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AFC South Notes: Texans, Colts, Anderson

February 18th, 2024 at 7:22pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans were one of the NFL’s best surprises of the 2023 season, winning 10 games and making the playoffs with a rookie quarterback and head coach. DeMeco Ryans actually put together quite an impressive staff that would end up drawing lots of interest in from teams looking to fill vacant roles after the season came to an end. Luckily, though, Houston was able to beat off the suitors for two assistants.

Assistant offensive line coach Cole Popovich received interest from a few other teams, at one point interviewing for the offensive line coach job at Washington under new head coach Dan Quinn. Despite the outside interest, Popovich will remain in Houston “under a revamped contract,” per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.

Wilson also reported that safeties coach Stephen Adegoke was set to depart for the defensive backs coaching job at the University of Michigan. The next day, though, he issued a second report that Adegoke would instead return to Houston. Adegoke had reportedly accepted the Michigan job before finalizing a contract, so he will be able to come back for his second year with the Texans.

Here are a few other staff updates from around the AFC South:

  • Colts head coach Shane Steichen has had to do some shuffling for his 2024 staff. With the team’s decision not to retain assistant defensive backs coach Mike Mitchell, they have made the move to hire Titans defensive quality control coach Justin Hamilton in his place, according to Mike Chappell of FOX59. Indianapolis will also bring in Eagles quarterbacks coach Alex Tanney to serve as its passing game coordinator. Remaining in Philadelphia after Steichen’s departure, Tanney will now reunite with his former boss in Indianapolis.
  • The Titans have now completed the hiring of their new coordinators. Joining first-time coordinators Nick Holz on offense and Dennard Wilson on defense will be first-time special teams coordinator Colt Anderson, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Anderson, a former undrafted defensive back, saw plenty of time on special teams over his nine-year career in the NFL. After spending the last four seasons as an assistant special teams coach for the Bengals, Anderson will follow new Titans head coach Brian Callahan to Nashville for his first coordinator position.

Jason Kelce Exploring Media Opportunities

February 18th, 2024 at 9:21am CST by Rory Parks

It is presently unclear whether Jason Kelce will return to the Eagles for another season. In the wake of the team’s playoff loss in January, we heard that Kelce would call it a career, but several weeks later, the future Hall of Famer himself suggested he was still undecided on his future.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen for me,” Kelce said. “But I do know I still want to be involved in the organization and still want to be a part of it, regardless of what the decision is.”

Now 36, the six-time First Team All-Pro center is at least exploring his post-playing career, as Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports details. Per McCarthy, Kelce recently met with ESPN and Fox to discuss the possibility of some sort of on-air role, though those talks were described as preliminary in nature. McCarthy adds that Kelce has met with Amazon Prime Video about a spot on its Thursday Night Football crew.

McCarthy’s sources say that NBC and CBS are also expected to have interest when Kelce officially hangs up the cleats, so it sounds as if he will have no shortage of television options if he chooses to go that route. Although he has long been one of the best pivots in the game, the relentless media coverage of brother Travis Kelce‘s relationship with Taylor Swift, along with Jason’s memeable antics during the Chiefs’ divisional round victory over the Bills this year, have made Jason a recognizable face among the public at large. And the New Heights podcast that Jason and Travis co-host is, as McCarthy observes, one of the most popular sports podcasts in the country.

Jason, who has contemplated retirement for several years now, is out of contract, having just finished the one-year, $14.25MM deal he signed last March (one day after he announced he would return to the Eagles). If he decides to continue playing in 2024, he and the Eagles will need to work out a new pact, but negotations between the two sides would likely be quick and painless.

If he instead opts to leverage his newfound visibility into a full-time media career, Philadelphia would presumably shift 2022 draftee Cam Jurgens to center (Jurgens was the club’s starting right guard in 2023, though he missed some time due to a foot injury). Of course, Jason’s acceptance of a broadcaster/analyst post could impact his stated desire to remain with the Eagles in a front office or coaching capacity.

NFC Coaching Notes: Eagles, Clay, Pettine, Vikings, Panthers, Giants, Lions, Rams

February 16th, 2024 at 4:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles‘ changes at offensive and defensive coordinator show how quickly job security can evaporate in the NFL, and Nick Sirianni‘s seat has heated up as a result. But the Eagles are not changing out all their coordinators. They will extend special teams boss Michael Clay, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. This marks the second straight year in which the Eagles have extended Clay, who is going into his fourth season as their ST coordinator. Just 32, Clay has been a special teams coach in the NFL since 2015, serving as the 49ers’ assistant ST coach for five years. Clay debuted with the Eagles, however, joining Chip Kelly‘s staff in 2014. The Eagles vaulted from 31st to 10th on Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings in 2023.

Philly is adding former Titans inside linebackers coach Bobby King to their staff, ESPN.com’s Tim McManus tweets. While Brian Callahan kept a handful of Mike Vrabel assistants, he did not retain King. Under King’s guidance last season, Titans free agency pickup Azeez Al-Shaair tallied 163 tackles — the most by anyone during the franchise’s 25-season Titans period.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • Fired as the Jaguars’ defensive pass-game coordinator last month, Deshea Townsend has another gig lined up. The Lions are hiring the former NFL cornerback in the same capacity, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. Townsend, who won two Super Bowls during his 12-year Steelers run as a player, has been in coaching since his 2011 retirement. Prior to his two-year Jacksonville stay, Townsend coached DBs with the Bears, Giants and Titans and Cardinals. The Lions recently lost DBs coach Brian Duker to the Dolphins.
  • After working as a Vikings senior defensive assistant over the past two years, Mike Pettine will have a more defined role this year in Minnesota. The Vikings announced the veteran DC and ex-Browns HC will be their outside linebackers coach in 2024. Still carrying an assistant HC title, Pettine worked with the Vikes’ OLBs under Brian Flores last season. This will be the 57-year-old coach’s 22nd season in the NFL.
  • The Vikings also hired Marcus Dixon to be their defensive line coach. Brought over from the Broncos, Dixon was a Nathaniel Hackett hire in Denver. Ejiro Evero took Dixon with him from the Rams in 2022; he served as the Broncos’ D-line coach for two years. The Broncos are losing their only two pre-Sean Payton defensive assistants this offseason, seeing DBs coach Christian Parker rejoin Vic Fangio in Philadelphia. Evero tried to take both Parker and Dixon with him to the Panthers last year, per 9News’ Mike Klis, but the Broncos blocked the effort and kept them around to work under Vance Joseph.
  • The Giants are doling out some new titles. QBs coach Shea Tierney and DBs coach Jerome Henderson will respectively serve as the team’s offensive and defensive pass-game coordinators. Henderson has been with the Giants since 2020, while Tierney came over from the Bills with Brian Daboll. The Giants also moved former safety Mike Adams from assistant secondary coach to assistant DBs coach.
  • Additionally, Big Blue hired Charlie Bullen to replace Drew Wilkins as outside linebackers coach. Daboll fired Wilkins, a longtime Don Martindale right-hand man, and that choice keyed an explosive conclusion to the Daboll-Martindale relationship. Wilkins is now with the Patriots. Bullen spent last season as Illinois’ OLBs coach; he spent the previous four years coaching linebackers with the Cardinals. The veteran assistant previously worked with Dolphins LBs under Joe Philbin and Adam Gase.
  • The Rams recently interviewed former Packers pass-game coordinator Greg Williams for their inside linebackers coach gig, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes. This is not the ex-St. Louis Rams DC better known for Bountygate; the two-G Greg Williams spent time with the Broncos and Cardinals prior to spending last season in Green Bay.

Assessing NFL’s OC Landscape

February 15th, 2024 at 8:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

This offseason showed the turnover that can take place at the offensive coordinator position. As a result of several decisions in January and February, the NFL no longer has an OC who has been in his current role for more than two seasons. Various firings and defections now have the 2022 batch of hires stationed as the longest-tenured OCs.

One of the longest-tenured coordinators in NFL history, Pete Carmichael is no longer with the Saints. The team moved on after 15 seasons, a stay that featured part-time play-calling duties. The Browns canned their four-year non-play-calling OC, Alex Van Pelt, while three-year play-callers Arthur Smith and Shane Waldron are relocating this winter. Brian Callahan‘s five-year gig as the Bengals’ non-play-calling OC booked him a top job.

The recent lean toward offense-oriented HCs took a bit of a hit of a hit this offseason, with five of the eight jobs going to defense-oriented leaders. Callahan, Dave Canales and Jim Harbaugh were the only offense-geared candidates hired during this cycle. But half the NFL will go into this season with a new OC. Following the Seahawks’ decision to hire ex-Washington (and, briefly, Alabama) staffer Ryan Grubb, here is how the NFL’s OC landscape looks:

2022 OC hires

  • Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions*
  • Mike Kafka, New York Giants*
  • Wes Phillips, Minnesota Vikings
  • Frank Smith, Miami Dolphins
  • Adam Stenavich, Green Bay Packers
  • Press Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars*

Although this sextet now comprises the senior wing of offensive coordinators, this still marks each’s first gig as an NFL OC. Three of the six received HC interest this offseason.

Johnson’s status back in Detroit has been one of the offseason’s top storylines and a development the Commanders have not taken especially well. The two-year Lions OC was viewed as the frontrunner for the Washington job for weeks this offseason, and when team brass did not receive word about Johnson’s intent to stay in Detroit (thus, waiting until at least 2025 to make his long-expected HC move) until a Commanders contingent was en route to Detroit for a second interview, a back-and-forth about what exactly broke down took place. Johnson should be expected to remain a high-end HC candidate next year, but Dan Campbell will still have his services for 2024.

Kafka interviewed for the Seahawks’ HC job, and the Giants then blocked him from meeting with the NFC West team about its OC position. Rumblings about Kafka and Brian Daboll no longer being on great terms surfaced this year, with the latter yanking away play-calling duties — given to Kafka ahead of the 2022 season — at points in 2023. Taylor may also be on the hot seat with his team. Doug Pederson gave Taylor the call sheet last season, and Trevor Lawrence did not make the leap many expected. After a collapse left the Jaguars out of the playoffs, the team had begun to look into its offensive situation.

2023 OC hires

  • Jim Bob Cooter, Indianapolis Colts
  • Nathaniel Hackett, New York Jets*
  • Mike LaFleur, Los Angeles Rams
  • Joe Lombardi, Denver Broncos
  • Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens*
  • Matt Nagy, Kansas City Chiefs
  • Drew Petzing, Arizona Cardinals*
  • Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
  • Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans*

Only nine of the 15 OCs hired in 2023 are still with their teams. One (Canales) moved up the ladder, while others were shown the door following that organization canning its head coach. The Eagles were the only team who hired an offensive coordinator last year to fire that staffer (Brian Johnson) after one season. Nick Sirianni fired both his coordinators following a wildly disappointing conclusion.

Hackett may also be drifting into deep water, given what transpired last year in New York. Rumblings of Robert Saleh — who is on the hottest seat among HCs — stripping some of his offensive play-caller’s responsibilities surfaced recently. This marks Hackett’s fourth chance to call plays in the NFL; the second-generation staffer did so for the Bills, Jaguars and Broncos prior to coming to New York. After the 2022 Broncos ranked last in scoring, the ’23 Jets ranked 31st in total offense. Hackett’s relationship with Aaron Rodgers has largely kept him in place, but 2024 may represent a last chance for the embattled coach.

Of this crop, Monken and Slowik were the only ones to receive HC interest. Neither emerged as a frontrunner for a position, though Slowik met with the Commanders twice. The Texans then gave their first-time play-caller a raise to stick around for C.J. Stroud‘s second season. Stroud’s remarkable progress figures to keep Slowik on the HC radar. Monken, who is in his third try as an NFL OC (after gigs in Tampa and Cleveland), just helped Lamar Jackson to his second MVP award. The former national championship-winning OC did not stick the landing — as Jackson struggled against the Chiefs — but he fared well on the whole last season.

Schottenheimer is on his fourth go-round as an OC, while Lombardi is on team No. 3. The latter’s job figures to be more secure, being tied to Sean Payton, compared to what is transpiring in Dallas. With the Cowboys having Mike McCarthy as the rare lame-duck HC, his coordinators probably should not get too comfortable.

2024 OC hires

  • Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills*
  • Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers*
  • Ken Dorsey, Cleveland Browns
  • Luke Getsy, Las Vegas Raiders*
  • Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks*
  • Nick Holz, Tennessee Titans
  • Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders*
  • Klint Kubiak, New Orleans Saints*
  • Brad Idzik, Carolina Panthers
  • Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles*
  • Dan Pitcher, Cincinnati Bengals
  • Zac Robinson, Atlanta Falcons*
  • Greg Roman, Los Angeles Chargers*
  • Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers*
  • Alex Van Pelt, New England Patriots*
  • Shane Waldron, Chicago Bears*

The 49ers do not employ a traditional OC; 16 of the 31 teams that do recently made a change. Most of the teams to add OCs this year, however, did so without employing play-calling coaches. This naturally raises the stakes for this year’s batch of hires.

Retreads became rather popular. Dorsey, Getsy, Moore, Van Pelt and Waldron were all OCs elsewhere (Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Seattle) last season. Smith will shift from calling the Falcons’ plays to running the show for the Steelers. Dorsey, Getsy and Van Pelt were fired; Moore and Waldron moved on after the Chargers and Seahawks respectively changed HCs. Moore and Smith will be calling plays for a third team; for Moore, this is three OC jobs in three years.

Coen, Kingsbury and Roman are back after a year away. Kingsbury became a popular name on the OC carousel, having coached Caleb Williams last season. This will be his second crack at an NFL play-calling gig, having been the Cardinals’ conductor throughout his HC tenure. This will be Coen’s first shot at calling plays in the pros; he was Sean McVay‘s non-play-calling assistant in 2022. Likely to become the Chargers’ play-caller, Roman will have a rare fourth chance to call plays in the NFL. He held that responsibility under Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco; following Harbaugh’s explosive 2015 49ers split, Roman moved to Buffalo and Baltimore to work under non-offense-oriented leaders.

Grubb, Holz, Idzik, Pitcher and Robinson represent this year’s first-timer contingent. Grubb has, however, called plays at the college level. Robinson is the latest McVay staffer to move into a play-calling post; he was a Rams assistant for five years. A host of teams had Robinson on their OC radar, but Raheem Morris brought his former L.A. coworker to Atlanta. Pitcher appeared in a few searches as well, but the Bengals made the expected move — after extending him last year — to give him Callahan’s old job.

* = denotes play-calling coordinator

Titans To Retain Justin Outten, Chris Harris, Others On Staff

February 13th, 2024 at 4:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Callahan‘s first Titans staff will include a host of outside hires — one of which being his father, offensive line coach Bill Callahan — and a handful of holdovers. Among the holdovers: two staffers who have either been coordinators or were on the OC/DC carousel recently.

We heard last week the Titans were blocking Justin Outten interviews. Tuesday, the team revealed Outten will be part of Brian Callahan’s 2024 staff as tight ends coach. This will be a shift for Outten, who was the team’s run-game coordinator in 2023. In addition to Outten, the Titans are retaining assistant Chris Harris.

Outten served as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator in 2022, mostly operating in a non-play-calling capacity — save for the final two games, following Nathaniel Hackett‘s firing — during a disastrous season for the AFC West team. Outten interviewed for the Ravens’ OC job in 2023 but wound up in Tennessee. A Packers staffer prior to his Denver year, Outten was a Mike Vrabel hire. Callahan’s first staff will feature a few of those.

Harris interviewed for the Bears and Jaguars’ DC jobs this year and met with the Texans and 49ers about their DC vacancies in 2023. Harris, 41, spent three seasons coaching Commanders DBs under Ron Rivera. The Titans lured him away in 2023. Harris will remain in place as Tennessee’s defensive pass-game coordinator, along with his role as cornerbacks coach. This will be Harris and DC Dennard Wilson‘s first time working together.

The Titans are also retaining assistant special teams coach Anthony Levine, assistant D-line coach Clinton McMillan, defensive quality control coach Lori Locust and former Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker as an offensive assistant. The Titans are still searching for a special teams coordinator, but Levine will work under that to-be-determined staffer. Stocker, a Titan from 2017-18, and Levine wrapped their playing careers after the 2021 season.

Among the previously unmentioned new hires in Tennessee, Randy Jordan will take over as running backs coach. A former Raiders backup running back, Jordan spent the past 10 years as Washington’s RBs coach. Jordan was in place throughout Jay Gruden‘s HC tenure and through Rivera’s. Payton McCollum will leave Indianapolis for Nashville, moving from Colts offensive assistant to Titans assistant wide receivers coach. Ben Bloom will also come on board as the Titans’ OLBs coach. Bloom spent the past four seasons in Cleveland, working as Myles Garrett‘s position coach in 2023. Bloom previously spent nine seasons on Jason Garrett‘s Cowboys staff. Myles Garrett’s Defensive Player of the Year season aside, the Browns hired ex-Texans D-line coach Jacques Cesaire to replace Bloom last month.

Tennessee is also bringing back Tracy Rocker for a second tour of duty on staff. The Titans hired Rocker as their defensive line coach, which will mark a return for the veteran assistant, who served in this capacity under Mike Munchak from 2011-13. Rocker was also the Tennessee Volunteers’ D-line coach from 2017-19. Rocker, 57, does have a history with Wilson. The two coached together on the Eagles’ staff from 2021-22; Rocker stayed on this past season as Philly’s D-line coach.

Haason Reddick Did Not Request Trade, Eyeing Eagles Extension

February 13th, 2024 at 12:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

Haason Reddick‘s Eagles future seemed to be in doubt when it was learned over the weekend the Eagles gave him permission to seek out a trade. Further clarity on the matter has since emerged, and an extended stay in Philadelphia has not been ruled out.

Reddick made it clear when speaking to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz that he never submitted a trade request. More to the point, the two-time Pro Bowler added that his desire is to remain with the Eagles on a new deal. One year remains on Reddick’s current pact.

“This is home for me,” Reddick said (via Schultz). “I was born and raised here. Two of the most fun years playing football in my life came here. I’ve cherished being an Eagle.”

As Schultz further details, the Eagles’ move allowing Reddick to find a trade partner was voluntary on the part of the latter’s camp. Coming off two strong seasons in Philadelphia, the former Cardinal and Panther could be in line for a significant raise on an extension. He is owed $15.5MM in 2024, but none of his base salary is guaranteed and his cap hit currently sits at $21.87MM.

The 2017 first-round pick quickly outplayed the three-year, $45MM deal he signed with the Eagles in 2022, becoming a bargain after continuing his breakthrough stretch as a pass rusher. Initially miscast as an off-ball linebacker in Arizona, Reddick has been one of the game’s top sack artists since the Cardinals moved him back outside midway through the 2020 season. Reddick led the way in the 2022 Eagles’ pursuit of the 1984 Bears’ single-season sack record, pacing the NFC champions with 16. Reddick added an NFL-high five forced fumbles, making an impact in those playoffs as well by tacking on 3.5 sacks in blowout wins over the Giants and 49ers. The latter of those involved knocking Brock Purdy out of the NFC championship game.

Reddick finished with 11 sacks this past season but did not force any fumbles. As the Eagles’ defense fell apart, Reddick did not record a sack over the team’s final five games. But the Eagles have him on a team-friendly deal. Reddick, 29, sits tied for 17th among edge defender AAV. While Reddick confirmed he did not seek a trade, he stopped short of ensuring he will be an Eagle in 2024, indicating he is “preparing for what’s next.” How Reddick’s trade market looks will paint a clearer picture of his extension price point, adding intrigue to what could be complicated negotiations between the Eagles and the two-time Pro Bowler.

A Reddick trade would obviously impact Philly’s pass rush, though the team did select Nolan Smith — a Georgia prospect who received Reddick comps leading up to last year’s draft — in last year’s first round. The team also has Josh Sweat joining Reddick in going into a contract year. Many questions remain after the Eagles unraveled to close out the season. Reddick joins a number of key contributors on that side of the ball going into an age-30 season or beyond. But the seven-year veteran’s contract will be a key issue for the Eagles to resolve this offseason.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid To Return In 2024

February 12th, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Rory Parks

FEBRUARY 12: When speaking after Sunday’s victory, Reid confirmed he will indeed remain in place for 2024. As he foreshadowed last month, tight end Travis Kelce also stated he will play a 12th campaign in Kansas City, which comes as little surprise. Reid, Kelce and Co. are certainly well-positioned to contend for a third straight Super Bowl next season as they aim to continue building their respective legacies.

FEBRUARY 11: Andy Reid retirement rumors are becoming something of an annual tradition. Prior to Super Bowl LVII last February, the Chiefs’ head coach was non-committal about his future, and we heard just last month that the team had a potential Reid retirement on its radar.

However, ESPN’s Dan Graziano’s sources say they would be surprised if Reid walked away (subscription required). Now 65, Reid said in July 2020 that he would be open to coaching into his 70s, and at that time, quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Reid told him that he plans on remaining with KC for the duration of Mahomes’ thru-2031 contract.

In July 2020, Reid and Mahomes were coming off their first AFC championship and first Super Bowl victory. Since then, they have won three more AFC titles and one more Lombardi Trophy, and they will have the chance to secure their third Super Bowl ring today. Their run to Super Bowl LVIII has been perhaps their most impressive championship pursuit yet, as the offense rarely looked like its usual explosive self throughout the 2023 regular season. A top-flight defense, coupled with just enough flashes of brilliance from Mahomes — who muddled through the worst statistical season of his career — was ultimately enough to will the Chiefs to yet another title game.

Graziano does expect the Chiefs to address their HC’s contract this offseason. The belief is that Reid is presently earning $12MM per year, while AFC West rivals Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh earn (or will earn) salaries of $17MM and $16MM, respectively. Given Reid’s tremendous success during his Kansas City tenure — he has a 128-51 regular season record and a 15-7 playoff mark to go along with his two Super Bowl wins — it stands to reason that he should not be the third-highest-paid coach in his own division.

Of course, when Reid joined the Chiefs in 2013, he did so with a reputation as an offensive mastermind and a terrific head coach who was perhaps not quite good enough to win a championship. During his stint as the Eagles’ HC from 1999-2012, Reid guided Philadelphia to the NFC championship five times but advanced to the Super Bowl just once, and that appearance ended with a difficult loss to the Patriots. After his club failed to qualify for the playoffs at all in 2011 and 2012, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie had run out of patience, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer recalls.

Reid’s contract with Philadelphia was not renewed following the 2012 campaign, but if he had stayed, Reid likely would have been forced to cede his personnel authority to Howie Roseman, who had become the club’s general manager several years prior. Obviously, the change of scenery (along with the drafting of Mahomes) ultimately proved to be the right call for Reid, though the Eagles — who won their first Super Bowl at the end of the 2017 season and who nearly toppled Reid’s Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII last year — also found some success in their post-Reid era.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eagles Grant Haason Reddick Permission To Seek Trade

February 11th, 2024 at 11:49am CST by Rory Parks

The Eagles have given edge rusher Haason Reddick permission to seek a trade, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Reddick is owed a $14.25MM salary in 2024, the last year of his current deal.

Reddick, 29, was selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2017 draft, and he had an inauspicious start to his career, struggling through several underwhelming years as an off-ball linebacker. When Chandler Jones went down with a season-ending bicep injury in 2020, Reddick convinced Arizona’s coaching staff to let him take Jones’ place as a pass rusher. After all, Reddick had thrived in that role in college, but he was considered too small for it at the professional level. The move paid major dividends, as Reddick racked up 12.5 sacks that season and parlayed his success into a one-year, $6MM deal with the Panthers in 2021.

Reddick compiled 11 sacks in his first and only season in Charlotte, at which point it became clear that his Cardinals breakout was no fluke. That convinced the Eagles to hand him a three-year, $45MM contract in 2022, and he followed up a 16-sack performance that year with another 11-sack effort in 2023. He has made the Pro Bowl in both of his first two seasons in Philadelphia.

As Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com observes, Reddick’s contract has been an “issue” for over a year. After his tremendous 2022 campaign, in which he finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, both player and team knew that Reddick was underpaid relative to his market value. Reddick, however, did not hold out for a new contract, and the Eagles did not explore one either (which is understandable, as he was just one year into a three-year accord). Now, it is clear that Reddick wants to be paid like the elite player he is, and with 11 edge defenders enjoying AAVs of at least $20MM, that would seem like the floor in negotiations with Philadelphia or any other club.

Of course, as both Shorr-Parks and Zach Berman of PHLY observe, allowing Reddick to shop himself does not necessarily mean that his time with the Eagles is up. Ultimately, Philadelphia simply may not like any trade offers enough to deal a top player at a premium position, but if the Eagles do decide to retain Reddick, Berman believes GM Howie Roseman will authorize a new contract rather than let a disgruntled player finish out his below-market deal. Berman adds that Roseman’s decision will be influenced, at least to some degree, by the presence of Josh Sweat, who is also entering a platform year.

In addition to his production over the past four seasons, Reddick has also proven to be highly durable, having missed one game in seven professional seasons (h/t Berman). Although he will be 30 in September, it would not be surprising to see other teams pony up significant trade compensation along with a contract that would position Reddick among his highest-paid peers.

Injury Updates: Hockenson, Uzomah, Covey

February 9th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Ely Allen

A career-year was cut short for Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson when the 26-year-old suffered tears in both his ACL and MCL. Hockenson was forced out of Minnesota’s Week 16 loss to the Lions, officially putting an end to his fifth NFL season.

After waiting 36 days in order to allow his MCL to heal, Hockenson underwent surgery to repair his ACL at the end of January, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN. Seifert reported no complications from the procedure and a typical recovery period of nine months. Training camp for Minnesota is set to begin six months from the date of his surgery, so there’s a growing possibility that Hockenson will miss a chunk of the 2024 season.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL as the season nears its close this weekend:

  • Another tight end, one who’s been around a bit longer than Hockenson, also suffered a season-ending injury late in the year. Jets veteran C.J. Uzomah sustained damage to his MCL and meniscus and a plateau fracture of his tibia early into a Week 12 loss to the Falcons. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, recovery is going well, though rehab is reportedly “way worse” than when he came back from an Achilles tendon injury a few years. Uzomah is headed into a contract year with New York, but his injury combined with an impending cap hit of $11.22MM could put him at risk of being a cap casualty. A potential out in his contract would allow the team to release him with only $5.92MM in dead money.
  • Second-year Eagles wide receiver and return specialist Britain Covey was reportedly dealing with a quadriceps injury down the stretch of the season, per EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He had undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee at the opening of last year’s offseason, and he seemed to be under the impression that his quad issues were a byproduct from that previous injury.
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