Ben McAdoo - Pro Football Rumors

NFC East Notes: Parsons, McAdoo, Giants

December 1st, 2021 at 10:06pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cowboys are more than happy that they landed on linebacker Micah Parsons with the 12th-overall pick in this year’s draft. Parsons has started each of his 11 games for Dallas, collecting 67 tackles, nine sacks, and two forced fumbles, and he’s the runaway favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. However, if the Cowboys had had their way, they would have used their selection on a cornerback.

As Jon Machota of The Athletic writes, the team’s “original plan” was to select either South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn or Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II. However, those cornerbacks were scooped up at No. 8 and No. 9 respectively, forcing the front office to pivot. They ended up landing on the Penn State linebacker (after trading down), and the organization couldn’t be happier with how it all turned out.

Parsons explained to Machota how he continues to improve throughout his first season in the NFL.

“People always talk about the rookie wall,” Parsons said, “but I just keep climbing and climbing because I’m excited to see what’s on the other side of that wall.

“I love what we have here. I’m just so honored and blessed to represent the star and have an opportunity to be a star here.”

Some more notes out of the NFC East…

The Cowboys are dealing with COVID-19 cases throughout their staff, so they’ll be temporarily promoting Ben McAdoo to a coaching role, tweets NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. McAdoo, who had been serving as a “consultant to the coaches” in Dallas, will be in the coaches booth for tomorrow’s game against the Saints. The 44-year-old spent two years as the Giants head coach between 2016 and 2017, and he returned to the NFL last season when he was hired as the Jaguars QBs coach.
Guess who else liked Horn and Surtain? The Giants, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, but the Eagles’ decision to trade up (with the Cowboys, no less) to select wideout DeVonta Smith was the move that really threw New York’s draft into disarray. With the organization’s targets off the board, the team ultimately decided to trade with the Bears, with the Giants selecting wideout Kadarius Toney at No. 20.
Another Cowboys/Giants connection: Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv writes that the Joe Judge/Jason Garrett pairing in New York was always an “arranged marriage.” Co-owner John Mara was the one who pushed to add Garrett as the team’s offensive coordinator, and the former Cowboys head coach was an “outlier” on a staff that generally had connections to their head coach. Garrett was ultimately canned by Judge and the Giants in late November after the team had collected a league-low 42 touchdowns.
Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports opines that the Giants should go all out on Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason. The writer cites the organization’s draft capital (which, at the moment, includes picks No. 6 and No. 7), Daniel Jones‘ disappointment in New York, and Wilson’s supposed desire to play in the Big Apple. Assuming GM Dave Gettleman is out after the season, this would be a bold way for a new GM to begin their tenure, but the writer believes this would be preferable to rolling with Jones or drafting a quarterback in a weak class.

Cowboys Hire Ben McAdoo

May 26th, 2021 at 1:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have hired former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo as a consultant (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). Now, McAdoo is set to face his former squad twice in 2021. He’ll also get to reunite with head coach Mike McCarthy — the two last worked together in Green Bay with McAdoo serving as the quarterbacks coach.

McAdoo climbed up the NFL coaching ranks during his stints with the Saints, 49ers, and Packers. He caught on with the Giants in 2014 as their offensive coordinator, improving the squad from the 28th-highest-scoring offense to the sixth-highest-scoring offense. Ownership and the front office turned to their OC after Tom Coughlin stepped down, making McAdoo their 17th head coach in franchise history.

The Giants went 11-5 during McAdoo’s first season as the helm, although the team lost to the Packers in that year’s Wild Card Game. New York stumbled to a 2-10 record to start the 2017 campaign, and the organization ended up firing both their head coach and general manager Jerry Reese before the end of the year.

Since that time, McAdoo has seemingly been out of football altogether. The coach has worked with the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning throughout his career. Now, he’ll be asked to strategize around Dak Prescott.

Jaguars Add Ben McAdoo To Coaching Staff

February 11th, 2020 at 6:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Ben McAdoo is back in the NFL. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars are hiring the 42-year-old as their quarterbacks coach.

McAdoo climbed up the NFL coaching ranks during his stints with the Saints, 49ers, and Packers. He caught on with the Giants in 2014 as their offensive coordinator, improving the squad from the 28th-highest-scoring offense to the sixth-highest-scoring offense. Ownership and the front office turned to their OC after Tom Coughlin stepped down, making McAdoo their 17th head coach in franchise history.

The Giants went 11-5 during McAdoo’s first season as the helm, although the team lost to the Packers in that year’s Wild Card Game. New York stumbled to a 2-10 record to start the 2017 campaign, and the organization ended up firing both their head coach and general manager Jerry Reese before the end of the year.

Since that time, McAdoo has seemingly been out of football altogether. The coach has worked with the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning throughout his career, and he’ll be tasked with guiding Nick Foles and Gardner Minshew in Jacksonville.

Coaching/Front Office Notes: Browns, Broncos, Giants, Titans, Panthers, Dolphins

January 24th, 2020 at 9:03pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

When previous frontrunner George Paton removed himself from consideration for the Browns’ general manager vacancy, there were reports that he had concerns about Cleveland’s power structure. That might’ve been a bit overblown, as sources told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com that Paton was “not at all scared off by Browns’ structure” (Twitter link). Further, Fowler writes that Paton was “impressed with people in the building and thinks highly of” new head coach Kevin Stefanski, while it came down to the fact that he “felt he had a good thing still going in Minnesota.” Paton is currently an assistant GM with the Vikings. That’s good news for Browns fans, but the earlier reports are still concerning. Stefanski, chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta, and whoever the new GM is will all be reporting directly to owner Jimmy Haslam, which understandably turns off some prospective candidates.

Here’s more from the coaching ranks:

We heard Mike Shula’s interview with the Broncos went well, and now he’s about to be hired. Shula is going to become Denver’s next quarterbacks coach, the team is just working out contract details, a source told Mike Klis of Denver 9 News (Twitter link). Specifically, Klis writes that offsets with the Giants still need to be worked out. Shula had been the Giants’ offensive coordinator before Pat Shurmur was fired, and there was apparently offset language in his contract. Prior to joining New York, Shula was the Panthers’ OC for five seasons. Shurmur has since been hired as Denver’s offensive play-caller, so obviously there’s a lot of familiarity here.
Speaking of former Giants coaches, New York’s former head coach Ben McAdoo left his visit with the Browns without a deal, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). Garafolo notes that it is still unclear exactly what role McAdoo was interviewing for in Cleveland. Garafolo also writes he was “in play” to be Carolina’s new quarterbacks coach.
Jason Garrett is re-teaming with one of his guys. The new Giants offensive coordinator will be paired back up with Marc Colombo, who is going to be New York’s new offensive line coach, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. Colombo had been Garrett’s O-line coach in Dallas. The Cowboys routinely had one of the league’s best offensive lines, so this seems like a strong hire.
Legendary assistant Dean Pees elected to retire as the Titans’ defensive coordinator, leaving Mike Vrabel with a big hole on his staff. The “expectation in [the] coaching community” is that Titans outside linebackers coach Shane Bowen will be promoted to DC, per Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL (Twitter link). Bowen had previously served as a defensive assistant with the Texans, so he has deep ties to Vrabel.
Rookie Panthers head coach Matt Rhule continues to fill out his inaugural staff, and he just made a couple of new hires. Rhule is expected to hire Pat Meyer away from the Chargers as his offensive line coach, and Jason Simmons away from the Packers as his defensive backs coach, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Meyer had been Los Angeles’ OL coach and run-game coordinator, while Simmons coached the Packers’ DBs. Rhule’s staff is now almost fully fleshed out.
Finally, the Dolphins are hiring a new defensive backs coach in Gerald Alexander, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets. Alexander is coming from the college ranks, where he served as the defensive backs coach at Cal for the past few seasons. Alexander was briefly with the Dolphins as a safety during his playing days back in 2011. Miami had the vacancy after they promoted Josh Boyer to defensive coordinator following Patrick Graham’s departure.

Browns Meet With Ben McAdoo

January 24th, 2020 at 12:40pm CST by Zachary Links

On Friday, the Browns met with former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo at their team headquarters (Twitter link via Jake Trotter of ESPN.com). It’s not immediately clear whether McAdoo is a candidate for the team’s offensive coordinator position, or whether the Browns will be hiring an OC at all.

“I’m committed to adding the right people to our building,” new head coach Kevin Stefanski said recently. “That remains to be seen. We’re definitely looking at all avenues as we try to put a really good staff together.”

McAdoo’s run as the Giants’ head coach was a flop, but before all of that, he built a reputation as one of the league’s savvier offensive minds. McAdoo was a member of the Packers’ coaching staff in 2010, helping guide the team to a Super Bowl XLV victory. Then, as the Giants’ OC in 2014, he took the offense from No. 28 in scoring to No. 13. In 2015, they ranked sixth in the NFL in points, despite injuries to several key players.

Many say that McAdoo didn’t have the temperament to succeed as a head coach, but Stefanski & Co. may see him as an effective offensive coach that can aid in the team’s quest to turn things around. Despite all of their star power and hype, the Browns offense (and defense) fell short in 2019, posting a 6-10 record that led to the dismissal of first-year head coach Freddie Kitchens.

Jaguars Interview McAdoo, Linehan

January 17th, 2020 at 8:38am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars interviewed former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo for their offensive coordinator vacancy, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). McAdoo, who did not coach in 2019, is looking to reboot his career after a dismal run in New York.

The Giants fired McAdoo late in the 2017 season, ending a three-plus-year run with the team as offensive coordinator and head coach. The Giants threw him under the bus following the Eli Manning benching debacle and most fans were happy to see him go – the Giants went 13-15 under his watch. Prior to all of that, McAdoo served as the tight ends and quarterbacks coach of the Packers.

The Jaguars have been searching for a new OC ever since firing John DeFilippo, who was one-and-done in Jacksonville. The Panthers are also considering McAdoo for a spot on Matt Rhule‘s maiden staff.

The Jaguars are also slated to speak to former Cowboys OC Scott Linehan this weekend – presumably for the same post. Linehan will also speak with the Panthers and Giants, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (on Twitter).

Linehan, 56, got the heave-ho from the Cowboys in January of last year. Like McAdoo, he was out of the NFL for the 2019 season.

Panthers To Interview Mike McCoy, Ben McAdoo

January 16th, 2020 at 2:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

After hiring a 30-year-old offensive coordinator from the college ranks, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule appears to be seeking experience for his offensive staff.

The Panthers interviewed former Giants HC Ben McAdoo and will meet with ex-Chargers HC Mike McCoy on Thursday, Joseph Person of The Athletic reports (on Twitter). These two have a combined six seasons’ worth of experience leading staffs.

Neither McAdoo nor McCoy coached this season. The Giants fired McAdoo late in the 2017 season, and the Cardinals canned McCoy midway through the ’18 slate. The Chargers, Broncos and Cards each fired McCoy from 2016-18. McAdoo, a former Packers quarterbacks coach, has not coached since his three-plus-year Giants tenure ended after the Eli Manning benching debacle in December 2017.

Should McCoy land a job with the Panthers, it would mark a reunion. He got his start as a coach in Carolina in 2000, working under George Seifert and staying aboard through most of the John Fox era. McCoy ended his Panthers tenure as quarterbacks coach, working in that capacity from 2004-08. This latest interview may well be for the same position.

Rhule brought in LSU wide receivers coach Joe Brady to be his offensive coordinator. While the wunderkind assistant played a key role in the national champions’ offensive explosion this past season, his highest NFL rank was as an offensive assistant with the Saints. Rhule has said he wants to bring in a mix of college and NFL assistants, and given the route he took with Brady, it would make sense to supplement him with experience.

AFC North Notes: Ravens, Bengals, Browns

January 13th, 2019 at 5:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In announcing Greg Roman as their new offensive coordinator, the Ravens also disclosed previous OC Marty Mornhinweg will not be returning to Baltimore in 2019. Mornhinweg, who’d been with the Ravens since 2015 and calling plays since 2016, rejected the opportunity to take another position on Baltimore’s staff. “We tried to keep Marty, but he has decided to move on, and I respect that,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s a really good coach and helped us win the AFC North last season and get close to the playoffs the previous two years.” Roman had reportedly drawn OC interest from the Dolphins, which could have played a factor in his promotion from assistant head coach/tight ends.

Here’s more from the AFC North:

Hue Jackson will not return to the Bengals‘ staff under presumptive new head coach Zac Taylor, Elise Jesse of WLWT was the first to report (via Twitter). Jackson, who is close friends with former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, was hired by Cincinnati at midseason, shortly after being fired as Cleveland’s head coach. Although he interviewed to succeed Lewis, Jackson was considered likely to leave the Bengals’ staff if he didn’t land the top job. While he could be in contention for offensive coordinator jobs, Jackson might have to spend 2019 as a position coach.
Former Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is in consideration for the same role with the Bengals, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Bevell is reportedly “high on [Taylor’s] list” of possible OCs, as the rookie head coach is looking for someone with plenty of experience. The 49-year-old Bevell has interviewed for play-calling openings in both Jacksonville and Atlanta this year, but thus far hasn’t landed a job after being out of the NFL in 2018. Meanwhile, ex-Giants head coach Ben McAdoo — who recently met with the Cardinals — is a “name to watch” in Cincinnati, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).
The Browns have interviewed Utah offensive line coach Jim Harding for the same position, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Harding, who was previously Utah’s co-offensive coordinator from 2015-15, is considered one of the best OL coaches at the collegiate level, per Pelissero. He interviewed with the Bengals in 2018 before Cincinnati hired Frank Pollack.

Cardinals To Interview Ben McAdoo

January 10th, 2019 at 11:49am CST by Zachary Links

Former Giants coach Ben McAdoo will interview for a spot on Kliff Kingsbury’s Cardinals staff, a source tells Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). McAdoo could be considered as an offensive coordinator candidate, but he could also be brought on in a “senior position on the offensive staff,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter).

Regardless of who is brought on to fill out Kingsbury’s staff, Rapoport expects him to be surrounded by a lot of experience. That jibes with everything else we’ve heard so far, though Kingsbury has some level of interest in bringing Texas State coach Jake Spavital on board as an offensive coordinator. With no NFL experience, the 30-something Spavital would not fit the bill as a grizzled veteran of the pro ranks.

McAdoo’s run as a head coach in New York proved to be disastrous. By the end, many of his players rebelled and quit on him. However, before that, he was a highly-valued offensive mind who enabled the Giants to finish out with the No. 10 and No. 8 ranked offenses in 2014 and 2015. McAdoo is a long way from being a head coaching candidate, but he fits the profile as a solid OC consideration.

Giants Notes: McAdoo, McIntosh, Beal, Bettcher

July 13th, 2018 at 8:09pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Ben McAdoo has been fairly quiet ever since he was fired by the Giants midway through last season. Not anymore. McAdoo opened up in a recent interview with Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, dishing on a number of topics related to his old team. McAdoo talked about how excited he is for the Giants and how much he likes the vision being implemented by new GM Dave Gettleman. He even said he thinks the Giants are going to win the NFC East in 2018.

The most notable part of McAdoo’s interview may be his comments on offensive tackle Ereck Flowers. McAdoo was blunt in talking about Flowers’ shortcomings, and didn’t sound too hopeful for the fourth-year player. Selected ninth overall in 2015, Flowers has been a major bust at left tackle, and the Giants are experimenting with him at right tackle this offseason. McAdoo doesn’t think it’ll make a difference. “He can’t bend, you got to be able to bend” he said of his former player, adding “you can run around him on that side just like you can on the other side.” It’s somewhat refreshing to hear a coach speak that openly, but it likely won’t help him in his search for another coaching gig.

Here’s more from New York:

Giants fifth round pick R.J. McIntosh is the only player drafted outside the first two rounds who has yet to sign his rookie deal. A thyroid issue may be holding up McIntosh’s contract, but a deal should get done soon, a source told Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com.
Dunleavy thinks recently drafted cornerback Sam Beal “might not be able to make an impact until the second half of his rookie season” even if he impresses the team. Dunleavy notes that the Supplemental Draft pick is “16 practices and three months of preparation behind the other rookies” so it will take him a while to catch up.
Defensive coordinator James Bettcher will be a “hot candidate” for head coaching vacancies in 2019 if the Giants defense “has a bounce-back year”, according to Dunleavy. He also thinks defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo is a future coordinator in the league who teams will soon begin to take notice of.