Panthers Add DeAngelo Hall, Todd Wash, Others To Staff
Many have praised the recent makeover of the Panthers’ coaching staff including the main additions of head coach Frank Reich, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. Having those three major positions filled, Carolina has been able to explore filling other, less major position coaching roles. 
Firstly, following the suggestions of general manager Scott Fitterer and owner David Tepper, Reich made the decision to retain offensive line coach James Campen, assistant offensive line coach Robert Kugler, and special teams coach Chris Tabor from last year’s staff, according to Panthers staff writer Darin Gantt. The Panthers made massive strides in offensive line play last season thanks not only to the additions of rookie tackle Ikem Ekwonu, guard Austin Corbett, and center Bradley Bozeman but to the influence of Campen and Kugler, as well. Similarly, Carolina’s special teams unit excelled during Tabor’s first year in the position.
The team also made a key addition to the offensive staff, bringing in former Cardinals associate head coach and wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson to fill their new wide receivers coach role, according to Gantt. Jefferson adds to the growing group of Panthers coaches with past experience playing in the NFL, having spent 13 seasons as a wide receiver in the league. After bouncing around five other franchises as an assistant coach, Jefferson has become well-respected in coaching circles. Along with other teams, the Jets reportedly had interest in bringing him back to their staff after his stint in New York from 2019-2020, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Panthers have brought in an exciting trio of position coaches. Gantt reports that the assistant coach leading Carolina’s defensive line next season will be former Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash. Wash was leading the Jacksonville defense back when they last advanced to the AFC championship game on the backs of a defense that earned the nickname “Sacksonville.” He’s a distinguished veteran who has been coaching in Detroit the past two seasons.
Joining Wash in rushing the quarterback will be new outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu, according to Gantt. Lukabu has previously coached linebackers at the NFL-level in Cincinnati but has spent the past three years as the defensive coordinator at Boston College.
If Lukabu needs any tips on coaching his position, he will have the benefit of assistance from the team’s new safeties coach, Bert Watts, who did an admirable job coaching an injured outside linebackers group in Denver last year. Watts is a valuable addition from Ejiro’s staff last season as many in coaching circles view him as a future defensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Additionally, Gantt reports that the Panthers have agreed to terms with former NFL cornerback DeAngelo Hall to become their new assistant defensive backs coach and former Cardinals assistant special teams coach Devin Fitzsimmons to serve in the same position in Carolina. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that, despite his insistence on remaining at ESPN, the Panthers joined the Colts in pursuing former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky for “prominent offensive coaching roles.”
Despite missing out on Orlovsky, the Panthers are building a strong, experienced staff. Not only are they rich in years of coaching experience, but most of their new staff holds experience playing in the NFL, as well.
Raiders Want To Keep LB Denzel Perryman
Not much went according to plan for the Raiders in 2022, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. That will no doubt lead to several changes being made this offseason, but one veteran presence could find himself staying in Las Vegas. 
Linebacker Denzel Perryman finished out his existing contract in 2022, after a summer which included talks of an extension being signed. He made it clear in July that he was aiming for a new deal, an understandable stance after he enjoyed a career-year in 2021. His 154 tackles helped him earn a Pro Bowl nod, and set him up for another season as a full-time starter this year.
In 2022, the 30-year-old was once again a mainstay in the middle of the Raiders’ defense, though he saw a downtick in usage. Perryman’s snap share dropped to 70%, down from 84% in his debut season with the Silver and Black. He made 83 stops and added one sack and 14 tackles for loss before missing the end of the regular season with a dislocated shoulder. Those numbers earned him a PFF grade of 74.2, the third-highest of his career. He graded out as a top-20 linebacker for the first time, in large part due to his strength as a run-stopper.
They could also put the former second-rounder in line for a new Raiders pact. Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes that the team “would like him back, provided it makes sense financially.” Perryman had a base salary of $1.12MM last year, and carried a cap hit of just over $3MM. Given his production during his two years in Vegas, he could command much larger numbers than that on the open market, if he makes it to free agency next month.
The Raiders now have the third-most cap space in the league after releasing quarterback Derek Carr, so they have the flexibility to keep Perryman in the fold if they wish to do so. Vegas also has a number of other pending UFAs at the second level of their defense, including Jayon Brown and Micah Kiser. While that leaves the team with the option of looking elsewhere in free agency and the draft, it would come as little surprise if they re-upped Perryman in the near future.
5 Key Stories: 2/12/23 – 2/19-23
With Super Bowl LVII in the rearview, all 32 NFL teams are now in offseason mode. In case you missed any of the top developments in the days following another season coming to an end, here’s a quick breakdown:
- Raiders Release Carr: A move which had long been expected finally became official this week, as the Raiders cut quarterback Derek Carr before the guarantee trigger in his contract took effect. A trade to an interested team was not an option, after the four-time Pro Bowler made it clear he would force Las Vegas to make him a free agent. Now, Carr can sign with a new team at any time (as opposed to other free agents who can only do so when the new league year begins in March). He has already met with the Saints, and most recently, the Jets. A number of other suitors are likely to show interest in him as well.
- Colts Hire Steichen As HC: The Colts conducted a lengthy, wide-ranging search for their next full-time head coach, one which included interim HC Jeff Saturday for quite some time. Not long after narrowing their list of finalists, though, they landed on Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. The 37-year-old has received glowing reviews for his previous work with quarterbacks in particular, something which will play a central part in his success in Indianapolis, a team desperate for a long-term solution under center.
- Gannon Takes Over As Cardinals’ Coach: Hours after the news broke that Steichen was headed to Indianapolis, it was learned that Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon had been hired by Arizona. That put him in place as the final HC hire of the 2023 cycle, and made the Eagles the first team in a decade to see both their offensive and defensive coordinators depart in the same offseason. Gannon, 39, emerged as a late contender for the Cardinals’ head coaching gig, and will face the tall task of rebuilding the AFC West squad alongside new general manager Monti Ossenfort and a pair of new coordinators.
- Commanders Hire Bieniemy As OC: After five straight one-year contracts tying him to Kansas City, Eric Bieniemy has landed a new coaching opportunity in Washington. While it isn’t the HC position many have been clamoring for, the 53-year-old will have his first opportunity to have full control of an offense, along with a raise and bump in title as the Commanders’ assistant head coach. The two-time Super Bowl winner inherits a far different situation than the one he left in Kansas City (from the distinct lack of an established quarterback to the uncertain future of HC Ron Rivera), but he will have the chance to guide his new team to an improved showing on offense and, in turn, boost his own stock.
- Ridley Applies For Reinstatement: On the first day he was eligible to do so, wideout Calvin Ridley applied to be reinstated to the NFL. The 28-year-old was suspended for the 2022 campaign due to a violation of the league’s gambling policy, but was still traded at the deadline from the Falcons to the Jaguars. If he is allowed to suit up in 2023, the former first-rounder will look to build off his success in Atlanta while helping Jacksonville’s new-look pass-catching corps take another step forward.
49ers Unlikely To Exercise DT Javon Kinlaw’s Fifth-Year Option
The 49ers are unlikely to exercise DT Javon Kinlaw‘s fifth-year option, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic writes (subscription required). Given that Kinlaw has played in just 10 regular season games over the past two seasons, that should be a fairly easy call for GM John Lynch.
Drafted in 2020 with the No. 14 overall selection — the pick that the 49ers acquired from the Colts in the DeForest Buckner trade — Kinlaw has battled intermittent knee trouble since his college days. He appeared in 14 games (12 starts) in his rookie season, but he played in just four contests in 2021 before undergoing season-ending knee surgery (which was later reported to be an ACL reconstruction).
Kinlaw, 25, opened the 2022 campaign as a starting defensive tackle alongside Arik Armstead, but he played just three games before more knee problems landed him on IR. He returned for the final three games of the regular season and started all three of San Francisco’s playoff contests, though his performance left much to be desired. Pro Football Focus assigned him an abysmal 36.7 run defense grade, and he also failed to replicate the interior pass rush presence that D.J. Jones offered before he signed with the Broncos last offseason. All things considered, then, it makes sense that the club would decline the chance to lock Kinlaw into a fully-guaranteed $10.5MM salary for 2024.
Kinlaw will, at least, get one more chance to rebuild his stock before hitting the open market. 10 of the 14 defensive linemen who played a snap for the Niners in 2022 are currently out of contract, and cutting Kinlaw would not result in any cap relief. Still, the club will probably search for DT reinforcements, as Kinlaw was hardly a world-beater even when he was mostly available as a rookie. Legal issues aside, Lynch could look to re-sign Charles Omenihu, though he may be too expensive to retain — PFF estimates a contract featuring a $9MM AAV — and Barrows says the team may want more of a run-stuffer anyway when it comes to DT options.
Lynch may also be on the hunt for DE upgrades. With Nick Bosa on one side of the line, San Francisco reportedly feels as if it should have a more elite edge rush, so the team could look to move on from Samson Ebukam and target a player like Yannick Ngakoue or Marcus Davenport, or it could consider a trade. Of course, the team is presently without a first- or second-round pick in the 2023 draft and does not have a ton of salary cap space, so it will be difficult to make too many high-end acquisitions. The 49ers will also hope that 2022 second-rounder Drake Jackson, who flashed as a rookie despite being a healthy scratch in five of the last six games of the season, will take a step forward.
Lions CB Jeff Okudah Changes Agents
Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah has changed representation. As Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal reported earlier this month, Okudah, who was previously represented by Klutch Sports Group, has hired Kevin Conner of Universal Sports Management as his agent (Twitter link).
Okudah’s move is notable because, as a 2020 draft choice (No. 3 overall), he is now eligible for an extension. However, it seems unlikely that Detroit will engage in contract talks at this point, as it is not even clear if the club will exercise Okudah’s fifth-year option for 2024. That is despite the fact that the option would come with the lowest-possible salary for a 2020 first-round cornerback ($11.5MM), as Okudah has neither achieved Pro Bowl acclaim nor accrued enough playing time to put himself into a higher salary tier.
Even though the $11.5M salary would be fully-guaranteed, that figure would represent a bargain for a No. 1 corner, which the Lions’ previous Bob Quinn/Matt Patricia regime obviously hoped Okudah would be by this stage of his career. Unfortunately, he missed some time due to injury in his rookie campaign, and he played just one game in 2021 due to a torn Achilles.
The Ohio State product showed some promise in 2022, starting all 15 games in which he appeared and yielding a modest 59.7% completion percentage and 87.6 rating to opposing quarterbacks. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, though, were not particularly fond of his efforts. PFF assigned him a subpar 59.4 overall grade, with a strong run defense mark of 74.0 helping to cover up a poor 54.5 coverage mark. Plus, he was benched late in the year and missed the last game of the season due to an elbow ailment.
When asked in January about his plans for Okudah’s fifth-year option, GM Brad Holmes simply said that he would make that decision “at the appropriate time,” and that there were “some good and some not-so-good” aspects of Okudah’s 2022 performance (via Colton Pouncy of The Athletic (subscription required)). Pouncy believes that Holmes will not exercise the option and will allow Okudah to go into 2023 as a pending free agent.
Should the Lions ultimately elect to open extension discussions, though, Okudah will be represented by an agency that has had recent success in negotiating the contracts of defensive backs like Charvarius Ward, Tre’Davious White, and Jamal Adams.
Rex Ryan Emerging As Denver’s Top DC Candidate
FEBRUARY 19: The Broncos interviewed Vance Joseph on February 17, and Ryan got a second interview on February 18, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Mike Klis of 9News confirms that both Joseph and Ryan are in the “second round” of the process, though he adds that a decision is not necessarily imminent and that Payton may choose to interview another candidate or two before making a final decision (Twitter link). Per Schefter, Ryan would only leave ESPN “for the perfect situation.”
Troy Renck of Denver7 adds (via Twitter) that Joseph’s interview lasted eight hours, and that Ryan’s interview was also a lengthy one. Both men have made strong impressions.
FEBRUARY 15: Despite not coaching in the NFL since 2016, Rex Ryan is reportedly emerging as the Broncos’ top candidate to serve as Sean Payton‘s first defensive coordinator in Denver, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The former NFL defensive coordinator and head coach would be making his first appearance on an NFL sideline since being fired by the Bills two years into a five-year contract. 
Before leaving the NFL, Ryan had been coaching football since 1987, when he served as a graduate assistant at Eastern Kentucky. After two years in the position, Ryan earned his first defensive coordinator position (along with a title of assistant head coach) at New Mexico Highlands University. The next year, Ryan would coach for a more notable school, serving as defensive coordinator at Morehead State.
Ryan would continue his rapid ascent from there, earning his first NFL job, with a little help from his father (and head coach in Arizona) Buddy Ryan, after four years at Morehead State. He spent two years as the defensive line and linebackers coach for the Cardinals before returning to the college ranks as defensive coordinator at Cincinnati. After two years with the Bearcats, Ryan served as defensive coordinator for Oklahoma for a year before returning to the NFL.
This time, Ryan’s move to the NFL would be permanent. Ryan accepted the job of defensive line coach for the Ravens, the team that would employ Ryan for the longest tenure of his career. Ryan coached a defensive line that helped the Ravens boast the best defenses in Baltimore history and, arguably, some of the best defenses in NFL history. He was rewarded with the defensive coordinator position five years later in 2005.
After a 2007 season that saw the Ravens finish 5-11, head coach Brian Billick and the rest of the staff were laid off. Ryan, being the coordinator of a defense that still ranked sixth in yards allowed despite the abysmal record, was an obvious candidate to replace Billick, but the job would go to current Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, who wisely chose to retain Ryan as defensive coordinator and promoted him to assistant head coach, as well. In his final season with the Ravens, Ryan led the league’s second-best defense in terms of yardage allowed (third-best in points allowed), assisting Harbaugh and rookie quarterback Joe Flacco in becoming the first rookie head coach and quarterback combo to advance to the AFC Championship game. In his ten years with the Ravens, the team never finished worse than sixth in the league in yards allowed.
Ryan’s performance in 2008 resulted in his first head coaching position as he was hired to replace Eric Mangini in New York. Ryan essentially copied and pasted his last year in Baltimore during his first year with the Jets. On the back of the league’s top defense in yards and points allowed, the Jets went 9-7 and became the league’s second rookie head coach and quarterback duo to advance to the AFC Championship game with rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, one year after his former team accomplished the same feat. It was also the Jets’ first appearance in the league’s penultimate round of the playoffs since 1998.
In his second season as head coach of the Jets, Ryan would lead New York to the AFC Championship game for the second year in a row after going 11-5 in regular season play. The regular season and playoff success would end there, though, as the Jets would go a combined 26-38 in the next four seasons, culminating in the 4-12 season that would lead to his dismissal from the Jets, despite the support of players.
Seeing the coaching potential still present in Ryan, the Bills quickly scooped him up about two weeks later to be their next head coach. In two years in Buffalo, Ryan went 15-16, failing to make the playoffs in both years and getting fired before he could finish his second season with the team. He made a few interesting hires while head coach there, hiring his fraternal twin brother, Rob Ryan, as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator and hiring his former player and star safety Ed Reed as his defensive backs coach in 2016.
After exiting the coaching ranks of the NFL following his departure from Buffalo, Ryan has served as an analyst and broadcaster for ESPN . He reportedly interviewed with the Broncos this past weekend, marking the first time his name has come up in league circles in quite a while. He doesn’t seem to have much of a past connection to Payton, besides the fact that Payton hired his twin brother, Rob, to serve as defensive coordinator for a three-year stint following Payton’s year-long suspension. Regardless, if Denver chooses to employ Ryan after seven years out of the league, we’ll get the opportunity to see if he is still one of the league’s most respected defensive minds in coaching.
Commanders’ Eric Bieniemy Hire Will Not Impact Sam Howell’s Status As QB1
The Commanders made a big splash when they landed Eric Bieniemy as their offensive coordinator several days ago. However, that hire will not change the club’s approach to its quarterback position, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.
Back in January, we heard that Washington was telling potential OC candidates that 2022 fifth-rounder Sam Howell is expected to be the team’s QB1 when training camp begins. Although head coach Ron Rivera subsequently left the door open to a veteran addition, it was clear that such a player would be more of a backup type and would likely not be one of the high-profile passers on the free agent and trade markets.
Now, even with Bieniemy on board, Howell remains in the driver’s seat to open the 2023 campaign as the Commanders’ QB1, and that suits the newly-minted OC just fine. Bieniemy, like Washington’s other offensive coordinator targets, is high on Howell and much of the rest of the offensive roster, which includes strong skill position depth in running backs Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson and wide receivers Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel. Because of generally substandard quarterback play, the club posted below-average marks in total offense and points per game in 2022 despite leading the league in time of possession. If Howell develops as the Commanders apparently believe he will, and if the team can bolster its O-line, it would be fair to expect a much more productive offense in 2023.
With Washington about to start a rookie-contract signal-caller and on the verge of cutting bait on Carson Wentz‘s contract — which will come with no dead money ramifications — it will be much easier to address the offensive line and other needs. Bieniemy could therefore be well-positioned to improve his head coaching stock, which has dropped in recent years despite the continued success of the Chiefs, his former employer.
Howell started just one game for the Commanders in his rookie season, a Week 18 win over the Cowboys. In that contest, he completed 11 of his 19 pass attempts for 169 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also added another 35 yards and a touchdown on five carries.
Cardinals Hire Nick Rallis As DC
New Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has made his first coordinator hire. Arizona is bringing Nick Rallis aboard as its DC, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports (via Coral Smith of NFL.com).
Rallis, 29, becomes the youngest coordinator in the league after spending each of the past two seasons working closely with Gannon as the Eagles’ linebackers coach. Just as Philadelphia’s defensive performance in 2022 reflected well on Gannon, the club’s two-year defensive coordinator, Rallis has also received attention for his work with the likes of T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White, and Haason Reddick. Zach Berman of The Athletic says (via Twitter) that Rallis was well-regarded in the Eagles’ locker room, and according to Pelissero, multiple teams tried to lure Rallis away after the Cardinals made their offer.
As opposed to the lengthy search process that culminated in Gannon’s hire, the Cardinals’ search for a defensive coordinator lasted less than a week and included just three external candidates: Bears linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi, Patriots defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington, and Rallis. Gannon initially left open the possibility of retaining Vance Joseph, who worked as Arizona’s DC for the past four seasons and who also interviewed for the team’s head coaching position, but it appears that the two men were not aligned in their vision for the Cards’ defense. Joseph will now explore other opportunities, which, interestingly enough, include Philadelphia’s now-vacant defensive coordinator post.
Rallis played collegiately at the University of Minnesota, and his first job in the professional ranks came as a defensive quality control coach for the Vikings under then-HC Mike Zimmer in 2018 (Zimmer, who was also rumored to be a candidate for the Cardinals’ DC position, had Gannon on his staff from 2014-17). Rallis finished his tenure with the Vikes in 2020 before moving on to Philadelphia in 2021.
In Arizona, Rallis will be tasked with improving a unit that finished the 2022 season 21st in total defense and 31st in points allowed. The team presently has major needs at cornerback and along the defensive line.
Bengals Unlikely To Be Aggressive In Free Agency
Deviating heavily from a conservative approach to free agency once Joe Burrow arrived, the Bengals are likely to revert to that strategy this offseason. With Burrow becoming eligible for an extension, the team will not be looking to infuse its roster with a host of outside signings.
The Bengals loaded up their roster in recent years, primarily on defense from 2020-21 and then focusing on their offensive line last year, through free agency. The franchise’s focus will now shift to paying Burrow and attempting to take care of the core it built.
“The cap will obviously start affecting us,” Bengals pro scouting director Steven Radicevic said, via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. (subscription required). “We are not going to be able to go out and spend and pay a bunch of guys. We are going to try to keep our own guys.
“The last couple of years we’ve been able to add in free agency and add some pieces places where we were missing guys and add some depth, add starters through free agency. Now it’s going to be keeping our guys, sustain the roster we have and then build through the draft and waiver claims.”
The Bengals have two of their key Day 2 selections in recent years up for free agency — Jessie Bates, Germaine Pratt — and a few of their outside-hire starters (Vonn Bell, Hayden Hurst, Eli Apple) are also just less than a month away from hitting the market. The team is in good position, cap-wise, holding $35.7MM — sixth-most in the league — but the priority will be attempting to re-sign some of these players and planning for the future.
Burrow’s extension has long been expected to come in north of $50MM per year. That will mark a considerable difference from the second contracts the team gave to Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton, though the cap has, save for 2021, continued its annual climb. It will rise nearly $17MM from last year, to $224.8MM, in 2023. That will help franchises, but the Bengals will also have Tee Higgins, Logan Wilson, D.J. Reader and Chidobe Awuzie entering contract years in 2023.
In 2020, the Bengals gave Reader and Trae Waynes big-ticket contracts, which accompanied Burrow’s rookie pact. The team also added Bell on a three-year, $18MM deal. In 2021, the team continued to invest in its defense by adding Awuzie, Trey Hendrickson and Mike Hilton. Key performers Apple, Larry Ogunjobi and Riley Reiff joined on one-year deals; Radicevic noted the team will probably look to using the one-year contract to acquire some outside help this year. The Bengals predictably operated aggressively to address their offensive line last year, bringing in Ted Karras, Alex Cappa and La’el Collins. The latter two’s injuries, along with Awuzie’s, played a significant role in the team falling just short in its bid for back-to-back Super Bowl appearances.
“It’s more just the cap situation in terms of maybe we can’t go out and afford those high-dollar free agents or as many of those as we would have if there wasn’t going to be certain players that will eat up a good chunk of the cap,” Bengals director of college scouting Mike Potts said, via Dehner. “That puts an emphasis on retaining our own guys and keeping that chemistry in the locker room going. You are going to have to make some tough decisions here and there.”
While the Bengals used this batch of signings to complete the best two-year stretch in franchise history this past season, the team will now attempt to keep going with Burrow in a new NFL tax bracket. Although Burrow can be kept on his rookie deal through 2024, the Bengals want to pay him this year. A post-Year 3 extension, save for a couple of recent examples, represents standard operating procedure for teams with marquee quarterbacks.
It will be interesting to see how Cincinnati proceeds in March, as it attempts to manage future costs with immediate needs. Though, the Bengals are in fairly good shape in terms of roster deficiencies.
Patriots To Re-Sign OL Conor McDermott
The Patriots will maintain a key midseason addition along the offensive line in 2023. New England has agreed to terms on a new deal with Conor McDermott, reports the Boston Globe’s Jim McBride (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: Matthew Slater To Return To Patriots In 2023]
The 30-year-old was drafted by the Patriots in 2017, but it was in Buffalo that he made his NFL debut that season. That was followed by one more Bills campaign, then three-plus with the Jets. McDermott established himself as useful depth up front in New York, logging six starts across his 35 total appearances in the Big Apple.
That figure does not include any starts in 2022, a season in which the Jets suffered numerous injuries up front. Tackles Mekhi Becton, George Fant and Duane Brown all missed time during the campaign, but McDermott bounced on and off the team’s practice squad. In total, he saw a snap share of 18% on offense, his lowest total during his Jets tenure.
That precipitated a November deal allowing him to re-join the Patriots, with whom he remained on the 53-man roster. More to the point, the former sixth-rounder started all six games he played in with New England, never leaving the field on offense. That allowed him to fill in for the injured Isaiah Wynn at right tackle to close out the season. His performance down the stretch has obviously sat well with the Patriots.
Given Wynn’s struggles when healthy (earning a PFF grade of 54.6, the lowest of his career after allowing four sacks and 17 pressures) McDermott will now be able to compete for the full-time starting role this offseason, at the RT spot or elsewhere.