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Chargers To Bring In Ravens’ Joe Hortiz For Second GM Interview

January 24th, 2024 at 10:11pm CST by Ely Allen

After landing their desired option at head coach earlier today, the Chargers appear to be moving forward with their hiring process for a new general manager. After hosting Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown today for a second interview, the Chargers are now set to host Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz for a second, in-person interview tomorrow, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Hortiz has worked his way through the ranks in Baltimore’s front office since joining the franchise in 1998. Beginning in the scouting department, he became the team’s director of college scouting and enjoyed considerable success in the role. Hortiz held that position for 10 years before being promoted once again in 2019. He has overseen both pro and college scouting ever since.

The Chargers have been without Tom Telesco at the helm since he was dismissed alongside Brandon Staley midway through the season. The team thus has a vacancy at general manager for the first time since 2013. As is the case for the team’s coaching search, the presence of quarterback Justin Herbert on a long-term deal will likely make the Los Angeles posting an attractive one, but the roster does include a number of veterans on pricey contracts. Plenty of work will need to be done over the short and long term for the new general manager to sustainably set the team up for postseason contention during Herbert’s prime.

Here is an updated look at the Chargers’ GM search:

Bears To Interview Titans’ Chris Harris For DC Position

January 21st, 2024 at 8:54pm CST by Ely Allen

For the second year in a row, Titans defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Chris Harris has been a popular candidate to become a first-time defensive coordinator in the NFL. His most recent opportunity will take him back to Chicago, where he will interview for the Bears defensive coordinator position, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Harris’ NFL career began as a sixth-round draft pick for the Bears out of Louisiana-Monroe. Even as a late-round pick, Harris earned a starting role as a rookie and, after being traded back and forth from the Panthers, Harris left Chicago as a well-respected defender in the Windy City.

The former NFL safety began his coaching career almost immediately after announcing his retirement. Just like his playing career, Harris’ coaching career began with the Bears, as well. After two years as Chicago’s defensive quality control coach, Harris earned an assistant defensive backs coaching job with the Chargers. He got his first full position coaching job in 2020 in Washington, staying with the Commanders as their defensive backs coach until 2022. He joined Mike Vrabel‘s staff in Tennessee for the 2023 season, leaving Washington for the position he holds now.

Before officially heading to Nashville, though, Harris interviewed for a couple defensive coordinator jobs in Houston and San Francisco. Ultimately, he did join the Titans and spent 2023 in Tennessee. That trend from the 2023 offseason has continued into 2024, though, as, once again, multiple teams are interested in interviewing Harris to potentially call plays for their defenses. This past week, the Jaguars interviewed Harris as a potential option to replace Mike Caldwell as defensive coordinator.

Now, the Bears will have an opportunity to interview Harris, as well, and better yet, an opportunity to bring him back to Chicago. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus found himself serving double duty after defensive coordinator Alan Williams re-signed extremely early in the season. Eberflus remaining on staff would be ideal for a first-year coordinator like Harris, providing a safety net and sage advice in the first year calling plays for a rookie DC. Harris could end up being a perfect fit in a possible return to Chicago.

Falcons Request Second Interview With Panthers’ Ejiro Evero

January 21st, 2024 at 8:34pm CST by Ely Allen

The Falcons are preparing to move forward in the search for their next head coach. So far, Atlanta has interviewed 13 candidates to replace Arthur Smith and still plan to interview former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel this Wednesday. Despite Vrabel’s impending interview, Atlanta has begun the process of reaching out for second interviews. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is one of the candidates moving on to the second round of interviews.

Evero was a popular candidate for open head coaching jobs last year following an impressive season coaching the Broncos defense. He interviewed with the Panthers and Broncos, made it to second interviews with the Texans and Colts, and was considered a potential finalist for the Cardinals job before eventually accepting the Panthers defensive coordinator job under Frank Reich. Under Evero, the Panthers went from 22nd in yards allowed in 2022 to fourth in 2023, only furthering many teams’ desires to see him as a head coach.

So far this year, Evero has interviewed for the Falcons, Panthers, and Seahawks open head coaching gigs. He continues to impress on the interview circuit as both Seattle and Carolina have invited Evero back for second interviews. With Atlanta joining the club, the 43-year-old defensive coordinator is batting 1.000 on getting second interviews this offseason.

The Falcons requested interviews with at least 14 candidates, that we know of. New Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is the only one who hasn’t been confirmed to have interviewed. As we mentioned above, Vrabel is still awaiting his first interview. Besides those two, former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Bills interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, and 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks have all conducted interviews with the Falcons.

Of all those candidates, Belichick, Callahan, and Harbaugh join Evero as candidates who will receive a second interview. Rumors have named Belichick as a favorite for the position, but Atlanta may be tempted to go with a newer up-and-coming name like Callahan or Evero. There could still be weeks to go as several candidates will be in the playoffs for at least another week, but count Evero as one of the candidates moving forward for the next round of interviews.

Saints, Browns To Interview Texans’ Jerrod Johnson For OC Position

January 21st, 2024 at 5:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:44pm: It appears the Saints‘ request will be honored as Johnson is reportedly expected to interview with the Saints sometime early this week, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Additionally, the Browns have added Johnson to their list of offensive coordinator candidates, as well. Cleveland fired their offensive coordinator of four years, Alex Van Pelt, this week following a one-sided loss to the Texans in the Wild Card round. Van Pelt was a non-play-calling coordinator on head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s staff. His dismissal and Stefanski’s desire to interview one of the top up-and-coming names in the coaching world may point to a willingness from Stefanski to give up play-calling duties. Regardless, Johnson will interview with the Browns early this week, as well.

9:56am: Jerrod Johnson is back on the OC interview circuit. Landing on the coordinator radar last year, Johnson ended up in Houston as the Texans’ quarterbacks coach. After C.J. Stroud‘s rookie season, teams should be expected to give Johnson more attention as OC jobs become available.

One will be the Saints. New Orleans will be the first team to request an OC interview with Johnson this year, with CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones noting the young assistant has received a slip from the NFC South team. Johnson joins Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson and Bengals QBs coach Dan Pitcher on the Saints’ OC radar thus far.

The Chargers brought in Johnson for a meeting last year but ended up going with Kellen Moore soon after the latter’s Cowboys exit. A former Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach, Johnson still managed to move up the ladder. Working under Bobby Slowik in Houston this season, the 35-year-old assistant presided over one of the better QB rookie years in recent NFL history. Stroud’s early readiness will likely garner Johnson more than one OC meeting this offseason.

Puka Nacua‘s record-setting season may not be enough to beat out Stroud for Offensive Rookie of the Year, considering where the Texans were since the Deshaun Watson turbulence began. Stroud led the NFL in passing yards per game and in INT rate, throwing just five picks, and quarterbacked the Texans to a one-sided wild-card win over the Browns. Johnson’s first season as a team’s top QBs coach could not have gone much better.

Johnson, who bounced around the NFL as a practice squad arm during the 2010s, is just two years removed from the quality control level. The Colts employed Johnson as such from 2020-21, with the Vikings bringing him in as their assistant QBs coach during Kevin O’Connell‘s first season. Five teams — the Falcons, Panthers, Seahawks, Titans and Commanders — sent Slowik interview requests. The prospect of Ryans losing his top two offensive assistants after Year 1 will be in play.

David Shaw To Interview For Titans’ HC Position

January 19th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Ely Allen

Add another offensive-minded coach to the list of head coaching candidates in Tennessee. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Titans will host former Stanford head coach David Shaw this weekend to interview for their vacant head coaching job.

Shaw was out of coaching in 2023, taking a year off after re-signing from his longtime position as head coach of the Cardinal. Shaw held his position at Stanford for 12 years, winning three conference titles in his first five years at the helm. Shaw had been a homerun hire out of the gate, amassing an 82-26 record over his first eight years in Palo Alto. Unfortunately, a 14-28 record over his last four years, including two consecutive 3-9 seasons to close out his tenure, seemingly forced his hand, ending his time at Stanford.

Before serving as a head coach at the collegiate level, a position Shaw had been promoted to after time as an offensive coordinator for the Cardinal and passing game coordinator at the University of San Diego under Jim Harbaugh, Shaw had an extensive career as an NFL assistant. After starting as an offensive quality control coach in Philadelphia in 1997, Shaw spent three years in the same role for the Raiders. In 2001, Shaw was promoted to quarterbacks coach in Oakland and would leave the next year to coach quarterbacks and wide receivers in Baltimore.

Shaw’s college coaching career saw him bring up such NFL successes as Andrew Luck and Christian McCaffrey. His pro-style offense has often been a point of interest in the NFL, bringing his name up in several head coaching searches in the past. Despite all the interest, this will only be Shaw’s third NFL head coaching interview following an interview yesterday with the Chargers and last year with the Broncos.

You can find the full list of all candidates for vacant NFL head coaching jobs at PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, but for convenience, the Titans are as follows:

Patriots Interviewing Candidates For Coordinator Positions

January 19th, 2024 at 7:45pm CST by Ely Allen

New Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo has been on the job for a week now and is starting to look into filling out his coaching staff. A report from Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS informed of the team’s plan to interview their current defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington for their open defensive coordinator position. In addition, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that New England would interview Rams assistant special teams coach Jeremy Springer for a special teams coaching job.

Covington has been in New England since 2017, when he earned his first NFL job as a coaching assistant. Before coming to the NFL, Covington worked as a defensive graduate assistant at UAB and Ole Miss. He followed that up with a defensive line coaching job at UT Martin and co-defensive coordinator position while coaching the defensive line at Eastern Illinois. Covington was promoted from coaching assistant to outside linebackers coach of the Patriots in 2019, the year Mayo was hired to coach inside linebackers. He transitioned to defensive line coach in 2020, where he’s remained ever since.

Since allowing Matt Patricia to depart for a head coaching gig in Detroit in 2018, the Patriots have not traditionally staffed a defensive coordinator. They’ve had defensive position coaches who delivered play calls to the wearer of the green helmet sticker, like Brian Flores and Steve Belichick after him, and people have speculated that Bill Belichick, a former defensive coordinator himself, was the one determining what plays to call, but much like 2022’s offensive play-calling mystery in New England, the team claims defensive play-calling to be the culmination of many different inputs. While that method may continue into 2024, it appears Mayo interviewing Covington displays a willingness to actually award the coordinator title to someone on staff for the first time since 2017.

Special teams, on the other hand, has been the responsibility of special teams coordinator Cameron Achord since 2020. Rapoport didn’t specify that the position Springer was expected to interview for would be a coordinator position, but Springer is considered one of the rising young coaches in the NFL, so it’s hard to imagine him changing teams for another assistant job. If that’s the case, it could point towards Achord either being an unlikely holdover candidate on Mayo’s new staff or being a likely special teams coordinator candidate wherever Belichick ends up. Springer has been with the Rams for the past two seasons after eight years coaching in at the collegiate level.

Whether or not Covington or Springer end up on Mayo’s 2024 Patriots staff, both interviews underline the start of the new regime in New England. No longer are the Patriots under the watchful eye of a multi-role head coach/coordinator/general manager. Mayo is establishing a new norm in New England, one subscribed to by most other teams in the NFL.

Raiders Kick Off Head Coaching Search, Schedule Interview With Leslie Frazier

January 14th, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Leslie Frazier, a former head coach in Minnesota and an experienced defensive coordinator, is making an attempt to return to coaching in the NFL after stepping away from the sport for a year. Frazier made it clear that his intention was to return to the league as a head coach, and after sitting out the 2023 season, he is getting a few opportunities. After interviewing today with the Chargers, Frazier has reportedly been scheduled for another interview, this one with the Raiders, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

This officially kicks off the search for the Raiders’ new head coach. Obviously, interim head coach Antonio Pierce, who took over for the fired Josh McDaniels and went 5-4 in his place, is considered a favorite for the job. Pierce did an admirable job in replacement duty for McDaniels and won the support of many players and staff during his tenure. While there’s likely been internal discussions about his potential future with the team, an official interview has not been reported.

Likewise, both University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick have been linked to Las Vegas as potential candidates or interests, but neither has officially interviewed with the team. Unless one of the three interviews with the Raiders before Tuesday (when Frazier is scheduled to interview), Frazier will officially be the first candidate interviewed for the job.

Frazier was most recently the Bills defensive coordinator from 2017-22, serving as the team’s primary play-caller during this span, until Sean McDermott decided to go in another direction following a one-sided home loss to the Bengals to close out the 2022 season, opting instead to call plays himself. Nevertheless, Frazier — no longer under contract with the Bills, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler — is back in the mix.

Prior to his 2023 hiatus, Frazier had worked as an NFL assistant or head coach for 24 straight years. The Bills initially framed his departure as the veteran stepping away with the possibility of a return, but it was later believed that McDermott made the call to move on from his six-year defensive lieutenant.

Frazier has been a regular candidate for head coaching gigs over the years, interviewing for the Bears, Dolphins, and Giants’ jobs in 2022. The Texans interviewed Frazier in 2021, and the Colts met with him in 2018. Promoted from the interim job in Minnesota to official head coach in 2011, Frazier went 21-32-1 while leading the Vikings. Much of that time came when first-round bust Christian Ponder quarterbacked the team. Minnesota’s 2012 squad, spurred by MVP Adrian Peterson, still found their way to the playoffs.

Frazier, 64, is on the older end of the spectrum for candidates looking for a head coaching job. While this could be considered a hurdle, two of the abovementioned candidates are 71 (Belichick) and 60 (Harbaugh), so until the field of candidates expands, age shouldn’t be considered much of an issue, though the oldest a head coach has ever been when hired was Bruce Arians at 66 years old.

If age or other factors preclude Frazier from finding a role as a head coach, he could still find his way back to the league as a coordinator. A number of teams are expected to be looking for defensive coordinators this offseason. The Jaguars fired their defensive staff. Some teams with head coaching vacancies like the Seahawks and Titans, have seen their coordinators receive interview requests to coach elsewhere. And teams like the 49ers, Ravens, Panthers, Rams, and Lions could find themselves in need of a defensive play-caller should their own be hired away as a head coach. Whether as a head coach or a defensive coordinator, Frazier should have a good chance to find himself back on an NFL sideline in 2024.

Giants To Interview Titans’ Shane Bowen For DC Job; Team Denied Meeting With Panthers’ Chris Tabor

January 12th, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Ely Allen

After parting ways with defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, the Giants have started the process of finding a replacement. In a different search, though, New York continues to stick its nose in unwelcome places as they have once again been denied access to certain interview candidates, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

First, Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is reportedly set to interview for the Giants open defensive coordinator position, according to Turron Davenport of ESPN. Bowen is also set to interview for the same position in Jacksonville. In New York, he will be competing with Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, who interviewed with the team earlier today.

While Bowen technically is still employed in Nashville, the firing of Mike Vrabel leaves Bowen in a precarious position, as whoever eventually replaces Vrabel may not choose to retain him in Tennessee. After five years as an assistant with the Texans and Titans, Bowen got his first coordinator job in 2021. In his first season, Bowen impressed, with Tennessee finished as the sixth-best scoring defense and finishing 12th in yards allowed. The next two seasons saw mostly middling defenses in Tennessee.

New York has also been exerting efforts to fill its special teams coordinator position after the firing of longtime coordinator Thomas McGaughey. The team was denied access by the Chargers to interview Ryan Ficken as well as being denied access to Marquice Williams by the Falcons. The Giants have now been denied thrice, as Schefter reports that the team’s attempt to interview Panthers interim head coach and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor has also been denied.

Tabor and Williams are both currently on captain-less ships after the firings of Frank Reich and Arthur Smith, respectively. Still, Panthers owner David Tepper has shown continuous support for Tabor, encouraging head coaching candidates last year to retain him on the staff. Similarly, though the Falcons have yet to name Smith’s replacement, the team seems to believe that Williams will still have a role moving forward. The Giants will have to continue searching for worthy replacements for McGaughey.

Jaguars Exploring Options For Open DC Job, Scheduling Interviews

January 12th, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Ely Allen

After firing defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and the rest of the defensive staff, head coach Doug Pederson and the Jaguars have started the process of finding replacements. That became clear with a series of reports today that several defensive assistants from around the league would be interviewing for the open position.

In a continuation of what looks like a future decimation of the Ravens‘ coaching staff this offseason, secondary coach and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt will interview for the job, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Baltimore’s coordinators have both been garnering interest for multiple head coaching openings, and earlier today, we saw the team’s defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson interview with the Giants for their open defensive coordinator job. Even Ravens defensive line coach/associate head coach Anthony Weaver has received head coaching interest.

Hewitt has been a staple in Baltimore, coaching with the Ravens since the team’s last Super Bowl season in 2012. The Jamaica-native started off coaching as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the college level for the Fighting Irish before spending eight seasons at Rutgers coaching running backs and cornerbacks. In 2012, Hewitt joined John Harbaugh‘s staff as a defensive backs coach. After another eight years, Hewitt was promoted to pass defense coordinator and has spent the past two seasons in his current role.

Jacksonville isn’t afraid to poach from a division-rival, scheduling an interview with Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. While Bowen technically is still employed in Nashville, the firing of Mike Vrabel leaves Bowen in a precarious position, as whoever eventually replaces Vrabel may not choose to retain him in Tennessee. After five years as an assistant with the Texans and Titans, Bowen got his first coordinator job in 2021. In his first season, Bowen impressed, with Tennessee finished as the sixth-best scoring defense and finishing 12th in yards allowed. The next two seasons saw mostly middling defenses in Tennessee.

Also off the Titans’ coaching staff, the Jaguars will interview Tennessee’s defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Chris Harris, according to Ben Arthur of NFL on FOX. Since entering the NFL in 2013 as a Bears defensive quality control coach, Harris went from assistant defensive backs coach for the Chargers to defensive backs coach for Washington before landing in his current role with the Titans this year. Harris also got some interest in last year’s coordinator search for the Texans.

Finally, the last candidate to receive a request to interview for the Jaguars open position was Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. Manuel started coaching in Seattle in 2012, a few years after concluding his playing career, as an assistant special teams coach. He would climb the ladder for the Seahawks becoming a defensive assistant and an assistant secondary coach over the next two years. He took his first position coaching gig as the secondary coach for the Falcons in 2015 and was promoted to defensive coordinator two years later. When his contract in Atlanta expired, Manuel was hired as the defensive backs coach in Philadelphia for a year before taking the safeties coach position in New York. Like Harris, Manuel was a candidate for the Texans defensive coordinator job last offseason. He also interviewed for the same job with the Panthers last year, as well.

The Jaguars are certainly exploring plenty of options for who will coach the defensive side of the ball in Jacksonville next year. The team reportedly also requested an interview with Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen but were blocked access, per Jaguars beat reporter John Shipley. The Panthers also blocked an Ejiro Evero interview. There seems to be a concentrated focus on coaches with defensive back experience, which makes sense after the team gave up the seventh-most passing yards in the NFL this year.

Cowboys DC Dan Quinn Plans To Interview With Commanders, Panthers, Chargers

January 9th, 2024 at 11:28am CST by Adam La Rose

To no surprise, Dan Quinn has already received a number of interview requests for head coach openings around the league. Given his decision in recent years to remain in his position as Cowboys defensive coordinator, however, the degree to which he reciprocates interest from outside teams will be a key storyline.

Quinn plans to meet with each of the three teams which have submitted an interview request to date, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports. The Commanders, Panthers and Chargers are all interested in the 53-year-old, who has been in Dallas for the past three years in his current role. A return to a head coaching role has been touted on a number of occasions in the past, though.

Last offseason, the Cardinals interviewed Quinn twice; the Colts also had a second meeting lined up before he decided to bow out of the running for HC consideration. That move allowed him to once again guide one of the NFL’s top defenses, and the Cowboys have delivered on his side of the ball this season. Dallas finished the 2023 campaign ranked fifth in both points and yards allowed.

The team took a step back in terms of takeaways (finishing 12th in that department after the leading the league each of the past two seasons), although second-year corner DaRon Bland topped the NFL with nine interceptions and a record five pick-sixes. Having further confirmed his reputation as one of the top defensive minds in the game, Quinn will be a signficant add for any interested team should he elect to depart the Cowboys.

A recent report suggested the former Falcons HC is likelier to take a outside job in 2024 than he has been in previous years. For that reason, it comes as no surprise that he will at least take a first interview with Washington, Carolina and Los Angeles. Breer adds Quinn’s sit-downs will likely take place late next week.

Per the updated rules regarding head coaching interviews, virtual meetings with teams playing in the wild-card round cannot take place until at least January 16. Follow-up interviews in person are prohibited until after the divisional round has come to a close. Quinn’s schedule will thus depend on the level of success the Cowboys have in the coming weeks, but for now he intends to at least explore his non-Dallas options.

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