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Patriots, Saints Interviewed Shane Waldron; Bears OC Moving To Assemble Staff

January 23rd, 2024 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears decided on Shane Waldron as their offensive coordinator Monday and announced the hire today. Chicago’s move came after Waldron generated extensive interest elsewhere.

Three other teams pursued Waldron or were planning to do so. The Saints and Patriots met with the three-year Seahawks OC prior to his Bears commitment, according to NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill and SI.com’s Albert Breer. Additionally, Waldron appeared on the Raiders‘ OC radar, per Breer. The Saints requested a Waldron interview last week, and he took the meeting.

[RELATED: Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]

While it is not known how serious of a candidate Waldron was with New England or New Orleans, Chicago landing him is interesting. The Bears are giving the former Seahawks play-caller an immediate second chance, and they will do so amid an uncertain point on their timeline. Waldron would appear set to mentor either Justin Fields or Caleb Williams, with the Bears having the chance to either make a No. 1 overall pick for the first time since 1947 or trade it for a second straight year. Taking a job under these circumstances is interesting, and it is worth wondering what intel was shared in Bears OC meetings.

Regardless, Waldron is replacing Luke Getsy as Chicago’s play-caller. He will do so for a coach who will enter the season on a hot seat. Matt Eberflus staved off a firing, but Waldron is joining a Bears team that had been linked to considering a change after two seasons. The Saints bring a similar setup, with Dennis Allen staying in place despite two sub-.500 seasons. The Patriots join the Saints in continuing to look for a play-caller; Bill O’Brien left to become Ohio State’s OC.

The Patriots and Saints have each met with Rams QBs coach Zac Robinson and Bengals QBs coach Dan Pitcher. Both are on the Raiders’ radar as well. After the Seahawks managed to stay afloat despite trading the best quarterback in franchise history (Russell Wilson), teams were naturally interested in meeting a meeting with Waldron, who is yet another former Sean McVay assistant to move up the ladder.

Waldron is moving to fill some positions on the Bears’ offensive staff. He is arranging interviews with Chad Morton, Sanjay Lal and Kerry Joseph for Bears posts, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes. Morton has been with the Seahawks since 2014, most recently serving as the team’s run-game coordinator. Lal has already enjoyed two stints with the Seahawks in the 2020s, the most recent — 2022-23 — as wide receivers coach. Joseph has been Seattle’s assistant QBs coach throughout Waldron’s tenure. Looking for a new head coach for the first time since 2010, the Seahawks did not block Waldron from lateral moves and are letting their assistants explore jobs elsewhere.

Saints Interview Ronald Curry, Brian Griese, Klint Kubiak For OC Role

January 23rd, 2024 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints’ offensive coordinator candidate list has now doubled. Its recent batch of meetings brings the list to six, with two 49ers staffers on the team’s docket.

Both Brian Griese and Klint Kubiak have met with the Saints about their OC position, according to NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill. Also in consideration to replace Pete Carmichael: Saints quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry, according to NOLA.com’s Luke Johnson.

A Carmichael-to-Griese switch would be fascinating. The Saints had employed one of the longest-tenured coordinators in modern NFL history in Carmichael, who managed to stay in his position — which involved full-time play-calling duties over the past two years and during Sean Payton‘s Bountygate suspension in 2012 — for 15 years. Griese, conversely, was in the Monday Night Football booth as recently as 2021. This role as the 49ers’ QBs coach is Griese’s first regular coaching role in the pro or college ranks.

Still, it is unsurprising teams want to talk to Kyle Shanahan‘s top two offensive assistants. Brock Purdy has quarterbacked the 49ers back to the NFC championship game, overcoming UCL surgery to build on his stunning 2022 work. Purdy averaged an NFL-high 9.6 yards per attempt this season. That is tied for eighth all time in a season. Kurt Warner (2000) is the only passer to have bettered that mark since the 1950s, and the Hall of Famer missed a chunk of that 2000 season due to injury. Purdy started every game this year, working with an elite armada of aerial options.

Kubiak, 36, was a teenager during Griese’s time playing under his father as OC in Denver (1998-02). The younger Kubiak has enjoyed multiple NFL play-calling stints, however, succeeding Gary as Vikings OC under Mike Zimmer (2021) and taking over during the Broncos’ befuddling 2022 season under Nathaniel Hackett. Shanahan hired Kubiak as his pass-game coordinator this past offseason, and the 49ers came close to becoming the rare team with three 1,000-yard pass catchers. Deebo Samuel, who missed two games, finished 108 yards away from joining Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle in reaching 1,000.

Curry, 44, has been with the Saints since 2016. With Johnson noting Curry is highly regarded within the organization, Curry has been in place as QBs coach since 2021. This timeline did not allow the former NFL wideout (and college QB) to work with Drew Brees, but Payton did interview Curry to be his OC in 2023. Curry also met with the Buccaneers about their vacancy, making it unsurprising the Saints are considering him to replace Carmichael.

Courtesy of PFR’s Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker, here is how the Saints’ search stands:

  • Ronald Curry, quarterbacks coach (Saints): Interviewed
  • Brian Griese, quarterbacks coach (49ers): Interviewed
  • Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interviewed 1/22
  • Klint Kubiak, pass-game coordinator (49ers): Interviewed
  • Dan Pitcher, quarterbacks coach (Bengals): Second interview on 1/24
  • Zac Robinson, quarterbacks coach (Rams): Interviewed

Saints, Browns To Interview Texans’ Jerrod Johnson For OC Position

January 21st, 2024 at 5:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:44pm: It appears the Saints‘ request will be honored as Johnson is reportedly expected to interview with the Saints sometime early this week, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Additionally, the Browns have added Johnson to their list of offensive coordinator candidates, as well. Cleveland fired their offensive coordinator of four years, Alex Van Pelt, this week following a one-sided loss to the Texans in the Wild Card round. Van Pelt was a non-play-calling coordinator on head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s staff. His dismissal and Stefanski’s desire to interview one of the top up-and-coming names in the coaching world may point to a willingness from Stefanski to give up play-calling duties. Regardless, Johnson will interview with the Browns early this week, as well.

9:56am: Jerrod Johnson is back on the OC interview circuit. Landing on the coordinator radar last year, Johnson ended up in Houston as the Texans’ quarterbacks coach. After C.J. Stroud‘s rookie season, teams should be expected to give Johnson more attention as OC jobs become available.

One will be the Saints. New Orleans will be the first team to request an OC interview with Johnson this year, with CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones noting the young assistant has received a slip from the NFC South team. Johnson joins Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson and Bengals QBs coach Dan Pitcher on the Saints’ OC radar thus far.

The Chargers brought in Johnson for a meeting last year but ended up going with Kellen Moore soon after the latter’s Cowboys exit. A former Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach, Johnson still managed to move up the ladder. Working under Bobby Slowik in Houston this season, the 35-year-old assistant presided over one of the better QB rookie years in recent NFL history. Stroud’s early readiness will likely garner Johnson more than one OC meeting this offseason.

Puka Nacua‘s record-setting season may not be enough to beat out Stroud for Offensive Rookie of the Year, considering where the Texans were since the Deshaun Watson turbulence began. Stroud led the NFL in passing yards per game and in INT rate, throwing just five picks, and quarterbacked the Texans to a one-sided wild-card win over the Browns. Johnson’s first season as a team’s top QBs coach could not have gone much better.

Johnson, who bounced around the NFL as a practice squad arm during the 2010s, is just two years removed from the quality control level. The Colts employed Johnson as such from 2020-21, with the Vikings bringing him in as their assistant QBs coach during Kevin O’Connell‘s first season. Five teams — the Falcons, Panthers, Seahawks, Titans and Commanders — sent Slowik interview requests. The prospect of Ryans losing his top two offensive assistants after Year 1 will be in play.

Patriots To Interview Broncos’ Christian Parker, Saints’ Michael Hodges For DC

January 19th, 2024 at 8:43am CST by Sam Robinson

Two coaches on Sean Payton‘s staffs will meet with the Patriots about their defensive coordinator position. Broncos DBs coach Christian Parker and Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges will meet about the gig, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport note.

Often reluctant to hand out titles during Bill Belichick‘s run, the Patriots have not gone into a season with a pure DC on their staff since Matt Patricia‘s initial departure following Super Bowl LII. Brian Flores and Jerod Mayo have operated as de facto Pats DCs, with an obvious assist from Belichick, since Patricia left for Detroit’s HC job. Mayo appears ready to change the team’s policy regarding the position.

Parker, 32, is among the few coaches held over from previous Broncos staffs. Payton thought enough of the Vic Fangio-era hire to interview him for the DC job that ended up going to Vance Joseph last year. This will, then, mark Parker’s second meeting about an NFL DC post. That meeting will occur today, per Pelissero.

The only Broncos assistant kept from the Fangio staff, Parker has been the Broncos’ DBs coach for the past three seasons. That tenure overlaps with Patrick Surtain‘s three-year career. Both Surtain and Justin Simmons have earned All-Pro recognition under Parker, who came over from Green Bay in 2021. Denver also coaxed production from new starters P.J. Locke and Ja’Quan McMillian, the latter a rookie UDFA slot corner, this season.

This does mark Hodges’ first DC interview. A Payton hire back in 2018, Hodges, 37, has been in place as New Orleans’ linebackers coach since 2020. The Saints have deployed Demario Davis as one of the NFL’s most versatile linebackers during Hodges’ span as the position coach. Davis has earned first- or second-team All-Pro acclaim in five straight seasons, totaling at least 105 tackles and 20 combined sacks during Hodges’ four years leading the position group. As a whole, the Saints have ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense during each of Hodges’ seasons in his current role.

Parker and Hodges accompany Panthers outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu as candidates for this position. Parker’s Broncos interview represents this trio’s only previous meeting about a DC post, with Mayo opting for up-and-coming candidates thus far. Patriots defensive reliability has been one of this century’s NFL hallmarks. The Belichick-led unit ranked as a top-15 scoring defense 21 times in his 24-season tenure, finishing as a top-10 unit in 18 of those years.

Saints Request OC Interviews With Dan Pitcher, Zac Robinson

January 17th, 2024 at 11:46am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals could not follow up their run of back-to-back AFC championship game appearances with another playoff berth, seeing Joe Burrow‘s injury disrupt their progress. But Cincinnati staffers are still being considered for promotions.

With Brian Callahan receiving extensive HC interest, Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher is also in the mix for at least one OC role. The Saints sent Pitcher an interview request for their play-calling post, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones tweets.

Pitcher interviewed for the Buccaneers’ OC job last year and drew interest from the Ravens. With Jake Browning submitting some quality work during the Bengals’ post-Burrow stretch, it stands to reason teams will be interested in seeing what Callahan and Pitcher have to offer on this year’s coaching carousel.

Fifteen years have passed since the Saints have searched for an offensive coordinator. Pete Carmichael held the job from 2009-23, serving as one of the longest-tenured assistants in modern NFL history. While teams have kept an offensive HC as their play-caller for longer (though, even that is rare), it is nearly unheard of for a coordinator to stay in one position that long. The Saints used Carmichael as their play-caller for the past two years, with defense-oriented Dennis Allen succeeding Sean Payton. But they fired the veteran staffer Tuesday.

The Saints could run into multiple issues with Pitcher. Not only will New Orleans attempt to hire an OC with its head coach set to enter the 2024 season on a hot seat, but Callahan’s prospects on the HC carousel would stand to affect Pitcher. The Bengals have employed Pitcher since 2016, and the team extended him last year. He is viewed as a natural in-house Callahan replacement, should he land a top job this offseason.

Pitcher, 37, worked as a Colts scout for four years under Ryan Grigson but has been a Bengals coach since their Marvin Lewis years. Zac Taylor kept Pitcher upon taking over and elevated him to assistant QBs coach in 2019; since 2020, Pitcher has been Burrow’s position coach. The Bengals have managed to keep their core staffers on offense together since Burrow’s arrival, but teams’ interest could disrupt that status this year.

Rams assistant Zac Robinson is also on the Saints’ radar. New Orleans sent Sean McVay‘s quarterbacks coach an interview request as well, according to NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill. The McVay tree is already one of the NFL’s most fruitful, and it is probably not a coincidence the Saints are requesting meetings with Pitcher — who has learned under a McVay pupil for five years — and one of his current lieutenants.

Robinson, 37, has been on McVay’s Rams staff for the past five years. Four of those, including the team’s Super Bowl-winning year, have come coaching QBs. Losing OC Kevin O’Connell in 2022, McVay elevated Robinson to QBs coach; he had been L.A.’s assistant QBs coach in 2021. The Rams went outside the organization to replace Liam Coen as OC, hiring Mike LaFleur, but Robinson remained onboard as QBs coach.

In addition to the McVay tree’s early supply of HCs, teams are looking into his current and former assistants as coordinators. The Bears are interviewing Shane Waldron and Thomas Brown. This is believed to be Robinson’s third OC interview request; he met with the Ravens and Chargers last year.

Saints Fire OC Pete Carmichael

January 16th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saints head coach Dennis Allen appears to be safe for 2024, but his staff will look different next season. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael has been fired, Mike Triplett and Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football report. The move is now official.

[RELATED: Mutual Interest Between Saints, Jon Gruden]

Allen – like each of the other coaches in the NFC South – faced questions about his job security throughout the season. New Orleans failed to win the league’s most underwhelming division, but expectations pointed to at least one more season for him at the helm. He said as much on ‘Black Monday,’ but signs have pointed to substantial changes on the offensive side of the ball in particular.

Indeed, not only Carmichael but also wide receivers coach Kodi Burns and senior offensive assistant Bob Bicknell have been dismissed. A report from last month indicated the Saints’ offensive staff would be subject to an examination, and that has proven to be the case. As a result, New Orleans is now in the market for an OC for the first time since 2009.

Carmichael joined Sean Payton‘s initial Saints staff in 2006, having a pre-existing relationship with quarterback Drew Brees. He was promoted to coordinator three years later, and remained in place through the 2023 campaign. That easily made him the league’s longest-tenured offensive coordinator, but his time with the franchise has now come to an end. The Saints’ statistical showings under Carmichael since Payton’s departure two years ago leave plenty to be desired.

New Orleans ranked 19th in total offense and 22nd in scoring in 2022. Issues at quarterback played a major factor in those struggles, leading to the signing of Derek Carr on a four-year, $150MM deal this past offseason. The four-time Pro Bowler battled injury for much of his debut Saints campaign, and he did show signs of improvement late in the year. Despite that (and a respectable ninth place finish in points), the team finished only 14th in yards per game. Struggles in the run game in particular were prevalent, and they contributed to Carmichael’s departure.

Carr’s 2024 base salary ($30MM) is guaranteed, and as currently structured, his contract is set to lock in a $10MM roster bonus for 2025 in March. With his short-term future in New Orleans thus relatively secure, the team’s OC search will be predicated in large part on finding a candidate able to mesh well with the veteran quarterback. The Saints’ receiver room will continue to be led by Chris Olave, but former All-Pro Michael Thomas faces an uncertain future given the nature of his latest contract. New faces not only on the sidelines but on the field could therefore be present in 2024.

“I would like to thank Pete, Bob and Kodi for their service to the New Orleans Saints and to this coaching staff,” a statement from Allen reads. “These types of decisions are never easy to come to, but are necessary as we move forward. I would especially like to thank Pete for his contributions to this staff for 18 seasons. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the job he has done and as a colleague.”

Once again set to face significant salary cap hurdles, New Orleans’ offseason will now include an OC search. That process could go a long way in determining the franchise’s outlook for 2024 and beyond as the Saints aim to take a step forward in offensive productivity and in the standings.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/16/24

January 16th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are today’s reserve/futures contracts:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

  • OL Ben Brown, S Tyreque Jones, RB Tyreik McAllister

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Mutual Interest Between Saints, Jon Gruden

January 10th, 2024 at 12:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints are not expected to fire Dennis Allen, but another former Raiders head coach may be in the team’s plans. After spending time as a Saints consultant last year, Jon Gruden is on the radar for a full-time role.

If Gruden does not end up landing a head coaching job during this year’s cycle, NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan reports the former Raiders and Buccaneers HC is interested in joining the Saints as an assistant. The Saints share that interest and recently met with the free agent coach.

Gruden, whose lawsuit against the NFL is ongoing, met with Saints officials and attended a team meeting before the team’s Week 17 game in Tampa, Duncan notes. Gruden, who lives in Tampa, had dinner with Saints brass, including GM Mickey Loomis, that weekend. Gruden, 60, attended Saints minicamp in a consulting role and spent time at training camp as an unpaid observer.

“In Jon, we have a resource here that is football through and through,” Allen said in May. “And he’s had an opportunity to work with Derek Carr. “So what better [way to use that] resource than to just get some thoughts and ideas on how he worked with Derek and what he thought worked well with Derek?”

A Gruden-Saints partnership would be a major development, considering he sued the NFL — over the events that led to problematic emails leaking and the Raiders subsequently forcing him to resign — more than two years ago. That lawsuit has not exactly made Gruden a popular figure with Roger Goodell and league higher-ups, but Brian Flores has remained an active coach despite filing a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and multiple teams. A hearing in Gruden’s case is on tap Wednesday in the Nevada Supreme Court. He does not intend to settle the suit.

Should the Saints bring Gruden aboard, Duncan adds it would unlikely be as a replacement for offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. The Saints’ play-caller and NFL’s longest-tenured OC (at 15 years) is not a lock to return, but Gruden would be expected to join the staff in a senior assistant-type role. Allen returned to New Orleans in that fashion in 2015, though the ex-Raiders HC replaced DC Rob Ryan in 2016.

A rumor last month connected Gruden to what would be a stunning return to the Raiders, with such a reunion representing a potential path for his lawsuit to go away. The Raiders have not been connected to their two-time HC since and have begun sending out interview requests. Unsurprisingly, Gruden has not received any known requests from teams. It still appears another HC opportunity will be unlikely for the former Super Bowl-winning leader. Given Gruden’s age, his teams’ performance since the Bucs’ Super Bowl XXXVII victory and the nature of his latest Raiders departure, an assistant-level role represents a much more logical gateway back to the NFL.

Derek Carr made strides in Gruden’s offense, and the Saints had initially spoken to their quarterback’s four-year Oakland-Las Vegas HC about concepts that work best for the passer. Carr finished in the top 11 in QBR from 2019-20. Carr finished 14th under Josh McDaniels, who deemed him a poor fit (before being shown the door months later), and placed 17th in the metric during an injury-plagued Saints debut. Gruden has not worked as an assistant since his time as the Eagles’ OC in the mid-1990s.

Chargers Request Seven GM Interviews

January 9th, 2024 at 8:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

8:09pm: The Chargers also put in a request to interview another Bears exec. Co-director of player personnel Jeff King will meet with the Bolts, ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry tweets.

The former Panthers and Cardinals tight end has been with the Bears since 2015, being with the team throughout the Ryan Pace regime. Poles moved King, 40, to his current post in 2022. This will be King’s first GM interview; he met with the Panthers about their assistant GM job in 2021.

5:58pm: Add Ian Cunningham to this list. The Bears’ assistant GM also received an interview request from the Chargers, Rapoport tweets. Cunningham joined Brown as an Eagles staffer who became an assistant GM in 2022, becoming Ryan Poles‘ right-hand man. Set to to have an important say in Chicago’s decision on Justin Fields, Cunningham also turned down the Arizona GM job last year.

2:43pm: The Chargers will make a belated push out of the starting blocks on their general manager search. Seeking to fill the role Tom Telesco held for 11 years, the AFC West team has sent out five GM interview requests thus far.

Former Dolphins GM-turned-Saints assistant GM Jeff Ireland is among them, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Also included here is Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay, according to the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins. 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters, Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown and Bills VP of player personnel Terrance Gray also received Bolts interview requests, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.

This marks Ireland’s first entrance onto this year’s GM carousel. An Ireland-Sean Payton reunion has been rumored, but after rumblings of embattled Broncos GM George Paton being on the chopping block, it is looking like the Payton-Paton setup will remain in place. This would hinder an Ireland Denver move. Ireland worked with Payton for seven years in New Orleans, helping revive the franchise after a mid-2010s lull.

Given considerable credit for a Saints impact 2017 draft class that included Marshon Lattimore, Alvin Kamara, Ryan Ramczyk and Trey Hendrickson, Ireland has been the Saints’ college scouting director since his arrival in 2015. Ireland, 53, is still better known for his Dolphins years. He spent six years as Miami’s GM, but after the team (during Matt Cassel‘s QB1 year in New England) won the 2008 AFC East title, no more playoff appearances commenced. Still, Ireland brings more experience to the table than most on this year’s GM market. He has also interviewed for a few jobs — the Panthers, Lions and Bears — from 2021-22.

Although Jerry and Stephen Jones still make the final calls, McClay has been indispensable for the Cowboys over the past several years. Dallas has continually hit on first-round picks, with fourth-rounder Dak Prescott quickly becoming the franchise’s centerpiece player. McClay, 57, has been with the Cowboys since 2003 and has not been a regular during GM hiring periods. His most recent connection to a GM job came when he turned down a Texans interview request in 2018; it will be interesting to see if McClay agrees to the Chargers meeting.

Peters has received requests from the Commanders and Raiders. It would not be surprising to see every team request a meeting with the 49ers’ assistant GM, given the success the team has achieved during the Kyle Shanahan–John Lynch years. Gray is on the Raiders’ list as well, with Brown — following his second year as the Giants’ assistant GM — on the Panthers’ radar.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/8/24

January 8th, 2024 at 9:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts, allowing organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • OL Barry Wesley

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

  • LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, WR Davion Davis, CB D’Angelo Mandell
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