator search for the Texans.

Finally, the last candidate to receive a request to interview for the Jaguars open position was Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. Manuel started coaching in Seattle in 2012, a few years after concluding his playing career, as an assistant special teams coach. He would climb the ladder for the Seahawks becoming a defensive assistant and an assistant secondary coach over the next two years. He took his first position coaching gig as the secondary coach for the Falcons in 2015 and was promoted to defensive coordinator two years later. When his contract in Atlanta expired, Manuel was hired as the defensive backs coach in Philadelphia for a year before taking the safeties coach position in New York. Like Harris, Manuel was a candidate for the Texans defensive coordinator job last offseason. He also interviewed for the same job with the Panthers last year, as well.

The Jaguars are certainly exploring plenty of options for who will coach the defensive side of the ball in Jacksonville next year. The team reportedly also requested an interview with Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen but were blocked access, per Jaguars beat reporter John Shipley. The Panthers also blocked an Ejiro Evero interview. There seems to be a concentrated focus on coaches with defensive back experience, which makes sense after the team gave up the seventh-most passing yards in the NFL this year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/12/24

January 12th, 2024 at 7:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Some minor roster moves heading into Super Wild Card Weekend:

Cleveland Browns

It appears that Patterson will be serving kicking duties for Cleveland for the third week in a row. Regular kicker Dustin Hopkins will not be available for the first week of the playoffs as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury.

No practice squad callups for the Texans is a good sign for some of the injuries the team has been dealing with. With wide receivers Robert Woods and Noah Brown coming into the game with questionable designations, signs are pointing to them being available tomorrow.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/12/24

January 12th, 2024 at 7:00pm CST by Ely Allen

A couple of practice squad updates before the weekend:

Green Bay Packers

The Packers sub out one of this season’s journeymen for another. Long, who has played in at least three games for three different teams this year, returns to Chicago on a p-squad deal after being waived to make room for some injured reserve activations. Drake, who was on his third team of the season in Green Bay, as well, will head to free agency with only two rush attempts on the year.

Seahawks’ Pete Carroll Addresses Potential Coaching Future

January 12th, 2024 at 4:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

At the start of the week, Pete Carroll indicated he would remain in place to spend a 15th season as the Seahawks’ head coach. However, a meeting with owner Jody Allen has now resulted in Carroll shifting to an advisory role with the franchise.

The timing of the move and the characteristics of Carroll’s public remarks on his future have led to questions about his desire to continue coaching. Considering that would require the 72-year-old taking a position outside of Seattle after such a long tenure in the Emerald City, a new coaching gig would come as a surprise to many. However, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said in an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show that Carroll could be a candidate to watch in the event a vacancy for a team with a win-now roster were to appeal to him (video link).

Carroll spoke further about his situation on Friday with Brock Huard and Mike Salk of Seattle Sports. His comments in that interview point to him remaining in Seattle for at least the time being. They also make it clear, however, that his interest in spending time on an NFL sideline again has not been entirely extinguished. As things stand right now, he does not appear to be a genuine candidate for one of the league’s HC vacancies.

“I don’t know that,” Carroll said when asked about his potential desire to continue coaching (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson). “I’ve got plenty of energy for it and thought and willingness, but I can’t imagine there’s a place, the right one. I don’t know. I’m open to everything, but I’m not holding my breath on that. There’s a lot of world out here that I’m excited about challenging and going after. So if that happens, it happens. We’ll see.”

The Super Bowl winner went on to note the apparent difference between his vision of the team’s direction and that of ownership, noting that the latter group is comprised of personnel which are “not football people.” It will certainly be interesting to see how his new position in Seattle takes shape (presuming he does not depart for an outside coaching gig).

The Patriots became the first team to make a HC hire on Friday, promoting Jerod Mayo to replace Bill Belichick. That move leaves seven vacancies around the league, so a market could develop if Carroll elected to change course and pursue a new opportunity. Given his comments on the matter, Carroll’s immediate future is in the air to at least an extent despite his new role in Seattle.

Falcons To Carry Strong Interest In Bill Belichick?; Team Not Yet In On Jim Harbaugh

January 12th, 2024 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 12: In an update which may point further in Belichick’s direction, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes the Falcons are likely to favor coaching experience more this year than in past hires. While Harbaugh is certainly among the candidates to have spent time in charge of an NFL sideline, making his omission from Atlanta’s list of targets notable, it thus comes as little surprise the team is heavily interested in Belichick. The latter can join the Falcons or any other suitor at any time, whereas coaches employed by playoff teams must follow the league’s interview schedule.

JANUARY 11: Bill Belichick will not be a fit for every team with an HC vacancy. The six-time Super Bowl-winning leader will turn 72 in April; no team has hired a head coach older than 66. A rebuild effort would not seemingly be a fit, as Belichick is intent on breaking Don Shula‘s career wins record.

Now officially separated from the Patriots after 24 years, Belichick is a coaching free agent. While several teams have been tied to the all-time great, Falcons noise is growing louder. After previous connections emerged, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes the Falcons are expected to have strong interest in Belichick.

Although Arthur Blank inherited Dan Reeves upon buying the Falcons in 2002, each of his head coach hires (Jim Mora Jr., Bobby Petrino, Mike Smith, Dan Quinn, Arthur Smith) had never been an NFL HC. Belichick laps 2024’s candidate field in accomplishments and NFL experience, having debuted in the league with the Baltimore Colts in the mid-1970s. The 29-year HC (five in Cleveland) would stand to appeal to Blank, who is 81 and has seen his franchise drift off the contender map since Belichick’s Patriots erased a 28-3 deficit in Super Bowl LI.

This position could certainly appeal to Belichick as well. The Falcons used back-to-back-to-back top-10 picks on skill-position players, and Pro Football Focus ranked Atlanta’s offensive line — one spearheaded by Chris Lindstrom and Jake Matthews — fourth overall. After some free agency dollars went to defense in 2023, the Falcons finished 11th in total defense and 18th in points allowed. The Saints’ 48-point finish dinged the latter placement, and DVOA was not as bullish, slotting the Falcons 24th. But the unit is improved from 2022.

Granted, Belichick going from one team without a quarterback answer to another would be a lot to ask — especially if the Chargers are legitimately interested — but the Falcons are expected to take a bigger QB swing after standing down and going with Desmond Ridder last year. Some close to Belichick view this as a good fit for the veteran coach, Graziano adds. The team looks to be planning to keep Terry Fontentot as GM, though it seems it is flexible regarding his power going into his fourth year on the job. That said, the Falcons value Fontenot, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, making it hard to believe they will push him out at this point.

Another NFC South all-in push would be fascinating, considering the blueprint the Buccaneers established upon signing Tom Brady in 2020. Granted, Belichick has not been known — in most offseasons, at least — for wild spending to fortify his roster, but his vision may change if a short-term plan is in place. He is 14 wins shy of Shula’s all-time record. In terms of cap space, the Falcons — who again hold the No. 8 overall pick after a 7-10 season — reside in the middle of the pack, being projected to carry more than $21MM.

While it does seem like a Belichick-Falcons interview will take place, the team has sent out eight requests to other staffers Thursday. Jim Harbaugh has not yet received a slip from the Falcons, and Fowler adds the team does not look to have launched a pursuit of Michigan’s national championship-winning HC just yet. Harbaugh figures to have options out west, but the Belichick-to-Georgia storyline is obviously one to monitor going forward.

Cowboys Exec Will McClay Withdraws From GM Consideration

January 12th, 2024 at 2:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

One general manager position in the NFL has already been filled, but four other vacancies remain. Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay has been a top candidate in outside searches, but he will not be on the move in 2024.

[RELATED: GM Search Tracker]

ESPN’s Todd Archer reports McClay has elected to withdraw from GM consideration for this year’s hiring cycle. He had been a sought-after executive in the early days of the search process of some teams, but he is content in his present situation. McClay is in his seventh season under his current title.

The 57-year-old joined the Cowboys in 2003 as a member of the team’s scouting department, and he has remained in Dallas ever since. McClay has worked on the scouting side of the organization, but also research and player personnel. His experience has made him a highly valuable member of the Cowboys’ front office, something which generated GM interest late in the 2010s.

After choosing to stay the course with Dallas, McClay witnessed a somewhat surprising drought of interview requests in recent years. That changed in 2024, however, with the Chargers and Commanders asking to meet with him. The Panthers were also floated as a potential suitor, but no formal interview request emerged. The market he would have had has now once again become a moot point given his decision to stand pat.

Adam Peters has been tapped as Washington’s new GM, but Carolina, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New England remain on the lookout for a hire to lead their teams’ respective front offices. Several strong candidates are under consideration, but – as has been the case before – McClay will not be one of them.

Giants Conduct DC Interview With Ravens’ Dennard Wilson; Interview Request For Marquice Williams Blocked By Falcons

January 12th, 2024 at 1:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants added ex-defensive coordinator Don Martindale after his Ravens stint came to an end, and the team is again looking Baltimore’s way in their efforts to find his replacement. New York conducted a DC interview with Ravens secondary coach Dennard Wilson, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Martindale’s future on Brian Daboll‘s staff was thought to be in flux after a November report pointed to tension between the two. The latter initially said he expected the former to remain in place for the 2024 campaign, after both sides attempted to downplay the issue. However, Daboll fired two position coaches who followed Martindale from the Ravens to the Giants, and Martindale is now out of the picture as a result.

Wilson is the first known candidate to interview for New York’s DC position. The 41-year-old joined the Ravens’ staff this past offseason after a stint with the Eagles. He was at one point considered the favorite to be promoted to defensive coordinator in Philadelphia following Jonathan Gannon‘s departure, but the Eagles ultimately hired Sean Desai instead. Wilson therefore moved on, taking the Baltimore gig after also being connected to the Browns’ DC opening.

Wilson impressed during his previous time with the Jets, and he is seen as a strong coordinator candidate. It thus comes as little surprise that the Giants have shown interest as they look for a rebound on defense from the team’s performance in 2023. The Ravens ranked sixth against the pass this season (allowing 192 yards per game through the air) and racked up 18 interceptions, the third-highest mark in the league.

The Giants have also, however, hit another roadblock in their search for a special teams coordinator. New York attempted to speak with Chargers ST coordinator Ryan Ficken, but Los Angeles blocked the request. The same has now happened with respect to the Falcons. Atlanta has denied New York’s bid to interview Marquice Williams, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Having yet to fill the vacancy filled by Arthur Smith‘s firing, the Falcons are not allowing their assistants to interview with outside teams.

While the Giants will therefore need to continue searching for candidates to replace Thomas McGaughey, they have at least had a meeting with Wilson. The latter could be a name to watch on the coordinator circuit once again in 2024 given his rising stock and the Ravens’ backend performance on his watch this season.

WR Tee Higgins Wants To Remain With Bengals; Tag-And-Trade Scenario Not In Play?

January 12th, 2024 at 12:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

The offseason has officially begun for the Bengals, a team which fell short of expectations in 2023. Cincinnati faces a number of key decisions with respect to pending free agents, chief among them being wideout Tee Higgins.

The former second-rounder is set to reach the open market for the first time in his career, although the franchise tag looms as an option for the team to retain him for at least one more year. Higgins is an obvious tag candidate given his importance to Cincinnati’s offense and the lack of progress made on extension negotiations last offseason. He has received the backing of fellow WR Ja’Marr Chase as well as quarterback Joe Burrow for a deal of some kind, and he is indeed aiming to remain with the Bengals in 2024 and beyond.

“Them telling me that they want me to come back, man, it’s family,” Higgins said, via Bleacher Report’s Scott Polacek. “We’ve been playing together for three or four years now, and I personally would love to be back playing with those guys. It’s not in my hands now, but when the time comes and Cincinnati is there, that’s the number one option right now.”

The Bengals will no doubt reciprocate Higgins’ desire to continue their relationship for at least the short-term future. Cincinnati turned down trade interest both in the offseason and in advance of the trade deadline, leaving the door open to a potential departure. The sides have engaged in contract talks, but little traction has been gained on that front. Negotiations were tabled until the end of the campaign, and it will be interesting to see how much progress can be made in the coming weeks.

Given Higgins’ age (25 by the start of next season) and production (3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns in four seasons) a strong trade market would exist if the Bengals tagged him and looked to move on without the prospect of a multi-year agreement. However, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic writes Higgins is essentially a lock to be in place for 2024 (subscription required). As a result, a tag-and-trade scenario would come as a surprise, even if talks on a long-term agreement did not produce an deal.

The Bengals will have other decisions to make at the receiver position beyond Higgins. Chase is eligible for a monster extension, although the team could buy more time for negotiations on that front by exercising his fifth-year option for 2025. That move will no doubt be made in any case, but the former No. 5 pick profiles as a higher extension priority than Higgins. Veteran Tyler Boyd, meanwhile, is a pending free agent and thus in danger of departing Cincinnati for the first time in his career.

The franchise tag for receivers is projected to come in at a cost of $21.66MM. Applying it would lock in Higgins for at least one season, and it would give both parties until mid-July to work out a longer agreement. If a trade is indeed off the table, though, it can at least be safely assumed he will get his wish of staying in Cincinnati for 2024 at a minimum.

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