Fred Walker

AFC South Notes: Jaguars, Texans, Colts

February 16th, 2025 at 9:20am CST by Ely Allen

As the Jaguars continue to search for a new general manager to pair with first-year head coach Liam Coen, Coen continues to build his first coaching staff around himself in Jacksonville. Most recently, two offensive names have been brought up for minor roles on the offensive staff. While Coen, in his extensive experience coaching quarterbacks, will likely take on a lot of responsibility with molding Trevor Lawrence, as head coach, Coen has other responsibilities, as well, so, he’ll need assistance.

Firstly, the team is hiring Fred Walker as an offensive assistant, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. Walker spent the last three years on staff in Las Vegas — two of those years as an offensive assistant before working 2024 as assistant quarterbacks coach. That may not inspire much confidence, considering the state of the position for the Raiders last year, but he did work with Derek Carr in the passer’s last Pro Bowl season in 2022.

Another name the team is looking at to work with Lawrence is James Madison offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Dean Kennedy. Kennedy is a young, fast-rising name in the coaching world. He has experience as a graduate assistant with two SEC schools (Mississippi State and Florida) as well as two years as the Gators assistant quarterbacks coach back in 2020-21, when Kyle Trask and Anthony Richardson were in the room.

Following that, Kennedy accepted a role as quarterbacks coach at Holy Cross that turned into his first offensive coordinator role a year later. Last season was his only year with the Dukes, but he led an offense that was 26th in the nation in scoring and beat the North Carolina Tar Heels, 70-50. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Jaguars are interviewing him for an as of yet unreported role.

Here are a couple other coaching updates coming out of the AFC South:

The Texans are expected to add a new defensive staffer in Toledo defensive line coach Frank Okam, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Okam will serve as the team’s new assistant defensive line coach behind current defensive line coach Rod Wright, whom he played with in college at the University of Texas. Okam also played with head coach DeMeco Ryans when the two were players for the Texans from 2008-10. After defensive line coaching jobs at Rice and Baylor following his playing career, Okam held defensive line coaching jobs for the Panthers and Raiders before returning to the college ranks for the past two years.
Finally, the Colts are reportedly targeting veteran defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson for a role on their staff, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Indianapolis just recently hired Chris Hewitt away from Baltimore as their new pass game coordinator & secondary coach, so it will be interesting to see what role they’d like to carve out for Henderson. Henderson has served as defensive backs coach for the Jets (2008), Browns (2009-11), Cowboys (2012-15), and Giants (2020-24) with additional years as a defensive passing game coordinator for the Falcons (2016-19) and the Giants last year.

AFC West Notes: Raiders, Bolts, Broncos, Nix

February 4th, 2025 at 6:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The brain drain in Denver continues. Losing high-ranking exec Darren Mougey to the Jets, the Broncos have also seen two Sean Payton staffers (John Morton, Declan Doyle) become OCs elsewhere — Detroit, Chicago. They will now see one of their front office staffers join a division rival. The Raiders hired Mark Thewes as their senior VP of football operations Tuesday. Thewes, 48, will reunite with John Spytek, his coworker in Denver during part of the 2010s. Coming to the Broncos back when Josh McDaniels was hired as HC, Thewes lasted through several regimes, joining Mougey in that regard. Despite McDaniels’ quick dismissal, the Broncos retained his former high school teammate. McDaniels’ quick Las Vegas ouster notwithstanding, he will join Spytek, Tom Brady and Pete Carroll among the Raiders’ bigwigs.

Thewes follows David Shaw out of Denver’s front office; Shaw is returning to coaching, being set to join Morton in Detroit. Here is the latest from the AFC West:

The Raiders are retaining DC Patrick Graham and D-line coach Rob Leonard, but offensive staffers are departing. Running backs coach Cadillac Williams, wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett and assistant QBs coach Fred Walker are out, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Additionally, linebackers coach Mike Caldwell and cornerbacks coach Ricky Manning Jr. will not be back. This comes a year after the Jaguars fired Caldwell as DC. Williams joined the Raiders’ staff last year, while Bennett’s tenure stretched back to Jon Gruden‘s 2018 return. Formerly the Packers’ OC, the ex-NFL running back coached Raiders receivers under Gruden, McDaniels and Antonio Pierce. He has been an NFL staffer since 2005. Caldwell was part of the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl-winning staff, overlapping with Brady and Spytek, making it a bit more interesting he will not be asked back.
Las Vegas had a name in mind to replace Bennett, but a division rival will not allow it. The Chargers blocked a Raiders request to meet with Sanjay Lal, Fowler adds. Jim Harbaugh hired Lal as his WRs coach last year, and the team is intent on keeping the veteran position coach. Lal was on Carroll’s staff as an offensive assistant in 2020; because he is still under contract with the Bolts, they can block any lateral move.
Elsewhere on the Chargers’ staff, they will lose safeties coach Chris O’Leary to the college ranks. Western Michigan is hiring O’Leary as its DC, ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel reports. O’Leary had been safeties coach at Notre Dame from 2021-23.
Bo Nix passed on a Pro Bowl Games invite, as an alternate, due to a cleanup procedure, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. It is not known what issue this operation will address, but it does not appear Nix is in much danger of missing the Broncos‘ offseason program. Nix played through a transverse process fracture in his back during the season. Any type of back surgery would certainly be notable for the impressive rookie QB, so it will be interesting to learn what exactly will be addressed via this cleanup.
Asante Samuel Jr. missed 13 games this season, slowing his momentum in a contract year. Samuel said he dealt with “stinger symptoms,” via The Athletic’s Daniel Popper (subscription required). The second-generation NFL corner said he has dealt with these symptoms throughout his career, and a flareup occurred during a practice before Week 1. Another issue cropped up before Week 6, leading to the shutdown. Samuel said he should be fine for offseason work, though it is not certain where that work will be. Playing outside and in the slot for Los Angeles, Samuel said he wants to re-sign. The 47-game Chargers starter joins Kristian Fulton in being a free agent-to-be at CB from this secondary.

Raiders Hire Rich Scangarello As QB Coach, Fred Walker As Assistant

February 19th, 2024 at 10:26pm CST by Ely Allen

FEBRUARY 19: Las Vegas has made it official, hiring Scangarello as their new quarterbacks coach, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Pelissero informs that Scangarello was most recently assisting USC quarterback and presumed future-No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams with his pre-draft prep but will now head to the Raiders, a team that may be in the market for a young quarterback with O’Connell set as the future starter following Garoppolo’s expected release.

The team also announced the promotion of Fred Walker to serve as assistant quarterbacks coach under Scangarello, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Walker, who spent the past two years as an offensive assistant for the Raiders, recently interviewed for the Seahawks quarterbacks coaching job, a job that was instead given to Charles London.

FEBRUARY 18: The Raiders are close to finalizing their coaching staff under new head coach Antonio Pierce, with quarterbacks coach being one of the few remaining vacant positions. That isn’t for lack of trying, though, as the team has been conducting its search and, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, are narrowing in on a target.

Fowler reports that former University of Kentucky offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello is currently the front runner for the Raiders’ open position. The veteran offensive coach has reportedly been in the building this week, and it’s seeming like a deal could be in the works.

Scangarello has been coaching at some level since 1998, when he was a graduate assistant at UC Davis. Through 11 years at several college institutions, Scangarello eventually worked his way up to co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at UC Davis. He earned his first NFL opportunity as an offensive quality control coach for the Raiders in 2009. He left for his first full offensive coordinator opportunities at Millsaps and Northern Arizona. After another year as an offensive quality control coach in the NFL with the Falcons, Scangarello was drawn back to college once more as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wagner.

Scangarello made his return to the NFL with his first professional position coaching job as quarterbacks coach of the 49ers in 2017. It only took two years of coaching a menagerie of Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer, C.J. Beathard, and Nick Mullens in San Francisco for him to get his first offensive coordinator opportunity with the Broncos in 2019. With Scangarello calling plays, Denver’s offense finished 28th in the league in both points scored and yards gained. He was fired by head coach Vic Fangio after only one year. After a year in Philadelphia as a senior offensive assistant, Scangarello returned for a second stint as the 49ers quarterback coach, once again mentoring Garoppolo.

Scangarello would leave San Francisco to take his most recent position at Kentucky in 2022. Under his play-calling, the Wildcats finished 112th (out of 131 Division I teams) in points per game and 116th in total offense. Once again, Scangarello’s time as a play caller would end after only one season. After sitting out the 2023 season, Scangarello appears set to return to the NFL.

His arrival in Las Vegas would, in theory, reunite him with Garoppolo, but the team is expected to release the veteran passer soon. Regardless, he’ll potentially be reuniting with Hoyer and would be set to coach second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell through his first offseason as the presumed starter.

Seahawks Updates: Schneider, Walker, Jackson, Polamalu

February 16th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

With the departure of long-time head coach Pete Carroll, who played a distinct role in the team’s roster decisions over the years, Seahawks general manager John Schneider has been handed the reins for personnel in the new regime moving forward. Schneider now also holds a new title. Previously the general manager and executive vice president, Schneider’s new role sees him take on the president of football operations title for 2024, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.

According to Schneider, his new role “largely signifies (that the) coaching staff now reports to him.” The staff used to report to Carroll, but Schneider reportedly had it put into his contract six or seven years ago that he would inherit that responsibility when Carroll’s tenure ended.

While he will now function as their supervisor, Schneider claims that his role in the process of hiring assistant coaches is “very much like support.” He says that the staff will be of new head coach Mike Macdonald‘s making.

Here are a few other staff updates from the Emerald City:

The Seahawks interviewed Raiders offensive assistant Fred Walker for their vacant quarterbacks coaching job, according to Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS. In several previous college coaching jobs, Walker’s focus was often on quarterbacks, working with such passers as former Duke Blue Devil Daniel Jones and former Mississippi State star Dak Prescott. He has spent two years in Las Vegas and is looking to earn his first NFL position coaching gig.
Also on offense, Seattle is making the move to hire Frisman Jackson as their new wide receivers coach, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. This will be Jackson’s fourth NFL receivers job. While his first NFL coaching season in Tennessee saw an uninspired group of Rishard Matthews, Eric Decker, and Corey Davis put up pedestrian numbers, Jackson followed that up with a 2020 season in Carolina that saw D.J. Moore and Robbie Chosen reach the 1,000-yard mark with Curtis Samuel (851 yards) not far behind. He spent the past two years mentoring Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and company in Pittsburgh.
Finally, the Seahawks are set to add veteran NFL running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu to the same position in Macdonald’s new staff, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Polamalu has a strong history of building running back tandems over his time in the NFL. After first breaking into the league with the Browns in 2004, Polamalu spent five years coaching up a legendary tandem of Fred Taylor–Maurice Jones-Drew in Jacksonville. After returning to the college ranks for a spell, Polamalu came back to the NFL to build the Dalvin Cook–Alexander Mattison tandem in Minnesota. He’s spent the last two years coaching Josh Jacobs and the Raiders’ backs in Vegas but was not retained when Antonio Pierce took over as the official head coach following his interim tenure.

Coaching Notes: Burke, Bolts, Wendell, Jags

February 11th, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

In the early days of the Cardinals‘ search for their next head coach, it was uncertain which assistants would be back. That still may be the case. But the Browns sought to hire one of the Cards’ assistants in January. Cleveland hiring Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator prompted an interview request for Arizona defensive line coach Matt Burke, per Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter). Burke had been the Lions’ linebackers coach throughout Schwartz’s time as Detroit’s HC, and the Browns wanted to reunite the veteran assistant with their new DC. But the Cardinals blocked the move, Breer adds.

This ended up working out well for Burke. Weeks later, the Texans filling their head coaching post led to DeMeco Ryans bringing him in for a defensive coordinator interview. Burke is now Houston’s DC, and he may be in position to call plays. Teams cannot block position coaches from interviewing for coordinator jobs any longer. The Cardinals’ HC hire will not come to pass until at least next week. Then, Arizona’s staff will start to take shape. Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

Former Patriots offensive lineman Ryan Wendell will receive his first chance as an offensive line coach. The Rams are hiring him to lead their O-line, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. Wendell, 36, spent the past four seasons with the Bills — the past three as their assistant O-line coach. Wendell played eight seasons with the Patriots, three as a regular starter, and was the team’s starting right guard during its Super Bowl XLIX-winning season in 2014. After beginning his coaching run in Buffalo, Wendell will take over a Rams O-line that struggled consistently last season.
The Chargers are in the process of filling out Kellen Moore‘s new offensive staff. They interviewed Raiders offensive assistant Fred Walker for their quarterbacks coach position, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. One of Josh McDaniels‘ hires last year, Walker came to Las Vegas after a run on Duke’s staff under David Cutcliffe. The first of those years, back in 2018, featured Walker working as Daniel Jones‘ QBs coach.
Former Browns defensive backs coach Jeff Howard had multiple options to continue his career. He received offers from both the Chargers and Panthers, according to ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter, who notes Howard chose the Bolts (Twitter link). Howard, an NFL assistant for the past 10 seasons, will be the Chargers’ next linebackers coach. The 40-year-old staffer spent seven years as a Vikings assistant before taking the Browns’ DBs job in 2020.
In addition to Wendell, the Bills will lose another assistant. Buffalo wide receivers coach Chad Hall will leave to take the same position with the Jaguars, Pelissero notes (via Twitter). Hall, 36, had spent the past four seasons as the Bills’ wideouts coach and had been with the team since Sean McDermott arrived in 2017. Hall’s contract had expired. An NFL receiver from 2010-14, Hall’s last stop came with the Jaguars. He also began his career with the Eagles, when current Jags HC Doug Pederson was on staff.
Sean Payton had eyed Dan Roushar, a longtime Saints assistant, for a spot on his Broncos staff. But the veteran assistant will instead stay in Louisiana. Roushar, whom the Saints dismissed last month, is expected to land on Tulane’s staff, Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com tweets. Payton lured Roushar out of the college ranks in 2013, and he spent 10 seasons with the Saints coaching multiple positions. Payton will undoubtedly add some of his former Saints coworkers to his Broncos staff — Ronald Curry has interviewed for Denver’s OC job — but Roushar will return to the college game.