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Cowboys Remain In Contact With Rex Ryan Over DC Position

February 12th, 2024 at 1:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

A report from last week tapped Mike Zimmer as the next defensive coordinator of the Cowboys. An agreement has not yet been finalized, however, and at least one other candidate is still in the running for the position.

[RELATED: Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]

Dallas has remained in contact with Rex Ryan, ESPN’s Adam Schefter explained on a Monday Pat McAfee Show appearance (video link). Schefter himself stated during ESPN’s Super Bowl countdown show on Sunday that the Zimmer hire had been made, but Ryan echoed reports which have noted that a contract is not yet in place. Now, the latter can still be considered a finalist for the role.

Ryan interviewed with Dallas as part of the team’s search for a Dan Quinn replacement. That marked the second straight offseason in which he met over a DC posting, having done so with the Broncos in 2023. The 61-year-old last held a coordinator position during his four-year run at the helm of the Ravens’ defense from 2005-08. That was followed by head coaching opportunities with the Jets and Bills, but he has not coached since being fired by Buffalo in 2016.

While working as an ESPN analyst, Ryan has not been tangibly connected to many NFL openings (either as a head coach or a DC). The fact the Cowboys – who Schefter notes “loved” Ryan after his interview – are still in touch is certainly notable. The team enjoyed success in a number of categories under Quinn during the past three years, but a poor defensive showing in Dallas’ wild-card loss to the Packers played a signficant role in another early postseason exit. Ryan, Zimmer or another candidate will be tasked with maintaining a consistent level of performance on that side of the ball throughout the campaign.

Zimmer has been out of the NFL coaching ranks since he was fired by the Vikings at the end of the 2021 campaign. His tenure as Minnesota’s head coach was preceded in part by a 13-year tenure with the Cowboys, including seven seasons as defensive coordinator. Zimmer would thus represent an experienced option for Mike McCarthy‘s staff and a familiar face for owner Jerry Jones, but he appears to still have competition for a return to where his NFL coaching career began.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

February 12th, 2024 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

With Super Bowl LVIII in the books, the 2023 campaign has come to a close. Teams outside Kansas City and San Francisco had already turned their attention to the offseason well before Sunday’s game, of course.

Regular season standings determine the order for the top 18 picks, so they have been known since the conclusion of Week 18. For the second straight year, the Bears face the question of dealing away the top selection and starting over at quarterback or re-committing to Justin Fields. Expectations still point toward Caleb Williams heading to Chicago, although the Bears will not move the No. 1 pick at a discounted price.

With the Commanders also in position to add a signal-caller second overall, the Patriots and Cardinals will be worth watching closely. New England will be in the market for a QB, but it may not come via the team’s top selection. Arizona’s position could also be a trade-up target for teams seeking a quarterback addition. This year’s class is expected to be dominated by blue-chip prospects under center, as well as at wide receiver and offensive tackle.

The final 14 spots in the draft order are filled by postseason results. The Chiefs find themselves in familiar territory picking at or near the end of the first-round order for the fourth time in the past five years following another Super Bowl appearance. The team has a mixed track record with its selections in that regard, but another impact rookie would of course help its bid to sustain its impressive run.

While a number of selections will no doubt be swapped between now and draft day, here is the full 2024 first-round order:

  1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
  2. Washington Commanders: 4-13
  3. New England Patriots: 4-13
  4. Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: 5-12
  6. New York Giants: 6-11
  7. Tennessee Titans: 6-11
  8. Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
  9. Chicago Bears: 7-10
  10. New York Jets: 7-10
  11. Minnesota Vikings: 7-10
  12. Denver Broncos: 8-9
  13. Las Vegas Raiders: 8-9
  14. New Orleans Saints: 9-8
  15. Indianapolis Colts: 9-8
  16. Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
  18. Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8
  19. Los Angeles Rams: 10-7
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7
  21. Miami Dolphins: 11-6
  22. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-6
  23. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  24. Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
  25. Green Bay Packers: 9-8
  26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9-8
  27. Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
  28. Buffalo Bills: 11-6
  29. Detroit Lions: 12-5
  30. Baltimore Ravens: 13-4
  31. San Francisco 49ers: 12-5
  32. Kansas City Chiefs: 11-6

NFC South Notes: Panthers, Falcons, Saints

February 11th, 2024 at 9:08pm CST by Ely Allen

With their offensive and defensive coordinators in place, the Panthers shored up their final coordinator position under new head coach Dave Canales by hiring Seahawks assistant special teams coach Tracy Smith as their new special teams coordinator, according to Panthers staff writer Darin Gantt.

Like new offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, who coached with Canales in Tampa Bay and Seattle, Smith was on a staff with Canales and Idzik when the three were all coaching for the Seahawks. In his time with Seattle, Smith has been a part of a special teams group that has been among the league’s best in each of the last three seasons.

With Idzik and Smith taking over units that will play with a top-four defense led by Ejiro Evero, the Panthers are hoping their new coaching staff under Canales will deliver the desired results in 2024.

Here are a few more staff updates coming out of the NFC South:

  • The Panthers were also able to add a new mentor for second-year quarterback Bryce Young today. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Will Harriger has been hired as Carolina’s new quarterbacks coach. Harriger, who comes out of Dallas as a quality control coach and offensive assistant, has experience with Canales from their time in Seattle.
  • Carolina wasn’t the only NFC South team to add a new quarterbacks coach recently as both the Saints and Falcons found new passing mentors, as well. Atlanta is bringing in Saints offensive assistant D.J. Williams to coach their passers as assistant quarterback coach, per Rod Walker of The Times-Picayune. Williams is the son of former NFL quarterback and current Commanders personnel senior advisor Doug Williams. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tells us that New Orleans will hire Andrew Janocko as quarterbacks coach. Janocko most recently served the same role in Chicago and has worked with the Vikings, as well.
  • Finally, the Panthers will part ways with senior director of football strategy and analytics Taylor Rajack, according to Seth Walder of ESPN. A former Eagles staffer, Rajack has been with Carolina since 2019.

Micah Parsons Not Actively Pursuing Cowboys Extension

February 10th, 2024 at 7:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2024 offseason will require a number of key financial decisions involving the Cowboys’ nucleus. Top of the list in that respect is a new deal for quarterback Dak Prescott, but wideout CeeDee Lamb and edge rusher Micah Parsons are also eligible for monster extensions of their own.

Lamb was drafted in 2020, one year before Parsons. The former is on the books for $17.99MM in 2024 on his fifth-year option, but Parsons will no doubt have his option picked up this spring. That move will keep him in place through the 2025 campaign. As a result, Lamb represents a more pressing order of business for Dallas.

Parsons acknowledged as much during a recent appearance on NFL Network’s Super Bowl Live. As a result, he is not aggressively pursuing an extension, one which will likely put him at or near the top of the pecking order among edge rushers. Lamb, too, will not come cheap on his second contract; he has publicly stated a desire to become the NFL’s highest-paid receiver.

Lamb posted single-season franchise records for both receptions (135) and yards (1,749) in 2023, scoring a career-high 14 total touchdowns along the way. The 24-year-old earned a first-team All-Pro nod along with a third career Pro Bowl invite as a result, and he could command an AAV at or near Tyreek Hill‘s market-setting $30MM on his next pact. Negotiations on that front will likely take precedence over talks with Parsons, though the latter is amenable to hammering out a deal in the near future.

“If they’re ready to talk about a deal and get a deal done, I’ll be super excited,” Parsons said. “You know I’m ready to be [with the] Cowboys for life, this is the team I wanted to be with, this is the team I want to win a championship with.”

Parsons has racked up 40.5 sacks in his three seasons with the Cowboys, posting at least 13 in each campaign. That consistency has earned the former Defensive Rookie of the Year a number of accolades (three total All-Pro honors, three Pro Bowl nods) and upped his market value. A new Parsons contract will not kick in until 2026, by which time the edge market may have seen further growth from what has already taken place. Nick Bosa received the league’s largest deal for a non-quarterback in September, inking a $34MM-per-year 49ers extension with $122.5MM guaranteed.

Parsons will no doubt be aiming for a pact similar or larger in value to Bosa’s when the time comes to work out a mega-extension. That time will likely not come this offseason, though, or at least not until the Prescott and Lamb situations gain more clarity. In any case, developments on the Parsons front will be worth monitoring given his importance to Dallas’ defense.

Seahawks To Hire Aden Durde As DC

February 9th, 2024 at 10:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aden Durde‘s first offseason featuring DC interviews brought five such connections. Four teams went in other directions with their hires, but it looks like Durde will have a chance to move to the coordinator tier this year.

The Seahawks are preparing to hire the Cowboys’ defensive line coach to be their next DC, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Durde also interviewed for the Dallas post, but the team will go with an outside hire in Mike Zimmer, who has an extensive history with the franchise. This will lead Durde to Seattle. Durde and Chiefs D-line coach Joe Cullen were the only known candidates for the role.

A Dan Quinn assistant in Atlanta, Durde followed his boss to Dallas in 2021. Quinn, however, is not believed to have placed Durde atop his list for the DC gig in Washington. That job went to Cowboys DBs coach Joe Whitt. The Cowboys’ decision not to promote from within limited Durde’s options, but the NFL’s final 2024 DC vacancy looks like it will go to the England-born assistant. Regardless of who is going where, the Cowboys are losing Quinn, Whitt and Durde from their staff.

Durde, 44, hails from Middlesex, England; he entered the coaching ranks after a background in NFL Europe as a player during the 2000s. Durde was later involved in the NFL’s International Pathway Program on the coaching side, not joining an NFL staff until his late 30s. His first position coaching gig came in Dallas; three years later, he landed on many teams’ DC radars. The Falcons, Packers and Rams sent out interview requests but went with other options (Jimmy Lake, Jeff Hafley, Chris Shula) at DC.

Three of the five teams to consider Durde sought a play-calling DC, but he is not on track to call plays in Seattle. Mike Macdonald said he would begin his Seahawks tenure by calling plays, though the recently hired HC noted he was open to that changing. But Durde should be expected to begin his Seahawks stay by serving as a non-play-calling coordinator.

Under Durde, the Cowboys rolled out an impressive defensive line. Becoming essentially a full-time D-lineman in 2022, Micah Parsons has ripped off three straight seasons of 13-plus sacks. The 2022 Cowboys finished third in sacks, with 54, as Dorance Armstrong broke through for 8.5. While DeMarcus Lawrence‘s sack production has declined in recent years, Armstrong emerged along with a Dante Fowler bounce-back effort following a disappointing Falcons stint.

In steady decline in the years since the Legion of Boom’s breakup, the Seahawks’ defense is coming off back-to-back 25th-place rankings in points allowed. Seattle’s defense dropped to 30th in yardage last season. Two-year DC Clint Hurtt left to become the Eagles’ D-line coach weeks ago, before it became known Macdonald would take over as head coach. While Macdonald’s offensive coordinator will be the more important hire — due to the play-calling responsibilities that will come with that job — Durde is stepping in as the young HC’s top defensive lieutenant.

CB Stephon Gilmore Wants To Re-Sign With Cowboys

February 9th, 2024 at 8:26pm CST by Ely Allen

Veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore just completed his 12th season in the NFL, playing for his fourth team in as many years. Despite this recent bouncing around, Gilmore has proclaimed his interest in remaining in Dallas for the 2024 season, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic.

“I want to come back,” Gilmore said on a local radio show. “We can’t talk until March, but that’s the goal, because I think we do have the pieces to get to where we want to go, and I want to be part of that.”

Gilmore, 33, has struggled with injury in recent years, though his season stats may not show it. After missing five games, including the final two with a partially torn quad, in 2020, Gilmore would miss the first seven weeks of the 2021 season due to the prior year’s injury. He’d make a strong rebound in 2022, starting every game but the season finale in Indianapolis, but injuries would turn their ugly head once again in 2023.

Three weeks ago, it was reported that Gilmore had found out that he had torn his labrum in his right shoulder before Super Wild Card weekend. An injury like that is certainly grounds for season-ending surgery that late in the season. Gilmore, though, made the conscious decision to delay surgery, toughing it out for what he hoped would be the second Super Bowl run of his career. Gilmore wore a shoulder harness and played 100 percent of the defensive snaps for Dallas in their loss to the Packers. He would’ve done that three more times, if given the opportunity.

With the Cowboys’ season officially ended after their loss to the Packers, Gilmore underwent surgery soon after, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Gilmore’s surgery has an expected recovery period of four to six months, so wherever he chooses to sign, he should be able to make a return in time for training camp. Whether or not the limited communication until March that Gilmore mentioned is self-imposed is not quite clear, as the two sides should have full access to each other for negotiations. Regardless, Gilmore has interest in his training camp return being with the Cowboys.

Cowboys Block Commanders From Interviews With Al Harris, Lunda Wells

February 8th, 2024 at 8:35am CST by Sam Robinson

Dan Quinn has agreed to bring Joe Whitt with him to Washington, moving the former Dallas secondary coach up to defensive coordinator. The Cowboys are not allowing their former DC to poach other assistants for lesser roles.

The Cowboys have now prevented the Commanders from interviewing two of their staffers. They are blocking the Commanders from interviewing defensive backs coach Al Harris, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. This comes after the team nixed a Washington meeting with tight ends coach Lunda Wells, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

Quinn sought Wells as his next offensive line coach, per Rapoport. Wells, 40, was in place as the Cowboys’ tight ends coach before Quinn arrived in 2021. Mike McCarthy hired Wells in 2020; he previously worked on the Giants’ staff under multiple head coaches.

Harris, 49, also predates Quinn in Dallas. McCarthy brought the former cornerback in as his DBs coach in 2020 as well. Harris had previously worked as a six-year Chiefs assistant under Andy Reid, making a transition into the coaching ranks after a lengthy playing career.

Harris has drawn consideration for the Cowboys’ DC post, but in the days since his name emerged in that mix, the Cowboys have interviewed bigger names. Ron Rivera, Mike Zimmer and Rex Ryan have met with the team about its defensive play-calling gig. They join D-line coach Aden Durde and Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel in the mix for that position. Whitt was believed to be the Cowboys’ initial DC choice, but he opted to follow Quinn elsewhere in the NFC East.

The NFL has moved to prevent teams from blocking staffers at moves to the coordinator ranks in recent years, but while the team could not block Whitt from leaving for Washington (a move that is now official), clubs can still prevent assistants under contract from making lateral moves. Whitt will call the Commanders’ defensive plays, putting Quinn in place as a CEO coach in Washington.

The Cowboys are not standing in the way of multiple other assistants following Quinn, however. They will not nix Commanders interviews with assistant defensive line coach Sharrif Floyd or quality control staffer Pete Ohnegian, Archer adds. A former first-round Vikings draftee, Floyd joined McCarthy’s Cowboys staff in 2023.

Cowboys To Interview Jets’ Marquand Manuel

February 7th, 2024 at 9:37pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys added another name to their list of defensive coordinator candidates today, scheduling an interview with Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, the meeting will take place tomorrow.

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. 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.

Manuel would be an interesting choice to replace former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, having worked for two years as Quinn’s defensive coordinator in Atlanta. He faces some stiff competition for the job as the list of candidates includes a number or current Cowboys assistants and multiple former NFL head coaches:

Cowboys Interview Rex Ryan For DC

February 7th, 2024 at 9:47am CST by Sam Robinson

Former head coaches continue to populate the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator search. Following the Ron Rivera and Mike Zimmer meetings, Rex Ryan has entered the mix.

The former Jets and Bills HC met with the Cowboys about their DC vacancy, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. Entrenched at ESPN for the past several years, Ryan has been out of football since his late-season Bills ouster in 2016.

Ryan, 61, did interview for the Broncos’ DC job last year — one that went to Vance Joseph. Beyond that, the former NFL mainstay has largely fallen off the radar (beyond his analyst work, that is). The Cowboys are looking for a new defensive play-caller, with Dan Quinn having become the new Commanders HC. Ryan and Rivera do not have a history in Dallas. Zimmer does, having been a Cowboys assistant for 13 years. The Cowboys did employ Rex’s brother, Rob Ryan, as a DC from 2011-12.

Although Ryan has become amenable to coordinator positions, he has not held one in more than 15 years. Ryan’s most recent NFL employment outside of the HC level came when he served as the Ravens’ DC from 2005-08. That marks Ryan’s only stretch as an NFL coordinator, though he certainly made a mark as a defensive-oriented head coach.

Ryan’s Jets stint represents the franchise’s best work since at least Bill Parcells‘ 1998 season, and Ryan outdid the Parcells-Bill Belichick nucleus by leading the team to two AFC championship games. Ryan guiding the Jets to back-to-back AFC title games with Mark Sanchez at quarterback aged well, and the Jets’ subsequent 13-season playoff drought continues to spotlight Ryan’s accomplishment. The brash HC, though, did miss the playoffs over his next six years as a head coach. The Bills hired Ryan in 2015 but fired him before his second season ended.

This would qualify as an unorthodox hire for the Cowboys, as Ryan has now been out of the league for seven seasons. Rivera has coached in the NFL in each season since 1997. Zimmer has spent the past two seasons out of the league but was on staff from 1994-2021 previously. Ryan’s Darrelle Revis-fronted Jets defenses earned their reputation during that 2009-10 period; his Bills units ranked 15th and 16th, respectively.

Via PFR’s Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker, here is how the Cowboys’ DC search looks:

Seahawks Interview Cowboys’ Aden Durde For DC Position

February 7th, 2024 at 8:20am CST by Sam Robinson

This year’s defensive coordinator carousel has increased Aden Durde‘s profile. The Cowboys assistant remains in the running for a promotion but has also entered the mix for yet another DC job elsewhere.

The Seahawks have discussed their DC role with Durde, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. This makes five teams to have placed Durde on their DC radar this offseason. The Falcons, Packers and Rams considered Durde for their jobs, though each NFC team has gone in a different direction.

[RELATED: Seahawks, Commanders Each Made Mike Macdonald HC Offers]

Dallas and Seattle are the only two teams with coordinator jobs still available. Dan Quinn‘s departure for Washington frees up the Dallas job, while the Seahawks are still looking for OC and DC staffers. The two jobs will differ, however. Mike Macdonald is set to call defensive plays for the Seahawks, whereas Mike McCarthy‘s team needs a play-caller on that side of the ball.

Durde, 44, came into this offseason having never interviewed for an NFL DC post. But he has presided over one of the NFL’s highest-profile position groups during the 2020s. Micah Parsons‘ emergence, despite the Cowboys stopping short of labeling their impact pass rusher as a full-time D-lineman, has elevated the group’s stature. Durde has worked with DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler as well.

Hailing from England, Durde has been an NFL assistant since 2018. He worked under Quinn in Atlanta for three years and joined Joe Whitt in following Quinn from Atlanta to Dallas in 2021. Quinn has chosen Whitt to be his defensive play-caller in Washington, and two higher-profile names — Ron Rivera and Mike Zimmer — are on the radar for the Cowboys gig. Durde, however, is the first confirmed interviewee for the Seattle job. The Seahawks are also interested in Chiefs D-line coach Joe Cullen for the role.

Seattle’s DC of the past two seasons, Clint Hurtt, has left to become the Eagles’ D-line coach under Vic Fangio. Steadily declining since the Legion of Boom’s late-2010s split, the Seahawks’ defense ranked 25th in points allowed in each of Hurtt’s two seasons in charge. Macdonald and his to-be-determined top lieutenant will make efforts to improve that standing.

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