HEADLINES

Month: January 2023

Cardinals Hire Lions’ Dave Sears As Assistant GM

January 21st, 2023 at 4:16pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals decided to go outside the building when choosing new general manager Monti Ossenfort‘s assistant general manager, hiring Lions director of college scouting Dave Sears, as reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network this morning. The move will be a reunion for Ossenfort and Sears who worked together for the Texans as college scouts.

Sears left Houston for Detroit in 2007 and has been with the Lions ever since working his way up from regional scout to his current role, which he’s held since 2019. Sears has been integral in the team’s draft process, serving as the intermediary between area scouts and the decision-makers of the draft.

Sears will become the No. 2 behind Ossenfort, who was hired as the Cardinals’ general manager earlier this week. The move to bring Ossenfort and Sears in from outside the building is an interesting one considering the Cardinals had two capable candidates for both positions in vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson and vice president of player personnel Quentin Harris, who served together filling the interim duties of general manager during Steve Keim‘s leave of absence.

Both Wilson and Harris interviewed for the open general manager position, and both are more than qualified for the assistant role. If the franchise is adamant on bring in new blood to the front office, it may be spelling the end for Wilson and Harris’s time in Arizona. The team had also interviewed Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, who reportedly turned down the job after receiving an offer, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports echoes Glazer’s report, saying that Cunningham was Arizona’s first choice and that Cunningham declined the position because the “fit” was not right.

The Cardinals are now set moving forward with Ossenfort and Sears leading in the front office. They currently also still have Wilson and Harris in their current positions creating a strong group of top executives in the player personnel office.

Ravens Request Interview With Seahawks’ Dave Canales For OC

January 21st, 2023 at 3:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters this week that the franchise will “cast a wide net” for what he considers to be “one of the top football coaching jobs in the world,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. The team has followed through on that promise thus far, continuing a trend today as they made their third request to interview a candidate in the past two days. This time, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the target is Seahawks quarterbacks coach Dave Canales.

Canales is a longtime Seattle staffer who has spent his entire life on the west coast. Growing up and schooling in California, Canales took the progressive steps from high school coordinator to community college position coach to Power Five strength coach all within a five-year period.

He left his position at USC, following then-head coach Pete Carroll, to join the Seahawks as a wide receivers coach in 2010. Canales stayed in the position for eight years before moving to the quarterbacks room. After two seasons as quarterbacks coach, Canales was granted the title of passing game coordinator for two years before going back to the quarterbacks coaching position this season.

As the Seahawks’ quarterbacks coach, Canales ensured the seamless transition from one Pro Bowl quarterback to another. Working closely with quarterback Geno Smith, who had started five games in the previous six seasons, Canales coached Smith to a career year in the quarterback’s ninth season. During Smith’s first two seasons in the NFL, his only two as a full-time starter prior to this year, Smith had a paltry completion percentage of 57.5 and threw more interceptions (34) than touchdowns (25). This year, under Canales, Smith led the NFL with a completion percentage of 69.8 and was the only quarterback in the league to throw 30 or more touchdowns while tossing less than 12 interceptions.

The move to Baltimore may be a bit of a culture shock for the longtime westerner, but the Ravens would be rewarding him with a promotion to coordinator and the keys to an offense with an MVP quarterback if he gets the position. Lamar Jackson, while still completing a respectable 62.3-percent of his passes this year, finished the season with his lowest completion percentage since his rookie year. He has also seen his QBR plummet ever since his league-leading 83.0 rating during his MVP campaign. Bringing in a coach who has experience with a mobile quarterback like Russell Wilson and helped develop a veteran passer like Smith could be just what the doctor ordered in Baltimore.

For now, Canales is one of many coaches expected to fall under the widely cast net as Harbaugh and the Ravens look to fill one of the top football coaching jobs in the world. The team has also recently requested meetings with Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson and Browns wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea. There is likely to be several more names in consideration as Harbaugh, Jackson, and company decide who will best help them to take the next step.

Titans Plan To Hire Commanders’ Chris Harris For Defensive Role

January 21st, 2023 at 2:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Titans and Bears both requested an interview with Commanders defensive backs coach Chris Harris yesterday, and according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Tennessee plans to hire Harris to be their defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach. No deal has been finalized as of yet, as Harris likely has his door open for larger opportunities.

Harris has been critical during recent years in the development of a secondary that contains lots of youth behind veteran cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and Bobby McCain. The youthful group proved to be one of the league’s best this year, giving up only 3,252 passing yards, good for fourth best in the NFL. The secondary struggled to force turnovers through the air but limited opposing quarterbacks to a completion percentage of 59.9, the second best for an NFL defense this season. The performance is a stark change from last year, when Washington gave up the fourth most passing yards in the NFL.

Although Tennessee has made it known that Harris is their preferred man for the job, Harris certainly has incentive to hold on signing a lease in Nashville. The past couple of years have seen Harris participate in a few interviews for defensive coordinator positions. He was reportedly a finalist for the Packers coordinator job two years ago and interviewed with the Colts last year.

Harris has been a hot name in coaching circles lately. While the Titans defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coaching position would be a step up for the 40-year-old, if Harris has a chance to become a defensive coordinator in the NFL, he’ll likely hold out for that opportunity.

Chargers Request OC Interview With Vikings’ Jerrod Johnson

January 21st, 2023 at 12:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Joe Lombardi was handed his walking papers earlier this week, and the Chargers are eyeing an assistant QBs coach to fill the offensive coordinator vacancy. According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (on Twitter), the Chargers have requested permission to interview Vikings coach Jerrod Johnson for their OC job.

[RELATED: Chargers Fire OC Joe Lombardi]

The former NFL journeyman got into coaching via a Bill Walsh Diversity coaching fellowship with the 49ers in 2017. He later spent three seasons with the Colts before earning the role of assistant quarterbacks coach with the Vikings in 2022.

Along with new head QBs coach Chris O’Hara, Johnson helped guide Kirk Cousins to one of his most successful NFL seasons. Cousins’ 4,547 passing yards were his most during his time with the Vikings, and while his touchdowns (29) were down and his interceptions (14) were up, the QB still played a major role in Minnesota’s 13-4 record.

This isn’t the Chargers’ first attempt to snag a Vikings offensive coach for the vacancy. The organization requested an interview with Vikings OC Wes Phillips, but the coach ultimately rejected the opportunity. Otherwise, Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson is a candidate for the position, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen recently opined that Frank Reich would be a good fit for the job.

Vikings Request DC Interview With Brian Flores

January 21st, 2023 at 12:26pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve got our first candidate for the Vikings defensive coordinator job. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the Vikings have requested permission to interview Steelers senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach Brian Flores for their defensive coordinator vacancy.

[RELATED: Vikings Fire DC Ed Donatell]

Flores has once again been a popular name this offseason. The 41-year-old interviewed for the Cardinals head coaching job (and was considered by some to be the favorite), and he’s also been connected to defensive coordinator openings with the Browns and Falcons. These interviews followed a 2022 campaign where Flores served as the Steelers linebackers coach.

Flores does have a minor connection to Minnesota, having overlapped with head coach Kevin O’Connell for a year in New England. The Vikings announced earlier this week that they would “be going in a different direction at defensive coordinator in 2023,” ending the tenure of defensive play-caller Ed Donatell. Several potential candidates have been mentioned for the opening, including Vikings assistant head coach Mike Pettine.

As our own Sam Robinson recently noted, Flores has never officially held the title of defensive coordinator; he was a position coach in New England while serving as the team’s unofficial DC following Matt Patricia’s exit to Detroit. Flores ended up winning four rings before getting a head coaching gig with the Dolphins in 2019. His tenure in Miami was shaky, culminating in a discrimination lawsuit following his surprise 2022 firing. Still, Flores was connected to a handful of head coaching openings last offseason, and following one year in Pittsburgh, he’s looking at a top coaching role for the 2023 campaign.

Ravens Request OC Interview With Chad O’Shea

January 21st, 2023 at 11:07am CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens’ search for a new offensive coordinator has led them to a division foe. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (via Twitter), the Ravens have requested permission to interview Browns wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea for their OC vacancy.

[RELATED: Ravens, OC Greg Roman To Part Ways]

O’Shea spent time with the Chiefs and Vikings before a long stint with the Patriots. During his decade as New England’s wide receivers coach, the Patriots won three rings. He joined Brian Flores in Miami as the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator in 2019, but he only lasted a year before earning his walking papers. The 50-year-old has spent the past three years as the Browns wide receivers coach.

The Ravens parted ways with Greg Roman earlier this week, opening up a major hole on the coaching staff. We’ve since learned that Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson is a candidate for the position, and more names will surely join the fray in the coming days. We also heard the other day that quarterback Lamar Jackson would play a role in the hiring of a new offensive coordinator.

While speaking to reporters earlier this week, Ravens coach John Harbaugh expressed his belief that Baltimore’s OC gig will be a highly sought-after job.

“This is going to be a highly sought-after job; this is one of the top football coaching jobs in the world,” Harbaugh said (via Cabot). “Everybody’s going to want this job. So, I’m looking forward to getting started, and it won’t just be me; it’ll be other coaches and scouts involved in it. We’re going to cast a wide net, and we’re going to look far and wide and close. We’ll get the best fit for what we’re trying to accomplish, and it’s going to be a highly-qualified candidate.”

Latest On Tom Brady’s Future With The Buccaneers

January 21st, 2023 at 9:18am CST by Ben Levine

It remains to be seen where (or if) Tom Brady will play in 2023. However, several Buccaneers players believe the quarterback definitely won’t be back in Tampa Bay. Speaking to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Bucs players said their “final interactions” with Brady this season led them to believe that the signal-caller won’t be back in Tampa next year.

[RELATED: Buccaneers To Fire OC Byron Leftwich]

One player told Rapoport that he’d be “surprised if [Brady’s] back,” while another said the QB “sounded like a person saying goodbye for good.” Brady also seemed to bid farewell to the media during his final press conference, another indication that he’d likely be heading elsewhere.

Sources tell Rapoport that Brady is going “to head into his few weeks of decision-making time with an open mind.” The future Hall of Famer will spend time with family while he considers all of his options. While re-signing with Tampa Bay has to be included on the list of options, it’s sounding increasingly more likely that Brady will either sign elsewhere or hang up his cleats (at which time he has a lucrative deal with Fox Sports waiting for him).

Brady went as far as to announce his retirement last offseason before reversing course and returning for another campaign. Some thought Brady’s initial retirement was an attempt to force his way out of Tampa Bay, but whether it was a change of heart of the Buccaneers’ unwillingness to budge, the QB ended up returning for a third season with the organization. It was a tough year for the Buccaneers offense, leading to offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich‘s ouster following the team’s opening-round playoff loss.

A number of teams have been mentioned as potential landing spots for Brady. The Dolphins could make another run at the QB after the organization was punished for their previous pursuit. Brady could look to reunite with former OC Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas or with former teammate Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, and rumors of a move back home to San Francisco will continue to persist.

Cardinals To Interview Dan Quinn For HC Job

January 21st, 2023 at 8:54am CST by Ben Levine

Dan Quinn continues to prepare for tomorrow’s showdown against the 49ers, but the Cowboys defensive coordinator is becoming one of the most popular names in the head coaching carousel. The latest addition to the list of potential Quinn suitors is the Cardinals. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Cardinals have requested permission to interview Quinn for their head coaching vacancy. Pelissero tweets that a virtual interview will take place today.

[RELATED: Cardinals Hire Monti Ossenfort As GM]

Quinn has already crammed in a pair of interview this week; he interviewed in-person with the Broncos last night and then met virtually with the Colts this morning. Quinn was a popular name last year, as well. He was a finalist for the Broncos job, and he also garnered interest from the Bears, Jaguars, Dolphins, Vikings, and Giants before ultimately deciding to stick in Dallas.

Quinn started his NFL coaching career with the 49ers. Following stints with the Dolphins and Jets, he joined Seattle in 2009 and eventually worked his way up to Seahawks’ defensive coordinator. He coached the NFL’s best defense in 2013 en route to a Super Bowl championship, and following another successful year in 2014, he was hired as the Falcons head coach prior to the 2015 campaign.

In Atlanta, Quinn had a pair of winning seasons and three others that saw him finish a combined 22-26. His most successful season came in 2016 when he coached the Falcons to Super Bowl LI. Of course, Atlanta ended up surrendering the biggest lead in Super Bowl history in that game, and the team would make only one more playoff appearance before Quinn was ousted five games into the 2020 campaign. He joined Dallas as their defensive coordinator prior to the 2021 season.

With the Cardinals having hired Monti Ossenfort as their new GM, the team continues to add to their list of head coaching candidates. The continually growing list also includes:

Colts Request HC Interview With Dan Quinn

January 21st, 2023 at 8:35am CST by Sam Robinson

TODAY, 8:35am: Quinn completed his interview with the Colts this morning, the team announced via Twitter.

JANUARY 17, 3:30pm: On the heels of a dominant Cowboys performance against the Buccaneers, Dan Quinn could soon see his interview count double. The Colts requested a meeting with the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.

Conducting what has become this year’s most expansive search, the Colts have already interviewed or requested summits with 11 candidates. Quinn, in his second season as Dallas’ DC, is set to interview for Denver’s HC position Friday.

Until Tuesday, only the Broncos had contacted Quinn. That is fairly surprising, given the Cowboys’ performance on defense over the past two seasons. The Cowboys set a franchise record for most points allowed in a season in 2020, but Quinn’s arrival coincided with a major performance increase last season. Dallas ended the 2022 regular season with DVOA’s No. 2-ranked defense.

Quinn, 52, interviewed for the Broncos’ HC position last year. He was a finalist for the position, and having previously worked with Denver GM George Paton, the former Atlanta HC was somewhat surprisingly turned away. The Broncos’ Nathaniel Hackett whiff put Quinn back on the team’s radar, but Paton is not making the final call this time. New CEO Greg Penner will do so, muddying the Quinn waters to a degree. That said, Jim Harbaugh‘s decision to stay at Michigan figures to increase Quinn’s chances in Denver this time around. The Broncos are meeting with Sean Payton on Tuesday and have held the ex-Saints HC as the favorite for a while, but Quinn has been viewed as the top candidate beyond the Payton-Harbaugh duo.

The Seahawks’ DC during their back-to-back Super Bowl years, Quinn began his stay in the NFL in 2001. Quinn’s Dallas defenses have performed much better than his Atlanta units, though Quinn’s six-season Falcons stay did include two playoff berths and a Super Bowl LI appearance (as ignominious as that night became for the team). The Cowboys stay, which included an Assistant Coach of the Year honor in 2021, has rebuilt Quinn’s value following an early-season firing in 2020. Here is how the Colts’ HC search looks as of Tuesday afternoon:

Rams’ Zac Robinson OC Candidate For Chargers, Ravens

January 20th, 2023 at 9:55pm CST by Ely Allen

After parting ways with offensive coordinators Joe Lombardi and Greg Roman, the Chargers and Ravens are both searching for new play callers to lead their young quarterbacks next season. Both teams took a step towards filling their empty roles today, requesting an interview with Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson, according to reports from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.

Robinson enjoyed a short career as an NFL quarterback after being drafted in the seventh round out of Oklahoma State in 2010. He bounced around from the Patriots to the Seahawks to the Lions all within his rookie season. After being waived by Detroit just prior to the 2011 NFL season, Robinson signed with the Bengals. He would remain in Cincinnati until injuries would effectively end his playing career in 2013.

After then-Rams quarterback coach Zac Taylor left to become the head coach of the Bengals, Robinson was hired as the assistant quarterbacks coach six years later in Los Angeles. He would momentarily be asked to change rooms as the assistant wide receivers coach but would switch back to assistant quarterbacks coach with the first departure of Liam Coen to Kentucky. When Coen returned as offensive coordinator, Robinson was promoted to passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, officially dropping the assistant moniker from the title.

The Rams offensive unit had an uncharacteristically poor statistical season this year. They were surely hampered by injuries and losses to key players such as quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, and last year’s leading rusher Sony Michel. Still, for a Rams offense that has routinely finished top-ten in the league in yards and scoring since Sean McVay took over in 2017, finishing 27th in the league in scoring and dead last in yards gained this season is a stark change from the norm in Los Angeles.

This downturn in production hasn’t stopped the Chargers and Ravens from showing their interest in the 36-year-old assistant. The other Los Angeles team is set to interview Robinson on Monday, according to Albert Breer of NBC Sports. The date and time of his interview with Baltimore has yet to be determined.

Robinson has a connection to Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, who coached alongside him for the Rams in 2020, when Staley served as the team’s defensive coordinator. Los Angeles is a potentially attractive destination full of offensive talent. With a young quarterback in Justin Herbert, star running back in Austin Ekeler, veteran receivers in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, and others, Robinson would be gifted a full cupboard of weapons.

The Ravens pose a different challenge for a rookie coordinator. The team certainly has weapons with former-MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson expected to return, a dangerous one-two punch of running backs in J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, a star tight end in Mark Andrews, and young wideouts Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay, who were both having career years before getting injured. The challenge comes from the style of offense that Baltimore has run lately. Under Roman, the Ravens ran several run-pass option plays that utilized the team’s rushing ability while allowing Jackson to punish defenses with his arm, as well. With some speculation that Jackson and company could move towards a pro-style offense, similar to what Jackson ran at Louisville, Robinson or any other new offensive coordinator would be tasked with implementing a whole new playbook in Baltimore.

The name Matt Weiss had been floated around Baltimore, as well, for the offensive coordinator position, but after being fired by the University of Michigan as he undergoes criminal investigation, according to Josh Alper of NBC Sports, Weiss is likely no longer being considered. Weiss had spent 12 years with the Ravens in a vast array of roles before joining the younger Harbaugh brother in Ann Arbor. He was promoted to co-offensive coordinator for the Wolverines this season before his off-the-field activities led to his termination.

Regardless, Robinson will throw his hat in the ring for both jobs. The Chargers and Ravens are the first teams to kick the tires on Robinson, but they surely won’t be the last. Robinson looks to continue the branching out of McVay’s coaching tree, adding to the list of young assistants who have found success out from under McVay’s wing.

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