HEADLINES

Month: January 2023

Panthers Request Interviews With Three Offensive Coordinators For Head Coach

January 9th, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Ely Allen

9:45pm: Carolina has added a third current offensive coordinator to their requests, this time one from the AFC. Rapoport reports that the Panthers have requested to interview Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey for their open head coaching position.

Dorsey’s rise as a coach has been fairly quick. After joining the Panthers organization initially as a scout in 2011, Dorsey quickly transitioned to quarterback coach, mentoring quarterback Cam Newton during the seasons in which Newton won MVP and led his team to the Super Bowl.

Dorsey was a casualty when the Panthers fired former offensive coordinator Mike Shula and was hired a year later to be the Bills’ quarterback coach under Sean McDermott. Dorsey’s success coaching second-year quarterback Josh Allen led to multiple teams reaching out about hiring him as their offensive coordinator. When Brian Daboll was hired to coach the Giants, Dorsey was promoted to offensive coordinator in Buffalo for the 2022 season.

After one season at the helm of the offense, Dorsey is getting his first interest for a head coaching position. Coincidentally, that interest just happens to be coming from the franchise that broke him into the coaching ranks of the NFL 10 years ago.

9:26pm: The Panthers’ search to replace former head coach Matt Rhule continued this evening as the organization requested interviews with Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, as reported separately by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. The two have become popular names in the 2023 head coaching market. Both Steichen and Johnson had received requests from the Texans and Colts today, as well. This makes six candidates who appear to be in the running for the open head coaching position in Carolina.

Steichen, formerly the offensive coordinator for the Chargers, took over as Philadelphia’s play caller when Nick Sirianni was named head coach in 2021. Steichen has played a crucial role in the development of quarterback Jalen Hurts. Together, in only their second season of work together, the two led a third-ranked Eagles offense to the NFC’s top seed.

Johnson is a holdover assistant coach in Detroit from the Matt Patricia-era to the Dan Campbell-era. Campbell was so impressed with Johnson he promoted the former tight ends coach to offensive coordinator this past offseason. Johnson excelled in the role, helping turn the Lions’ season around from a 1-6 start to a 9-8 record despite sporting the league’s worst scoring defense. Johnson helped the offense fire around quarterback Jared Goff and coached a rushing attack that saw running back Jamaal Williams break Barry Sanders record for rushing touchdowns in a season with 17.

Carolina is also expected to interview former Colts head coaches Frank Reich and Jim Caldwell, who more recently coached the Lions, and interim head coach Steve Wilks will get an opportunity to state his case after just falling short of a division title despite a disastrous start to the season. University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has been in contact with the team, as well, to discuss the position.

The Panthers will have plenty of routes to choose from in their search. Whether they decided they prefer the experience of veteran coaches like Caldwell or Harbaugh, they decide they would like to see more out the small samples provided by Wilks and Reich, or if they decide they want to give a debut opportunity to the younger coordinators, Carolina will do their due diligence in their search.

Panthers Guards Brady Christensen, Austin Corbett Facing Injuries In Offseason

January 9th, 2023 at 7:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Carolina was hoping to still be playing football at this point in the season. However, after injuries to starting guards Brady Christensen and Austin Corbett that would have held them out of the playoffs, the Panthers will not be faced with the prospect of replacing 40-percent of their offensive line in only a week. Both linemen played every snap of the season for Carolina until lower body injuries took each of them out in the team’s win over New Orleans yesterday.

After a rookie season that saw the former third-round pick spot-start as a backup, Christensen took his opportunity to become a full-time starter this season and ran with it. While Christensen’s below-average run blocking kept him from grading out as a top guard in the league, his pass blocking ability graded out in the top half of NFL starting guards, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

The big-bodied guard broke his left ankle only six snaps into the team’s season finale, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Person reported that “an MRI exam would determine whether (Christensen) would need surgery,” but there’s confidence that he will be ready to go in time for training camp.

The veteran, Corbett, was a newcomer on Carolina’s offensive line this year after signing as a free agent in March but immediately became a strength alongside right tackle Taylor Moton. Corbett graded out as the league’s 19th-best offensive guard, thanks to an impressive pass blocking grade.

Corbett’s injury was a bit more severe than his teammate’s. In an attempt to tackle Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu during an interception return, Corbett’s foot got caught in the artificial turf leading to a torn ACL, according to ESPN’s David Newton. Corbett’s recovery will likewise take a bit more time than Christensen’s. After undergoing surgery to repair the torn ligament, Corbett will strive to make it back to the field in time for the 2023 season.

The two are likely expected to resume their starting jobs once healthy, as both are under contract through the 2024 season, but the injuries could cause Carolina to seek some depth this offseason for the interior line. After a remarkably healthy season for their offensive line, the offseason poses the challenge of health for the Panthers’ big men.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/9/23

January 9th, 2023 at 6:45pm CST by Ely Allen

18 teams had their seasons come to an end yesterday, and their front offices have already turned the page to the 2023 NFL seaon. This started today, as a number of players were signed to reserve/futures contracts, which allows organizations to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players throughout the offseason. Here are today’s reserve/futures contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

  • WR Ty Fryfogle

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

Colts Request HC Interviews; Jeff Saturday Wants To Stay

January 9th, 2023 at 6:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

On display knocking the Packers out of the playoff race, the Lions finished off a remarkable turnaround this season. Early interest is coming in for Dan Campbell‘s coordinators.

Following a Texans interview request, OC Ben Johnson received another from the Colts, whom Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) are interested in speaking with Lions DC Aaron Glenn. Jeff Saturday is believed to remain in the equation for Jim Irsay‘s team, but the owner said last month he looked forward to meeting with a host of candidates for the gig. The Colts will also attempt to meet with Rams DC Raheem Morris, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (on Twitter), and Eagles OC Shane Steichen, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

This run of HC interest represents quite the rise for Johnson, who started last season as Detroit’s tight ends coach. For Glenn, the HC interest comes a few months after rumors of his potential ouster as Detroit’s DC surfaced. The Lions, however, completed an incredible bounce-back effort by going from 1-6 to 9-8.

Glenn’s defense did not cross the finish line with particularly strong marks. The Lions’ late-season surge still ended with their defense in last place in yards allowed and 28th in scoring. A crucial December loss to the Panthers ended with Carolina setting franchise records in total yards and on the ground. Still, the development of players like Aidan Hutchinson, James Houston, Jeff Okudah and Kerby Joseph reflects well on Glenn, who was up for the Saints’ HC job that went to Dennis Allen last year. Glenn, 50, took over Lions DC duties in 2021 but spent the previous five years on Sean Payton‘s staff.

Jared Goff finished the season fifth in QBR — by far the highest placement of his career — and closed his second Lions campaign with a 29-7 TD-INT ratio. Behind one of the league’s better offensive lines, Jamaal Williams also put together a 1,000-yard season that ended with him leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns (17 — a number that broke Barry Sanders‘ 31-year-old Lions record). Johnson, 36, has gone from never calling plays at any level prior to 2022 to being a sought-after interviewee.

Morris, a former Buccaneers coach and Falcons interim HC, wrapped his second season as the Rams’ DC. While 2022 proved to be a rough year for the defending Super Bowl champions, Morris’ work shaping the 2021 Rams’ defense will still make him an intriguing candidate. Morris, 46, has experience coaching on both sides of the ball at the NFL level. Mostly a defensive coach, he helmed the Falcons’ wide receivers from 2016-19.

The Texans also requested a Steichen meeting, but the Eagles’ continued growth on offense — as Jalen Hurts morphs from a player with long-term questions to a surefire extension candidate — has been expected to generate looks for their play-caller. Ex-Colts OC Nick Sirianni gave Steichen play-calling duties midway through last season, and the 37-year-old assistant drove the team to becoming the league’s top rushing attack. The Eagles rank third in total yards and points this season, and Hurts took a major leap as a passer.

Despite the Colts completing their worst regular season in at least 11 years, Irsay has stumped for Saturday on multiple occasions since making the controversial hire. Saturday wants to stay on as head coach, Mike Chappell of CBS4 notes, adding that while no interview has been scheduled one should be expected. It would be odd (and wildly unpopular) for the coach in charge of the Colts’ first seven-game losing streak to end a season since the team’s 1953 expansion year would stay on, but that scenario remains in play.

Panthers To Interview Steve Wilks For HC Job, Not Planning Expansive Search

January 9th, 2023 at 5:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although David Tepper spoke with Jim Harbaugh about the Panthers’ HC position, the team’s first formal interview should not surprise. Interim coach Steve Wilks will interview for the full-time job Tuesday, according to The Athletic’s Joe Person (subscription required).

Wilks went 6-6 as Carolina’s interim leader, doing so despite continuous quarterback injuries and taking over a team that had traded Christian McCaffrey. But no interim coach has risen to full-time status with his team since the Jaguars took the interim label off Doug Marrone in 2017.

This year’s Panthers hiring process is not expected to be expansive. GM Scott Fitterer said Monday this year’s list of candidates “will not be a large group.” Teams often want to meet with a high number of candidates from different sides of the ball or, in Carolina’s most recent case, from the college ranks. A limited search seemingly bodes well for Wilks, but the Panthers came away with Matt Rhule after a thin batch of interviews. Tepper’s seven-year, $62MM Rhule deal proved a major misfire for the Panthers, who almost certainly will focus on the pro ranks this time around.

Fitterer will be part of the search committee, but so will Tepper’s wife, Nicole, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. A longtime Seahawks exec, Fitterer moved through a wide-ranging GM search to land the Carolina gig in 2021. Not part of the Rhule search, Fitterer will be a central figure in Carolina’s latest pursuit. But Tepper, who has made some headlines since buying the Panthers in 2018, will likely lead the way.

The Panthers are expected to interview former Colts and Lions HC Jim Caldwell and fellow ex-Indy HC Frank Reich, but the Harbaugh-Panthers connection does not look to be particularly strong. Tepper said Wilks would be considered to stay on if he did an “incredible job.” Wilks won more games than Rhule did in either of his two full seasons and showed considerable improvement compared to his 3-13 Cardinals season in 2018, but the Buccaneers’ Week 17 demolition of the Panthers’ secondary — Wilks’ specialty — undoubtedly hurt the popular interim’s chances.

Carolina has been linked to wanting an offense-oriented coach as well. That has certainly been a popular approach from teams over the past several years, and the Panthers have never hired an offense-geared HC — at least, not one with notable experience in the pros. The Panthers must interview two external minority candidates, in accordance with the Rooney Rule, as well.

Dolphins Rumors: QB Situation, Mostert

January 9th, 2023 at 5:35pm CST by Ely Allen

One of the biggest questions heading into the Dolphins’ wild card matchup in Buffalo this Sunday is behind center. Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa blazed to an 8-1 start in games he played this year before floundering in a four-game slide to end his regular season. Tagovailoa missed the season’s final two games due to concussion issues after missing two games earlier in the year, as well, while dealing with a concussion. Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters today that Tagovailoa has not yet been cleared for football activity, according to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. The team hopes to get more clarity on Wednesday.

McDaniel also gave updates on the team’s other two quarterbacks, according to Louis-Jacques. Rookie seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson filled in for primary backup Teddy Bridgewater as Bridgewater dealt with a combination of a knee injury and an injured finger on his throwing hand last week. In his second start of the season, Thompson reportedly sustained “some bumps and bruises,” potentially making him the third quarterback on the team’s injury report this week.

McDaniel provided some solace on Thompson’s situation, stating that, should Thompson have needed to leave the game this past weekend, he believed Bridgewater was able to come in. Clarity on Wednesday is much needed for a franchise that can’t guarantee any of the three quarterbacks will be able to start this Sunday in Buffalo. The team signed and elevated practice squad quarterback Mike Glennon last week as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option.

In an unrelated injury note, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirmed today that starting running back Raheem Mostert broke his thumb in the team’s victory over the Jets yesterday. McDaniel spoke on Mostert’s injury, as well, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, telling the media that “it’s a serious injury.” Mostert will require surgery, putting his status for Sunday in question. If Mostert is unable to go, Miami will lean on Jeff Wilson and Salvon Ahmed to lead its running attack.

Chiefs Sign WR John Ross To Reserve Deal

January 9th, 2023 at 4:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chiefs have shown a penchant for adding low-floor, high-ceiling wideouts in recent years, and the team made a deal adding to that list on Monday. Kansas City has signed John Ross to a reserve/futures deal, per ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link).

Ross entered the league with plenty of hype, of course, given his demonstrated ability as a deep threat in college and speed showcased at the Draft Combine. That led to the Bengals selecting him ninth overall in 2017, but he struggled with injuries in Cincinnati and failed to establish himself as a consistent target when healthy. His best campaign came in 2019, when he recorded 506 yards and three touchdowns.

A logical change-of-scenery candidate, the Washington product spent the 2021 season with the Giants. There, he made 11 catches for 224 yards and one score. His 20.4 yards per reception average (albeit in a limited volume) showcased his potential value as a complementary piece in a vertical offense in particular. This past August, it was reported that Ross was generating interest on the open market, but a lingering knee injury likely hurt his value.

The Chiefs could represent the necessary environment for the 27-year-old find a long-term home, or at least one where he could compete for a roster spot in the offseason. Kansas City has not shied away in years past from taking fliers on the likes of Josh Gordon, Justyn Ross and, most recently, former Giants first-rounder Kadarius Toney to help their WR room. The unit saw plenty of turnover this past offseason, and JuJu Smith-Schuster Mecole Hardman are pending free agents. Ross could prove to be a low-risk, high-reward addition down the road for the AFC West champions.

Titans Begin General Manager Search; Eight Execs On Radar

January 9th, 2023 at 4:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Weeks after their surprising ouster of longtime GM Jon Robinson, the Titans are attempting to line up a host of candidates as potential replacements. Tennessee has sent out eight interview summons — both to in-house and external candidates — for its top front office post.

Appearing on the radar for recent jobs outside the Titans organization, Robinson staffers Ryan Cowden and Monti Ossenfort will be considered for the position. The team will speak with its interim GM (Cowden) and director of player personnel (Ossenfort) soon, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

The Titans have also identified six outside candidates as well, with Rapoport adding the Browns and Bears’ assistant GMs — Glenn Cook and Ian Cunningham, respectively — are on Tennessee’s list. Both made the jump to the second-in-command tier in 2022, with the Browns promoting Cook and the Bears hiring Cunningham from Howie Roseman‘s staff — amid a run on Eagles execs — to pair with Ryan Poles.

With Cowden being named Robinson’s interim replacement and having the chance to pair with Mike Vrabel in overseeing the Titans’ roster, it would seem he has a leg up on Ossenfort. As such, it will be interesting to see if Ossenfort is with the team next season. But the Titans do want to see what the former Patriots exec brings to the table. The Titans hired Ossenfort from the Pats in 2020. Cowden came to Tennessee along with Robinson in 2016, trekking to Nashville after 16 years with Carolina. Both Cowden and Ossenfort have interviewed for other teams’ GM roles. Ossenfort was a Bears finalist last year, while Cowden met twice for the Steelers job.

49ers execs Adam Peters and Ran Carthon are also on the Titans’ list, while Rapoport adds (Twitter links) the team wants to interview Cardinals exec Quentin Harris. Bills senior director of pro personnel Malik Boyd is also on the Titans’ candidate list, Rapoport tweets. Considering the vaults the Bills and 49ers have made, both division champions will run the risk of losing front office talent. Harris, Arizona’s VP of player personnel, has been with the Cardinals for 15 years and is a candidate to become their next GM. The Cards also have Ossenfort, Peters, Carthon and Cunningham on their radar.

The 49ers lost one of their staffers, Martin Mayhew, in 2021, while the Bills lost longtime Brandon Beane right-hand man Joe Schoen last year. Schoen’s Giants success could benefit Boyd, a longtime Cardinals staffer who has been with the Bills since Beane’s arrival in 2017. The 49ers added Peters, John Lynch‘s assistant GM, from the Broncos that same year. Peters interviewed twice for the Giants job that went to Schoen last year and met twice with the Panthers in 2021. An NFL exec since 2008 who has been the 49ers’ pro personnel director since 2017, Carthon has also been on the GM interview circuit previously as well. He met with both the Giants and Steelers last year.

“We’ve been working on it for at least four weeks now,” Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk asaid of the GM search. “I’d like to have a GM as soon as possible, but we’re not going to rush the process just to get someone in as quickly as possible. The way we have it planned right now is we have two rounds, and we’re going to see where these interviews take us.”

The Titans fired Robinson midway through his seventh season, doing so despite signing him to an extension less than a year ago. Adams Strunk denied the A.J. Brown trade (and two-touchdown game against his former team) prompted the move, indicating she disapproved of Robinson’s roster construction. The Titans’ recent run of injuries factored in as well. The about-face makes this search more interesting, as does Vrabel’s entrenched presence within the organization.

Josh Jacobs Wants To Re-Sign With Raiders

January 9th, 2023 at 4:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh Jacobs went from seeing the Raiders decline his fifth-year option to winning the rushing title. No Raider had previously secured that crown since Marcus Allen in 1985. Following the accomplishment, Jacobs said he would like to stay in Las Vegas.

The former first-round pick, naturally, indicated he will not come cheap. That should be expected after a 1,653-yard rushing season, but the Alabama alum would prefer his second contract come from the Raiders.

“For me, it’s got to make sense,” Jacobs said (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez) on the financial component of a new deal. “But this is obviously where I want to be. Coming in, I remember sitting down with Maxx [Crosby] and all these guys and talking about the Raiders organization and the culture and wanting to be part of the change. I still feel that way so, hopefully, I’ll be back.”

Also amassing a career-high 400 receiving yards, Jacobs paced the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2,053) as well. The former No. 24 overall pick also stayed healthy throughout his contract year, setting him up for a payday. Jacobs is still just 24. Although Jacobs handled an NFL-high 393 touches this season, he can factor in his age and a light college workload (251 handoffs) as selling points for prospective longevity. But free agency should not be expected to be in the cards.

The running back franchise tag is expected to come in just north of $10MM — likely a palatable price for teams with top-shelf backs on the cusp of hitting the market. Jacobs and Saquon Barkley represent prime tag candidates, giving their respective teams time to work out extensions ahead of the July 15 deadline. But the Raiders, despite passing on Jacobs’ fifth-year option, want to keep their running back find on a second contract.

“Obviously J.J.’s performance was a huge bright spot for us,” Josh McDaniels said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for him as a person and as a player and he kind of embodies all the things that we want a Raider to be. Dave [Ziegler] and I have talked about that; J.J. and I have had private conversations about those kinds of things. I think all that will play out in due time. But love him and would love to have him continue to be a Raider.”

Jacobs finished with six 100-yard rushing games — including a 229-yard outing in Seattle in which he totaled 303 scrimmage yards to rank in the top 10 all time for a single game — in his fourth NFL season. Although Derek Carr looks to be on the move, the Raiders would prefer to pair Jacobs and Davante Adams with their next quarterback. It will be interesting to see if Jacobs pushes for a top-market deal — the $15MM range — or settles for the roughly $12MM-AAV pact five other backs have since 2020. With the cap expected to rise from $208MM toward the $225MM mark, it should be expected Jacobs pushes for the market’s top stratum.

Titans Fire OC Todd Downing

January 9th, 2023 at 4:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

A number of changes have been made to the Titans’ coaching staff in the wake of their losing streak to close out the season which left them out of the playoffs. Among them is offensive coordinator Todd Downing being fired, per a team announcement.

Tennessee seemed to be well on their way to another AFC South title for much of the 2022 season, but the team finished the campaign on a seven-game losing skid. That included their regular season finale against the Jaguars, which sealed their fate at 7-10 and sparked questions regarding Downing’s job security. Those have been answered with today’s announcement, one head coach Mike Vrabel hinted at when speaking to the media earlier.

Downing, 42, joined the Titans in 2019 and worked as the team’s tight ends coach. He held that role for two seasons, and was then promoted to OC to replace Arthur Smith after he left to become head coach of the Falcons. That move represented the second time Downing was put in charge of an offensive, as he had previously been the Raiders’ OC in 2017.

The Titans entered the campaign with a number of question marks on offense, with wideouts A.J. Brown and Julio Jones no longer in the picture and question marks surrounding quarterback Ryan Tannehill‘s future with the team. To perhaps little surprise, then, the team struggled to move the ball through the air in particular. Tennessee ranked 29th in the NFL with an average of only 190 passing yards per game, as Tannehill battled injuries late in the campaign and the team was unable to establish a consistent pass-catcher to lean on.

The Titans, with a healthy Derrick Henry, were still able to run the ball at a serviceable rate (125 yards per game). However, their production on the ground was not enough to hold on to a postseason berth; Tennessee scored more than 16 points just once during their late-season collapse. That led to increased calls for a shake-up on the sidelines, one which has now come not long after general manager Jon Robinson was fired in the middle of the campaign.

Downing’s job status was also called into question earlier this year when he was arrested on a DUI charge in November. Vrabel quickly voiced his support for Downing in the wake of the incident and both a team and NFL investigation, so this move comes as a reaction to on-field struggles. The arrest is still expected to set his head coaching aspirations back at least a few years, though.

In addition to Downing, offensive line coach Keith Carter, secondary coach Anthony Midget and offensive skill assistant Erik Frazier have been let go. In a statement, Vrabel said, “I want to thank Todd, Keith, Anthony and Erik for their service and commitment to our team over their time here in Tennessee. Each of them made an impact on our organization, were dedicated to the process and loyal members of our coaching staff.”

In what is shaping up to be a busy offseason for the Titans (featuring the GM search, and an evaluation of several key players’ futures, including that of Tannehill), the team will now begin to look for replacements on their staff.

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