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Jahri Evans

Bills Expected To Hire Saints’ Ronald Curry

February 7th, 2024 at 8:44am CST by Sam Robinson

Being set to hire 49ers pass-game coordinator Klint Kubiak as their next OC, the Saints will continue to bid farewell to assistants on that side of the ball. Quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry will follow Pete Carmichael and Doug Marrone out of New Orleans.

Curry has already landed a gig elsewhere. The Bills are expected to hire him to be their next QBs coach and pass-game coordinator, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. Joe Brady entered last season in as Buffalo’s QBs coach but was bumped up to OC following the team’s Ken Dorsey firing. With Brady now in the full-time OC position, the AFC East champions had a vacancy.

NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan initially reported Curry was not going to be part of the Saints’ 2024 staff. The Saints offered to keep Curry on as their wide receivers coach, according to NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill. Curry served as the team’s wideouts coach from 2018-20, but his departure to mentor Josh Allen is understandable, especially considering a new OC is coming to New Orleans. As of now, the only Saints position coaches still in place on offense are O-line coach Jahri Evans and tight ends coach Clancy Barone.

[RELATED: Broncos Add Pete Carmichael To Staff]

A former NFL wide receiver, Curry had been with the Saints since 2016. Sean Payton hired Curry, a former college quarterback at North Carolina, and steadily promoted him over the years. Curry became New Orleans’ QBs coach in 2021 and worked in that role over the past three seasons. Curry and Brady overlapped as Saints assistants from 2017-18, undoubtedly helping lead to the former’s anticipated appointment in Buffalo.

The Saints were among the teams to interview Curry for an offensive coordinator post over the past two years, meeting with their longtime assistant about the job that is expected to go to Kubiak. The Broncos and Buccaneers met with the 44-year-old assistant about their OC gigs in 2023 as well.

Buffalo’s OC job being tied to Allen could certainly make Brady a key part of the 2025 HC carousel, thus putting Curry in a position to potentially become a coordinator in Buffalo. Allen will represent a new tier of QB talent for Curry, who coached the likes of Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian and Andy Dalton in New Orleans before the Derek Carr signing. Each post-Drew Brees option had moments of success, however.

Dalton threw 18 TD passes compared to nine INTs, while averaging a career-best 7.6 yards per attempt. That landed the 2022 Saints starter a nice QB2 offer from the Panthers. Before suffering an ACL tear, Winston finished with a 14-3 TD-INT ratio in 2021; he did so with a basement-level receiving corps. Though, the former No. 1 overall pick could not match that form in 2022. Carr produced an uneven 2023, still improving down the stretch and finishing 16th in QBR. Carr’s contract aside, the Saints also continued to make Hill a regular part of their QB equation in 2023.

Saints To Add Jahri Evans To Coaching Staff

March 30th, 2023 at 9:54am CST by Sam Robinson

To fill the role of assistant offensive line coach, the Saints will transition from one of their former O-line starters to another. They will move from Zach Strief to the most accomplished offensive lineman in team history.

Jahri Evans is expected to join Dennis Allen‘s staff on a full-time basis, Luke Johnson of NOLA.com notes, adding that he will fill the role Strief vacated when he left to rejoin Sean Payton in Denver. Evans will work under Doug Marrone, who is going into his second season — during his most recent Saints stint, that is — as the team’s O-line coach.

Strief’s teammate for 11 seasons, Evans also arrived as part of the 2006 draft class — Payton’s first as head coach. A fourth-round pick, Evans operated as a starting guard for the Saints and Packers for 12 years; he started alongside Strief for several in New Orleans. Strief held the team’s assistant O-line coach position over the past two seasons, moving from a broadcasting gig to the sideline in 2021. Payton gave him the opportunity to move up the ladder again, and the former Saints right tackle starter is now the Broncos’ O-line coach.

Evans, a five-time All-Pro, worked as an intern last year — as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship — with the Saints and mentored guard Cesar Ruiz ahead of what turned out to be his best season. Evans’ 169 career starts rank fifth in Saints history; his four first-team All-Pro nods are two more than any other Saint has collected in the franchise’s 56-season history.

Retiring after the 2017 season, the 39-year-old will certainly be one of this offseason’s more interesting additions to a coaching staff. Marrone was in place as New Orleans’ OC and O-line coach from 2006-08; he will now work with Evans on a full-time basis again.

NFC South Notes: Saints, Elflein, Falcons

August 3rd, 2022 at 9:49am CST by Sam Robinson

A potential Alvin Kamara suspension does not appear to be coming to start the 2022 season. The Saints running back’s hearing on charges of conspiracy to commit battery and battery with substantial bodily harm, which was scheduled for this week, has been delayed 60 days, according to KLAS-TV’s David Charns. Kamara, Chiefs cornerback Chris Lammons and two other men face charges in connection with a Feb. 5 assault committed against a man in Las Vegas. The Saints Pro Bowler is bracing for a six-game suspension, but depending on when this hearing ends up taking place, that potential ban may come either during the 2022 season or to start the ’23 campaign.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Tyrann Mathieu is back with the Saints. The offseason addition is making his training camp debut six days late after being excused for a personal matter, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com notes. Signed to a three-year deal worth $28.3MM, Mathieu is believed to have returned to New Orleans on Tuesday night. The 29-year-old All-Pro joins Marcus Maye as the safeties on track to replace the Marcus Williams–Malcolm Jenkins tandem.
  • Pat Elflein has played both guard and center for the Panthers, but Matt Rhule said recently the veteran will be working at the latter spot during training camp. Elflein is battling the recently signed Bradley Bozeman for the center gig. Despite Bozeman being one of the team’s offseason additions up front, along with projected starters Austin Corbett and Ikem Ekwonu, The Athletic’s Joe Person noted ahead of camp Elflein had a slight lead for the pivot job (subscription required). A former Vikings center starter, Elflein signed a three-year, $13.5MM deal with the Panthers in 2021. He started nine games with Carolina last season, though Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the league’s worst interior O-linemen.
  • The Panthers made some changes to their scouting department recently. They bumped Rob Hanrahan from assistant director of pro scouting to pro scouting director and gave his old gig to Tyler Ramsey, Person tweets. Hanrahan will replace Matt Allen, whom the team parted ways with in February. Additionally, Robert Haynes will rise from the area-scout level to a national scouting post, and former Lions wide receiver Corey Fuller — brother of Kyle and Kendall Fuller — is moving from the assistant level to west coast area scout (Twitter link).
  • Jahri Evans and Ty Warren are attempting to break into the coaching ranks. Both are interning as Saints staffers at camp, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. A 12-year veteran who made four straight All-Pro teams as a Saints guard, Evans, 38, hung up his cleats after the 2017 season. Warren, 41, spent 10 seasons with the Patriots and Broncos, being a starting defensive lineman for two Pats Super Bowl-bound squads. He retired after the 2012 season.
  • The Falcons also made some staff adjustments. They promoted Sal Conti to pro scout and Rushell Harvey to player personnel coordinator, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Both staffers joined the team last year under GM Terry Fontenot. The team also hired Donavan Ellison, previously a Panthers assistant, to work as a football analyst.

Packers’ Evans Wants To Continue Playing

April 5th, 2018 at 12:47pm CST by Zachary Links

With his 35th birthday on the horizon, Packers free agent guard Jahri Evans says that he wants to continue playing. The veteran also says he would be open to another season in Green Bay.

“I’m not opposed to coming back to Green Bay,” Evans said. “I loved my last year in Green Bay. Green Bay was great. I loved the coaching staff, I loved the locker room. I loved the organization, the community. It was awesome. It was a great fit for me. My goal is, I wanted to win another Super Bowl. I still do. So that’s my focus right now. But, you know, it’s still early. We’re sitting in the first week of April right now. So it’s very early.”

Evans, 35 in August, started in all 14 of his games with the Packers last season. He turned in a strong season, grading out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 30 ranked guard with quality marks for his pass blocking. Packers coach Mike McCarthy has indicated that the door is open for Evans to return.

“Jahri is definitely part of the conversation,” McCarthy said earlier this week. “I don’t know exactly where he is as far as what his goals are, but we’re open (to him returning.”

Last year, the Packers signed Evans just days before the draft. This time around, Evans is once again willing to be patient as he says he’s unlikely to sign with any team in the spring.

NFC North Rumors: Packers, Ebron, Vikings

April 1st, 2018 at 6:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bryan Bulaga has now seen two of his past five seasons either wiped out or largely nullified by severe injuries, and the Packers‘ starting right tackle is now entering the seasons of his contract where a cap-casualty cut is not incredibly prohibitive. Yet, the ninth-year blocker is expected to return for the fourth season of said deal.

“Whenever players are injured it’s tough as personnel guys who are not 100 percent sure of when they’re coming back,” Green Bay GM Brian Gutekunst said, via Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “But I know that he’s been working exceptionally hard. We’ve got a lot of faith that he’s going to come back sooner rather than later, and obviously when Bryan is in there, Bryan is a good player.”

Mike McCarthy also wants Bulaga to be part of the 2018 Packers, indicating he’s heard the 29-year-old edge protector is on schedule following an ACL tear. It would only save the Packers $4.2MM to release Bulaga while tagging them with a $3.2MM dead-money penalty. That savings figure spikes to nearly $7MM in 2019, so Bulaga staying healthy will likely be paramount to him seeing the final year of that contract.

Here’s the more out of Green Bay as well as some of the Packers’ top rivals.

  • Jahri Evans remains in the picture, to some degree, for a second season with the Packers. Although, the former perennial All-Pro is going to turn 35 next season. “Jahri is definitely part of the conversation,” McCarthy said. “I don’t know exactly where he is as far as what his goals are, but we’re open (to him returning.” On the strength of his pass-blocking, Evans graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 30 guard last season. While his 71.7 grade was slightly down from his Seahawks season, Evans showed in 14 games he’s still a viable NFL starter. He didn’t sign with the Packers initially until late April of last year, so the door may still be open on that front.
  • The Lions dangled Eric Ebron up until the deadline for his fifth-year option to vest before ultimately releasing him. Bob Quinn elaborated about why the former first-round pick ended up as a free agent instead of netting the Lions a draft pick in a deal. “I guess the general response that I got was, ‘The number’s too big,'” Quinn said, via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, of Ebron’s then-$8.25MM cap figure attached to the 2018 option. “The salary that came along with the fifth-year option was something that we weighed, you know, really up until the last minute, to be honest. It was just one of those things that we knew was coming down the pike, we obviously had some trade conversations with a few teams that didn’t work out.” Ebron ended up with the Colts on a two-year, $13MM pact.
  • Not receiving any compensation for Ebron, the Lions are targeting picks via trades prior to this draft. Detroit holds just six picks. “That’s something that’ll definitely be in the talks I’d say, a week or two leading up to the draft — try to get more picks,” Quinn said, via Meinke. The Lions have a basic draft allotment, holding all their own picks save for the sixth-rounder they surrendered for Greg Robinson last year.
  • With Joe Berger and Jeremiah Sirles now out of the picture, the Vikings‘ top remaining need is on their offensive line, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. Although the team signed swing blocker Tom Compton, draft help is likely en route. Rick Spielman recently attended Billy Price‘s pro day at Ohio State, and Goessling notes the team could be on the lookout for another veteran. The Vikings still have $19MM-plus in cap space.

Packers Notes: GM Search, Ball, Wolf, Evans

January 2nd, 2018 at 7:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Now that the Packers have reassigned former general manager Ted Thompson (he’s now a senior advisor to football operations, the club announced today), Green Bay is searching for a new decision-maker atop its personnel department. Incumbent vice president of football administration Russ Ball is thought to be a candidate for the position and has a “close relationship” with Packers president Mark Murphy, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, but promoting Ball could cause other problems for Green Bay. If Ball (or an external candidate is hired), the Packers will likely lose fellow personnel men Eliot Wolf and Brian Gutekunst to other clubs, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. However, if one of Wolf or Gutenkunst is promoted to GM, the other man will likely stay in Green Bay, per Silverstein.

Here’s more on the Packers:

  • While the Packers will utilize search firm Korn Ferry as they look for a new general manager, Murphy told reporters that he will make the final call on the club’s top personnel job (Twitter links via Jason Wilde of ESPN.com). Additionally, Green Bay’s next GM will have the power to fire the team’s head coach, an interesting development given that Mike McCarthy is currently signed through 2019. Murphy said “[McCarthy] will be our coach,” an indication that the new Packers general manager will be stuck with McCarthy for at least one campaign.
  • Green Bay’s decision to extend McCarthy’s contract will allow the longtime head coach more flexibility as he seeks to fill out his staff, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. The most pressing decision for McCarthy will be to hire a new defensive coordinator following Dom Capers‘ firing, but the Packers will also see change on the offensive side of the ball. Luke Getsy, who’s served as Green Bay’s wide receivers coach for the past two seasons, is now Mississippi State’s offensive coordinator, per Demovsky.
  • The Packers have interest in re-signing veteran guard Jahri Evans, who will become a free agent in March, per Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com (Twitter link). Evans would likely need to accept less than the $2.25MM he earned in 2017, per Wood, and the 34-year-old offensive lineman would almost certainly ink a one-year pact. In his first season outside of New Orleans, Evans ranked as the No. 30 guard among 82 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Packers To Sign G Jahri Evans

April 26th, 2017 at 2:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Guard Jahri Evans is signing with the Packers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Evans will help to fill the void for Green Bay after T.J. Lang got away in free agency. Jahri Evans

In 2016, Evans was Pro Football Focus’ No. 36 ranked guard in the NFL. His 78.6 overall score was roughly in line with the work he has done over the past four NFL seasons. It took him a long time to find an NFL home, but Evans has himself a deal for 2017 and a chance to win a Super Bowl ring.

To date, Evans has never played a regular season (or playoff) game for another franchise since being drafted by the Saints in 2006. He did sign a free agent deal with the Seahawks, but his stint there ended before the start of the 2016 season. Over the course of his eleven seasons in New Orleans, Evans racked up six Pro Bowl nods and four First-Team All-Pro selections.

Heading into the draft, the Packers offensive line features David Bakhtiari, Evans, Corey Linsley, Jason Spriggs, and Bryan Bulaga in the starting lineup. Guard Lane Taylor, guard/tackle Don Barclay, and Kyle Murphy are in reserve. Evans is the fifth free agent of note to join the Packers this offseason and the first free agent addition to the O-Line.

Jahri Evans Wants To Continue Playing

April 6th, 2017 at 10:58am CST by Zachary Links

Heading into the start of free agency, we had Jahri Evans ranked as the fifth-best interior offensive lineman available. One month later, all of the players ranked ahead of Evans and all of the players ranked beneath him on that top 15 list come off of the board, but Evans remains. Undeterred by the way his free agency has played out, Evans says that he still wants to play in 2017. Jahri Evans (vertical)

“Not at all,” Evans told NFL Network (video link, via Twitter) when asked if this would be the end of the line. “I had a good season last year. We did a lot of good things, and I’m just waiting for that phone call, [waiting for] the right situation. As long I’m playing at an elite level, I’ll still strap on that helmet and give it a go.”

In my mind, the 33-year-old (34 in August) has proven that he still has something left in the tank. Last year, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 36 guard in the NFL. His 78.6 overall score is roughly in line with the work he has done over the past four NFL seasons.

It’s not clear where Evans will wind up, but it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll return to New Orleans after sending out a farewell to Saints fans via social media earlier this year. Evans has never played a regular season (or playoff) game for another franchise since being drafted by the Saints in 2006. Over the course of his eleven seasons in New Orleans, Evans racked up six Pro Bowl nods and four First-Team All-Pro selections.

Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 3.0: Offense

March 17th, 2017 at 12:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The initial wave of NFL free agency is now complete, and while many of the league’s top available players are now off the board, there are still plenty of quality options still on the open market.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.

Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as players who received the franchise tag, aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:

Quarterback:

  1. Jay Cutler
  2. Chase Daniel
  3. Ryan Fitzpatrick
  4. Colin Kaepernick
  5. Josh McCown
  6. Robert Griffin III
  7. Case Keenum
  8. Matt McGloin
  9. Mark Sanchez
  10. Christian Ponder
  11. Blaine Gabbert
  12. Ryan Nassib
  13. Shaun Hill
  14. Kellen Moore
  15. Austin Davis

Tony Romo is not a free agent…at least not yet. If the Cowboys do not find a suitable trade and release him, you’ll find him at the top of this list.

Laugh if you must, but Cutler is far and away the best quarterback available on the open market. While most of this year’s QB-needy teams are done with their free agent shopping, the Jets are still searching for their 2017 starter and no one would make more sense for them than Cutler. He’s not all that far removed from playing solid football and he’s a logical transitional option for the Jets until they can isolate a better, younger option for 2018. Jay Cutler (Vertical)

Kaepernick’s reps wisely told the press that he will be standing for the National Anthem this year. Still, Kaepernick is an outspoken guy who wants to use his platform to discuss hot button issues, so there’s no guarantee that the media circus around him will cease. Jets owner Woody Johnson loves seeing his team on the back pages of the New York tabloids, but even he has to have more sense than to entertain Kaepernick. McCown, who has been contact with the team, would be an okay choice if they can’t get something done with Cutler. Chase Daniel could be an option too, but there isn’t much game film on him.

Needless to say, the No. 3 ranked player on this list isn’t an option in New York.

Running back:

  1. Adrian Peterson
  2. LeGarrette Blount
  3. Jamaal Charles
  4. Rashad Jennings
  5. Tim Hightower
  6. DeAngelo Williams
  7. Chris Johnson
  8. Christine Michael
  9. Benny Cunningham
  10. Bobby Rainey
  11. Brandon Bolden
  12. Denard Robinson
  13. James Starks
  14. Matt Asiata
  15. Kenjon Barner

Honorable mention: DuJuan Harris, Antonio Andrews, Khiry Robinson

Adrian Peterson (vertical)The Vikings have moved on and Peterson will not be back in Minnesota. Where he goes from here is anyone’s guess. When Peterson’s option was declined by the Vikings earlier this month, there were tons of stories (likely sourced by Peterson’s camp) about interest from a litany of contenders. Since then, each team – through anonymous sources – has denied being in the mix for the veteran. It would be easy to doubt Peterson at this juncture, but he has come back from serious injuries multiple times in his career and he is only one year removed from his stellar 2015 campaign. He gets the top spot over the bruising Blount as well as Charles, who hasn’t been healthy in a long while.

Jennings was brought to New York with the idea that he would be the team’s workhorse. Unfortunately, two of his three seasons with the G-Men were marred by injury. Jennings is currently putting his agility to good use on Dancing With The Stars and it remains to be seen how committed he is to football. After that, we have a trio of vets (Hightower, Williams, CJ2K) who could still advance the ball in limited spurts.

In case you’re wondering – Mike Gillislee is not listed here because he is a restricted free agent.

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Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 2.0: Offense

March 6th, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL free agency is right around the corner! The legal tampering period starts on Tuesday and free agency officially starts on Thursday. The list of available free agents will change between now and then as players re-sign with teams or get cut loose, but we have a pretty good idea of who will be available right now. After looking at the top defensive players, we now shift our attention to the other side of the ball.

Here are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each position. The rankings aren’t determined by earning power, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with a combination of short- and long-term value taken into account. You won’t find restricted free agents or franchise tagged guys here since they are unlikely to go leave their current clubs.

Player evaluation is always subjective, so we encourage you to make your voices heard in the comments section in cases where you disagree with us.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:

Updated 3-7-2017, 2:55pm CT

Quarterback:

  1. Mike Glennon
  2. Nick Foles
  3. Brian Hoyer (story)
  4. Ryan Fitzpatrick
  5. Colin Kaepernick
  6. Josh McCown
  7. Case Keenum
  8. Matt McGloin
  9. Mark Sanchez
  10. Ryan Mallett
  11. Christian Ponder
  12. Blaine Gabbert
  13. Geno Smith
  14. Matt Schaub (story)
  15. EJ Manuel

Honorable mention: Ryan Nassib, Landry Jones, Shaun Hill Mike Glennon (vertical)

Colin Kaepernick’s agents have (wisely) let everyone know that their client will stand for the National Anthem in 2017. That may seem like a minor point, but teams say they would have automatically removed him from consideration if he continued his attention-grabbing protest. He grabbed headlines for his actions on the sidelines last year, but he actually turned in an OK season. From a football standpoint, Kaepernick would make sense for a lot of teams as a QB2 with upside.

Interestingly, this list includes three quarterbacks who couldn’t cut it as the Jets’ starter and three rejects from the 49ers. They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and all six of those players (Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kaepernick, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert) come with varying degrees of potential and proven effectiveness. Smith, somehow, could reportedly be retained by the Jets and installed as the starter in 2017.

Ryan Nassib is just outside of the top 15 here with EJ Manuel getting the final spot. Despite positive word about his play in practice, Nassib is unproven and the Giants’ apparent lack of interest in re-signing him says a lot. It’s also possible that he might not be 100% after ending the 2016 season on IR with an elbow injury. Manuel, for all his warts, has shown potential in small bursts.

Running back:

  1. Eddie Lacy
  2. Adrian Peterson
  3. LeGarrette Blount
  4. Latavius Murray
  5. Jamaal Charles
  6. Darren McFadden
  7. Jacquizz Rodgers
  8. Rex Burkhead
  9. Rashad Jennings
  10. Danny Woodhead
  11. Tim Hightower
  12. DeAngelo Williams
  13. Andre Ellington
  14. Chris Johnson
  15. Christine Michael

Honorable mention: Robert Turbin, Travaris Cadet, Benny Cunningham, Lance Dunbar, Bobby Rainey, Brandon Bolden, Denard Robinson, James Starks

Adrian Peterson (vertical)As expected, the Vikings have cut Adrian Peterson loose and he is expected to garner interest from contending clubs this week. Some might peg Peterson as the most talented running back in this year’s free agent class, but it all comes down to how you weigh his age and injury history. Peterson has shocked the football world in the past with an incredible comeback, but I’m a little skeptical of his ability to do it again in his age-32 season. Eddie Lacy, who has injury question marks of his own, takes the top spot at the position.

The Patriots believe they won’t be able to match the offers that come in LeGarrette Blount‘s direction. Latavius Murray could circle back to the Raiders, but he won’t be agreeing to a deal with them before free agency opens on Thursday.

Jamaal Charles has the most impressive resume of anyone on this list, with the exception of Peterson. However, no one knows exactly what he can do after playing eight games in the last two years. He’ll turn 31 in December and that’s usually not an indicator of success for running backs.

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