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Josh McDaniels

Josh McDaniels To Call Raiders’ Plays

January 30th, 2022 at 5:32pm CST by Zachary Links

On Sunday, the Raiders found their new head coach in Josh McDaniels along with their next GM in Dave Ziegler. There will be more changes on the way, but regardless of who is installed as offensive coordinator, McDaniels will be the one calling plays (Twitter link via Vincent Bonsignore of the Review Journal). 

[RELATED: Raiders To Hire Josh McDaniels As HC, Dave Ziegler As GM]

This doesn’t come as a huge surprise given McDaniels’ background and offensive acumen. Sean McVay took a similar approach with the Rams, opting to call the plays in L.A. despite the presence of Kevin O’Connell.

McDaniels, 45, enjoyed success across two separate stints as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, both with and without Tom Brady under center. In 2021, he guided rookie quarterback Mac Jones as the Pats reached the playoffs and finished sixth in overall scoring. He’ll now look to fix the Raiders and lead them to their first playoff win since the 2002 postseason.

The Raiders made the hiring of Ziegler official earlier today, though they’ve yet to officially announce the hiring of McDaniels.

Raiders Hire Dave Ziegler As GM, Josh McDaniels Expected As HC

January 30th, 2022 at 1:45pm CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders have announced the hiring of Patriots director of player personnel Dave Ziegler as their new general manager. That means that the official hiring of Patriots OC Josh McDaniels as head coach is right around the corner, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Though McDaniels was a late entrant in this year’s coaching cycle — his only interview, which just took place yesterday, was with the Raiders — he became the frontrunner for the position as soon as he was connected to it. Indeed, he reportedly told the team that he would not accept its interview request unless he was going to be offered the job.

Now 45, McDaniels is best known for his lengthy and tremendously successful run as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, first from 2005-2008 and then again from 2012-2021. Of course, he had the privilege of working with QB Tom Brady for almost all of that time, but the work that he did with rookie passer Mac Jones this year also earned him plenty of positive attention. His ill-fated tenure as Broncos head coach from 2009-10 is well in the rearview mirror at this point, and his leaving the Colts at the altar in the 2018 hiring cycle did not seem to deter other clubs from wanting to bring his talents as an offensive guru aboard (though it is worth keeping that jilting in mind until he puts pen to paper).

Assuming he does finalize a deal with Las Vegas, he will inherit QB Derek Carr, who has one year remaining on his current contract. We recently heard that the Raiders’ HC hire would impact Carr’s future in the silver-and-black, but as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets, there is “mutual admiration” between Carr and McDaniels, so it could be that an extension for the soon-to-be 31-year-old passer is in the offing.

Obviously, Ziegler will have some say in that. In his previous post with the Patriots, he revamped the team’s scouting department and free agency strategy, as Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com (on Twitter) notes, and he has received a considerable amount of credit for New England’s quick rise back to competitiveness after a disappointing 2020, the first year of the post-Brady era. His philosophy differed from predecessor Nick Caserio and will likely stray from recently-deposed Raiders GM Mike Mayock‘s approach.

Ziegler and McDaniels first worked together with the Broncos in 2010, and the former joined the Pats’ scouting department in 2013 and gradually rose up the ranks (2021 was his first as director of player personnel, a promotion he received after Caserio left Foxborough to become the Texans’ GM). Ziegler has been viewed as McDaniels’ GM-of-choice for awhile now, and it appears that the partnership will soon make its way west.

Bucs To Start Post-Brady Rebuild?

January 29th, 2022 at 9:03pm CST by Ely Allen

With three-time MVP quarterback Tom Brady announcing his retirement earlier today, speculation has already started on the future of the Buccaneers’ franchise. Brady’s retirement has experts wondering about the futures of tight end Rob Gronkowki and head coach Bruce Arians. Both have flirted with retirement before. 

Contributing to the postulation on Arians’ situation is head coaching interest in the Buccaneers’ coordinators on both sides of the ball. Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich recently had his second interview for the Jaguars open coaching position. Reportedly, talks have stalled as Leftwich has expressed issues with current general manager Trent Baalke continuing in that position, with Leftwich preferring Cardinals’ vice president of pro scouting Adrian Wilson to replace the polarizing GM. The Saints have requested an interview with Leftwich, who previously received interest from the Bears before they hired Matt Eberflus. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has interviewed with the Bears, Jaguars, Raiders, and Vikings. With the Bears’ job taken, Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels being the presumed frontrunner in Las Vegas, and Jacksonville having conducted multiple second interviews Bowles’ opportunities for a head coaching job are starting to dwindle, as well.

More cause for speculation has risen from an article from Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. In the article Wilson reports that Arians has informed the entire coaching staff that they have permission to seek jobs around the league regardless of whether or not the new position would be a promotion. With the potential exit of the two New England-legends and the impactful group of Buccaneers heading into free agency, this permission could potentially be an opportunity to abandon ship before the start of a Tampa Bay rebuild.

In terms of those free agents, joining free-agent-to-be Gronkowski are three other significant role players: wide receiver Chris Godwin, center Ryan Jensen, and cornerback Carlton Davis. Godwin is expected to be the top free agent priority in Tampa Bay after he received the franchise tag for this past season. Jensen came over three years ago from the Ravens on what then made him the highest paid center in the NFL. Davis was a key contributor due for a big contract year on defense before being placed on IR after Week 4 of the season and missing eight weeks during a crucial year.

The domino-effect of Brady’s retirement is already looming large over the Buccaneers’ prospects for the 2022 NFL season. Tampa Bay has the entire offseason to navigate these obstacles and mitigate the potential fallout. After winning a Super Bowl just last year, the departure of Brady could be as game-changing to the Buccaneers as his arrival was nearly two years ago.

Raiders Moving Towards Hiring Josh McDaniels, Dave Ziegler

January 28th, 2022 at 8:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

It appears the next team to make their hire on both the head coach and general manger front will be the Raiders. According to Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson, the team is “all-in” on hiring Josh McDaniels as its new HC, and Dave Ziegler as GM. 

[Related: Raiders Request Josh McDaniels Interview]

Wilson reports that the two are expected to be hired “within the next few days”. One of the more notable aspects of this year’s hiring cycle is the fact that McDaniels hasn’t been included with any teams’ respective HC searches, until the Raiders formally requested to speak with him yesterday. On that point, Wilson adds, “McDaniels informed the Raiders that he wouldn’t accept their interview request unless he was being offered the job”.

Meanwhile, in an appearance on NBC Sports Boston, Albert Breer corroborated the growing sense that the longtime Patriots OC will be heading to Vegas. He said, “I think Josh has been vetting the Raiders, I think the Raiders have been vetting Josh, and I think this is the conclusion of it”. He added, “I’m not saying it’s all over… but the fact that they’ve gotten to this point tells me things are pretty far along”.

Throughout the process of the Raiders’ search, there have been reports that McDaniels and Ziegler could be a package deal, if owner Mark Davis chose to go that route and was willing to pay a premium for the former in particular – something which isn’t expected to be an issue. Their working relationship goes back to their days in Denver, when McDaniels hired Ziegler to be a scout. Now the director of player personnel with the Patriots, Ziegler looks poised to have a reunion with his friend, and take a coveted position in a new city and stadium overseeing a 2021 playoff team.

Raiders Request Josh McDaniels Interview

January 27th, 2022 at 3:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The only team connected to Josh McDaniels during this year’s HC hiring period, the Raiders are interested in speaking with the longtime Patriots offensive coordinator.

They sent McDaniels an interview request Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Raiders already interviewed Patriots exec Dave Ziegler, who also worked with McDaniels in Denver, and appear to still be considering a Patriots West ticket. McDaniels, who has been on Mark Davis‘ radar for weeks, is expected to interview Saturday, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter links).

While a Wednesday report indicated the Raiders were moving away from a Ziegler-McDaniels pairing, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets league buzz still points to McDaniels being a preferred option in Las Vegas. This would certainly be an interesting direction to go, given McDaniels’ past and Raider players’ endorsements for interim HC Rich Bisaccia to keep the job. That said, one source informed Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio a Ziegler-McDaniels power structure in Vegas is “just about a sure thing.” McDaniels has been down a similar road before, only to turn back at the last minute.

But McDaniels does have an extensive OC resume, collecting three Super Bowl rings during his time working with Tom Brady in New England. Of course, his rough tenure as Broncos HC and decision to spurn the Colts affected his standing within the league. In terms of high-level experience, however, almost no one in this cycle can match McDaniels.

In his 10th year back in charge of the Patriots’ offense, McDaniels helped the fifth quarterback picked in last year’s draft — Mac Jones — have the best season among the 2021 rookie QBs. Despite his controversial Colts decision four years ago, the 45-year-old assistant comes up in coaching rumors annually. The two-time Patriots OC has been picky on the interview front, and given his Denver tenure and Indianapolis decision, his next HC job might be his last.

Here is how the Raiders’ HC search is shaping up thus far:

Latest On Raiders’ HC, GM Searches

January 26th, 2022 at 5:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders’ general manager search has expanded to include eight names. While the team’s pursuit of its next full-time head coach has not gotten as far off the ground, a few external candidates have emerged.

One possible solution — a Josh McDaniels–Dave Ziegler partnership — has surfaced on the radar, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic (subscription required). Ziegler, who moved up in the Patriots’ front office hierarchy following Nick Caserio‘s 2021 New England exit, interviewed for the Las Vegas GM job Friday and has been connected to bringing the Pats’ longtime OC with him.

McDaniels has not taken a formal interview with any team during this year’s hiring cycle, though the veteran OC was calling around to coaches around the league for staff-assembly purposes recently, Tafur adds. Patriots West might not be where this Raiders process ends up, however.

Momentum has cooled on a McDaniels-Ziegler pairing this week, per Tafur, who adds Colts VP of player personnel Ed Dodds — a former Al Davis staffer — is still in the mix. Dodds’ GM interview is set for Wednesday. Dodds previously withdrew his name from consideration for the Bears’ GM post. Dodds being with the Colts when McDaniels backtracked on a 2018 Indianapolis agreement would all but squash any chance of those two pairing up.

The Raiders have interviewed only Rich Bisaccia and Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo for their HC position. The team remains interested in speaking with 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans and has a meeting with Buccaneers DC Todd Bowles set for Friday. While Jim Harbaugh looms, not much has emerged connecting the Michigan coach to the Silver and Black in several days. Harbaugh was on the Raiders’ staff as QBs coach for part of Dodds’ Oakland tenure, but this was nearly 20 years ago.

Las Vegas’ GM search is now at eight names, with a request to interview Bucs exec John Spytek and interviews with Falcons staffer Ruston Webster and Steelers exec Brandon Hunt representing the latest news coming out of the search to fill Mike Mayock’s job.

Pats’ McDaniels Not Getting Interview Requests?

January 16th, 2022 at 10:26pm CST by Ely Allen

In an article for NBC Sports, Mike Florio divulged that a source with knowledge of the situation informed him that Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels hasn’t received requests to be interviewed by any of the eight teams currently looking for a new head coach. This development has surprised the Patriots, but they expect the situation to change soon. 

McDaniels is a long time Patriots’ staffer, first joining the organization in 2001 as a personnel assistant. After a year, McDaniels worked with the team as a defensive assistant for two years before switching to the offensive side of the coaching staff. After one season as the Patriots’ quarterbacks coach, McDaniels was promoted to offensive coordinator, developing the Patriots’ offense into the juggernaut that broke several NFL records in the 2007 season. His coaching success led to much speculation that he could be a top candidate for head coaching jobs, but he pulled his name out of the ring before the Patriots even finished their playoff run.

When McDaniels was able to lead a Patriots team quarterbacked by Matt Cassel to an 11-5 record, following a season-ending injury to Tom Brady in Week 1 of the 2008 season, the Broncos saw fit to name McDaniels as their new head coach for the 2009 NFL season. McDaniels’s tenure in Denver started with a six-game win-streak before losing eight of the next ten games to finish the season 8-8. After a 3-9 start to the 2010 season, and multiple controversies from his handling of difficult players, Denver decided they’d seen enough and fired McDaniels after Week 13. McDaniels spent a year as the offensive coordinator of the Rams, under Steve Spagnuolo, before returning to New England following Spagnuolo’s firing.

McDaniels has stayed in Foxborough ever since. He’s continued to draw head coaching interest here and there, even accepting the head coach position for the Indianapolis Colts in February of 2018 before backing out of his commitment on the same day to stay in New England, prompting his long-time agent, Bob LaMonte, to sever ties with McDaniels.

McDaniels’s handling and development of rookie quarterback Mac Jones has led to some speculation that one of the two teams that have both 1) a head coaching vacancy and 2) a young quarterback might show immediate interest in the 45-year old coordinator. Can Bill Polian overlook his lack of a good relationship with McDaniels and advise that the Bears bring him in to mentor Justin Fields? Will McDaniels decide that he can handle working for Trent Baalke and agree to take Trevor Lawrence under his wing? Keep track of McDaniels and other candidates in our 2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Texans Interview Brian Flores For HC Job

January 14th, 2022 at 6:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barely a day after the Texans fired David Culley, they interviewed one of the frontrunners to succeed him. Brian Flores completed a Houston HC interview Friday, the team announced.

Flores and Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo have been mentioned as the favorites for this post, but the recently fired Dolphins HC was the first name to come up here. Flores and Texans GM Nick Caserio worked together in New England for over a decade. Flores, 40, also completed an interview with the Bears on Friday.

The Texans do need to interview at least one more minority candidate to satisfy the NFL’s current Rooney Rule requirements. This process could move fast, given Flores’ connection to Caserio. With the second-year GM pulling the plug on Culley so quickly, it is fairly clear he has a candidate in mind.

Josh McDaniels was most frequently linked to Caserio during previous hiring periods, but Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 reports the Patriots OC will not interview during his team’s playoff run. McDaniels also might not be interested in Houston’s job, Wilson notes. That would narrow the field of notable Patriot assistants or ex-Patriot staffers, opening a wider path for Flores. The Patriots had Flores on staff from 2004-18, and he ran their defense during their most recent Super Bowl-winning season. Caserio was in Foxborough throughout Flores’ stay.

Despite taking over what was almost certainly the NFL’s worst roster in 2019, Flores won five games in Miami that season. He then reeled off back-to-back winning seasons over the past two years. Flores’ tenure included a 4-2 record against the Patriots, with the Dolphins becoming the first team to sweep the Pats since Bill Belichick‘s first season with the franchise (2000). However, clashes with management and Tua Tagovailoa are believed to have soured the Dolphins on Flores.

A Houston landing would certainly be interesting because of the team’s quarterback situation. Flores spent months deflecting Deshaun Watson questions leading up to the trade deadline. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was believed to be behind the team’s Watson push, but the quarterback was interested in playing for Flores. Watson is expected to keep his trade request in place, regardless of the Texans’ HC choice.

Bears HC Matt Nagy Unlikely To Be Fired Mid-Season, Still On Hot Seat

November 28th, 2021 at 9:00am CST by Zachary Links

Matt Nagy‘s job appears to be safe — for now. The Bears are unlikely to fire their head coach before the end of the season, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 

[RELATED: Bears’ George McCaskey On Nagy Rumors]

Rumors of Nagy’s imminent firing were rampant last week, with one report suggesting that he would be dismissed after the Thanksgiving Day game against the Lions. For his part, Nagy says such talk “is not accurate,” though he canceled the Bears’ scheduled meetings Tuesday afternoon. And, as of Tuesday, Nagy said he had yet to speak with owner George McCaskey, team president Ted Phillips, or GM Ryan Pace about his status.

“We all have our own decisions as to how we do things, and I think this whole entire time, for me and for ownership, we’ve had great communication,” said Nagy when asked about the recent lack of clarity from the Bears’ top brass. “[We’re] focused on Detroit. That’s what it is.”

On Wednesday, McCaskey told players and coaches that Nagy would not get a pink slip for Thanksgiving. Still, barring a total 180, it’d be a surprise to see him return in 2022. Indeed, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports hears that change could be inevitable.

Around this time last year, we were hearing that it was more likely than not that Nagy would be fired at the end of the 2020 campaign. While ownership ultimately elected to give its HC one more chance to right the ship, the Bears’ struggles this season are probably too much for him to overcome.

The good news for Chicago is that many offensive-minded coaches view rookie QB Justin Fields as a quality passer that they can build around. So the club, which is expected to consider popular candidates like Tampa Bay OC Byron Leftwich, New England OC Josh McDaniels, and Buffalo OC Brian Daboll, might be able to land its top target. However, Northwestern HC Pat Fitzgerald, whom the Bears have coveted for some time, remains uninterested in the post.

Meanwhile, although we recently heard that Pace might not be fired at season’s end, La Canfora notes that his status is very much up in the air as well.

Latest On Eagles’ Coaching Search, Josh McDaniels ‘Prime’ Candidate?

January 18th, 2021 at 3:07pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

With the Chargers hiring Brandon Staley and the Lions expected to agree to terms with Dan Campbell, the Eagles are one of two teams (along with the Texans) with a head coaching vacancy. They’re ramping up their search, and it sounds like Josh McDaniels is picking up some steam. 

We heard over the weekend that the longtime Patriots offensive coordinator would interview, and now multiple sources tell Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com that McDaniels is a “prime candidate” for the job (Twitter link). That doesn’t mean he’s nearing an offer or anything, as Fowler also reports that former Jets coach Todd Bowles will interview today and has some “internal support” in the building. Bowles is currently the DC of the Bucs, and has done a great job with that young defense.

Fowler also writes that Eric Bieniemy does not have an interview planned despite Philly requesting one on Saturday, so maybe the Chiefs OC has no interest in the job. McDaniels, of course, was the Broncos’ head coach from 2009-10, and has been back as the Patriots’ coordinator since 2012.

He infamously almost accepted the Colts head coaching gig a few years ago before backing out at the last minute, but maybe now he’s finally ready to take the plunge. No matter who gets the job, it sounds like they could be walking into an awkward arrangement where the quarterback situation isn’t quite up to them.

Eagles brass has apparently told candidates that they want to bring Carson Wentz back, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports (Twitter video link). Not just that, Rapsheet even adds that the “priority with the new coach is to make sure Carson Wentz is as good as he was before.”

If that’s true, it sounds like the Wentz position is somewhat non-negotiable. What that means for Jalen Hurts is anyone’s guess, and the potential for a strained relationship with the front office could be what has kept some top candidates away from Philly.

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