HEADLINES

Brian Daboll

Staff Notes: Pats, Fins, Bolts, Hawks, 49ers

February 13th, 2017 at 8:59pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Alabama Crimson Tide are searching for an offensive coordinator in the wake of Steve Sarkisian‘s departure and will likely interview Patriots tight ends coach Brian Daboll for the role, reports Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Daboll previously served under Alabama head coach Nick Saban at Michigan State, as Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com notes, and worked as an NFL offensive coordinator in Cleveland, Miami and Kansas City from 2009-12.

More coaching news from around the league:

  • Former defensive end Andre Carter is joining the Dolphins’ staff as an assistant D-line coach, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Carter, 37, played in the league from 2001-13 and piled up 80.5 sacks.
  • The Chargers have hired ex-Atlanta defensive coordinator Richard Smith to coach their linebackers, per a team announcement. Smith, who was atop ATL’s defense the past two years, became a coaching free agent when the team fired him last week. The 61-year-old has been working with pro linebackers since 1988, when he was with the now-defunct Houston Oilers, and has since coached LBs in Denver, San Francisco, Detroit and Carolina.
  • Sherman Smith is out as the Seahawks’ running backs coach, a position he had held since 2009, according to Sporting News’ Alex Marvez. The Seahawks are promoting assistant RBs/assistant special teams coach Chad Morton to Sherman’s former spot (Twitter links).
  • The 49ers have landed ex-Buccaneers tight ends coach Jon Embree as an assistant head coach/TEs coach, writes Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle. His son, Taylor Embree, is coming aboard as a quality control coach. The younger Embree spent last season as a defensive assistant in Kansas City.
  • Elsewhere on the 49ers’ staff, the team has interviewed Falcons assistant special teams coach Eric Sutulovich to become its special teams coordinator, per Marvez (Twitter link). Caplan reported last week that the Niners were likely to meet with Sutulovich.
  • The Redskins have hired Cannon Matthews as a defensive quality control coach, relays JP Finlay of CSN Mid-Atlantic. Matthews served as the assistant defensive backs coach last year with the Browns, who parted with him in January.

East Notes: Cowboys, RGIII, Pats

January 31st, 2016 at 8:53am CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys have been connected to North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz, who is arguably the top QB prospect in this year’s draft, but recent reports indicated that Dallas was not likely to spend its first-round pick on Tony Romo‘s backup and eventual successor. If the Cowboys do, in fact, spend their early selections on players who can make more of an immediate impact, Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram identifies Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott as a potential mid-round option that could be too intriguing to pass up. Prescott had the best showing of any quarterback prospect in yesterday’s Senior Bowl, and he met with the Cowboys for an hour on Friday. During that meeting, Prescott watched film and interviewed with offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson.

Now let’s dive into some more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • We learned yesterday that Cowboys DE Demarcus Lawrence recently underwent back surgery but is expected to return “when it matters,” and Lawrence’s agent tweeted shortly thereafter that his client is “100%” and that reports regarding the surgery are “much ado about nothing.”
  • Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com explores why it is highly unlikely that Washington will be able to trade Robert Griffin III this offseason. Teams cannot trade players until the new league year begins on March 9, which is the same day RGIII’s $16.15MM guarantee for his fifth-year option kicks in, and there is no way any other club will trade for that type of guaranteed contract.
  • Count Tom E. Curran and Mike Giardi of CSNNE.com among those who believe the Patriots will not keep DE Chandler Jones beyond the 2016 season. Even with the recent marijuana-related blemish on his resume, Jones will likely be too expensive for the Pats to retain, especially since players like Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower are also upcoming free agents and should be a higher priority for the team.
  • Speaking of the Patriots, Phil A. Perry of CSNNE.com looks at the top five free agents that New England risks losing this offseason, a list headlined by players like Akiem Hicks and Nate Ebner, who might not be indispensable cogs but who nonetheless played a major role in New England’s run to the AFC title game this season.
  • Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com offers his predictions as to how the Patriots will fill the newly-created vacancies on their coaching staff, suggesting that incumbent safeties coach Brian Flores will become the new linebackers coach and tight ends coach Brian Daboll will become the new offensive line coach.