Newsstand News & Rumors

Giants To Hire Shane Bowen As DC

February 5th, 2024 at 4:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of this offseason’s longer searches appears to have finally come to an end. The Giants have a defensive coordinator in place. Former Titans DC Shane Bowen is coming to New York to serve in the same capacity, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports.

Bowen was one of the first names on the Giants’ DC radar. More than three weeks after the Don Martindale–Brian Daboll situation combusted, the Giants will bring in the former Titans defensive play-caller. The Giants are preparing to speak with former Titans staffers to follow Bowen to the Big Apple, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds.

While Mike Vrabel‘s ouster has removed most of his assistants from the Tennessee equation, the team was hanging onto Bowen during the DC carousel. But the multiyear Titans play-caller will land a gig. This will be Bowen’s second DC gig; he served in this role for three seasons — following Dean Pees‘ exit — with the Titans.

News of Bowen’s interview with the Giants surfaced back on Jan. 12. In the coming weeks, the Giants saw some of their preferred choices land jobs elsewhere. Bobby Babich, whose Bills tenure overlapped entirely with Daboll and Joe Schoen, ended up taking over the DC gig in Buffalo. Another Giants frontrunner, Dennard Wilson, is replacing Bowen in Tennessee. But Bowen, 37, was on the team’s radar early. He may not have been the Giants’ first choice, but the team is bringing in a staffer who became a DC at a young age.

Vrabel saw enough in Bowen to move him to the coordinator role at just 34. This will be a bit of a different situation for Bowen, however. While Vrabel’s background is on the defensive side, Daboll is an offense-oriented coach. Bowen will naturally see more responsibility in New York, being the top defensive voice in the Giants’ building.

Martindale’s stint in this position spiraled as his second season progressed. Bubbling tension between he and Daboll eventually came to a head, with the two-year DC cursing out his boss after the latter’s firing of longtime Martindale assistant Drew Wilkins. Martindale has not landed another job yet, though multiple teams have interviewed him.

The Titans’ injury troubles in recent years have been well documented. Already missing Harold Landry for the season, the 2022 team ran into trouble at a few positions to lead to the stretch-run swoon. Bowen’s 2023 Tennessee defense fared much better than the team’s offense in 2023, ranking 16th in scoring and 18th in yardage. The Titans’ best work under Bowen came in 2021, when they ranked sixth in scoring defense. The Titans closed out that season by sacking Joe Burrow nine times, but the No. 1-seeded team still lost that game, a result that started the team down the path to rebooting around a new GM and head coach.

Like Martindale, Bowen has used a 3-4 scheme. That will be a natural transition for the Giants, who have been in that base alignment — which continues to mean less and less, with nickel now the most common NFL defense — for years. Bowen followed Vrabel from Houston in 2018. It is rather interesting that the longtime Vrabel assistant has landed another gig but Vrabel remains unattached. While it is conceivable teams have reached out to Vrabel about DC positions, he has not interviewed for any non-HC posts this offseason.

The Giants dropped to 26th in Martindale’s second season. While they have some talented players on all three levels, the team is looking to bounce back after what appeared to be a turbulent year on that side of the ball.

Kliff Kingsbury Won’t Take Raiders’ Offensive Coordinator Job

February 3rd, 2024 at 11:51am CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Kliff Kingsbury won’t be heading to Las Vegas after all. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Kingsbury has withdrawn himself from consideration for the Raiders offensive coordinator job. It was reported earlier this week that the Raiders were set to hire the former Cardinals head coach for the role.

Per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the agreement between the two sides was believed to be all but done. Peter Schrager of Fox Sports reports that contract negotiations became “undone” over the past 24 hours, and Kingsbury informed multiple members of the organization this morning that he wouldn’t be joining the coaching staff.

Following a one-year stint at USC, Kingsbury seemed prime for a return to the NFL. Besides the interest from the Raiders, the coach also interviewed for the Bears and Eagles offensive coordinator vacancies. While both of those franchises decided to go in different directions, it was still clear that Kingsbury was back on the coordinator radar.

The former NFL quarterback was once considered one of the brightest offensive coaching minds in the sport. That offensive acumen helped him earn the Cardinals head coaching job back in 2019. The team took steps forward in each of Kingsbury’s first three years at the helm, including a 2021 campaign where the Cardinals won 11 games. However, the Cardinals dropped to 4-13 in 2022, and Kingsbury was let go.

The coach seemed to lose a bit of his shine last offseason, leading to him taking a gig as senior offensive analyst/quarterbacks coach at USC. It wasn’t the most taxing job; after all, Kingsbury was tasked with guiding former Heisman Trophy winner and top quarterback prospect Caleb Williams. The signal-caller didn’t do anything to hurt his draft stock this past season, with Williams finishing the campaign tossing 30 touchdowns vs. five interceptions.

Former Raiders offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi was fired back in October, and Antonio Pierce has clearly put an emphasis on experience as he looks for his next offensive leader. We heard recently that the organization was eyeing Hue Jackson for a role on the staff, and the team also reportedly gave a long look at Chip Kelly for their offensive coordinator vacancy. Kingsbury was expected to lead this group, but the Raiders will apparently have to pivot in a different direction.

While the Raiders cast a wide net to fill their OC vacancy, many of their candidates have already taken jobs elsewhere. Besides Kelly, the Raiders could still turn to former Bears OC Luke Getsy, Buccaneers QBs coach Thad Lewis, or Steelers quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan.

As for Kingsbury, it will be interesting to see where he lands next. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports points out that Kingsbury had been discussed as a potential OC option for the Commanders. With Dan Quinn now in place, that might be an idea that Washington circles back to.

Buccaneers Hire Liam Coen As OC

February 3rd, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Adam La Rose

SATURDAY, 10:30am: The two sides have reached an agreement, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports.

FRIDAY, 8:05am: As coordinator dominoes continue to fall, Liam Coen is set to head to Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers are nearing an agreement with the Kentucky OC to take over their offensive coordinator gig, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Once in place, the deal will allow Coen to return to the NFL game after his second stint in charge of Kentucky’s offense. Between his college stints, he spent time on the Rams’ staff working with the team’s receivers and quarterbacks, along with OC responsibilities in 2022. Coen did not call plays when he was part of Sean McVay‘s staff, but he will likely do so under Todd Bowles.

Tampa Bay enjoyed a relatively successful run on offense during Dave Canales‘ one-year run as OC. His quick career ascent recently included taking the Panthers’ head coaching position, creating a vacancy at the offensive coordinator post for the second straight year. Now, the team has a replacement on tap.

With Canales on the HC radar, a report listed Tampa QBs coach Thad Lewis as a name to watch with respect to a promotion. Amidst interest from several other teams, Lewis did indeed interview for the Bucs’ vacancy. That meeting did not produce an agreement, however, and it will now be Coen making the jump back into NFL circles to take on his second pro coordinator gig.

The latter worked alongside Baker Mayfield during his Rams audition period in 2022, and the pair are believed to have a strong relationship. For that reason, it came as little surprise when Coen joined the list of Tampa Bay candidates with his interview yesterday. Mayfield is a pending free agent, but this hire could help the chances of a new contract being worked out.

Tampa Bay is seeking a multi-year Mayfield agreement, though talks on that front have not started. The former No. 1 pick had one of his most productive seasons under Canales in 2023, a coach with which he did not have a previous working relationship. Having a familiar face in place could be beneficial, although the Mayfield-Coen Rams pairing did not last long in the closing weeks of the 2022 campaign. That season, the injury-riddled Rams finished last in the league in total offense and 27th in scoring.

Improvement in both categories will be the goal in Coen’s second opportunity to lead an NFL offense. The 38-year-old will inherit a unit which ranked 20th in scoring in 2023. Struggles in the ground game continued from past years, and taking step forward in that regard would be a welcomed development moving forward. Questions remain, however, about the future of Mayfield and wideout Mike Evans.

Tampa Bay conducted one of the most wide-ranging searches in this year’s hiring cycle, and the team waited until many others made their hires to reach agreement on their own. Coen nonetheless represents an intriguing addition to the NFC South winners as they look to repeat this year’s success.

Titans Hire Ravens’ Dennard Wilson As DC

February 2nd, 2024 at 9:30am CST by Ely Allen

FEBRUARY 2: The deal has now been finalized, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports. Wilson joins Nick Holz in becoming a first-time NFL coordinator as part of rookie head coach Brian Callahan‘s initial staff.

JANUARY 31: With former defensive coordinator Shane Bowen not returning under the staff of new Titans head coach Brian Callahan, a new hire became necessary. According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, it will be Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson who will take over defensive play-calling duties in Tennessee in 2024.

Baltimore’s defensive staff has been popular in the interview circuit after the team led the league in points allowed, turnovers forced, and sacks. Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald was recently hired as Pete Carroll‘s replacement in Seattle, defensive line coach Anthony Weaver interviewed twice for the Falcons’ and Commanders’ head coaching positions, linebackers coach Zach Orr has interviewed for the Packers’ defensive coordinator job, and pass-game coordinator Chris Hewitt interviewed in Jacksonville for another defensive coordinator job.

Wilson has been an especially popular name, as well. Tennessee was one of five teams vying for Wilson’s services this offseason. The 41-year-old Maryland native had been scheduled interview a second time with the Giants, was requested to interview with the Packers and Rams, and was expected to be in consideration to replace Macdonald in Baltimore.

Wilson has widely been regarded as one of the league’s better defensive backs coaches, spending time with the Jets and Eagles before his role in Baltimore. In both previous locations, he even eventually added the role of passing game coordinator to his title. During his time with the Eagles, Wilson’s unit helped lead the league’s top pass defense and second-overall defense in total yards allowed. First-team All-Pro cornerback James Bradberry, Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, and converted safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson all flourished in Wilson’s room, with Gardner-Johnson even leading the league in interceptions following the position change from slot cornerback.

For a time, it was thought that Wilson was the clear choice to take over at defensive coordinator for the Eagles whenever Jonathan Gannon moved on to a head coaching job. Unfortunately, the team ended up hiring Sean Desai instead, a decision that reflects poorly a year later. After getting passed up for the gig, Wilson found his way to Baltimore where he has helped yet another defensive unit reach elite status. This year Wilson guided the blossoming of second-year safety Kyle Hamilton, watched converted cornerback Brandon Stephens take over as a full-time starter after switching from safety, and coached backup safety Geno Stone as he went toe-to-toe with Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland for the interception title.

Now, Wilson will finally get that opportunity as a defensive coordinator that he got passed up for in Philadelphia. With Callahan set to call plays for the offense in Nashville, the Titans now have both play-callers set. All that remains is for the two coaches to fill out the rest of their staff, including a new offensive coordinator to work under Callahan, as well.

Commanders Hire Dan Quinn As HC

February 1st, 2024 at 10:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

All eight of the open head coaching positions are now filled. The Commanders are moving forward with Dan Quinn. The Cowboys’ defensive coordinator will change jobs in the NFC East and land his second HC gig, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Based on Quinn’s past and the job market, his Washington landing is a moderate surprise. Quinn enjoyed two stints with the Seahawks, the second of which as their DC on both 2010s Super Bowl teams. He emerged as the first candidate on Seattle’s radar when Pete Carroll was pushed out, but the Seahawks went in a different direction by hiring Mike Macdonald. Although the Washington process featured some late curveballs, the team is hiring one of its original candidates.

A regular on the 2022 and 2023 coaching carousels, Quinn has been selective since re-establishing his value in Dallas. The three-year Cowboys DC was close to becoming the Broncos’ head coach in 2022 but bowed out of the 2023 HC market early, opting to keep going in Dallas. A year later, the former Falcons HC has committed to trying his hand as a sideline leader once again.

This hiring period produced five defense-oriented HC hires, though it did not include opportunities for Bill Belichick or Mike Vrabel. The Commanders saw their presumed favorite for the position — Lions OC Ben Johnson — inform them he was no longer interested in HC jobs this year. That came as Commanders brass flew to Detroit for scheduled interviews with both Johnson and Lions DC Aaron Glenn. Hours after the Johnson news, Texans OC Bobby Slowik — who had interviewed twice with the Commanders — made a pledge to stay in Houston. These developments, however, did not prompt Washington to expand its search by including Belichick or Vrabel.

Quinn, 53, certainly brings familiarity with the Commanders. The Cowboys went 5-1 against their rivals during Quinn’s three-year run calling the shots on defense. Quinn will join a team that has considerable offseason resources and one with a changing reputation, with Josh Harris replacing unpopular owner Dan Snyder last year. The Commanders will enter this offseason holding the No. 2 overall pick and possessing — as of now, at least — an NFL-leading $73MM-plus in cap space.

Harris will pair Quinn and longtime 49ers exec Adam Peters, with the pair replacing a Ron Rivera-run power structure. That said, GM Martin Mayhew is expected to stay on; though, he will likely not have the GM title much longer. Hired as the team’s president of football operations, Peters will control the roster; Quinn will report to Peters. The two will be tasked with reviving a franchise that has not strung together consecutive 10-win seasons since the early 1990s.

While some expected Peters to align himself with an offense-oriented HC, the exits of Johnson and Slowik from this race effectively prevented that from happening. Although the Commanders interviewed OC Eric Bieniemy, he was not viewed as a serious candidate for the job. (Though, it will be interesting to see if Quinn considers Bieniemy to stay on as OC.) That left only defense-geared candidates, and Macdonald’s Seattle commitment further narrowed Washington’s options. In Quinn, however, the Commanders are hiring one of the league’s top defensive coordinators and a coach who experienced great success early during his Falcons stay.

During Quinn’s time in Dallas, the Cowboys’ defense awakened after the 2020 unit allowed a franchise-record 473 points. Spurred by the arrivals of Quinn and Micah Parsons in 2021, the Cowboys dropped that total by 115 despite the NFL expanding its season to 17 games. Dallas finished in the top seven in scoring defense during each of Quinn’s three seasons calling plays. While Quinn’s defense faceplanted during a shocking loss to the Packers in the wild-card round, his body of work once again generated extensive interest on the coaching carousel.

In Atlanta, Quinn went 43-42. Joining the Falcons after coaching in two straight Super Bowls as the Seahawks’ DC, Quinn had the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. That 11-5 team had the Patriots dead to rights, up 28-3 late in the third quarter. But Quinn’s defense — one missing top cornerback Desmond Trufant — could not stop a Tom Brady-piloted comeback that effectively sent the Falcons into a tailspin. Quinn led the team back to the playoffs in 2017 but failed to produce a winning record over his final two full seasons, being fired early during the 2020 campaign.

Quinn interviewed for the Commanders, Seahawks, Titans, Panthers and Chargers’ jobs. Going through his second interview with the Commanders on Monday, Quinn became the pick over Bieniemy, Glenn and Ravens D-line coach Anthony Weaver. The field had thinned for the Commanders, and the team has plenty of work to do to start the Peters-Quinn era.

With the incoming power brokers having no ties to Sam Howell, Washington should be considered likely to draft a quarterback second overall. The team going defense with this hire will help address one of the NFL’s weakest units. The Commanders finished last in both scoring defense and yards allowed in 2023, leading to Jack Del Rio‘s firing and Rivera’s ouster. Harris drove the team to trade both Montez Sweat and Chase Young on deadline day, and while those moves gutted the pass rush, Del Rio’s unit had struggled throughout. The Commanders do still roster upper-echelon defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne; though, Allen has said he is not interested in being part of a rebuild.

Washington, which has not finished a season with a winning record since finishing 8-7-1 in 2016, has plenty of work to do on both sides of the ball. But the future suddenly looks much brighter compared to where the team stood during most of the Snyder era. With that wreckage in the team’s rearview mirror, Harris’ new hires will be tasked with restoring the reputation this franchise lost decades ago during Snyder’s woeful run as owner.

Raiders Expected To Hire Kliff Kingsbury As Offensive Coordinator

February 1st, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Kliff Kingsbury is back in the NFL. The Raiders are expected to hire the former Cardinals head coach as their new offensive coordinator, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reported earlier today that the Raiders were considered the front runner for Kingsbury’s services. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo adds that the two sides still haven’t officially agreed to a deal, although it’s expected to get done eventually.

Kingsbury spent the 2023 campaign at USC, where he served as the senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach. He worked extensively with top QB prospect Caleb Williams, guiding the former Heisman Trophy winner to a 30-touchdown, five-interception campaign. While Kingsbury obviously isn’t entirely responsible for Williams’ NFL future, the coach didn’t do anything to hurt the QB’s draft stock.

Thanks to his relative success at USC, Kingsbury seemed to brush away some of the concerns surrounding him following his disappointing end in Arizona. It was the coach’s offensive acumen that helped earn him the Cardinals head coaching job back in 2019. The team took steps forward in each of Kingsbury’s first three years at the helm, culminating in an 11-win season in 2021. However, following a 2022 campaign that saw Arizona drop to 4-13, Kingsbury was relieved of his duties.

Following his one season in the college ranks, Kingsbury returned to the coaching cycle this past offseason. He also interviewed for the Bears and Eagles OC vacancies, although both organizations decided to go in different directions. Ultimately, he managed to secure a coordinator job under Antonio Pierce in Las Vegas.

Former offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi was fired back in October, but the team waited until they had a full-time HC before making a move. A number of candidates have been connected to the open gig, but we’re still learning of other coaches who were apparently interviewed for the job. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, former Eagles and 49ers head coach Chip Kelly interviewed at least twice for the Raiders OC job.

We heard a few weeks ago that Kelly could be a candidate for an offensive coordinator role, although there weren’t any definitive teams connected to the veteran coach. Kelly has served as UCLA’s head coach since the 2018 campaign.

Pierce is clearly focused on adding experienced coaches to his staff. Former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has already caught on with the organization, with Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily revealing that Lewis has officially been named the Raiders assistant head coach. Further, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Raiders are also eyeing former Browns head coach Hue Jackson for an offensive coaching job. This would be a return trip for Jackson. Prior to his defining stint in Cleveland, Jackson enjoyed a one-season stint (2011) as Raiders HC, finishing 8-8.

Alex Van Pelt Lands Patriots’ OC Job

February 1st, 2024 at 5:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:20pm: The Patriots have officially announced the hiring. The organization also revealed that they’ve hired Jeremy Springer as their new special teams coordinator.

Springer spent the past two seasons as the Rams assistant special teams coach, and he had previous ST coordinator gigs at Marshall and Arizona. Springer had a pair of interviews for the Patriots job, with the coach having a dinner with Patriots brass last week.

4:20pm: A thorough Patriots search to replace Bill O’Brien took place, and it will end with a recently dismissed coordinator seeing a responsibility increase. Alex Van Pelt will be the Pats’ choice as offensive coordinator, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

Fired after four seasons as the Browns’ non-play-calling OC, Van Pelt will move into position to call plays for the Patriots. He will become New England’s fourth OC in four seasons. After Josh McDaniels reclaimed the Pats’ play-calling reins for a 10-year period, his Las Vegas exit destabilized this situation. Van Pelt had interviewed for the Buccaneers and Raiders’ jobs, but he will end up with the AFC East club.

The team, which employed O’Brien and Matt Patricia as its primary play-callers over the past two seasons, will look to Van Pelt to offer more consistency. The Pats have now filled their OC and DC posts. With Jerod Mayo bringing a defensive background into his first chance as a head coach, the Van Pelt hire is naturally more important than the recent DeMarcus Covington promotion. After working as a Kevin Stefanski game-planning aide for four years, Van Pelt will pick up play-calling duties in Foxborough.

This hire comes at a rather important juncture for the franchise. The Patriots hold the No. 3 overall pick. Although this was long regarded as a draft that would begin with Caleb Williams and Drake Maye before a potential drop-off at quarterback, Heisman winner Jayden Daniels has made inroads toward being an early draftee. Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest ESPN mock draft has Daniels going off the board to Washington at No. 2, with Maye falling to New England at 3. Whichever passer the Pats end up with, it would be their top draft investment at the position since choosing Drew Bledsoe first overall in 1993.

Chosen seven rounds after Bledsoe in that 1993 draft, Van Pelt played quarterback in the NFL for 11 years. The 53-year-old assistant has primarily coached QBs during his time on the sidelines. Van Pelt was in place as Aaron Rodgers‘ position coach from 2014-17, which overlapped with the second of the ex-Packer great’s four MVP awards. This is now his third crack as an offensive coordinator. The longtime Bills backup QB received an early chance to call plays in Buffalo, back in 2009 under Dick Jauron. A Bills coaching change sent Van Pelt back to the position coach circuit, but the Browns moved him back to the coordinator tier in 2020.

The Browns made the decision to fire Van Pelt, running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney. These ousters proved curious due to the play at certain positions. Cleveland received a boost from its Joe Flacco signing, with the recent Jets backup showing much better form than he displayed in New York. While Flacco could not lead the Browns past the Texans in the wild-card round, Stefanski and Van Pelt helped the aging QB morph from emergency late-season signing to Comeback Player of the Year finalist.

Van Pelt interviewed well in Tampa, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, potentially giving him options. The Bucs and Raiders will continue their respective searches. The Patriots are attempting to bounce back from a rough two-season stretch on offense. Mac Jones‘ value tanked in that span, going from Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2021 to a player demoted to the third-string spot by the end of his third seasons.

The Pats ranked 31st in points and 30th in total yardage under O’Brien, who left to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. The team will turn to Van Pelt (and likely a rookie QB) in an effort to change its fortunes on offense. This will be Van Pelt’s 19th season as an NFL assistant.

With Van Pelt now in the fold, the Patriots can start filling out the rest of their coaching staff. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports that the team is eyeing Andy Dickerson as their offensive line coach. Following a nine-year stint as the Rams assistant OL coach, Dickerson spent four years on the Seahawks staff, serving as the offensive run game coordinator and (later) the offensive line coach.

Ravens Promote Zach Orr To DC

February 1st, 2024 at 12:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

A day after Mike Macdonald‘s departure for Seattle, the Ravens have a new defensive coordinator. Once again, Baltimore will give its defensive play-calling gig to a staffer who brings extensive experience with the franchise.

The Ravens announced Thursday they are elevating inside linebackers coach Zach Orr to replace Macdonald. A former Ravens linebacker, Orr has been on the team’s staff for all but one season since 2017. Multiple logical candidates appeared in place for the Ravens, but it will be Orr who takes over.

The Packers interviewed Orr on Wednesday but went with Boston College HC Jeff Hafley. At 31, Orr will become the NFL’s second-youngest defensive coordinator. Cardinals DC Nick Rallis is 30.

This promotion comes after Dennard Wilson agreed to leave for Tennessee. The Titans reached an agreement to hire Wilson, who spent this past season as the Ravens’ defensive backs coach, as their next DC. D-line coach Anthony Weaver also stood as a clear option, considering he booked two interviews for the Commanders’ HC job and has coordinator experience (2020 in Houston). But Orr loomed as the favorite over Weaver, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec tweets.

The Seahawks also considered Orr an option to become their next DC, according to ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson. Orr worked under Macdonald over the past two seasons and coached alongside him in Baltimore from 2017-20. While this could open the door for Weaver in Seattle, it is a bit early to make predictions before the Seahawks start a search.

Orr has ascended fairly quickly in Baltimore. His playing career ended early due to a neck injury. A congenital neck condition stalled Orr’s ascent as a Ravens defender. He started 15 games for the Ravens in 2016, moving into the lineup that year and making 133 tackles. Despite the Ravens rostering C.J. Mosley at the time, Orr led the ’16 team in tackles and intercepted three passes. The neck problem interrupted Orr as a player, but he was part of the Ravens’ coaching staff soon after that retirement.

Learning the ropes as a defensive analyst from 2017-20, Orr received a chance to coach a position in Jacksonville in 2021. Unfortunately for Orr, that came under Urban Meyer. The Jaguars scrapped the Meyer operation, which included Orr as an outside linebackers coach, months after greenlighting it. The Ravens rehired Orr in 2022, and he has mentored one of the league’s best linebacking duos in that span. Baltimore saw both its inside ‘backers — Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen — earn Pro Bowl nods. After an iffy first two seasons, Queen has taken off with Smith and Orr in the fold. Queen is a candidate to leave in free agency, seeing as the Ravens have Smith tied to the NFL’s top ILB contract. But the Ravens will again ensure continuity on their defensive staff.

Baltimore hired Macdonald from Michigan, but he had been on John Harbaugh‘s staff from 2014-20. The continuity-based franchise has made familiarity a prerequisite for this job. The Ravens bumped Don Martindale up to DC in 2018, after he had spent the previous six seasons on staff. Dean Pees was a Ravens assistant before moving to DC in 2012, with Chuck Pagano taking the same path previously. Both Greg Mattison and Rex Ryan were position coaches in Baltimore prior to moving up, with Mike Nolan doing the same in 2002.

Marvin Lewis was hired from outside the organization, but seeing as that took place during the year the Browns morphed into the Ravens (1996), this Baltimore-based franchise has never looked beyond its facility for a DC option. Orr will continue the pipeline, being the first ex-Ravens player to take this job.

Seahawks Hire Mike Macdonald As HC

January 31st, 2024 at 11:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Scheduling two interviews with Mike Macdonald in a two-day period, the Seahawks effectively displayed their interest in the two-year Ravens defensive coordinator. That proved to be telling for the franchise’s future.

The Seahawks are hiring Macdonald as their next head coach, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The team will go from employing the league’s oldest active HC, in Pete Carroll, to the youngest. Macdonald is 36. Wednesday’s second meeting became themed around a hire, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who notes Macdonald has since agreed to the deal. After a report Tuesday pointed to Macdonald and Giants OC Mike Kafka being firmly in the mix, the Seahawks will go with a defense-based candidate.

Baltimore’s AFC championship game loss to Kansas City removed any restrictions Macdonald would have had regarding interview scheduling, but Rapoport adds the Seahawks were willing to wait on him if the Ravens held seed and qualified for Super Bowl LVIII. That did not prove necessary, and Macdonald can get to work on assembling a staff. As Macdonald-Seahawks conversations continue today, coordinator candidates are undoubtedly coming up. With the team in that phase, the Commanders are now the only club with a coaching vacancy remaining.

Being a year younger than Sean McVay and Jerod Mayo, Macdonald is 36 years younger than Carroll, who became only the fourth coach to lead an NFL team at age 72. Carroll had announced intentions to stay for a 15th season. Even as Carroll pushed to keep his job in the days following the season, the Seahawks moved on. GM John Schneider, who now wields full personnel control for the first time, will go with a candidate who was on many teams’ lists this year. Dan Quinn emerged as the first name in the mix to succeed Carroll, but the Dallas DC — and Seattle’s DC during both 2010s Super Bowl seasons — is down to the Commanders or staying with the Cowboys.

Macdonald will sign a six-year contract with the NFC West franchise, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports. While this is not a rebuilding situation, the Seahawks will still show a long-term commitment to their young HC. Four- and five-year deals are a bit more common in the NFL, though some six-year pacts have emerged in the recent past. Kyle Shanahan signed one as the 49ers were rebuilding. So did Dan Campbell in 2021. The Panthers just gave Dave Canales a six-year deal. Carroll did not leave the Seahawks in need of an overhaul, however, making this term length interesting.

The Seahawks’ investment comes after Macdonald displayed his value during his second Ravens stint. Baltimore’s defense ranked first this season, which came after a third-place finish in scoring defense in 2022. The Ravens ranked in the top 10 in yardage in each of Macdonald’s two seasons in charge. Baltimore’s defense has been one of the NFL’s most reliable units during the 21st century; Macdonald continued this run, one that helped the team secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed for the second time in franchise history. Don Martindale‘s DC successor interviewed for the Commanders, Chargers, Falcons, Panthers and Titans’ HC jobs.

Macdonald managed to coax a monster season from contract-year defensive lineman Justin Madubuike, who smashed career highs with 13 sacks and 33 QB hits. The Ravens also received steady production from edge rushers Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, despite both veterans’ late arrivals. Clowney signed with Baltimore in August, while Van Noy did not arrive until late September. The two vets combined for 18.5 sacks this season, helping the Ravens lead the league with 60. Baltimore will not lose both coordinators, however, with OC Todd Monken not in contention for the Washington job.

Carroll’s final years brought a defensive regression in Seattle. The Seahawks ranked 30th in total defense this season and 26th in 2022; two-year DC Clint Hurtt left to become the Eagles’ defensive line coach. The Carroll-led defenses have trended down since the Legion of Boom-driven apex produced back-to-back Super Bowl berths. While the Seahawks became the first team since the 1950s Browns to lead the NFL in scoring defense in four straight seasons (2012-15), they have not ranked in the top 10 in this area since 2016.

A Ravens position coach before spending 2021 as Jim Harbaugh‘s DC at Michigan, Macdonald reviving the Seahawks’ defense would go a long way toward helping the team become a legitimate contender again. Although Geno Smith did not match his 2022 work, the journeyman passer did again display starter-caliber chops after re-signing last March. The Seahawks also have veteran wideouts Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf under contract, along with two young running backs and two 2022 draftees at tackle (Charles Cross, Abraham Lucas). Inconsistency plagued the Seahawks on offense this past season, but the team has Smith on a low-end — for a veteran QB — contract; that three-year, $75MM deal runs through the 2025 season.

Macdonald becomes the Seahawks’ third consecutive hire with a defensive background. Carroll replaced Jim Mora Jr. in 2010, guiding the franchise to its zenith. The Seahawks had plateaued during Carroll’s later years. As the Legion of Boom splintered, the team became a Russell Wilson-dependent operation. The second half of Wilson’s Seattle tenure featured steady growth as a passer and will go a long way toward his Hall of Fame case, but the Seahawks struggled to build a reliable roster around the since-traded QB. They appeared to fare better on this front after re-signing Smith last year, giving Dre’Mont Jones a $17MM-AAV deal and trading for rental piece Leonard Williams. The team also used a No. 5 overall pick — obtained in the Wilson swap — on Devon Witherspoon. The Illinois alum’s Pro Bowl season points to him being a key piece under Macdonald going forward.

After back-to-back 9-8 seasons, the Seahawks will now bet on their young HC investment elevating this operation. It will be interesting to see if the team makes an investment in a young quarterback this offseason or continues to build its roster around Smith. With Seattle not blocking its assistants from exploring other jobs, three-year OC Shane Waldron signed on to be Chicago’s play-caller. Macdonald will be tasked with bringing in a replacement soon.

Ben Johnson To Remain With Lions

January 30th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

After drawing significant head coaching interest for the second consecutive year, Ben Johnson has repeated his decision from 2023. Detroit’s highly-acclaimed offensive coordinator will remain with the Lions, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Johnson entered the 2024 hiring cycle as a prime candidate to land a head coaching gig. Only two vacancies remain, and he was a finalist to join both the Commanders and Seahawks. Washington in particular seemed to be in pole position to land him, but both teams’ searches will now move in a different direction. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes, Johnson’s asking price served as a deterrent for some teams. Schefter further details that Johnson’s decision was learned as the Commanders were en route to speak with his counterpart, Aaron Glenn.

It is unknown if financial hesitancy applies to the Commanders and/or Seahawks, teams which have interviewed Johnson twice. The 37-year-old was believed to be Washington’s top choice on a number of occasions, and recent reports pointed to a Johnson hire being the likeliest outcome. After doing the same last year, though, he has elected to make at least one more run at a Super Bowl with the Lions.

Detroit’s offense has been among the league’s best during Johnson’s two-year run as the team’s OC. He has drawn considerable interest around the NFL as a result, and it was reported before the season ended that the Panthers would be a team to watch closely. Carolina attempted to land Johnson last year, and he was believed to be the team’s top choice before Buccaneers OC Dave Canales was tapped for the position. The Commanders and Seahawks openings profile as being more attractive than the one in Carolina, but those teams have now seen one of their finalists bow out of the running.

The Commanders have taken an extended look at candidates with a background on both sides of the ball during their search for a Ron Rivera replacement. Washington has spoken twice with Glenn, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Texans OC Bobby Slowik in addition to the second sit-down with Johnson. The Commanders are also interested in Ravens DC Mike Macdonald, and a member of that group of candidates will now be in line for the gig in the nation’s capital.

Quinn and Macdonald in particular are also central figures in Seattle’s search. Both teams decided to wait until after Sunday’s conference championship games to make their final HC decisions, and the elimination of the Ravens and Lions opened the door to their respective searches reaching an end in the near future. That may well still be the case, but Johnson is no longer in consideration.

Today’s update will of course be welcomed news on a Lions staff which was labeled as one likely to see signficant departures in the wake of the team’s success. Glenn landing a head coaching position would deal a blow to Dan Campbell and Co., but the Lions’ offense will again be expected to put up high-end production with Johnson in place. The latter’s relationship with quarterback Jared Goff was a central reason why he declined to leave last year, and their partnership will continue in 2024. That season marks the final one of Goff’s contract.

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