Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Baltimore Ravens
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
San Francisco 49ers
TODAY, 7:40pm: Payton’s interview with the Texans took place this evening, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston (on Twitter). The coach still has interviews with the Broncos and Panthers on the docket.
JANUARY 11, 2:30pm: Linked to Sean Payton for a bit now, the Cardinals will explore this path. The Saints granted the Cards permission to speak with Payton, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Texans are in the mix as well, with NFL.com’s Peter Schrager indicating they have requested permission to speak with Payton. The Saints have also granted this request, Rapoport adds (Twitter links).
Payton, who is set to interview with the Broncos at some point, remains under contract with the Saints through 2024. Compensation will need to be negotiated between the Saints and interested teams, in the event a hire is imminent. The Cardinals are starting their HC-GM search with the GM part, but the team may be willing to make an exception for Payton.
Rumblings about the Cardinals looming as a dark horse for Payton emerged several weeks ago, when the longtime Saints HC had been connected only to the Cowboys, Chargers and Dolphins. None of those teams have vacancies, which could put Payton’s patience to the test. The Cardinals would satisfy Payton’s warm-weather preference, and although Kyler Murray is coming off a down season that ended with an ACL tear, he certainly qualifies as a franchise quarterback.
Payton is a fan of Murray, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. If the Cardinals are able to snag Payton, it seems likely he would be a central part of selecting a GM. Arizona has not hired a GM from outside the organization since the 1990s, and the team has internal and external candidates in place. Payton is believed to want to bring personnel people with him wherever he goes. While that could be a complication in Denver, which has a GM (George Paton), it would be less disruptive in Arizona.
Although the Cardinals had success with Bruce Arians and Ken Whisenhunt, the franchise has not employed a coach with this level of prestige since moving to the desert. Payton coached the Saints to nine playoff berths during his time in New Orleans, and all but one of the the playoff wins in franchise history came under Payton. While Drew Brees had a lot to say about that, Payton played the lead role in elevating Brees to the top tier at his position.
The Broncos’ new ownership would present a challenge for the Cardinals, depending on how much money will play into Payton’s thinking. Rob Walton‘s net worth dwarfs every other NFL owner’s, and the Broncos also are positioned to give Payton final say on personnel matters. Murray may be the better draw compared to a 34-year-old Russell Wilson, but the Cardinals’ roster also has several aging pieces. There is also the possibility Payton punts on a landing spot this year and waits for more attractive jobs to open up down the road.
It is tough to see a Payton-Texans partnership coming to fruition. Houston is still early in what has already been a lengthy rebuild process, one that has now featured GM Nick Caserio making back-to-back coaches one-and-dones. Payton, 58, would be given a much longer leash compared to David Culley and Lovie Smith, but this situation would be a strange one for a Payton comeback.
Houston, however, does have draft capital that outflanks both Arizona and Denver. Caserio’s deft maneuvering with Deshaun Watson gave the Texans additional first-round picks from 2022-24. Thanks to a 3-13-1 record this season, Houston holds the No. 2 pick next year. The Browns going 7-10 gave the Texans the No. 12 choice as well. While that presents an interesting opportunity, the state of the Texans’ roster is still fairly bleak. Payton also said last year he would eliminate certain teams based on their reputations.
“It would be the comfort level with ownership and the front office, with the leadership structure, with likeminded thinking,” Payton said of the circumstances describing his preferred destination in November. “Are more of those opportunities out there? I don’t think many. I think there are a lot of dysfunctional teams in our league. There are some places where talent can die. I just want to avoid those places.”
Payton once turned around a Saints team that had one playoff win in 38 years of existence, but he can be choosier about his destination given what he achieved in New Orleans. Both the Cardinals and Texans have experienced their fair share of dysfunction, and while the Broncos have been to eight Super Bowls and won three, they have changed coaches a few times during what is now a seven-season playoff drought. Some pushback on Payton’s Cardinals interest also surfaced last month. It will be interesting to see if Payton interviews with all three teams. He cannot begin interviewing until Jan. 17.
The Patriots are looking to revamp their offensive coaching staff, and it sounds like a familiar face is a favorite for the gig. Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston writes that Bill O’Brien is the “primary target” for New England’s offensive coordinator job.
[RELATED: Patriots Will Start OC Interviews Next Week]
Curran notes that there are “other candidates with merit,” but there’s “unanimity on all sides” that O’Brien is the best person for the position. The main thing going for O’Brien is his relationship with the Patriots organization, especially when you consider Bill Belichick‘s penchant for bringing back former assistants. O’Brien spent five years with the Patriots, culminating in him becoming the team’s offensive coordinator. Following head coaching stints with Penn State and the Texans, O’Brien spent the past two years as the offensive coordinator at Alabama under Nick Saban, a close confidant of Belichick.
Speaking of Alabama, O’Brien also has an advantage over the field thanks to his relationship with Mac Jones. While the QB prepared for the 2021 NFL Draft, he also helped O’Brien learn the Alabama offense following the coach’s hiring. O’Brien could look to add elements of Alabama’s quick-strike offense to the Patriots offense. While the familiar scheme would obviously benefit Jones, the offensive philosophy would also take better advantage of Jones’ game-management skills (vs. his average QB skills).
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Mike Reiss looks at a handful of additional potenital candidates for the offensive coordinator position. After O’Brien, Reiss lists former Jets head coach Adam Gase as a candidate considering his mutual respect with Belichick and his experience with Saban. Reiss also lists Vikings receivers coach Keenan McCardell, former Jets/Cardinals associate head coach/receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, Cowboys QBs coach Doug Nussmeier, and current Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley as potential targets for the job.
In a surprising press release last week, the Patriots revealed that they would begin interviewing offensive coordinator candidates. This follows a 2022 campaign where Belichick opted to go without an OC to replace Josh McDaniels and chose former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and former special teams coordinator Joe Judge to lead the way. The results were ugly, as the inconsistent Patriots offense struggled for much of the year.
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
New York Jets
Not long after being mentioned as a key component of the Jets’ offensive coordinator search, Darrell Bevell is indeed in line to interview for the job. The Jets are planning to speak with the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
In addition to Bevell, the team is planning to meet with Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. The Caley interview will take place Tuesday. The Jets are looking to replace Mike LaFleur, whom the team parted ways with after two seasons last week. LaFleur is expected to join Sean McVay‘s Rams staff.
Bevell, 53, has been an NFL OC dating back to the 2000s. Prior to the rare feat of Bevell becoming the interim HC for separate teams (the Lions and Jaguars) in back-to-back years, he enjoyed more memorable OC tenures with the Vikings (2006-10) and Seahawks (2011-17). Brett Favre‘s former QBs coach was on board as Seattle’s OC during the Russell Wilson–Marshawn Lynch partnership’s run, which featured the team’s consecutive Super Bowl berths. The Seahawks fired Bevell following the 2017 season, but he has remained a sought-after staffer. Bevell and Robert Saleh were each on the Seahawks’ staff from 2011-13.
Bevell’s most recent work may be why he is viewed by some as the early favorite for Gang Green’s play-calling gig. Tua Tagovailoa took a substantial leap this season under Mike McDaniel, finishing a concussion-marred campaign third in the NFL in QBR. Tagovailoa threw 25 touchdown passes despite finishing only 12 games. McDaniel calls the Dolphins’ plays, but Bevell provided the rookie HC and first-time OC Frank Smith with considerable experience.
Caley does not bring close to Bevell’s experience, but the Patriots assistant saw a responsibility bump during the team’s unusual post-Josh McDaniels season. Caley, 39, has been New England’s tight ends coach since 2017 and is on the radar for the Pats’ OC role. Though, Bill O’Brien looks like the frontrunner here. Although the Pats may not be wild about Caley joining the Jets, teams can no longer block position coaches from interviewing for coordinator roles.
The Jets also have interviewed former Colts OC Marcus Brady and Eagles passing-game coordinator Kevin Patullo. The Brady interview satisfies the Rooney Rule requirement that the team interview at least one external minority candidate.
Gang Green moved on from LaFleur but is believed to be planning to retain quarterbacks coach Rob Calabrese, Aaron Wilson of KPRC tweets. The team did, however, dismiss offensive line coach John Benton. An NFL O-line coach since 2003, Benton has served in this capacity for five teams. He worked with LaFleur on Kyle Shanahan‘s 49ers staff for four seasons prior to joining the Jets. The Jets are also looking to replace Miles Austin, who is appealing an NFL suspension for gambling, and assistant D-line coach Greg Scruggs. The latter joined Wisconsin’s staff as defensive line coach last week.
JANUARY 16: Hankins is back in uniform for the Cowboys. The team activated the veteran defensive tackle from IR ahead of its Monday wild-card matchup. Hankins, whom the Cowboys acquired from the Raiders days before the trade deadline, has been out since Week 14.
JANUARY 11: The Cowboys could be getting some defensive reinforcement in time for their showdown with the Buccaneers. Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports (via Twitter) that nose tackle Johnathan Hankins was designated for return today.
That means Hankins’ 21-day practice window officially started today. Of course, there’s no guarantee that the Cowboys are still in the postseason in 21 days. So, most likely, the Cowboys are preparing for the nose tackle to be on the field for Monday’s game against the Buccaneers, a sentiment that Gehlken echoes.
A pectoral strain forced Hankins to the injured reserve in December, but assuming he’s back this season, he’ll ultimately have missed the minimum four required games.
“I feel good. I feel like I could’ve been back sooner but, with the [IR] rules, I had to be out four weeks,” Hankins said today (via the team’s website). “But I’m not mad about it, it just gave me more time to get my body right and ready for the playoffs…The time is now.”
In October, Hankins was traded with a seventh-round pick from the Raiders to the Cowboys for a sixth-round selection. The 30-year-old got into five games (three starts) for his new squad, collecting 10 tackles. Hankins previously spent time with the Giants, Colts, and Raiders, including an eight-year stretch where he started 116 of his 117 games.
The Cowboys got some more positive injury news today. Gehlken passes along that center Tyler Biadasz and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch both returned to practice today.
Stationed once again on an NFL head coaching carousel, Jim Harbaugh does not intend to leave Michigan. He confirmed Monday he will stay in Ann Arbor.
Following a statement from Michigan president Santa Ono indicating Harbaugh informed him he would continue as the Wolverines’ HC, Harbaugh confirmed the same (Twitter links). After his previous statement included the phrase, “No one knows what the future holds,” this one is more declarative about his intentions. Barring something unforeseen, Harbaugh is coming back for a ninth season leading his alma mater.
“I love the relationships that I have at Michigan — coaches, staff, families, administration, President Santa Ono and especially the players and their families,” Harbaugh said. “My heart is at the University of Michigan. I once heard a wise man say, ‘Don’t try to out-happy happy.’ Go Blue!”
A year after interviewing for the Vikings’ HC job, Harbaugh met with the Broncos a week ago today. He was the first candidate to interview for Denver’s HC vacancy and has been connected to the team since Nathaniel Hackett‘s firing. Harbaugh, 59, has expressed a desire to someday return to the NFL, citing unfinished business from his four-year run with the 49ers. That business will again be on hold, as Harbaugh again jumped off the NFL carousel. Harbaugh called Broncos CEO Greg Penner on Monday morning to inform him of the decision to stay at Michigan, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.
While the Vikings did not offer Harbaugh their HC job in 2022, the eight-year Michigan HC was believed to be the Broncos’ 1-B option. Sean Payton has resided as Denver’s 1-A for a bit now, and Harbaugh’s decision to remain in the college ranks further amplifies the Broncos’ Tuesday meeting with Payton. Both Payton and Rams DC Raheem Morris will meet with new Broncos ownership Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The Broncos and Harbaugh were in talks, but Klis adds the parties did not come close to discussing a contract. Penner and co-owner Condoleezza Rice have ties to Harbaugh dating back to his Stanford days, and ex-Broncos GM-turned-consultant John Elway does as well. These connections appeared to increase the chances Harbaugh would finally make the jump back to the league. This probably will not be the last Harbaugh-NFL connection, given the news cycles surrounding the fiery leader’s future over the past several years. But the Broncos must move on.
Reports of Harbaugh being interested — especially as a report of Michigan being investigated for potential violations surfaced — in returning to the NFL ended up again preceding an announcement Michigan will keep its HC. He contacted the Panthers about their job, speaking with David Tepper. That conversation did not endear Harbaugh to the Panthers, it appears, and the Colts — rumored to be interested back in December — had not set up an interview. Here is how the Broncos’ HC search looks as of Monday afternoon:
The Ravens’ season came to an end last night, but there remains a major storyline which is likely to surround the franchise well into the offseason. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was absent from the game against the Bengals, and his latest comments on his contract status have added further to the speculation regarding his future. 
The 26-year-old suffered a PCL sprain in Week 13 and was immediately believed to be facing a multi-week absence. His prognosis changed over time, however, and with each passing week at the end of the regular season it became increasingly noteworthy that he did not return to the lineup. Not long after he personally provided an update on the status of his injured knee (including, specifically, the matter of swelling not reducing as hoped), he was ruled out for the wild-card round. He did not travel with the Ravens to Cincinnati.
That stood in contrast to what the team had hoped with respect to Jackson’s recovery timeline and invited plenty of questions concerning the former MVP’s willingness to return to action as the offseason — and, therefore, the latest round of contract negotiations — approached. In response to public backlash and reports of internal frustration on the matter, the Ravens made it clear they remain “all-in” on committing to him on a long-term deal. Such a move clearly remains the target from Jackson’s perspective.
“When you have something good,” he said in an Instagram post, “you don’t play with it. You don’t take chances losing it. You don’t neglect it. When you have something good, you pour into it. You appreciate it. Because when you take care of something good, that good thing takes care of you too” (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Those comments can certainly be construed as a less-than-subtle directive to Baltimore’s front office, which has been in talks with the agent-less signal-caller on and off for multiple offseasons. The matter of guarantees has long been known to be the sticking point in contract talks, with the historic Deshaun Watson deal (five years, $230MM fully guaranteed) representing precedent for a similar mega-extension, though the summer’s other QB deals pointed to the market heading in a different direction.
Jackson is scheduled to hit free agency for the first time when his rookie contract expires in March, but Baltimore is expected to use the franchise tag on him to prevent his departure. With the drama surrounding this situation suggesting a long-term deal may not be likely, the central question could become which tag (exclusive or non-exclusive) the Ravens use. The former would carry a substantial one-year cap burden, while the latter would open the door to an offer sheet coming into play.
With the Ravens now turning their attention to an evaluation of their offense – one which was far less productive during Jackson’s absence – the matter of his contract will dominate headlines for weeks to come.
The Colts’ list of head coaching candidates continues to grow. The team submitted three interview requests on Monday, beginning with one for Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero). 
Kafka continues to draw considerable interest in this year’s coaching cycle. The 35-year-old has also received interview requests from the Panthers and Texans, teams looking to add a bench boss with experience on the offensive side of the ball. Kafka is in the midst of his first season as an OC, but his work to date has quickly boosted his coaching stock.
After leaving the Chiefs to join Brian Daboll in New York, Kafka was surprisingly given the keys to the Giants’ offense at the start of the year. That decision certainly paid off, as the team is bound for the Divisional Round of the playoffs in no small part due to their play on that side of the ball. A resurgent Saquon Barkley has powered the team’s ground game, while quarterback Daniel Jones has erased (at least most) doubts regarding his potential as a franchise signal-caller. To little surprise, then, Kafka is firmly on several teams’ radars as they look for similar improvement in 2023.
The Giants’ other coordinator, Don ‘Wink’ Martindale, is also a target of the Colts. Indianapolis placed an interview request with him, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports tweets. This marks the first such request for the 59-year-old this year, though he has been interviewed for HC vacancies in years past. His first season with the Giants has seen the team put up average numbers at best in several categories, but the unit – much like the offense – has overperformed relative to expectations in what was expected to be a rebuilding year. One of the most highly-respected defensive coaches in the league, Martindale has nearly two decades of experience on NFL sidelines.
Lastly, Indianapolis is seeking a meeting with 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Another hugely popular name during the 2023 cycle, Ryans has a busy week ahead, with several interviews already lined up for this week prior to today’s request from the Colts. He will meet with interested teams in the build-up to San Francisco’s playoff game this Sunday, a notably different setup than that of Kafka and Martindale, who are expected to hold off on interviews this week (Twitter link via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post).
With three new names on their list, here is an updated breakdown of the Colts’ HC search:
In anticipation of today’s deadline for college underclassmen to declare their NFL intentions, one of this year’s top quarterbacks announced that he is turning pro. Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud announced (on Twitter) that he is forgoing his senior year and entering the 2023 draft.
The decision comes as little surprise given his production with the Buckeyes, though it was not taken lightly. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets that Stroud “strongly considered” remaining at Ohio State for the 2023 campaign. Instead, the Heisman finalist will turn his attention to the upcoming draft, where he will be a highly sought-after prospect. 
Stroud took over for Justin Fields under center for the Buckeyes in 2021, and immediately showcased his potential. The 6-3, 215-pound passer racked up 4,435 passing yards and 44 touchdowns as a sophomore, allowing the team’s offense to continue its efficiency under head coach Ryan Day. His performance earned Stroud Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors, and he finished fourth in Heisman voting that year.
Entering the 2022 campaign, Stroud was set to compete with Alabama’s Bryce Young for the title of top QB prospect in the upcoming class. The former put together another strong season, though his yardage, touchdowns and completion percentage totals each dipped compared to 2021. Stroud helped lead the Buckeyes to the CFP semifinals, where they nearly pulled off a major upset against the eventual-champion Georgia Bulldogs. He was once again named the conference’s top offensive player, and finished third in Heisman voting to solidify his status as one of the top prospects at any position this spring.
Young is generally regarded as the top passer, but a number of teams in need of a new quarterback will have the opportunity to draft Stroud inside the top 10. Much will depend on the Bears’ plans with the No. 1 pick, and the jockeying which will take place to trade for it should they decide to move down the board. Whichever teams are unable to land Young will be acutely aware of Stroud’s pre-draft process, as he and Kentucky’s Will Levis represent the other first-round locks at the position.
Stroud’s decision comes not long after his teammate, left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., declared for the draft (Twitter link). The 6-6, 315-pounder enjoyed a stellar campaign this season, his first as a blindside blocker. Johnson was charged with only two sacks allowed en route to a career-high PFF grade of 83. A consensus All-American, he is also considered a surefire first-rounder and is in contention alongside Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski to be the first tackle off the board.
With Stroud, Johnson and wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba all having turned pro, the Buckeyes figure to have at least three players hear their names called on Day 1 of the draft. The former two in particular are likely to feature heavily in the evaluation process leading up to the spring.