Kliff Kingsbury

Bears Considering Thomas Brown For Full-Time HC Post; Latest On Matt Eberflus’ Firing

December 4th, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Over the past seven offseasons, only one team (the Raiders) has moved an interim HC to the full-time post. Antonio Pierce is 2-10 to start his stay in that role. The Bears are still high on their interim option and are planning to give him a true look.

Thomas Brown will be considered to replace Matt Eberflus on a full-time basis, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin notes. The team has bumped Brown from pass-game coordinator to OC to interim HC over the past month, representing a significant bounce back for a staffer who had been a one-and-done Panthers OC.

The Bears moved the 38-year-old coach into this role after making their first in-season firing, booting Eberflus soon after he was allowed to speak with media the morning after a late-game breakdown in a narrow Thanksgiving loss. Eberflus’ tense postgame meeting with players has been well chronicled, with several — most notably cornerback Jaylon Johnson — speaking up about the nature of the loss to the division-leading Lions. Johnson cut off Eberflus mid-speech, Cronin adds, with a profane rant eventually leading to the three-year HC’s exit from the locker room.

Eberflus offered explanations to the press about the sequence that cost the Bears a chance to attempt a game-tying field goal in Detroit, doubling down Friday in his last comments as Bears HC. He had defended the decision not to call a timeout as the offense slowly operated while the clock ticked into single digits, and while Bears brass met about Eberflus’ future during his speech, Cronin indicates his Friday presser had “zero” impact on the firing.

Still, the optics of Eberflus speaking to the media at 9am CT and then being canned not long after did not paint a portrait of stability. Bears president Kevin Warren soon admitted the team could have handled this situation better. Warren said (via 670 The Score’s David Haugh) the team was trying to be respectful when asked why the team let its HC address reporters roughly 90 minutes before his ouster. Warren has gone on to say the Bears’ job will be the most desired on next year’s market. Unlike the Jets’ Robert Saleh firing, which went around then-GM Joe Douglas, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager confirms GM Ryan Poles was part of the Friday-morning meeting that sealed Eberflus’ fate.

The Bears are not firing Poles, who was initially hired two days before Eberflus. Poles did not have a chance to run that search, only offering late input into the process. Warren and Poles were believed to have a good relationship, and that report has preceded the president — whom the Bears hired after their Poles and Eberflus hirings — giving his GM the reins in the team’s latest HC search. The heat will certainly be on Poles if this next hire fails, but for now, his seat is fairly cool.

Chicago is expected to target an offensive-minded coach to work with Caleb Williams. Teams regularly pivot in the other direction after a firing, and the team’s offense-defense yo-yo would continue in that event. Dating back to Lovie Smith, the team has gone defense-offense-defense-offense-defense — in terms of coaching background — with its past five hires (Smith, Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy, Eberflus). A lean toward offense will give Brown a shot, and while a source told Cronin that Brown is the “real deal,” the modern NFL rarely sees teams give interims strong consideration. Pierce’s struggles offer another warning.

In terms of outside hires, Lions OC Ben Johnson and Commanders play-caller Kliff Kingsbury, per Cronin, are indeed viewed as candidates. We heard as much Sunday, with Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman also coming up. Warren’s past as a college commissioner could certainly make him more open to such a hire.

Johnson has been connected to the team for a bit now, and the selective coordinator will again be courted by most (if not all) of the HC-needy teams. Kingsbury did coach Williams, but the Bears already passed on him for their OC gig this year to hire Shane Waldron. An eight-hour meeting — one previously viewed as somewhat of an intel-gathering session on Williams, rather than a true interview about the job — led to Kingsbury exploring other jobs.

The Bears also passed on Brown for that job initially, but he has gained considerable ground after initially signing on in a lower role. A convoluted Panthers plan impacted Brown’s first OC foray, as the Panthers attempted to blend Sean McVay‘s offense with Frank Reich‘s. Brown was in the crosshairs, being elevated to a play-calling role before being demoted before once again calling plays — during a 2-15 Panthers season — once Reich was fired. This season has brought more significant changes to Brown’s job description, but the ex-Rams position coach does appear to have more momentum now than he did coming off the Carolina one-and-done.

Bears To Prioritize Leadership Ability In Next HC; GM Ryan Poles Expected To Be Retained

December 1st, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Rory Parks

The Bears will be in the market for a new head coach this offseason, and per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the club believes its vacancy is the most attractive one that will be available. With a promising rookie-contract quarterback in Caleb Williams and a bevy of other offensive talent, over $80MM in projected salary cap space, and a new stadium project in the offing, Chicago is hopeful it will be able to land the candidate of its choice.

According to Jones, the Bears hope to hire a “leader of men” type of head coach. In other words, the candidate’s status as an offensive or defensive savant will not be as much of a priority as that person’s mental toughness and leadership abilities. The successes of Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh and Dan Campbell in Detroit have underscored the importance of those qualities, and recent HC hirees Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn, Jerod Mayo, and Jim Harbaugh also fit the “leader of men” mold (although those coaches, like almost all coaches, also offer an offensive or defensive background).

Scott Bair of the Marquee Sports Network agrees that leadership skills, along with in-game management prowess, are traits the Bears will be seeking in their next HC. However, Bair does believe that a brilliant offensive mind, or someone that can bring such a mind on board, will also be a prerequisite, which jibes with earlier reports on the matter. He names Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson, Kliff Kingsbury, Aaron Glenn, and Joe Brady as external HC candidates, while Jones adds Brian Flores and Bill Belichick as possible targets. As reported previously, interim head coach Thomas Brown will also have a chance at the permanent gig.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) acknowledges that the Bears’ opening will be coveted, and he also believes that Kingsbury will be under consideration. Of course, the team interviewed the former Cardinals’ HC this past offseason for its offensive coordinator post, although it was reported that the summit was really more of an intel-gathering session on Williams, whom Kingsbury coached at USC and whom the Bears were preparing to select with the No. 1 overall pick of this year’s draft. Naturally, the Kingsbury-Williams connection will drive a great deal of Kingsbury-Chicago speculation during the upcoming cycle.

Johnson, meanwhile, will again be one of the hottest candidates on the market, and he is expected to remain very selective about his next destination. On that note, ESPN’s Adam Schefter previously said that Johnson could opt to steer clear of the Bears due to perceived organizational dysfunction, although Schefter may have changed his stance. During his appearance on Sunday NFL Countdown today, Schefter said that Johnson might indeed have some interest in the Chicago job (video link).

Jones and Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (video link) also see Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman as a dark horse candidate for the Bears’ HC post. Freeman, who was actually drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2009 draft, has led the Fighting Irish to an 11-1 record and a likely spot in the College Football Playoff field in his first year at the helm. Freeman was recently named as one of the college coaches expected to receive NFL HC interest in 2025.

Per Jones, it is unclear who will make the final decision on the club’s next HC. Of course, owner George McCaskey will have considerable input, but team president Kevin Warren will be heavily involved as well. One way or another, though, GM Ryan Poles’ job is safe, and he will be a part of the search.

There were some recent rumblings that Poles could be handed his walking papers at season’s end, but prior reports indicated that Poles and Warren are aligned in their vision for the team, and both Jones and Rapoport report that the GM – who was originally hired just two days before the recently-dismissed Matt Eberflus – will be retained. Interestingly, Rapoport says that Poles will “assist” Warren in running the search, which would seem to corroborate the league-wide perception that Warren is the one making the calls.

Jets Rumors: HCs, Kingsbury, Johnson, Moses, Adams, McDonald

November 17th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Ely Allen

There are going to be plenty of question marks for the Jets to solve this offseason, but the most important one is going to be the head coaching position. After firing Robert Saleh in early-October, Jeff Ulbrich has been serving as interim head coach, but in the last ten years, only three of 23 interim coaches have been hired for the official job following their interim duties.

According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, team owner Woody Johnson is overseeing the head coaching search, and the organization has already “started putting feelers out on potential head coaching candidates.” This doesn’t bode well for Ulbrich, who has only gone 1-5 since taking over as the interim head coach.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of New York:

Speaking of head coaching searches, Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury interviewed for the Jets’ open job back in 2019. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, Kingsbury’s interview “went terribly,” partially due to the fact that he likely already knew that the Cardinals’ job was his. Six years later, Kingsbury’s name is likely to pop up again this offseason in head coaching conversations. He may get a second chance at his Jets interview.
With a head coaching search in progress and a potential change in general manager looming, as well, Johnson’s role as owner becomes a crucial one. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, though, there’s reportedly uncertainty because of Johnson’s volatility. Specifically, there appears to be a sense that Johnson takes too many opinions from “nonfootball people” and listens far too often to social media and the internet. That’s a scary concept for Jets fans to swallow as they gear up for another potential rebuild.
According to Costello, Jets starting right tackle Morgan Moses has been playing through a grade 2 MCL sprain, a meniscus issue, and a fracture in his knee for the last several weeks. Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Moses has been “sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber and rehabbing around the clock” in order to get into playing shape each week.
Per Rich Cimini of ESPN, the Jets are experimenting with giving starting safety Tony Adams a bit less time on the field. An every-down player since 2023, Adams is the team’s third-leading tackler this season despite missing four tackles last week and missing the prior two games with a hamstring injury. Jalen Mills had been filling in during Adams’ absence, and he may be taking up the slack as Adams handles a reduced role.
Defensive end Will McDonald didn’t do too much to live up to his first-round draft status as a rookie last year. In Year 2, McDonald is looking much more worthy of the Day 1 pick, totaling eight sacks in ten games this season. There were assumptions after the draft that the Jets had reached for McDonald after the Steelers traded ahead of them to draft offensive tackle Broderick Jones, the assumed target of New York. According to Cimini, general manager Joe Douglas always preferred McDonald over Jones, intending to pair him opposite their first-round pick from the previous year, Jermaine Johnson, for the foreseeable future. McDonald’s sophomore success has made it clear that perhaps the Jets did not reach, as many assumed.

D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen Address Shane Waldron’s Bears Dismissal

November 14th, 2024 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Eberflus has now fired two offensive coordinators this year. The OC he canned in January (Luke Getsy) is already out as the Raiders’ play-caller, a move that came shortly before the Bears booted Shane Waldron.

It seems doubtful Eberflus would be allowed to hire a third OC, as the third-year HC’s job is almost definitely on the line. It may come down to interim play-caller Thomas Brown‘s performance, with a Caleb Williams second-half resurgence perhaps the only lifeline Eberflus has left. The Bears have not seen Williams progress since showing flashes earlier this season, and the No. 1 overall pick has not clicked with the team’s two veteran wide receiver starters.

D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen have combined for 10 1,000-yard seasons in their careers; neither player is at 400 after nine games this year. Moore leads the Bears with 398 receiving yards, dropping from 80.2 per game with Getsy and Justin Fields at the controls to 44.2 in the Waldron-Williams setup. Allen, who averaged a career-best 95.6 yards per game in his final Chargers season, is at just 34.4 through seven Bears contests. The older of the two accomplished Chicago vets deemed Waldron “too nice” to succeed this season.

“Too nice of a guy,” Allen said (via ESPN.com’s Kalyn Kahler) of Waldron. “OTAs, camp, we fell into a trap of letting things go and not holding people accountable, and that’s a slippery slope. Just professionalism and doing things the right way from the beginning.”

Allen and Moore have both worked with several OCs during their careers, respectively thriving in most of those systems. The Panthers trotted out a different primary QB1 in each of Moore’s five seasons with the team; he still posted three 1,100-yard seasons with Carolina. Allen enjoyed much better quarterback play, through Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert. Williams sits 29th in QBR, and Allen — who could certainly have used his Bears stay as a potential springboard to a viable Hall of Fame case — has seen his production nosedive.

Moore confirmed players shared frustrations about the offense but covered his bases by indicating he did not want to see Waldron fired. Though, the second-year Bears wideout publicly addressed some of the issues during Waldron’s brief stay.

“When we wanted a call, it was like a drive too late,” Moore said, via WGN Radio’s Kevin Wells. “Or when we wanted to make adjustments and we waited ’til halftime to make it. And then we don’t get the same look.”

Waldron, 45, received immediate interest once the Seahawks let Pete Carroll‘s contracted assistants search for other jobs this offseason; these comments will certainly factor into Waldron’s 2025 job search. Waldron interviewed with the Patriots and Saints before signing on with the Bears. The Bears’ wide-ranging interview process included coaches who became coordinators elsewhere. Liam Coen (Buccaneers), Kliff Kingsbury (Commanders), Klint Kubiak (Saints), Zac Robinson (Falcons), Greg Roman (Chargers) met about the job. The Chargers blocked Kellen Moore from a meeting about the job; Moore ended up as the Eagles’ OC once the Bolts eventually let him out of his contract.

Kingsbury held intel on Williams, being USC’s QBs coach last season, but SI.com’s Albert Breer indicates that interview felt more like Bears brass gathering information on their next quarterback than interviewing Kingsbury for the gig. The Raiders offered Kingsbury their OC job, but it went to Getsy after the former Cardinals HC backed out due to the AFC West team not guaranteeing a third-year salary. The Commanders quickly swooped in.

Waldron, however, was hired January 22 — before any of the above-referenced 2024 OCs landed jobs. Chicago striking first with Waldron and then firing him nine games in obviously presents a bad look for Eberflus, who evaded a firing last year but dismissed Getsy and a few offensive staffers in preparation for Williams’ arrival. Counting Brown, the Bears have employed seven OCs since 2015. It looks more likely than not the Bears, who do not fire HCs in-season, will be conducting a head coaching search come January.

Jets Spoke To Eric Bieniemy, Kliff Kingsbury, Luke Getsy About Staff Position

October 14th, 2024 at 6:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets are greenlighting another chance for Todd Downing beginning tonight. Fired after two seasons as Titans OC, Downing is the team’s emergency replacement for Nathaniel Hackett. While Hackett remains on staff, both Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich sought to demote him.

Saleh wrestled with this situation for much longer, being given a mulligan after Aaron Rodgers‘ Week 1 injury wrecked the Jets’ 2023 season. A January report indicated Saleh was looking to strip power from Hackett, who did not perform well (albeit with Zach Wilson back in the saddle) in his debut OC season with the Jets. Arthur Smith‘s name came up as reports of this effort emerged. As it turns out, the Jets looked into a few more experienced play-callers before ultimately sticking with Hackett.

Although no official OC search commenced, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports the Jets spoke with Eric Bieniemy, Kliff Kingsbury and Luke Getsy about a job that would have brought significant offensive responsibilities without an official title (subscription required). Though, Smith or one of these names signing on would have led to reduced Hackett responsibilities. This arrangement likely would not have gone over well with Rodgers, despite his recent willingness to accept his longtime friend being booted from the play-calling role, and would not have been especially appealing to coaching candidates with options.

Saleh sought an experienced staffer to help out, Russini adds, but did not have an OC title to offer. Rodgers’ presence almost definitely prevented Saleh from firing Hackett outright. Considering his job was on the line as well, Saleh being handcuffed to Hackett could certainly have generated tension between he and his quarterback.

Getsy, who worked with Rodgers (under Hackett) in Green Bay, received multiple interview requests following his Bears ouster. He ended up with the Raiders once Kingsbury’s negotiations broke down. Kingsbury reestablished momentum a year after his Cardinals firing, interviewing for the Bears, Eagles and Raiders’ jobs before maneuvering his way to Washington for the Commanders position. Bieniemy, the Commanders’ 2023 offensive coordinator, is now UCLA’s OC.

Woody Johnson approved the Hackett hire last year, as it became a gateway for the Jets to acquire Rodgers. The two worked together with the Packers from 2019-21, and Rodgers has consistently championed the embattled coordinator. He did so again this offseason. Hackett received criticism regarding his attention to detail last season, which unfolded largely without Rodgers, and the Jets have not improved at the level they expected despite the four-time MVP’s return from Achilles surgery. The Jets exited their London loss to the Vikings 25th in points and 27th in total offense.

Last week’s decision marks Hackett’s third in-season firing or demotion since 2018. As the Jaguars’ Blake Bortles extension skidded off track quickly, the team booted Hackett in November 2018. The Broncos canned Hackett 15 games into his HC stay; at the time, he joined only Urban Meyer as first-year coaches fired before season’s end in the past 40 years. Although Hackett is still on staff, this Jets demotion will restart a career nosedive for the second-generation coach. The Jets employed Paul Hackett as OC from 2001-04; the elder Hackett resigned following the ’04 season, which produced criticism early in the Chad Pennington era.

With Saleh gone and Nathaniel Hackett likely on the way out in New York, the remaining coaches from this Jets regime will attempt to keep their jobs under Ulbrich. Downing, a one-and-done Raiders OC who saw a DUI arrest lead to his Titans dismissal after two seasons, will lead the way in that effort.

QB Rumors: Rodgers, Colts, Maye, Williams

October 10th, 2024 at 11:14am CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Rodgers has now seen the offensive coordinator he has long backed, Nathaniel Hackett, stripped of play-calling duties. Interim Jets HC Jeff Ulbrich said Thursday the future Hall of Fame QB took his friend’s demotion in stride, calling Rodgers “supportive” of the choice, via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. Ulbrich said he talked to Rodgers and Jets offensive and defensive players before making that call. Hackett had begun to lose support in the locker room, and Robert Saleh was on the verge of either firing him or going through with the demotion Ulbrich ultimately carried out.

As for Rodgers’ role in Saleh’s firing, the quarterback vehemently denied complicity. Calling accusations he played a role in Saleh’s ouster “patently false,” Rodgers confirmed during his Pat McAfee Show appearance Woody Johnson‘s account the two talked Monday night. Seeing as the owner fired Saleh the next morning, it is a somewhat difficult sell that this topic never came up during the QB-owner conversation. However, Rodgers said (via Cimini) he and the longtime Jets owner discussed his ankle injury. Rodgers has been battling a low ankle sprain, playing through the malady. Also calling Saleh one of the reasons he delayed retirement to play for the Jets, Rodgers will now move forward with Todd Downing calling the shots and Hackett in an unspecified role.

Here is the latest from the QB ranks:

Giving Drake Maye first-team reps in training camp and during the season, the Patriots have now moved the No. 3 overall pick into the lineup. This comes after Jacoby Brissett has struggled in his season back in New England. The bridge quarterback ranks 28th in QBR but is playing with a bottom-end skill-position group and behind an O-line featuring key injuries. Still, the pivot to Maye — earlier than some anticipated — does not come as a knee-jerk reaction to Brissett’s performance against the Dolphins, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes. OC Alex Van Pelt had also said the team delaying Maye’s debut also had nothing to do with the current O-line composition. This Pats ramp-up period will be tested in Week 6, as Maye takes over against a 4-1 Texans team.
Anthony Richardson did not qualify as a game-time decision last week, per ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder, who indicates the second-year Colts QB was unable to move on the level he normally can. That led to Indianapolis downgrading its starter to doubtful the day before its Week 5 game. Optimism exists, based on “significant improvement” in his oblique rehab Richardson can go in Week 6. Richardson getting in a limited practice represents a good sign for his availability Sunday, though eyes will be on this situation after Joe Flacco proved more capable of moving the offense after early-season Richardson accuracy issues.
Concerns about Carl Williams’ involvement in his son Caleb‘s career have followed the former Heisman-winning passer, but the Bears received a positive report from now-Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury as they prepared for the draft. In discussing Caleb with Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus pre-draft, the recent USC QBs coach said he only saw Carl once at the Trojans’ practice facility, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, illustrating a more hands-off approach — at least, compared to public perception — from the prized prospect’s father. Carl Williams had made comments about his son having “two bites at the apple” regarding the NFL, inviting speculation the QB could return to school if he did not view the team with the No. 1 overall pick as a good fit. Caleb’s camp then tried to secure a no-franchise tag clause in his rookie deal — an unprecedented play the Bears shot down — and angled to be paid as an LLC for tax purposes. This invites some potential long-term issues for the Bears, but for now, the top pick’s development is their lone focus.

Kliff Kingsbury Addresses Return To Coaching, Commanders Hire

September 27th, 2024 at 2:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

When Kliff Kingsbury was fired as head coach of the Cardinals last January, his coaching future was in doubt. He found himself back in the NFL this offseason, however, and his tenure as offensive coordinator of the Commanders has been impressive to date.

“I really didn’t think I was ever going to coach again,” Kingsbury recalled during an interview with Sam Fortier of the Washington Post. “It was set up so perfectly just to ride off into the sunset.”

The 45-year-old served as coach of the Cardinals from 2019-22, with his first three campaigns producing year-over-year improvement in the win-loss department. The final campaign of that tenure produced a 4-13 record, though, and it came as little surprise when the organization cleaned house. Kingsbury took a trip to Thailand while contemplating his future before ultimately taking a gig on Lincoln Riley‘s USC staff for the 2023 season.

That one-and-done tenure did not produce a desire to remain at the college level on a full-time basis. Kingsbury – who served as Texas Tech’s head coach for six years – noted he does not intend to return to the NCAA level in the near future. He drew considerable interest on the NFL coordinator market during the winter, interviewing with the Bears and Eagles. Kingsbury added he was prepared to take those gigs, but both teams went in a different direction.

A deal then appeared to be in place with the Raiders for their offensive coordinator spot. The agreement fell through, however, and Kingsbury’s interview reveals Vegas offered him a two-year contract. He was aiming for a three-year pact, and that sticking point paved the way for Dan Quinn hiring him to lead Washington’s offense. While minority owner Magic Johnson was initially believed to have played a role in Kingsbury winding up in the nation’s capital, Kingsbury confirmed that was not the case.

Using second overall pick Jayden Daniels at quarterback right away during his rookie season, the Commanders have impressed so far on offense. Washington ranks fifth in scoring and sixth in yardage, and the team has not punted over the past two games. Daniels has yet to commit a turnover, and remaining comfortable in Kingsbury’s scheme could allow Washington to exceed expectations moving forward. In that event, Kingsbury’s head coaching stock could become something to monitor for future hiring cycles.

Commanders Notes: Kingsbury, Stokes, Staff, Newton, Allen, Sainristil

May 9th, 2024 at 5:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders did not end up zagging with their No. 2 overall pick. The team received only one offer — likely from the Raiders — for the selection, and the team went with Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. In reaching a conclusion Daniels was the top player at No. 2, Adam Peters kept his circle small. Only Josh Harris, Dan Quinn and advisor/ex-Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers comprised the new Washington football ops boss’ inner circle, per Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, who adds OC Kliff Kingsbury was brought in along the way and at least knew which way the new team braintrust was leaning.

Kingsbury, who coached Caleb Williams last year, was believed to be high on Daniels coming in. Many in the organization — including members of Harris’ ownership group — were not informed which player the team was picking until draft day, Vacchiano adds. Much of the front office and scouting department did not learn definitively it would be Daniels until the Bears went on the clock. While Harris was believed to be more involved than expected, the franchise had dealt with considerable Dan Snyder meddling in past drafts. Given the turmoil associated with Washington ownership and front office for much of the past two decades, this buttoned-up approach marked a change of pace.

Here is the latest out of Washington:

Retooling teams often make changes after the draft, as continuity in scouting departments is preferred due to the work done on draft classes in the months prior. The Commanders will make a key change. They are not renewing the contract of senior director of player personnel Eric Stokes, InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton tweets. Stokes joined the Commanders in 2020, following Ron Rivera‘s arrival, and moved to his most recent title in 2021. The veteran exec should land elsewhere soon, with Stratton adding he his a name to watch in scouting circles. This exit comes after Peters retained Rivera-era bastions Martin Mayhew, who worked with the current Commanders FO boss in San Francisco, and Marty Hurney.
Peters said earlier this offseason the team is not planning to trade Jonathan Allen, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes some around the league are wondering if the selection of Jer’Zhan Newton will prompt the team to listen on the veteran defensive tackle. Washington, which disbanded its DE contingent at the trade deadline, still has two high-priced DTs — in Allen and Daron Payne — and has used second-round picks on the position in 2022 and ’24. Phidarian Mathis played 203 defensive snaps last season but has yet to make much of an impact; Newton now joins him and does so as a Peters-Quinn-era draftee. Allen, who said last year he was not eager to be part of a rebuild, has come up in trade rumors before and is due base salaries of $14MM and $15.5MM over the next two years.
One of the three second-rounders the Commanders chose, Mike Sainristil is expected to begin his NFL run in the slot. Washington is planning to train the Michigan product as an inside cornerback, ESPN.com’s John Keim notes. He will accompany Benjamin St-Juste, 2023 first-rounder Emmanuel Forbes and UFA addition Michael Davis at the position. The Commanders, who lost Kendall Fuller and Kamren Curl from their secondary, will attempt to climb back from a last-place defensive finish.
The team will hire a longtime league office exec to be part of its staff. Dave Gardi will come over after 10 years as NFL VP of football operations to take on the title of Commanders senior VP of football initiatives. In-game management and assisting the coaching staff in terms of compliance with NFL protocols will be among Gardi’s duties in Washington, with the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala offering that Gardi will be on headsets during games and concentrate on the coaching side during the season. That will certainly be a shift for a longtime league office staffer.

Jayden Daniels Latest: Commanders, Kingsbury, Harris, Raiders, Visit, Weight

April 19th, 2024 at 2:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jayden Daniels remains the favorite to be chosen second overall. The Commanders hold that pick, and they hosted the 2023 Heisman winner — at the same time as a few other quarterbacks — just before the deadline for “30” visits to be conducted. While the LSU and Arizona State product does not have much of a say in where he goes, rumors still point to him preferring another team.

Daniels would “love” to see the Raiders draft him, two GMs told the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora. During an interview with ESPN colleague Pat McAfee, Adam Schefter noted Daniels has had interest in playing elsewhere from the outset of the pre-draft process. Considering his past with Raiders HC Antonio Pierce and the AFC West team not doing a good job of making it a secret it would want to reunite the two, it is unsurprising Daniels would be more interested in playing in Las Vegas than Washington.

In place since the 1930s, the draft system obviously does not cater to players’ wishes. The Raiders are believed to have asked OC candidates about working with Daniels, but that came months ago. As of this week, a Raiders move up from No. 13 into Daniels territory — quite possibly as high as No. 2 — was viewed as impossible. It is also not known if GM Tom Telesco feels as strongly as Pierce does about trading up for a QB, adding more intrigue to a pre-draft process that has featured little known beyond the Bears’ likely Caleb Williams pick.

New Washington OC Kliff Kingsbury is believed to favor Daniels, La Canfora adds, who impressed more as a runner than Kyler Murray did in college. Daniels is coming off an 1,143-yard rushing season, and his improvement as a passer (40 TDs, four INTs last season) at LSU — while targeting the likes of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas — has rocketed the slender prospect up the board. On the slender subject, however, Daniels’ weight has come up frequently during the draft run-up.

Daniels played at 185 during the 2021 season at Arizona State, a scout told NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. He weighed in at 210 pounds this offseason, after having bulked up some following his transfer. Another scout told The Athletic’s Dan Pompei (subscription required) that Daniels was at 181 with the Sun Devils and played in the 190s at LSU — before ballooning to 210 this offseason.

This issue did not limit the talented QB at LSU, and some NFL coaches view Daniels as a better prospect than even Williams. But Daniels playing south of 200 before adding offseason weight calls into question how big he will be during his rookie season. Considering his playing style — one NFC coordinator told Pelissero that Daniels takes hits like Anthony Richardson, who is 244 pounds — this not an insignificant concern for teams ahead of the draft.

Pivoting back to the Washington side here, Daniels’ camp did not expect (via Schefter) the QB’s visit to come at the same time Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. met with the team. Teams generally do not gather QB prospects as a group for “30” visits, staggering them to gain better looks at passers. Considering Washington holds the No. 2 overall pick and is on the cusp of drafting a passer in the top 10 for the first time since trading up for Robert Griffin III in 2012, the team’s group gathering was a bit surprising.

The Commanders’ new regime took shape this offseason, with Josh Harris hiring Adam Peters to run football operations and Dan Quinn to coach the team. In the new owner’s first offseason, however, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicates the Dan Snyder successor has been more involved in the pre-draft process than expected.

Owner involvement — as Washington fans know well — is not too uncommon in the NFL, though it is usually a concern when ownership overreaches as football personnel prepare for major decisions. Harris is believed to have made his stance known about trading both Montez Sweat and Chase Young at last year’s deadline, when the coaching staff did not want to move Sweat. It will obviously be interesting to see how much Harris — who has extensive experience in an ownership role due to his work with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils — impacts how the Commanders proceed next week.

Teams Inquiring On Commanders’ No. 2 Overall Pick

March 3rd, 2024 at 11:04am CST by Sam Robinson

Holding the No. 2 overall pick for a second time in five years, Washington has an opportunity it passed on in 2020. A quarterback should be expected to head to D.C. with that draft slot, but other teams are making early efforts to see if the Commanders are interested in moving the pick.

Multiple clubs have inquired about Washington’s interest in trading down from No. 2, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. Some moving parts exist at quarterback, with some teams that lack top-three draft real estate needing to consider veteran options. But a couple of those teams figure to still need starter solutions — in the long term, at least — exiting free agency. That would naturally make the Commanders’ pick attractive, as this draft holds multiple non-Caleb Williams QB prospects expected to go early.

Heisman winner Jayden Daniels‘ stock is up, with Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest ESPN.com mock draft sending the LSU prospect to Washington. Drake Maye had stood as this class’ top non-Williams option for months, and while the ex-Sam Howell North Carolina teammate’s stock may not have definitively dropped to the point he is a threat to fall out of the top three, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has moved him down on his latest big board. Jeremiah places Maye at No. 5 and Daniels at 6, though QB demand figures to see both going off the board earlier.

The Commanders, of course, have hired Williams’ most recent position coach — Kliff Kingsbury — as OC. Some around the league believe Kingsbury brings strong Williams support, per Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, though that would not exactly matter barring a seeming Bears course change. For weeks, it is believed Chicago would need to receive a historic offer to part with the No. 1 pick for a second straight year. With all signs pointing to the team trading Justin Fields and going with Williams, Kingsbury’s interest in a reunion would be a moot subject.

None of the quarterbacks Washington chose in the first round in its modern history — Heath Shuler, Robert Griffin III and Dwayne Haskins — panned out, but it would still surprise to see a new regime pass on filling its QB need at No. 2. New football ops president Adam Peters is indeed likely to authorize a quarterback choice at 2, Vacchiano adds.

The team could collect a haul for that draft slot, as teams like the Giants, Vikings, Broncos and Raiders — mentioned as being interested in Daniels — being among those who would stand to be interested in coming up for a passer. Though, it would be rather astounding if the Commanders did business with the Giants involving a pick this high. By trading down with anyone, the Commanders would be passing on a clear window to upgrade at the game’s premier position if they took the trade route. Early on, the 2025 class does not appear to be a QB-rich group. Even with Peters playing a role in the 49ers’ Trey Lance trade-up, the ensuing Brock Purdy flier probably should not be taken as an indication the new boss believes a quarterback can be a later-round addition.

As for the Commanders’ 17-game starter from last season, Vacchiano adds Howell will likely draw trade interest from several teams if Washington made him available. Peters spoke highly of Howell this week, and the 2022 fifth-rounder’s age (23) and contract status (two rookie-deal years remaining) would naturally make him appealing — even as a host of bridge- or backup-level QBs are set to be available soon. For now, Howell appears positioned to be the Commanders’ backup in 2024 — or at best likely to lose his job once the No. 2 overall pick is ready to play.

Washington passed on drafting a QB in 2020 due to having chosen Haskins 15th overall the year prior. The team left Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert on the board that year, choosing eventual Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young. It does not seem likely the NFC East franchise would make a similar move with the second overall choice this time.

Load More Posts