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Atlanta Falcons News & Rumors

NFC Coaching Rumors: Bucs, Bowles, Kafka, Martindale, Lions, Falcons, Cardinals

January 27th, 2025 at 9:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Liam Coen‘s Buccaneers divorce has become one of the most memorable staff separations in recent years. In addition to the Bucs’ OC search, multiple additional fallout items have emerged from Coen backtracking on an extension agreement to accept the Jaguars’ HC offer. Some around the league are now wondering how willing coordinator candidates will be to join up with Todd Bowles, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones writes. Bowles has evaded firing rumors for multiple seasons, though it was quieter on that front in 2024. While it is a bit odd that he continues to win division titles (3-for-3 in that regard), the rumors about the veteran HC’s murky status in Tampa persist.

On that note, Jones adds the Bucs should not be expected to let any coaches out of their contracts to follow Coen to Jacksonville. Bowles, Jason Licht and assistant GM Mike Greenberg attempted to reach Coen on Thursday, when he was supposed to sign his Bucs extension. Coen had already delayed the signing. The one-and-done Tampa Bay OC had even fibbed about a personal matter to continue his Jags negotiations, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicated during a Pat McAfee Show appearance the Bucs were plenty irked about his exit process.

Here is the latest from the NFC side of the coaching carousel:

  • The Bucs have completed four interviews with outside candidates, but an internal Coen replacement option has surfaced as well. Pass-game coordinator Josh Grizzard is on the radar to be promoted, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes. Grizzard, 34, has been in the NFL since 2017 and joined Bowles’ staff to work under Coen. The Bucs thought they had avoided a scenario in which they use a fourth OC in four seasons, via the Coen agreement, and Mayfield will now have a sixth play-caller since the 2021 campaign. An internal promotion would help ensure some familiarity.
  • Mike Kafka is still in the running for the Saints‘ HC job, though Kellen Moore and Mike McCarthy may be more likely to land the job. If the Giants’ OC were to pull an upset and jump from a 3-14 team to another club’s top coaching job, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan notes he would be expected to bring Wink Martindale with him as DC. Kafka and Martindale worked together in New York for two seasons, before the latter’s explosive 2024 exit. Martindale, who spent the 2024 season as Michigan’s DC, interviewed for the Colts and Falcons’ DC jobs this month.
  • Acting swiftly to fill the void created when Kelvin Sheppard made the jump to replace Aaron Glenn, the Lions are elevating another recent NFL linebacker. Detroit will promote Shaun Dion Hamilton to its LBs coaching post, 247Sports.com’s Matt Zenitz tweets. Hamilton attempted to make the Lions’ active roster in 2022 but instead found a job on their coaching staff. Dan Campbell hired Hamilton, an ex-Washington defender, as an assistant. He moved up to assistant LBs coach in 2023, and at 29, is climbing the ladder again.
  • The Falcons are making two hires for Jeff Ulbrich‘s defensive staff. They added Mike Rutenberg as pass-game coordinator and Nate Ollie as D-line coach. Rutenberg will follow Ulbrich from the Jets, having coached their linebackers for four seasons. The Robert Saleh hire oversaw the development of Quincy Williams from waiver claim to All-Pro, while Ollie was also on Saleh’s first Jets staff. The Colts hired him as D-line coach in 2022, and he landed with the Texans as assistant D-line coach last year.
  • The Cardinals are losing their linebackers coach to a college coordinator role. Virginia Tech hired Sam Siefkes to be its next DC. Jonathan Gannon had hired Siefkes after two years as a Vikings assistant. Prior to that, he had served in the college ranks, heading up Wofford’s defense. Additionally in Arizona, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes the team is not bringing back D-line coach Derrick LeBlanc. On the Dolphins’ staff before heading to Arizona in 2023, LeBlanc had spent nearly two decades at the college level.

Cowboys Request OC Interview With Kevin Koger, DC Interview With Ryan Crow

January 27th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

Brian Schottenheimer was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach of the Cowboys last week. The process of finding his OC is underway.

Dallas has requested an interview with Kevin Koger, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Koger worked as the Falcons’ tight ends coach in 2024, his sixth season in the NFL. Prior to his Atlanta tenure, he held the title of offensive quality control coach with the Packers in 2019 and ’20.

That period was followed by three years as the Chargers’ TE coach, so Koger has experience as a positional staffer. The 35-year-old has never worked as a coordinator at the NFL level, nor as an OC dating back to his time on the sidelines in the college game. He has drawn interest in the past, though, meeting with the Broncos and Packers in 2022 as well as the Browns during this year’s hiring cycle.

On the other side of the ball, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Cowboys have submitted an interview request for Ryan Crow. After working under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, Crow was fired following the 2023 season. He took on the outside linebackers gig with the Dolphins for 2024, and his work in that role has garnered attention. Crow interviewed with Vrabel and the Patriots last week, and now he is set to speak with the Cowboys for their coordinator vacancy.

With that said, former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is seen as the frontrunner for Dallas’ DC posting. The latest update on that front confirmed Eberflus remains the name to watch, although the Cowboys have also interviewed Bears safeties coach Andre Curtis. A colleague of Eberflus’ given their time together in Chicago, Curtis could land a role of some kind in Dallas provided the Eberflus hire goes through. In the meantime, Dallas will continue adding to the list of outside candidates.

The Cowboys are also on the lookout for a new special teams coordinator, and a pair of known interviews have taken place for that role. Broncos assistant ST coordinator Chris Banjo has met with Dallas, per Pelissero’s colleague Mike Garafolo. A candidate to be promoted to the role in Denver, Banjo has also drawn interest around the league. In addition, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports Bears assistant special teams coordinator Carlos Polk has received a look. Especially if Eberflus lands the DC gig, it would come as no surprise if a familiar face in the form of Polk – who has been in his current position since 2022 – were to be brought in. In any event, Dallas will remain a team to watch closely as the coordinator landscape becomes clearer over the coming days.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/21/25

January 21st, 2025 at 7:13pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s reserve/futures contracts:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • DB Cameron McCutcheon

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

January 19th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Two weekends of playoff football have come and gone, providing us with 10 more draft slots cemented into position as NFL teams continue to be eliminated from the playoffs. The top 18 picks were already divvied up at the conclusion of the regular season to the teams who failed to make the playoffs, while picks 19-28 have been determined over the past two weeks.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order has been determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. The playoff squads are being slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular-season record.

The league’s Super Wild Card weekend resulted in the elimination of Chargers, Steelers, Broncos, Packers, Buccaneers, and Vikings after their respective losses. Tampa Bay benefitted from the three-way tie in record with Denver and Pittsburgh, just as the Chargers did over the Packers.

The divisional round of the playoffs resulted in the elimination of the Texans, Rams, Ravens, and Lions. This time, Houston held the tiebreaker over Los Angeles, gifting it higher draft priority.

We are still at a place that, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.

Here is how the draft order looks following two weeks of playoff football:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  24. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  25. Houston Texans (10-7)
  26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Detroit Lions (15-2)
  29. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  30. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  31. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)

Falcons Hire Jeff Ulbrich As DC

January 18th, 2025 at 10:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Atlanta has spent this week looking into several candidates for the vacant defensive coordinator position. With the interview process complete, a decision has quickly been made.

Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich is set to receive the Falcons’ DC position, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. An announcement from the team has since confirmed the news. This will represent a return to Atlanta while also confirming that he will not be tapped for New York’s full-time head coaching gig.

Ulbrich started his pro coaching career in Seattle before a three-year stint at UCLA. That time on the West Coast was followed by a role on the Falcons’ staff beginning in 2015. He served as the team’s linebackers coach for five years, eventually having assistant head coach added to his title. Midway through the 2020 campaign, Ulbrich was promoted to interim defensive coordinator.

Of course, that development came when Raheem Morris – who worked alongside Ulbrich in that same 2015-20 stretch – took over from Dan Quinn as interim head coach. Morris returned to the Falcons this past offseason to lead the team, and his familiarity with Ulbrich made the latter a strong contender for this hire. Now, Ulbrich will handle coordinator duties for the fifth full season in 2025 after guiding the Jets’ defense since 2021.

The 47-year-old drew praise for his work in that capacity during much of his time in New York. The Jets finished last in the NFL in yards allowed in Ulbrich’s first season at the helm, but since then the team has finished no worse than fourth in that department. With respect to points surrendered, New York was generally unable to match that success, including during Ulbrich’s time as interim head coach.

The Jets fired Robert Saleh after Week 5 in an attempt to spark a midseason turnaround. That did not prove to be the case, with the team’s offense in many instances failing to live up to expectations. The was often true on the other side of the ball despite the fact Ulbrich continued calling defensive plays after his promotion to interim HC. Still, after finishing the season 2-9, he interviewed for the full-time position before doing the same this week for the Falcons’ DC gig.

New York has cast a wide net in search of a new coach, but another candidate can now be crossed off the list of contenders on that front. Ulbrich will turn his attention to helping the Falcons improve on defense moving forward. The team ranked 23rd in points and yards allowed this past season, the first with Jimmy Lake as defensive coordinator. Lake was fired after the campaign ended, and starting in 2025 plenty of room for improvement exists against both the run and pass in Atlanta’s case. Once again, the team struggled in the pass-rush department this in 2024, ranking 31st in the NFL with 31.

Part of a busy offseason for the Falcons last year included the trade for edge rusher Matt Judon and the signing of safety Justin Simmons. Both are pending free agents, so finding replacements at each of those positions could be a priority on defense for Ulbrich and Co. in the near future. In any case, he will look to guide a rebound on that side of the ball in Atlanta and in doing so help the team move past a disappointing end to the 2024 campaign and boost his future head coaching stock in the process.

Here is the final breakdown of how the Falcons’ search played out:

  • Lou Anarumo, former defensive coordinator (Cincinnati Bengals): Interviewed 1/15
  • Derrick Ansley, pass-game coordinator (Atlanta Falcons): Interviewed 1/16
  • Grady Brown, secondary coach (Pittsburgh Steelers): Interviewed 1/17
  • Matt Eberflus, former head coach (Chicago Bears): Interviewed 1/18
  • Wink Martindale, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Interviewed 1/14
  • Jeff Ulbrich, interim head coach (New York Jets): Hired
  • Steve Wilks, former defensive coordinator (San Francisco 49ers): Interviewed 1/17

Falcons Interview Matt Eberflus For Defensive Coordinator Job

January 18th, 2025 at 11:06am CST by Ben Levine

It might not take long for Matt Eberflus to find his next gig. The Falcons announced that they interviewed the former Bears head coach for their defensive coordinator job.

After getting fired by the Bears in late November, it didn’t take long for Eberflus to pop back up during the hiring cycle. Reports tied him to the DC vacancy in Cincinnati, although there hasn’t been word of a definitive interview. Now, he’s a candidate with the Falcons, who have been seeking a replacement for Jimmy Lake.

Eberflus would bring plenty of experience to the role. After working his way up the college ranks, he got his first NFL gig with the Browns coaching linebackers. He held that same title with the Cowboys before getting hired as the Colts defensive coordinator in 2018. Indy’s defense finished top-10 in points allowed in three of the coach’s four seasons at the helm, and Eberflus quickly became a popular head coaching candidate.

He got that opportunity in Chicago, where he was named the Bears head coach in 2022. Eberflus squeezed only three wins out of his team during his first season, but he guided the squad to seven wins in 2023. Armed with first-overall pick Caleb Williams and a handful of notable offseason acquisitions, the Bears were prepared to take another step forward in 2024. After riding a 4-2 record into their Week 7 bye, the Bears proceeded to go on an epic losing streak. Eberflus was let go six games into the Bears’ eventual 10-game skid.

It sounds like Eberflus’ stint in Chicago didn’t tarnish his reputation, and he’ll now join a growing list of candidates to coach the Falcons’ defense. As our 2025 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker shows, the Falcons have now interviewed seven candidates for the DC job:

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 11/17/25

January 17th, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s reserve/futures contracts around the league:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Falcons Conduct DC Interview With Steelers’ Grady Brown

January 17th, 2025 at 3:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

The list of candidates for the Falcons’ defensive coordinator spot continues to grow. Steelers secondary coach Grady Brown will interview for the position today, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The team has since announced the meeting has taken place.

Brown spent time with the Seahawks and Chiefs as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship in 2004 and ’07, respectively. That was followed by a lengthy college coaching tenure; from 2009-19, Brown worked at LSU, Southern Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisville and Old Dominion. He spent much of that time working with defensive backs.

In 2021, Brown was hired by the Steelers to serve as the team’s secondary coach. He has remained in that capacity ever since, working with a unit currently highlighted by cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Pittsburgh ranked third in the league in interceptions in 2024, keeping in line with the team’s recent success with respect to forcing turnovers. While the Steelers finished 25th against the pass this past year, Brown’s work has landed him on the radar of at least one coordinator gig.

Atlanta had Jimmy Lake in place as DC for the 2024 campaign, the first with Raheem Morris as head coach in his return to the team. Lake guided the unit to a 23rd-place finish in total and scoring defense, though, and he was dismissed after the campaign. Several candidates have received a look in the search for his replacements.

Lou Anarumo (formerly of the Bengals), Don Martindale (in place at Michigan after multiple NFL gigs), Jeff Ulbrich (who finished 2024 as interim Jets head coach), Derrick Ansley (pass game coordinator for the Packers) as well as Steve Wilks (longtime NFL coach) have already interviewed with Atlanta this week. Brown’s name is the sixth on the list of contenders for the position, although finalists will likely not be known until a second round of interviews is conducted.

Falcons Interview Derrick Ansley For DC Job

January 16th, 2025 at 6:13pm CST by Ben Levine

There’s another name to add to the list of Falcons defensive coordinator candidates. The team announced that they interviewed Packers pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley today for their DC job.

[RELATED: Falcons Interview Jeff Ulbrich For DC Gig]

After spending close to two decades in the college ranks (plus a brief one-year stop with the Raiders), Ansley quickly worked his way up the Chargers coaching hierarchy. After spending two seasons as the team’s defensive backs coach, Ansley was named LA’s defensive coordinator ahead of the 2023 campaign.

The Chargers defense only ranked 24th in points allowed and 28th in yards allowed that season, and the staff was naturally reworked following Jim Harbaugh‘s hiring. Still, Ansley’s reputation clearly didn’t suffer, as he garnered an interview last offseason for the Giants DC job. He ultimately landed in Green Bay as the pass game coordinator, and the Packers proceeded to finish the 2024 campaign ranked third in interceptions (17) and ninth in touchdowns allowed (23).

The Falcons recently moved on from defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake after one season with the team. Just this week, the team has already interviewed former Ravens/Giants DC Wink Martindale, Jets interim HC Jeff Ulbrich, and former Bengals DC Lou Anarumo.

Falcons Interview Jeff Ulbrich For DC Gig

January 15th, 2025 at 6:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Falcons recently moved on from defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake after one season with the team. Atlanta’s search for his replacement continues to expand.

Atlanta interviewed Jeff Ulbrich for the DC position on Wednesday, per a team announcement. The Jets’ interim head coach interviewed for the team’s full-time gig earlier this week, but he has not garnered attention this year for any of the other vacancies. Ulbrich’s experience at the coordinator level makes him an interesting candidate for this year’s hiring cycle, though.

The 47-year-old’s coaching tenure began in 2010, and after three seasons at UCLA he returned to the pro level. Ulbrich joined the Falcons’ staff in 2015 as their linebackers coach, continuing in that role for five years. In 2020, he had assistant head coach added to his title and also closed out the campaign as interim defensive coordinator. That was the year in which then-DC Raheem Morris was promoted to interim head coach following Dan Quinn‘s dismissal.

As a result, another Falcons opportunity would represent not only a reunion for Ulbrich but a chance to once again work under Morris. The latter’s first season as Atlanta’s head coach did not go according to plan, in no small part due to a stretch of underwhelming quarterback play from veteran QB Kirk Cousins. While Atlanta has a succession plan in the form of Michael Penix Jr., improvement on defense will be a goal for 2025. The Falcons ranked 23rd in points and yards allowed, a key factor in the team’s inability to reach the postseason. Ulbrich has overseen the Jets’ defense since 2021, a unit which posted mix results over that span (including poor outings once he took over from Robert Saleh midway through the past season).

Atlanta has an interview lined up with former Bengals DC Lou Anarumo, and yesterday the team met with ex-Ravens and Giants D-coordinator Don Martindale. Both staffers are on the Colts’ radar, but that is not the case (for now, at least) with respect to Steve Wilks. The veteran coach is also on Atlanta’s interview list, one which has another experienced name on it in the form of Ulbrich.

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