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QB Notes: Ravens, Levis, Colts, Richardson, Rams, Bennett, Hurts, 49ers

May 16th, 2023 at 2:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens hosted Anthony Richardson on a pre-draft visit, and GM Eric DeCosta did not shoot down the idea of taking a first-round quarterback. Of course, the Ravens squashed any such contingency plan by agreeing to terms with Lamar Jackson on his record-setting extension. Had that not happened, the team is believed to have been intrigued by Will Levis. The Ravens would have considered Levis with their first-round pick had Jackson not signed, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. Baltimore had pursued Baker Mayfield as well and entered draft week with neither of its top QBs signed beyond 2023. Tyler Huntley is on an RFA tender.

Selecting a quarterback at No. 22 would have both been a leverage play and certainly would have cost the team its best opportunity to add weaponry around Jackson, thus weakening the 2023 Ravens edition. A number of teams were connected to Levis coming into the draft, and trade rumors — centered around teams eyeing a move up for the falling Kentucky prospect — emerged in the late first round and early second. The Ravens now loom as a Levis “what if?” Though, they will probably not be the first team mentioned as a near-miss regarding the strong-armed prospect. Considering Jackson’s contract, Levis may barely be a footnote for the team.

Here is the latest news from the quarterback position:

  • Seeing as the Colts and Titans are in the same division, Indianapolis will probably be the top Levis “what if?” team. The Colts were tied to Levis for weeks ahead of the draft, but they successfully masked their Richardson interest. Even though Richardson’s ceiling enamored Colts brass, Fowler adds Levis had a few fans in Indy’s building. The Penn State transfer might be readier to play compared to Richardson, a one-year Florida starter, though Ryan Tannehill‘s presence in Tennessee may ensure Richardson begins his QB1 run first. Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds was a Richardson skeptic at first, but fellow seventh-year Indy front office staffer Morocco Brown — who primarily scouted the Gators talent for the Colts — made near-weekly trips to Gainesville to chart the athletic prospect’s progress. Ex-Shane Steichen Eagles coworker Brian Johnson, Florida’s OC during Richardson’s freshman year (2020), also vouched for Richardson, per Fowler.
  • The Rams did not consider Levis, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, who notes they came into the draft with a goal of landing a Day 3 passer (subscription required). Despite Levis having played for 2022 Rams OC Liam Coen in 2021, team brass was split on the prospect. Los Angeles ended up with Stetson Bennett via the No. 128 overall pick. This came after the Rams hired one of their former QBs, Kellen Clemens, as a consultant to evaluate Bennett and other arms, Rodrigue adds. Clemens met with Bennett in Georgia before the draft, but even though Bennett is a 26-year-old rookie, ex-Broncos backup Brett Rypien may begin as Matthew Stafford‘s backup.
  • The Eagles‘ Jalen Hurts extension (five years, $255MM) laid the groundwork for Jackson’s, and the Ravens QB scored more fully guaranteed money ($135MM to $110MM). But Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes the Hurts deal jumps to $157.3MM fully guaranteed by 2025. This is because Hurts’ 2026 option bonus ($49.8MM) becomes guaranteed in stages. Hurts will see $16.5MM of that bonus become guaranteed in 2024, and $30MM of that payout locks in by 2025. These guarantees vest in March 2024 and ’25, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. The Eagles ditched Carson Wentz‘s contract less than two years after authorizing it, but they moved back into the QB-paying business with this megadeal.
  • Former Detroit and Washington practice squad QB Steven Montez spent the weekend in San Francisco auditioning at the 49ers‘ rookie minicamp, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The Colorado alum served as the Seattle Sea Dragons’ backup, behind Ben DiNucci, who has since signed with the Broncos. The 49ers have four QBs rostered and have not signed Montez.

2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 28th, 2023 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the head coaching carousel spun for several weeks, many teams made coordinator changes as well. Teams seeking new head coaches are conducting OC and DC searches, and a handful of other teams that did not make HC changes are also searching for top assistants.

This is a big year for offensive coordinator hires, with nearly half the league making changes. Here are the teams searching for new OCs and DCs. As new searches emerge, they will be added to the list.

Updated 3-1-23 (3:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals 

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Greg Roman)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Ben McAdoo)

  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach, (Rams): Hired
  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/2
  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jeff Nixon, running backs coach (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Brian Schottenheimer, offensive consultant (Cowboys): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Justin Outten)

Houston Texans (Out: Pep Hamilton)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Parks Frazier)

  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Tee Martin, wide receivers coach (Ravens): Interview requested

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach (Chiefs): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Liam Coen)

New York Jets (Out: Mike LaFleur)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Shane Steichen)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Byron Leftwich)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Todd Downing)

Washington Commanders (Out: Scott Turner)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Vance Joseph)

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dean Pees)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Leslie Frazier)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Al Holcomb)

  • Ejiro Evero, former defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): Interviewed
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans 

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Renaldo Hill)

  • Derrick Ansley, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Promoted
  • Doug Belk, defensive coordinator (Houston): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Interviewed

Miami Dolphins (Out: Josh Boyer)

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Ed Donatell)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard)

  • Joe Woods, former defensive coordinator (Browns): Hired

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Jonathan Gannon)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: DeMeco Ryans)

  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): On radar
  • Chris Harris, defensive backs coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
  • Kris Kocurek, defensive line coach (49ers): On radar
  • Steve Wilks, former interim head coach (Panthers): Hired

Eagles To Promote Brian Johnson To OC

February 28th, 2023 at 8:45am CST by Adam La Rose

One of the Eagles’ coordinator vacancies has been filled, and in expected fashion. Philadelphia is promoting quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson to offensive coordinator, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).

The NFC champions lost OC Shane Steichen not long after the Super Bowl when he took the Colts’ head coaching position. That ended his two-year tenure with the Eagles, which saw quarterback Jalen Hurts evolve from a question mark entering the 2022 season to an MVP finalist. His absence will be felt, but a familiar face will now lead the team’s offense.

Johnson, 36, took his first NFL coaching opportunity with the Eagles in 2021 as part of head coach Nick Sirianni‘s first staff. That followed a decade in the college ranks, including stints as OC at Utah, Houston and Florida. His work with those programs, and with Hurts and the Eagles, had him squarely on the OC radar for other teams during this year’s hiring cycle. After the Eagles made it clear prospective new employers would not be well-served interviewing him, though, expectations grew that he would be on tap to succeed Steichen.

Sirianni indicated before this move that his intention was for the team’s next OC to call plays, continuing the setup in place with Steichen. Johnson will be hard-pressed to repeat the success of the team’s balanced attack, which ranked fifth in rushing yards and ninth in passing yards last season. A number of key contributors, including the extension-eligible Hurts, will be in place for 2023, though lead running back Miles Sanders is likely to depart as a free agent.

Passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo was the other internal option mentioned as a candidate to get the OC nod, confirming that that Eagles would not be looking outside the organization to fill the position. The 2023 offseason has seen a plethora of coordinator changes, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Losing Steichen and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon after the Super Bowl left the team playing catch-up relative to the rest of the NFL. Their DC search is ongoing, but now they have their top offensive assistant in place.

Johnson and Hurts have a longtime personal relationship, which will lead to significant expectations for the pair as they look to build off of their success in 2022. After the unit put the Eagles on the razor’s edge of winning a Super Bowl, another deep playoff run this season would come as little surprise.

Coaching Updates: Eagles, Cards, Broncos

February 20th, 2023 at 10:05pm CST by Ely Allen

Following an impressive 2022 campaign that led to a Super Bowl appearance, the Eagles have watched their coaching staff be picked apart as both former coordinators have accepted positions as head coaches elsewhere. It looks like two of the assistants that they’ve held onto so far may be leading candidates to replace their former coordinators, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Breer claims that it’s looking more and more like quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson will be staying in Philadelphia. The lauded assistant recently turned down an opportunity to join Frank Reich‘s new staff in Carolina, which Breer believes sets him up to succeed Shane Steichen as the Eagles’ next offensive coordinator.

Similarly, Philadelphia may be looking internally to replace Jonathan Gannon, as well. Originally, the team considered Vic Fangio and Jerod Mayo as top candidates, but with Fangio taking the coordinator job in Miami and Mayo looking more and more like Bill Belichick‘s protege in New England, they were forced to keep looking. Breer posits that passing-game coordinator Dennard Wilson should be considered a top candidate for the defensive coordinator job in Philadelphia.

Here are a few other updates to coaching staffs currently in flux amidst regime changes:

  • The Cardinals have started piecing their coaching staff together under Gannon. The team has hired Klayton Adams to serve as their offensive line coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Adams has history coaching multiple offensive positions in the college ranks and last served as the tight ends coach for the Colts after two years as the assistant offensive line coach. He had recently accepted the offensive line coaching position at Stanford but will spurn the Cardinal to coach for the Cardinals. Assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers is reportedly being retained by Gannon, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. No word on if Rodgers will retain both titles or solely serve as special teams coordinator. Lastly, the Cardinals had interviewed Commanders wide receivers coach Drew Terrell for their offensive coordinator position before hiring Drew Petzing to the position, but the team reportedly may still hire Terrell in a different role. According to Jeremy Folwer of ESPN, Terrell is considered a strong candidate to be hired as the pass-game coordinator in Arizona.
  • Yet another former Saints staffer will be joining Sean Payton in Denver. According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, Dan Dalrymple will be joining the Broncos‘ staff. Dalrymple previously served as the Saints head strength and conditioning coach for the past 16 years. On the other side of things, a former Broncos staffer is on the way out, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Following recent suspicions that Payton had his own person in mind for the job, wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni has opted to join Nathaniel Hackett in New York under the same title.

Brian Johnson In Lead To Become Next Eagles OC

February 17th, 2023 at 11:03am CST by Sam Robinson

Depending on Eric Bieniemy‘s decision, either 16 or 17 teams will have changed offensive coordinators this offseason. That whopping number could include both Super Bowl entrants, and both the Eagles and Chiefs look to be eyeing continuity-based approaches.

Signs continue to point to Brian Johnson succeeding Shane Steichen in Philadelphia. Teams pursued the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach during this year’s hiring period, but InsidetheBirds.com’s Adam Caplan notes teams were basically told not to bother. This lends further credence to the rumored plan of promoting Johnson to replace Steichen.

The Eagles could not block a Johnson interview, but the former Florida assistant may well be onboard with this plan. Despite Jets and Rams interest, a late-January report noted the position coach did not interview for those jobs. Contradictory reports emerged on Johnson’s interest in those positions, and the Panthers also had Johnson on their OC radar. The fact he remains in Philly now points to a promotion. Both Johnson and pass-game coordinator Kevin Patullo have loomed as Steichen replacement candidates, but Jalen Hurts‘ position coach appears to have a leg up here.

Although Johnson is Black, the NFC champions must interview at least one external minority candidate to comply with the Rooney Rule for coordinators. Johnson has been with the Eagles since Nick Sirianni took over, moving from Florida’s OC to Eagles QBs coach. Considerably more responsibility could soon come his way.

Sirianni said he wants his next offensive coordinator to call plays, as Steichen did, to keep allowing him to work in a CEO-type role. Johnson called plays at Florida during the shortened 2020 season, and the Gators rode the Kyle Trask–Kyle Pitts connection to 39.8 points per game — 13th in Division I-FBS that year. Johnson, 35, also served as Dak Prescott‘s position coach at Mississippi State in the mid-2010s. Hurts’ ascent did plenty to land Steichen the Colts’ HC job, and Johnson could soon be rewarded for his role in the quarterback’s rise.

On defense, the team views DBs coach Dennard Wilson highly, Geoff Mosher of InsidetheBirds.com adds. We heard earlier this week Wilson was a candidate to take over for Jonathan Gannon, and although the Eagles at least made some effort to keep their previous DC, the Cardinals hired him as their head coach Tuesday. The Eagles are the first team since the Bengals nine years ago to see both their OC and DC become head coaches in the same offseason. Wilson, 40, interviewed for the Browns’ DC job this year. He has been with the Eagles since Sirianni’s hire as well.

The Eagles will maintain continuity on special teams as well. They are retaining ST coordinator Michael Clay, Sirianni said. Clay served as the 49ers’ assistant special teams coach prior to joining the Eagles in 2021.

Coaching Notes: Panthers, Kocurek, Leftwich, Titans

February 7th, 2023 at 9:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Yesterday, Joseph Person of The Athletic provided a breakdown of the Panthers‘ recent search for a new head coach that ended in the hiring of Frank Reich. There were a few notes of interest that we took away from the behind the scenes look.

The first note of interest is the revelation that, when interim head coach Steve Wilks interviewed for the official role, he laid out his full offensive plan for the search committee. Part of Wilks’ offensive plan relied on the pursuit of Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson as his offensive coordinator. Johnson’s year coaching a phenomenal season by quarterback Jalen Hurts made him a name to watch for many of the open offensive coordinator jobs around the league. He did end up interviewing with the Rams and Jets for jobs that went to Mike LaFleur and Nathaniel Hackett, respectively.

A second note of interest is likely a clue as to why Wilks didn’t end up as the official head coach of the Panthers. Of the nine candidates Carolina looked at for the position, seven had offensive backgrounds. Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer has a belief that “offensive coordinators-turned-head coaches might have an edge in game management.” That explains why Wilks was so detailed in his offensive plan and, perhaps, how much of an uphill battle he faced.

Lastly, it was reported that Reich was becoming the clear choice for the job by his second interview. “The first time he came in, he was dialed in, laid out his plan,” Fitterer said. “Then when he came back in the second time, he took that plan and went deeper, went to a different level.” Reich was offered the position the next day, prompting an immediate response from the legal team representing Wilks and Brian Flores in their lawsuit accusing the league of racial discrimination.

Here are a few other notes of coaching developments occurring around the NFL:

  • Even though Wilks didn’t get the head coaching position he coveted, he ended up landing a top coordinator position in the league with the 49ers, following the departure of DeMeco Ryans. San Francisco defensive line coach Kris Kocurek received some interest for the Texans defensive coordinator position under his former coordinator and was in consideration for the job that Ryans vacated and Wilks took. Wilks apparently was able to convince Kocurek to stay in the Bay Area, keeping a respected defensive assistant on his staff, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
  • Former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich could be headed to the college ranks, following his recent dismissal from Tampa Bay. According to Grace Remington of 247Sports, Leftwich reached out to Notre Dame about the offensive coordinator position vacated by Tommy Rees, who left to become the offensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa. Leftwich has reportedly remained in contact with the head coach of the Fighting Irish, Marcus Freeman, and remains a strong contender for the job.
  • A slew of coaching updates in Nashville were provided earlier today, with a few smaller assignments sliding under notice. Formerly the running backs coach over star Derrick Henry, Tony Dews has transitioned to the tight ends coaching position for the Titans, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. It was recently reported that former Buccaneers assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust was making her way to Tennessee. Wilson provided clarification that she has been brought on in a defensive quality control role. Justin Hamilton will reportedly join her in a similar role. Finally, Wilson provided news of a departure, reporting that secondary coach Anthony Midget will not be retained in 2023.

Latest On Eagles QBs Coach Brian Johnson

January 31st, 2023 at 11:45am CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles have made it to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in franchise history this season in large part due to the jump in production seen from quarterback Jalen Hurts. To little surprise, his positional coach is drawing interest during this year’s coordinator cycle.

[RELATED: Eagles, Hurts To Discuss Extension]

Brian Johnson began his coaching career at the college level in 2010. Over the course of the following decade, he spent time with four different programs, working as QBs coach and/or offensive coordinator at each stop along the way. That landed him his Eagles post in 2021, his first foray into coaching in the NFL.

This season, his second as a full-time starter, Hurts has taken a substantial step forward. The former second-rounder led the Eagles to the NFC’s No. 1 seed, putting himself in the MVP conversation along the way. That earned Johnson considerable praise alongside the other key members of the Eagles’ offensive staff, particularly OC Shane Steichen. It has not, on the other hand, resulted in much in the way of interviews so far.

The only meeting Johnson reportedly took was with the Rams prior to their decision to hire Mike LaFleur for their OC position. Contradicting that, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones writes that Johnson has yet to take part in any interviews. Part of the reason for that, he adds, is the possibility that he could be waiting to see if the Eagles’ OC role becomes vacant after the season with Steichen being hired elsewhere. If that were to take place, Johnson, 35, would represent a logical candidate to be promoted.

In any case, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler names Johnson and Kevin Patullo as names on Philadelphia’s staff to watch closely as teams fill out their OC positions (Twitter link). One such team is the Panthers, who have Frank Reich in place as their new head coach but plenty of uncertainty with respect to the rest of his staff. A push from Carolina to hire Johnson for the role is “probably coming,” per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Breer adds that Johnson would have also been the preferred candidate for Steve Wilks, had he been given the full-time HC position with the Panthers.

With five OC spots still yet to be filled, plenty is still to be determined in the coming weeks as the coaching cycle plays out. Regardless of the outcome of the coming Super Bowl, though, Johnson will figure to be on the radar in 2023 and beyond.

Jets Interview Nathaniel Hackett, Marcus Brady, Brian Johnson, Kevin Patullo For OC Position

January 18th, 2023 at 10:13am CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets’ offensive coordinator search now includes six interviews, including three with Eagles staffers. In addition to interviewing Darrell Bevell and Nick Caley, the Jets have spoken with Philadelphia staffers Brian Johnson and Kevin Patullo, Rich Cimini and Dianna Russini of ESPN.com note (Twitter links).

Johnson has been the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons, while Patullo serves as Philly’s passing-game coordinator. The team has also spoken with former Colts OC Marcus Brady, Cimini adds. Although Brady is best known for his time in Indianapolis, he joined Philly’s staff several weeks ago.

The team is also meeting with Nathaniel Hackett, Russini tweets. Coming off one of the worst head coaching tenures in modern NFL history, Hackett has been an NFL play-caller for three teams over the past 10 years. He joins Bevell as the only former NFL play-callers on the radar for the Jets position thus far. Hackett is interviewing with the team Wednesday.

While Hackett has been an OC for the Bills, Jaguars and Packers, he is looking to bounce back from an ignominious Broncos tenure — one that ended with him becoming just the third first-year HC to be fired before season’s end since 1970. Hackett’s offense produced weekly letdowns in Denver. Russell Wilson‘s performance nosedived from his Seattle years, and issues with game management plagued the second-generation NFL coach as well. By the time the Broncos fired Hackett, he was neither calling plays nor managing the game.

Speculation pointed to the Broncos hiring Hackett with the hopes of luring Aaron Rodgers, who had been on their radar since early in the 2021 offseason. The four-time MVP instead signed a Packers extension. However, he has recently reopened the trade door. Rodgers said his Packers future is not entirely up to him anymore and has broached the subject of the team dealing him and pivoting to Jordan Love. GM Brian Gutekunst pushed back on this, but Rodgers could be in trade rumors for a third straight offseason. The Jets are prepared to pay up for a veteran to better complement their improved defense, and Rodgers had two of his best seasons with Hackett as Green Bay’s OC. The future Hall of Famer has spoken highly of Hackett, who has a history with Robert Saleh from their time in Jacksonville.

Brady spent five seasons on Frank Reich‘s Colts staff, rising from quarterbacks coach to OC once the Eagles hired Nick Sirianni in 2021. Brady did not call plays in Indianapolis, however, with Reich doing so throughout his tenure. But the former CFL quarterback has OC experience north of the border as well, serving in that role for the Toronto Argonauts from 2012-17.

Jalen Hurts‘ progress has both reflected well on Johnson and Patullo. The Eagles have relied on Hurts’ rushing talents since he took over as their starter, but he made strides as a passer this season. Johnson has been Hurts’ position coach for the past two seasons, coming over after a short stay as Florida’s OC. Johnson was also Dak Prescott‘s position coach at Mississippi State. The Colts’ wide receivers coach from 2018-20, Patullo has held the pass-game coordinator role with the Eagles throughout Sirianni’s Philly tenure.

Latest On Jets’ OC Search

January 15th, 2023 at 11:49am CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 15: The Jets are interviewing Marcus Brady today, per Rapoport (via Twitter).

JANUARY 14: The Jets made headlines earlier in the week when they parted ways with offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. That leaves the team with a significant hole to fill on offense during the coming weeks, but there is no shortage of names being floated around with respect to his potential replacements.

The early favorite appears to be Darrell Bevell. The Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator represents the name mentioned most often for the Jets’ OC vacancy, Connor Hughes of SNY tweets. The 52-year-old is in his first season with Miami, but spent the previous 15 campaigns as an offensive coordinator. That tenure included a stint as the Seahawks’ OC from 2012 to 2017, which earned him a Super Bowl ring.

That time also included overlap with current Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who was a defensive assistant at the time. Bevell saw time with the Vikings as their OC prior to his Seattle stint, and occupied the same role with the Lions and Jaguars. His experience as an interim head coach with the latter two teams – coupled with his role in revitalizing the Dolphins’ offense this year – has made him a potential HC candidate in this year’s cycle.

While it remains to be seen if New York will interview Bevell for the position, they have done so with Eagles passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The meeting took place yesterday, as Patullo prepares to continue his work with the NFC’s top seed. He has been with Philadelphia for the past two seasons, after a three-year stint alongside Nick Sirianni with the Colts in a similar role; he also spent one season with Gang Green prior to that.

The Jets have also requested an interview with Nick Caley, per Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). He is currently the Patriots’ tight ends coach, a title he has held since 2017. The 39-year-old has exclusively worked in New England during his NFL coaching career, but he spent a decade in the college ranks prior to joining Bill Belichick‘s staff in 2015. Rapoport had previously named Caley as a name to watch, alongside Eagles QBs coach Brian Johnson and former Colts OC Marcus Brady (Twitter link).

Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer tweets that Bills QBs coach Joe Brady is another potential candidate. He notes that the Jets are “doing homework” on the 33-year-old, who was highly-touted after his work in college (particularly with LSU) when he took on the Panthers’ OC job in 2020. That, much like Matt Rhule‘s tenure in Charlotte, did not go according to plan, however, and he was fired midway through his second season with the team. Brady was hired by the Bills shortly thereafter, as he began the process of rebuilding his stock.

Each of the above names comprise a list of candidates along with the likes of ex-Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, Rams offensive assistant Greg Olson and Chiefs QBs coach Matt Nagy. That trio, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, could all be in the mix, though he adds (via Twitter) that veteran Gary Kubiak is not expected to be a part of the Jets’ search. New York’s process of replacing LaFleur will be worth watching as the team looks to take another step forward on offense in 2023.

Bears Audition Michael Badgley, Josh Lambo

September 30th, 2022 at 2:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears may need a kicker for their Week 4 game, and they are turning to the workout circuit to find a fill-in option. The team excused Cairo Santos from practice Thursday for personal reasons, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, and the veteran specialist was not there Friday.

With no kicker currently on the Bears’ 16-man practice squad, outside help appears necessary. Michael Badgley, Josh Lambo and Brian Johnson took part in a Friday workout, Biggs adds (via Twitter). Santos, 31, has been the Bears’ kicker since 2020. Via the three-year extension he signed in 2021, Santos is signed through the 2024 season.

Badgley, Lambo and Johnson kicked in the NFL last season. None entered this season with a gig. Both Lambo and Badgley began their careers with the Chargers; Badgley played as a Colts replacement option last season, while Lambo was with the Jaguars from 2017-21. The team moved in a different direction this year, ditching both Lambo and top 2021 option Matthew Wright.

Lambo, 31, only kicked in seven Jaguars games from 2020-21 but was the team’s full-timer for most of Doug Marrone‘s HC tenure. He led the NFL with a 97% make rate during his most recent full season (2019), going 33-for-34, but missed each of his three field goal tries last season. Lambo’s Jacksonville stay represents his longest as a pro; it will likely be most remembered for his Urban Meyer conflict. Lambo has sued the Jags, alleging Meyer kicked him while he was warming up for a preseason game. Jacksonville released Lambo in October 2021.

Signed to replace an injured Rodrigo Blankenship midway through last season, Badgley made 86% of his tries (18 of 21) in Indianapolis. One of the Saints’ four options in their Wil Lutz-less season, Johnson also kicked for Washington in 2021. Johnson has yet to miss a field goal as a pro, going 10-for-10 as a rookie. This has been a two-workout week for Badgley, who auditioned for the Chiefs with ex-Jags teammate Wright. The latter landed the job — a spot on Kansas City’s P-squad.

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