Jahleel Addae

AFC Coaching Notes: Dickerson, Browns, Bills, Addae, Day, Chargers, Dolphins, Colts

The Browns allowed Bill Callahan out of his $3MM-plus contract to join son Brian in Tennessee. Given Bill Callahan’s status as one of the NFL’s best O-line coaches, this left a void on Cleveland’s staff. The team will fill it with one of the candidates it interviewed for its OC post. Seahawks O-line coach Andy Dickerson will take the same position with the Browns, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Set to work under Ken Dorsey, Dickerson was one of the ex-Sean McVay staffers who followed Shane Waldron to Seattle. The Seahawks promoted Dickerson to their O-line coach in 2022. Upon removing Pete Carroll from his longtime HC post, the Seahawks let their assistants speak with other teams. Additionally, the Browns are adding Roy Istvan as their assistant O-line coach, per the Associated Press’ Tom Withers. Istvan was most recently the Eagles’ assistant O-line coach under acclaimed staffer Jeff Stoutland; Istvan had been in that role for five seasons.

Here is the latest from the AFC coaching ranks:

  • Recently retired safety Jahleel Addae will return to the NFL as a coach. The former Chargers starter will join the Bills as their cornerbacks coach, ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel tweets. Addae, 34, had been on the Miami Hurricanes’ staff. Addae started 63 games during his nine-year career, with most of the starts coming as a Charger.
  • The Bills are not bringing back DBs coach John Butler, Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News tweets. Butler had been Buffalo’s DBs coach since 2018. With the Bills moving Bobby Babich to DC, some changes are being made. Another will be the hire of Matt Edwards as assistant D-line coach. The team recently bumped up Marcus West to D-line coach, replacing the departed Eric Washington. Edwards previously worked as a Raiders defensive assistant, concentrating on the team’s pass rush.
  • Shane Day is coming back to Los Angeles. Spending two seasons as the Chargers‘ QBs coach under Joe Lombardi, Day was with the Texans as a senior offensive assistant. Jim Harbaugh will bring Day back to the Bolts as their QBs coach, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Justin Herbert became the AFC’s Pro Bowl starter under Day in 2021, and Garafolo adds the star QB enjoyed working with Day. Though, Brandon Staley fired both Lombardi and Day following the Bolts’ wild-card collapse in Jacksonville. The veteran assistant was with the 49ers on two separate occasions, though neither was during Harbaugh’s San Francisco run.
  • The Chargers are also hiring Sanjay Lal as their wide receivers coach, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Lal has been coaching wide receivers in the NFL since the late 2000s. One of those tenures — 2015-16 with the Bills — overlapped with new Bolts OC Greg Roman. Lal was most recently the pass-game coordinator and WRs coach with the Seahawks.
  • Recent Titans assistant Ryan Crow will move to Miami. The Dolphins are hiring Crow as their outside linebackers coach, Breer adds. The Vikings, Seahawks and Giants showed interest as well, per Breer. The Browns also interviewed Crow last month, but he will instead work with the likes of Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips in Miami. Crow’s former boss, Shane Bowen, is now in New York, explaining the Giants’ interest. Crow will replace Ryan Slowik, who interviewed for the DC job that went to Anthony Weaver. But Slowik is set to stay with the Dolphins in a different capacity, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. The older brother of Texans OC Bobby Slowik, Ryan has been an NFL assistant for more than 15 years. Although Mike McDaniel hired him in 2022, the two were low-level staffers in Denver in 2005.
  • The Colts found their next D-line coach at the college level. Charlie Partridge, who spent the past seven seasons as Pitt’s D-line coach, will take the same position under Shane Steichen in Indianapolis, Fox59’s Mike Chappell notes. The former Florida Atlantic HC, Partridge has never coached in the NFL previously, spending more than 25 years in the college ranks. Partridge coached recent first-round pick Calijah Kancey at Pitt and was J.J. Watt‘s position coach at Wisconsin.

S Jahleel Addae, DE Damion Square Retire As Chargers

Neither Jahleel Addae nor Damion Square have played in the NFL since 2021, and both have now officially ended their careers. Both defenders signed one-day contracts with the Chargers on Saturday, allowing them to retire with the franchise they spent most of their time with.

The former spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Chargers, establishing himself as a full-time starter along the way. Addae topped 1,000 defensive snaps in both the 2017 and ’18 seasons, the two years in which he played on a four-year, $22.5MM deal. The Central Michigan alum was released halfway through that pact, however, which led to his departure. After a one-year stint with the Texans, Addae returned to the Chargers for the 2020 campaign before playing with the Colts the following season.

Addae, 33, played 116 games in the NFL, 91 of which were spent with the Bolts. In all, he racked up 453 tackles, five interceptions, 26 pass breakups and five sacks. He collected roughly $17.5MM in career earnings, almost all of which came from his time with the Chargers.

“It means a lot to me because first and foremost, they were one of the teams who took a chance on me coming out of Central Michigan 11 years ago,” Addae said, via Omar Navorro of the team’s website, when reflecting on today’s symbolic transaction. “[General manager] Tom Telesco believed in me, gave me a fair opportunity and I turned that into seven years for them and a nine-year career in total. It means everything.”

Like Addae, Square entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2013. After failing to establish himself with the Eagles and Chiefs, he found a home in San Diego. The Alabama product remained with the franchise through its relocation to Los Angeles, enjoying a career year in 2018. He posted 31 tackles and a trio of sacks that season while starting 11 contests.

Square remained a rotational presence along the Chargers’ D-line for another two campaigns after that before bouncing around to three teams in 2021. He amassed 129 stops and seven sacks during 100 career games, a total which includes 81 Chargers contests. The 34-year-old saw just over $10.5MM in career earnings, the majority of which came from pacts signed with the Bolts in 2017 and ’19.

“That’s home for me and for those people to take the time to put something together for me like this, for me to have one last hoorah for my career, I really appreciate them for that,” Square said. “Like I said, no better place to play my career than in Southern California with the Chargers.”

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/31/21

Here are the New Year’s Eve additions and subtractions from teams’ reserve/COVID-19 lists:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Activated from practice squad virus list: T Drew Himmelman, LB Barrington Wade

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Colts Reached Out To Philip Rivers

The NFL revising its COVID-19 protocols yet again may allow the Colts to dodge a bullet. Carson Wentz is unvaccinated and tested positive Tuesday, but Frank Reich said he would start Sunday if he is asymptomatic, Stephen Holder of The Athletic tweets. Current Colts backup Sam Ehlinger would start if Wentz is experiencing symptoms at that point.

Reich has also remained in contact with the Colts’ 2020 starter, Philip Rivers. The two discussed the current Colts QB bind, Zak Keefer of The Athletic tweets. However, it does not seem like Rivers will come out of retirement to replace Wentz. Reich said nothing is developing on that front.

Rivers, 40, retired after spending last season with the Colts, but the current high school coach has said he would consider a return to join a contender. He was open to joining the Saints once Jameis Winston went down earlier this season. In his one Colts season, Rivers completed 68% of his passes and finished with a 24-to-11 TD-INT ratio. The Colts traded for Wentz not long after Rivers’ retirement.

Had the NFL not revised its protocols for a second time this month, Wentz would be shut down for Week 17 due to his positive test. Previously, unvaccinated players who tested positive were forced into 10-day quarantines. The NFL has reduced that to five, opening the door for Wentz to play Sunday. A sixth-round rookie, Ehlinger took first-team reps for a stretch after Wentz went down with a foot injury during training camp.

The Colts received more good news regarding their COVID-19 situation Wednesday. They activated offensive line starters Quenton Nelson and Mark Glowinski, along with cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and defensive end Kemoko Turay. However, right tackle Braden Smith is now on Indianapolis’ virus list. Smith could rejoin his teammates Sunday, however, regardless of vaccination status. Like Wentz, if Smith is not displaying symptoms, he could return Sunday against the Raiders. Smith was the Colts’ lone O-line starter available by the end of Week 16, but the team will have more of its starters on hand against Las Vegas.

Marlon Mack, cornerback T.J. Carrie, safety Jahleel Addae and linebacker Malik Jefferson join Smith as players now on Indy’s virus list.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/20/21

We’ll keep track of today’s stream of minor moves right here:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Promoted: CB Gavin Heslop

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/13/21

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

  • Activated from PUP list: DT Trysten Hill
  • Promoted: K Lirim Hajrullahu

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/26/21

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Chargers’ Chris Harris To Miss 4-6 Weeks

3:12pm: The Bolts have indeed placed Harris on IR. They replaced him on their active roster with safety Jahleel Addae. The latter resurfaced with the team as a practice squad cog but played against the Panthers in Week 3 as a special-teamer.

9:28am: Chargers cornerback Chris Harris suffered a foot injury against the Panthers that will keep him out for 4-6 weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a tough blow for the Bolts, particularly in light of their other injuries in the secondary.

[RELATED: Chargers’ Derwin James Out For Year]

The Chargers already opened the year by placing star safety Derwin James on injured reserve, so they were banking on Harris to help keep opposing quarterbacks honest. Through three games, the longtime Broncos standout registered 15 stops and one pass defended. Now, he’s gone ’til November. On the plus side, Harris will not need surgery to correct the injuries suffered to his third and fourth metatarsals.

Harris joined the Chargers on a two-year deal this offseason after spending the previous nine seasons of his career with the rival Broncos. All in all, the 31-year-old has four Pro Bowls and 20 interceptions to his credit.

The Chargers – down yet another key player – will head to Tampa Bay this week to face Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. Harris, meanwhile, could be on track to return just in time for a key Week 10 matchup against his old friends in Denver. In all likelihood, the Chargers will place Harris on injured reserve to free up a roster spot in the interim. After a minimum of three weeks, the veteran will be eligible to return to the active roster.

Chargers Place Melvin Ingram On IR

On the heels of a fairly strong defensive performance against the Chiefs, the Chargers will see one half of their top-end pass-rushing tandem miss time.

The Bolts placed Melvin Ingram on IR Saturday. This will knock the veteran defensive end out for at least three games. Ingram is battling a knee injury.

Also placing defensive tackle Justin Jones and linebacker Asmar Bilal on IR, the Chargers will promote safety Jahleel Addae to their active roster. The former longtime Chargers safety starter, Addae agreed to a practice squad deal recently. The Bolts will also promote running back Darius Bradwell from their practice squad.

Ingram, though, certainly represents the biggest piece of news from the team’s Saturday transactions. He and Joey Bosa have seen some interruptions in their run as an edge-rushing pair during an era featuring rampant Bolts injury trouble. Though, Ingram has only missed three games over the past five-plus seasons. The three-time Pro Bowler has 43 sacks over the past five seasons.

Ingram’s return from this injury will begin a critical stretch, with the 31-year-old defender in a contract year. Ingram waged a brief hold-in during training camp but returned to practice when the Bolts guaranteed his 2020 salary.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/22/20

We’ll keep track of today’s taxi squad moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: OL Rick Leonard

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: LB Deyon Sizer

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Released: LB Greg Roberts

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers