HEADLINES

Month: January 2023

Dolphins’ Darrell Bevell Declines Commanders, Jets OC Interviews

January 18th, 2023 at 12:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Being in the running to land another offensive coordinator gig, Darrell Bevell is passing on that interest for the time being. The Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach will not interview with the Commanders or Jets, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

While other opportunities may come this year, Bevell will pass on the early overtures he has received. The Jets were believed to have the veteran play-caller as a frontrunner for their position, while the Commanders identified him as a candidate early.

This is an interesting choice, considering the opportunities potentially in play. But it would represent a positive for the Dolphins, who saw Tua Tagovailoa make a third-year leap with Bevell as his position coach. Although Bevell took the 2018 season off, his only NFL positions between 2006 and 2021 were OC roles. The Packers, Seahawks, Lions and Jaguars employed him as such. Instead of vying to be the top offensive coach with either the Jets or Commanders, Bevell will remain a third-in-command presence with Miami — behind Mike McDaniel and OC Frank Smith.

But Bevell does have a key role to play in Miami, should he indeed stay on for a second season with the AFC East franchise. The former Russell Wilson mentor was instrumental in Tagovailoa’s breakthrough season — one that ended with a 25-TD/eight-INT slate and a No. 3 spot in QBR. With the Dolphins still committed to Tagovailoa, ensuring continuity on their offensive staff will be important.

Even when dealt an unusual hand this season, via Tagovailoa and backup Teddy Bridgewater being frequently unavailable, the Dolphins remained competitive. They defeated the Jets with seventh-round rookie Skylar Thompson at the controls, and the Kansas State product played better — completion percentage notwithstanding — in the Fins’ surprisingly narrow loss to the Bills.

Bevell’s exit from the Jets’ OC search leaves a host of candidates without NFL play-calling experience. The team has talked to Eagles staffers Marcus Brady, Brian Johnson and Kevin Patullo, along with Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley. Nathaniel Hackett is the exception here, though the experienced play-caller’s stock cratered thanks to his woeful season as the Broncos’ HC. Washington has former OCs Pat Shurmur and Ken Zampese, the team’s current QBs coach, on its radar. Falcons QBs coach Charles London is also a candidate. The team is interviewing Zampese, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets, noting the meeting will likely occur later this week.

Steelers To Retain OC Matt Canada

January 18th, 2023 at 12:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Matt Canada‘s Steelers OC stay has not produced a turnaround on offense, the Steelers continue to support him. It does not look like the team plans to move on.

The Steelers are expected to retain Canada, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Should this course of action commence, the increasingly unpopular play-caller will be going into his third season in this role. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor noted earlier this week momentum did not appear to exist for a Steelers change here (Twitter link). The Steelers have since confirmed Canada will stay.

Canada has now worked with three starting quarterbacks during his time in Pittsburgh. Following Ben Roethlisberger‘s retirement, the Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky. The Trubisky bridge did not last especially long, with the team making the shift to Kenny Pickett early in the season. Canada sticking around will give the young passer some early-career continuity, though Canada’s offense will likely need to improve in 2023 to open the door to a long-term partnership. One year remains on Canada’s contract, Dulac adds.

Hired as the team’s quarterbacks coach in 2020, after serving as OC for seven college programs from 2007-18, Canada took the OC reins from Randy Fichtner the following season. While the Steelers have regressed in scoring in each of the past three years, going from 12th to 21st to 26th, the team did improve in offensive DVOA this season. After ranking 25th in this metric during Roethlisberger’s final slate, the team slotted 18th during Pickett’s rookie season.

The Steelers finished .500 or better for a 19th straight season, extending Mike Tomlin‘s streak to 16 such years. Canada’s offense was far from potent; the team’s 28 offensive touchdowns were the third-fewest in the league. But Pickett showed progress down the stretch and will enter 2023 as the team’s unquestioned starter. QBR placed Pickett 20th, and the Pitt product piloted the team to six wins in his final seven starts. During that span, Pickett engineered back-to-back game-winning drives — over the Raiders and Ravens — to end the season on a higher note. While Pickett’s 7-to-9 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio (in 13 games) leaves much to be desired, the Steelers are not planning to shake things up early in the first-rounder’s career.

Diontae Johnson, whom the Steelers handed an $18MM-per-year extension late this past offseason, set an NFL record for most receptions (86) without a touchdown. But second-round rookie George Pickens emerged as a potential standout, hauling in 52 passes for 801 yards and four TDs. Pat Freiermuth also took a second-year leap. The Steelers could use another viable pass catcher, after trading Chase Claypool, and their offensive line — a unit chock full of midlevel investments or players on mid-round rookie deals — is certainly not a top-shelf quintet. It appears the team will aim at personnel upgrades rather than overhauling its scheme.

Falcons Conducting DC Interview With Vic Fangio; Brian Flores Interested In Position

January 18th, 2023 at 11:57am CST by Sam Robinson

NFC South rivals are the first to bring in Vic Fangio for interviews. After interviewing for the Panthers’ defensive coordinator position, the respected defensive coach is meeting with the Falcons on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Fangio, who took this season off, has said his NFL return would likely be as a coordinator. The former Broncos HC will undoubtedly have extensive options, given his resume. The Falcons have already reached out to Brian Flores and Al Holcomb about the job Dean Pees recently vacated, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes the former — his place in the Cardinals’ HC derby notwithstanding — has shown interest in the gig.

Flores has never held the defensive coordinator title, residing as a position coach in New England and Pittsburgh and a head coach in Miami. But the Patriots employed Flores as a de facto DC in 2018, after Matt Patricia left for the Lions. And Flores shined in that season, which ended in a sixth Pats Super Bowl title thanks largely to a defense that limited the Rams to three points in Super Bowl LIII.

Flores’ Dolphins tenure became rather polarizing, especially in the wake of his discrimination lawsuit after a surprise 2022 firing, but he has continued to generate interest around the league. Four teams interviewed him for their HC positions last year, and the Cardinals are planning on an interview soon. Arizona hiring ex-Patriots executive Monti Ossenfort as GM has drawn a line to Flores, who was in New England for most of Ossenfort’s tenure with the team.

The Falcons could be a fallback option for Flores, who was in the running for the Browns’ DC gig until the end (when the team hired Jim Schwartz). But Fangio is one of the most experienced defensive coaches in NFL history. A staffer dating back to the mid-1980s, Fangio was a DC for five teams — including the Panthers, back in the ’90s — prior to his Broncos HC stay. Fangio concepts are being used around the league, and his top-tier 49ers defenses helped bolster Jim Harbaugh‘s reputation. Fangio elevated the Bears to a No. 1 defense in 2018, leading to his Broncos opportunity. While injuries and and the Broncos’ evergreen quarterback problem doomed Fangio’s HC chance, it certainly appears he will be back in the league soon.

It will be interesting to see if Fangio takes an early DC offer or waits out some of the HC hires — and Sean Payton‘s decision, considering the two were linked recently — to see what other jobs are available.

Jets Interview Nathaniel Hackett, Marcus Brady, Brian Johnson, Kevin Patullo For OC Position

January 18th, 2023 at 10:13am CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets’ offensive coordinator search now includes six interviews, including three with Eagles staffers. In addition to interviewing Darrell Bevell and Nick Caley, the Jets have spoken with Philadelphia staffers Brian Johnson and Kevin Patullo, Rich Cimini and Dianna Russini of ESPN.com note (Twitter links).

Johnson has been the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons, while Patullo serves as Philly’s passing-game coordinator. The team has also spoken with former Colts OC Marcus Brady, Cimini adds. Although Brady is best known for his time in Indianapolis, he joined Philly’s staff several weeks ago.

The team is also meeting with Nathaniel Hackett, Russini tweets. Coming off one of the worst head coaching tenures in modern NFL history, Hackett has been an NFL play-caller for three teams over the past 10 years. He joins Bevell as the only former NFL play-callers on the radar for the Jets position thus far. Hackett is interviewing with the team Wednesday.

While Hackett has been an OC for the Bills, Jaguars and Packers, he is looking to bounce back from an ignominious Broncos tenure — one that ended with him becoming just the third first-year HC to be fired before season’s end since 1970. Hackett’s offense produced weekly letdowns in Denver. Russell Wilson‘s performance nosedived from his Seattle years, and issues with game management plagued the second-generation NFL coach as well. By the time the Broncos fired Hackett, he was neither calling plays nor managing the game.

Speculation pointed to the Broncos hiring Hackett with the hopes of luring Aaron Rodgers, who had been on their radar since early in the 2021 offseason. The four-time MVP instead signed a Packers extension. However, he has recently reopened the trade door. Rodgers said his Packers future is not entirely up to him anymore and has broached the subject of the team dealing him and pivoting to Jordan Love. GM Brian Gutekunst pushed back on this, but Rodgers could be in trade rumors for a third straight offseason. The Jets are prepared to pay up for a veteran to better complement their improved defense, and Rodgers had two of his best seasons with Hackett as Green Bay’s OC. The future Hall of Famer has spoken highly of Hackett, who has a history with Robert Saleh from their time in Jacksonville.

Brady spent five seasons on Frank Reich‘s Colts staff, rising from quarterbacks coach to OC once the Eagles hired Nick Sirianni in 2021. Brady did not call plays in Indianapolis, however, with Reich doing so throughout his tenure. But the former CFL quarterback has OC experience north of the border as well, serving in that role for the Toronto Argonauts from 2012-17.

Jalen Hurts‘ progress has both reflected well on Johnson and Patullo. The Eagles have relied on Hurts’ rushing talents since he took over as their starter, but he made strides as a passer this season. Johnson has been Hurts’ position coach for the past two seasons, coming over after a short stay as Florida’s OC. Johnson was also Dak Prescott‘s position coach at Mississippi State. The Colts’ wide receivers coach from 2018-20, Patullo has held the pass-game coordinator role with the Eagles throughout Sirianni’s Philly tenure.

Commanders Pursued Derek Carr In 2022; Team Open To Veteran Addition

January 18th, 2023 at 9:40am CST by Sam Robinson

Participating in the veteran quarterback market several times since Kirk Cousins‘ franchise tags led to a departure, Washington has since been linked to cooling off those pursuits. An unexpected Sam Howell promotion, after a one-start season, is being considered.

But the team will not rule out the possibility it again acquires a veteran. After discussing a few vets last year, the team will at least have Howell in the mix for its 2023 starting job. Third-year GM Martin Mayhew, however, said the team will look into an experienced option again.

“You pretty much every season have to look at the entire landscape of what’s available,” Mayhew said, via Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano. “I thought we did a pretty good job of that last year. We will do the same things this year. We’re not going to rule out acquiring a vet. We’ll go through the entire landscape of who’s available. We’ll evaluate them, and we’ll get to a consensus.”

Last year’s search included pursuits of Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, with a three-first-rounder offer being sent to the Seahawks for the latter. Wilson’s no-trade clause intervened, as it did for other non-Broncos teams as well. But the Commanders’ 2022 search also included calls to the Raiders on their then-starter. The Raiders fielded multiple inquiries from the Commanders about Derek Carr last year, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.

The Raiders’ Dave Ziegler–Josh McDaniels regime rebuffed the Commanders’ Carr interest, preferring to see if the longtime starter proved a fit in McDaniels’ offense. After Carr did not impress with McDaniels, the Raiders are ready to see what they can get for the 31-year-old passer. They will try to trade Carr and his $40.4MM guarantee, which vests Feb. 15, to stockpile assets for the future. The recent Howell buzz aside, it seems logical the Commanders will revisit Carr as an option.

Washington stands to save $26.2MM by releasing Carson Wentz, who remains on his Eagles extension from 2019. The team would take on a larger contract with Carr, and the former Pro Bowler has a no-trade clause included in his half-measure extension agreed to in 2022. That complicates any team’s pursuit of Carr, who confirmed he wants another chance to start. It will be interesting to see how many teams are truly in the mix for the solid-but-unspectacular passer, who could follow the likes of Alex Smith and Matthew Stafford in being part of a mid-winter trade.

Washington participated in the first of those trades, obtaining Smith from the Chiefs for Kendall Fuller and a third-round pick. The team then extended Smith, but his gruesome leg injury opened the floodgates at this position in Washington. Should Howell or any non-Wentz arm start for the team to open the 2023 season, it will mark the team’s seventh season-opening QB in seven years. Taylor Heinicke is not among this contingent, having replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick minutes into the latter’s Washington debut/one-off last season, and he will be an unrestricted free agent come March.

Mayhew called Howell’s Week 18 outing against the Cowboys promising but cautioned that was “a very small sample” to judge and “there’s going to be a lot of evaluation process for him.” Will that performance stop the team from chasing a higher-profile option?

Titans To Hire Ran Carthon As GM

January 17th, 2023 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hours after a finalist contingent emerged, the Titans have made their choice. They plan to hire 49ers director of player personnel Ran Carthon as their next general manager, Dianna Russini and Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com report (on Twitter).

Carthon, who has been with the 49ers for six years, joined Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham and Titans interim GM Ryan Cowden as the finalists for this position. A day after the Cardinals hired Titans exec Monti Ossenfort, the league’s last GM vacancy — for the time being, at least — is now filled.

Carthon, 41, has been an NFL staffer since 2008 and has held high-ranking titles for the 49ers and Rams. A former Florida Gators running back and son of ex-Giants fullback and longtime NFL assistant Maurice Carthon, Ran has been in the mix for GM roles for a bit now. He interviewed for the Bears, Giants and Steelers’ GM jobs last year and met with the Cardinals last week. Carthon will now be set to team with Mike Vrabel in Tennessee.

The Titans hiring Carthon, who is Black, will equip the 49ers with third-round picks this year and in 2024. Due to the NFL modifying its Rooney Rule to reward third-round selections to teams who hire minority execs as GMs or minority assistant coaches as HCs, the 49ers will benefit again. They have been given eight third-round picks — for the hires of Martin Mayhew, Robert Saleh, Mike McDaniel and now Carthon — since the NFL greenlit this rule. Carthon becomes the sixth minority GM hired since 2021.

Tennessee’s hire doubles as one of the more unique GM additions in recent history. No HC change is in sight, with Vrabel having established himself as one of the league’s most respected coaches. Carthon, then, will be tasked with working alongside the sixth-year Titans HC to retool the roster. Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk made the surprising decision to fire Jon Robinson less than a year after giving him an extension that ran through the 2027 draft. The Titans signed both Vrabel and Robinson to new deals in February 2022, but Adams Strunk reversed course and cited personnel decisions and the team’s repeated trouble with injuries as reasons for the Robinson ouster.

Hired in 2016, Robinson helped rebuild the Titans into a consistent contender. He tabbed Vrabel in 2018, and the two guided the Titans to three straight playoff berths from 2019-21. This year brought change, with the most notable move being the A.J. Brown trade. Adams Strunk said Brown scoring twice against the Titans did not impact her decision to fire Robinson, despite the firing coming soon after the Tennessee-Philadelphia matchup in December. One of Carthon’s duties will be to help rebuild a Titans receiving corps that dearly missed Brown this season. Overall, the Titans closed the season with seven straight losses, going from the AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2021 to a team with a 7-10 record and a less stable future a year later.

The 49ers, who hired Carthon in 2017 after his five-year tenure as the Rams’ director pro personnel, promoted him from director of pro personnel to director of player personnel in 2021. Following Mayhew’s 2021 exit, Carthon joined Adam Peters as a top John Lynch lieutenant. The 49ers have ventured to two NFC championship games and a Super Bowl during Carthon’s tenure, and their pro personnel department oversaw quite the seminal transaction in 2017 — a trade for Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers have withstood injuries to both Garoppolo and Trey Lance this year to become the NFC’s No. 2 seed behind seventh-round rookie Brock Purdy. Although Peters is viewed as the most likely Lynch successor, Carthon with have the chance to work as front office leader first. The Titans tried to interview Peters, but the 49ers’ assistant GM declined the opportunity.

This move could lead Cowden elsewhere, though that is not yet certain. Robinson hired both Cowden and Ossenfort, and the former — who joined Robinson’s staff from the jump seven years ago — worked as Tennessee’s interim GM to close out this season. Cunningham also interviewed for both the Titans and Cardinals’ GM posts. Considering Cunningham just completed his first year in an assistant GM role, this GM hiring cycle illustrated the league’s view of his work.

Cardinals Request HC Interview With Ejiro Evero

January 17th, 2023 at 9:08pm CST by Ben Levine

Ejiro Evero is turning into a very popular name for head coaching gigs. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter), the Cardinals have requested permission to interview the Broncos defensive coordinator for their head coaching vacancy.

[RELATED: Cardinals Hire Monti Ossenfort As GM]

Evero has bounced around the NFL coaching ranks in pursuit of promotions, culminating in him being hired as the Broncos defensive coordinator prior to the 2022 campaign. That unit certainly wasn’t a world beater this past year, but Evero earned praised for guiding what was ultimately the league’s seventh-best total defense. In fact, the coach impressed so much, he was offered an in-season promotion to interim head coach following the firing of Nathaniel Hackett. Evero decided to retain his DC title for the rest of the season, although he did garner an interview for the full-time position after the season.

The 42-year-old has now been connected to every head coaching vacancy in the NFL. Besides Denver’s vacancy, he previously interviewed with the Colts and Texans. The Panthers also recently requested permission to speak with him.

Evero joins a growing list of candidates that includes Steelers linebackers coach Brian Flores, Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, former Saints head coach Sean Payton, former Colts head coach Frank Reich, and 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. Following yesterday’s news that the Cardinals were hiring Monti Ossenfort as their new general manager, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes that owner Michael Bidwell is in favor of pairing the former Patriots executive with Flores, the Patriots’ former defensive coordinator. Flores indeed has momentum here, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.

Regardless, we should be getting some clarity on the vacancy soon. Bidwill said today that he expects to make a hire “in a matter of days,” per NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano (on Twitter). It’s uncertain if today’s developments have changed Bidwell’s timeline.

Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire Returns To Practice

January 17th, 2023 at 8:18pm CST by Ben Levine

The Chiefs welcomed a pair of offensive players back to practice today. According to Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star (on Twitter), the Chiefs designated running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and tight end Jody Fortson for return. The team will now have 21 days to activate either player to the 53-man roster.

Edwards-Helaire hasn’t seen the field since November while dealing with a high-ankle sprain. At the time of his injury, CEH was already seeing a reduced role on offense, with rookie Isiah Pacheco and pass-catcher Jerick McKinnon soaking up many of the RB snaps. Even if Edwards-Helaire is good to go for the rest of the playoffs, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be anything more than the third running back on the depth chart.

The 2020 first-round pick has shown flashes during his brief career, including a rookie campaign that saw him finish with 1,100 yards from scrimmage. In 10 games (six starts) this season, the 23-year-old collected 453 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns.

“Anytime you get talented players back, it helps the whole team — not just the offense, but everybody,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said (via Teope). “To have that energy in the locker room again, to have it on the football field and both those guys are special-type players.”

Fortson suffered an elbow injury in Week 15 that shut him down for the rest of the regular season. The tight end had 108 yards and two touchdowns while playing behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray on the depth chart.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/17/23

January 17th, 2023 at 8:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Buffalo Bills

Kansas City Chiefs

Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/17/23

January 17th, 2023 at 7:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s reserve/futures deals:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

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