Dolphins To Interview Vic Fangio, Kris Richard, Sean Desai For DC
Vic Fangio will interview for a third defensive coordinator position during this year’s cycle. The Dolphins’ previously rumored interest will produce a meeting.
Miami is set for interviews with Fangio, Seahawks assistant Sean Desai and Saints co-DC Kris Richard, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Fangio and Desai worked together with the Bears, while Richard has been a fixture in defensive coordinator searches in recent offseasons. The Fangio and Desai meetings will occur Wednesday.
Richard, 43, re-emerged as a DC after four seasons on the position coach level. The Saints promoted the veteran staffer to that role, placing him alongside Ryan Nielsen in a rarely utilized co-DC arrangement. The former Seahawks DC had spent time under Rod Marinelli as the Cowboys’ secondary coach from 2018-19 and caught on with the Saints as their DBs coach in 2021. Richard is best known for his time in Seattle, however. He served as the Legion of Boom’s position coach and later Seattle’s DC during that unit’s heyday, and the Seahawks of that period became the first team to lead the NFL in scoring defense in four straight years since the 1950s Browns.
This garnered Richard some HC interest back in the late 2010s — which included a 2019 Dolphins interview — but nothing materialized. The Saints have ranked in the top 10 defensively in each of Richard’s two years with the team, though Dennis Allen has overseen both those units. The Panthers have also spoken to Richard about a meeting. Nielsen has come up as a candidate — in Atlanta and Minnesota — as well, so New Orleans faces the possibility of losing both its DCs this offseason. Desai, the Bears’ DC in 2021, also received an interview request from the Vikings.
Fangio has interviewed for the Falcons and Panthers’ positions thus far but came up in connection to the Dolphins gig soon after it became available. He is believed to be the lead candidate, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets, with ESPN’s Jeff Darlington noting (via Twitter) Fangio and Mike McDaniel share an agent and have a good relationship.
Fangio, 64, did not last too long in his HC opportunity with the Broncos, though his three-year Denver tenure was the longest since John Fox‘s, but the longtime defensive staffer was long believed to be a hot candidate to return to a full-time role as a DC. That is coming to fruition. Fangio’s options could soon include a return to the 49ers, with the team being connected to rehiring him in the event DeMeco Ryans departs.
Chargers Request OC Interview With Bills’ Joe Brady
Joe Brady is emerging as a popular name for offensive coordinator jobs, but it’s uncertain which organizations he’ll speak with. The Chargers are one of the teams that’s requested permission to speak with the Bills QBs coach about their OC vacancy, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter).
[RELATED: 2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]
Garafolo adds that Brady has “multiple requests” from teams, and considering his current title, we can assume these mystery suitors are eyeing the coach for OC opportunities. It’s uncertain which (if any) interviews Brady will consider taking, according to Garafolo.
Following a successful stint as LSU, Brady was named the Panthers offensive coordinator for the 2020 campaign. Carolina’s offense was unremarkable during Brady’s tenure, including a 2021 campaign that ultimately led to the coach’s firing (30th in yards and 29th in points). He was hired by the Bills last offseason to be their new QBs coach after Ken Dorsey earned a promotion to OC. Brady managed to rehabilitate his image thanks to Josh Allen‘s MVP-like season, and now he’s firmly back on the OC radar.
Joe Lombardi was canned following a disappointing end to the Chargers’ season. Since his firing, five candidates have emerged:
- Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): To interview 1/25
- Jerrod Johnson, assistant quarterbacks coach (Vikings): Interview requested
- Greg Olson, senior offensive assistant (Rams): To interview 1/24
- Zac Robinson, quarterbacks coach (Rams): Interview requested
- Luke Steckel, tight ends coach (Titans): To interview
Coaching Notes: Colts, Rams, Patriots
The Colts are moving on to second interviews with some head coaching candidates, but they’re still hoping to get one individual in the building for a first interview. According to Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press, the Colts still want to speak with 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans.
The Colts have been trying to nail down an interview with Ryans for a few weeks. The organization was expected to finally speak with him on Sunday, but with the 49ers advancing to the NFC Championship Game, the coach once again put his interview on hold.
The coordinator already spoke with the Texans and Broncos about their HC jobs, and he also postponed an interview with the Cardinals. As Maaddi details, NFL rules allow Ryans to have second interviews with the Texans and Broncos next week, regardless of the outcome of this weekend’s game. However, the NFL’s “window for first interviews” has close, so he’ll have to wait until the end of the 49ers’ season to speak with the Colts and Cardinals.
We heard earlier today that Ejiro Evero will be getting a second interview with the Colts, and per Maaddi, the organization is expected to advance “six or seven other candidates” to the second round. Another name that should get a second meeting with the organization is interim head coach Jeff Saturday, according to Maaddi.
More coaching notes from around the NFL…
- Sean McVay continues to shake up his coaching staff, and that’s led him to an assistant coach in Chicago. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter), the Rams have requested permission to interview Bears assistant offensive line coach Austin King. The former NFL player would presumably be eyeing a promotion in Los Angeles, and he could fill multiple roles considering his experience coaching tight ends with the Raiders.
- Former Patriots lineman Adrian Klemm previously interviewed for New England’s offensive coordinator job, a position that ultimately went to Bill O’Brien. However, it sounds like the Patriots are still considering recruiting Klemm to their staff. According to TheMMQB’s Albert Breer (on Twitter), another meeting is anticipated between the coach and the Patriots. Klemm spent the 2022 season as Oregon’s associate head coach, run game coordinator, and offensive line coach. He previously spent time on the Steelers staff, serving as assistant OL coach before earning a promotion to OL coach in 2021.
- With O’Brien back in New England, focus turns to the status of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge after the duo led the Patriots‘ offense in 2022. ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes that Patricia should be able to carve out a role on New England’s staff in 2023 considering his familiarity with the organization and his relationship with Bill Belichick. However, since the Lions are no longer picking up the tab, it remains to be seen if the Patriots will be willing to compensate the coach accordingly. Meanwhile, Reiss could see see Judge sticking around New England, but the writer is skeptical about the coach returning to his natural ST role. Judge officially spent last season as the Patriots quarterbacks coach, a designation that “surprised people both inside and outside the organization,” according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
- There’s still no clarity on what Jerod Mayo‘s new role will be in New England, but he could be facing a significant promotion. Some pundits have suggested that Belichick could be preparing the former linebacker to eventually take over as head coach, and Breer tweets that Mayo was alongside his boss for all of the organization’s offensive coordinator interviews last week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/24/23
Today’s minor transactions:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from Chiefs): CB Chris Lammons
Lammons was a special teams ace for the Chiefs, leading the team in ST snaps and finishing the regular season with seven tackles. He earned his walking papers the other day with the Chiefs preparing to activate at least one of running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire or tight end Jody Fortson. The Bengals swooped in with the claim, but the team won’t get any immediate intel on their AFC Championship opponent. The claim is deferred until February 13, which means the only competitive advantage Cincy got was preventing Lammons from rejoining Kansas City’s practice squad.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/24/23
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Carolina Panthers
- QB Jacob Eason
Dallas Cowboys
- FB Tyler Coyne
New England Patriots
- OL Bill Murray
Philadelphia Eagles
- OT Jarrid Williams
Pittsburgh Steelers
- LB Quincy Roche
Ejiro Evero Set For Second Colts Interview
Two offseasons ago, the Rams promoted Ejiro Evero from safeties coach — his role from 2017-20 — to their defensive backs coach. This offseason, two teams are seriously considering him for head coaching positions.
The Broncos’ defensive coordinator has made it to the finalist stage with the Texans and now the Colts. Indianapolis wants to bring Evero in for a second HC interview, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Texans plan to interview him for a second time Wednesday, setting up a tour of multiple AFC South facilities for the fast-rising DC.
This has been a remarkable stretch for Evero, and considering the Broncos’ situation, the one-year DC’s climb has veered toward unusual. Denver went 5-12 this year, with its decision to hire Nathaniel Hackett backfiring to the point the team ranked last offensively despite trading for Russell Wilson. Hackett brought in his longtime friend to be his right-hand man on defense, and Evero’s unit performed well despite injuries and the midseason trade of Bradley Chubb.
Despite firing acclaimed defensive maestro Vic Fangio, the Broncos improved in total defense — from eighth to seventh — this past season and ranked 10th in DVOA. While Denver is conducting its own HC search — after becoming the third team since the 1970 merger to fire a coach before his first season ended — Evero will have the chance to earn a top job elsewhere. The Broncos interviewed Evero but have been linked to preferring Sean Payton and Dan Quinn. Though, no Denver finalists have emerged yet. The Colts have been the only team not to set up a Payton interview.
Evero, 42, is the first known Colts finalist. Others will follow. Thirteen coaches have interviewed — all doing so virtually — thus far, and Pelissero adds Jim Irsay was not in any of these meetings (video link). Irsay will meet with each of the finalists in person. Considering Irsay’s outsized role in personnel moves over the past year, his presence in these meetings will be rather important — for both parties.
Keenan McCardell On Buccaneers’ OC Radar
Keenan McCardell continues to generate interest on the offensive coordinator market, marking the first time the former Pro Bowl wide receiver has done so.
Following his Patriots OC interview, McCardell is set for a Buccaneers interview, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The Pats went with their long-rumored favorite — Bill O’Brien — for their play-calling role, but the New England meeting was believed to be McCardell’s first for an OC post. The experienced wideouts coach will now make a trip for a second such interview.
Although McCardell has been coaching since 2010, he is best known for his playing career. That 17-season run included a memorable stay with the Bucs, who signed him in 2002. Teaming with Keyshawn Johnson on Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl-winning squad, McCardell proved a valuable addition. He caught two touchdowns in Super Bowl XXXVII and led the Bucs, who abruptly moved on from Johnson during the 2003 season, with 1,174 receiving yards the following year.
McCardell, 52, has been the Vikings’ wide receivers coach for the past two seasons, being kept on staff despite the franchise’s 2022 regime change. Given the play of Justin Jefferson and the development of K.J. Osborn, it is unsurprising the young playmakers’ position coach is being looked at for a possible title bump.
The Bucs now have McCardell, Jaguars passing-game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and Broncos quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak — who worked with McCardell on the 2021 Vikings’ staff — as candidates to replace Byron Leftwich.
Ravens Interview James Urban, George Godsey, Zac Robinson For OC
Indicating he would include internal options for what he labeled one of the best jobs available this offseason, John Harbaugh has followed through on that. Two of Greg Roman‘s lieutenants have interviewed to replace him.
The Ravens interviewed quarterbacks coach James Urban and tight ends coach George Godsey for the offensive coordinator post, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets. Additionally, the team completed its interview with Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson on Tuesday.
While Godsey joined Harbaugh’s staff in 2022, Urban has been Lamar Jackson‘s position coach throughout the star quarterback’s Baltimore tenure. That will count for something, as the Roman-Urban-Jackson troika was responsible for a quick turnaround that involved the team radically redesigning its offense to suit Jackson. But the former MVP may have grown tired of the setup. Jackson endorsed a tweet reminding he ran a pro-style attack at Louisville, providing another sign of unhappiness with recent Baltimore happenings. Despite an unusual end to his season and being mentioned loosely in trade rumors, Jackson will have input in the Ravens’ OC search.
Urban, 49, began his NFL run on Andy Reid‘s Eagles staffs and has stayed at least five years with each of his three NFL employers; Urban also spent seven years as the Bengals’ wide receivers coach during the 2010s. It will be interesting to see if the Ravens retain him, given Roman’s departure.
Godsey, 44, has experience as an OC, having served in that role with the Texans and Dolphins. Bill O’Brien promoted the ex-Patriots staffer to OC in 2015 but fired him after the ’16 campaign. Godsey has both coached QBs and tight ends during his time in the pros, holding dual roles of co-OC and tight ends coach under Brian Flores in 2021. With Godsey and Eric Studesville running the offense, Miami ranked 22nd in scoring last season.
It would surprise if the Ravens hired an in-house Roman replacement, though the team has promoted from within (Roman, Marty Mornhinweg) to fill this position the past two times it became open. Thus far, Baltimore has contacted seven coaches about the job. Here is how the Ravens’ search looks so far, via PFR’s offensive coordinator search tracker.
- Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interview requested
- Dave Canales, quarterbacks coach (Seahawks): Interview requested
- George Godsey, tight ends coach (Ravens): Interviewed
- Chad O’Shea, wide receivers coach (Browns): Interview requested
- Justin Outten, offensive coordinator (Broncos): To interview
- James Urban, quarterbacks coach (Ravens): Interviewed
- Zac Robinson, quarterbacks coach (Rams): Interviewed 1/24
Bucs Begin Round Of OC Interview Requests
4:36pm: The Bucs are also set to meet with Broncos quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The team attempted to secure a meeting with Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, but Hamilton declined the meeting.
The former Vikings OC, Kubiak became a key figure during Nathaniel Hackett‘s disastrous season. Hackett gave the second-generation coach the play-calling reins late in the season; this marked the second straight year Kubiak held that responsibility. Kubiak, 35, has less experience running an offense compared to Cooter and Hamilton, and more candidates will emerge soon. Hamilton returned to an OC role this season — after being the Chargers’ QBs coach in 2020 and Texans’ QBs instructor in 2021 — but Houston axing Lovie Smith will likely lead him elsewhere.
4:06pm: Jim Bob Cooter is back on the offensive coordinator radar. Being out of the play-calling mix for the past four seasons, the former Lions OC received an interview request Tuesday.
The Buccaneers want to meet with the Jaguars’ passing-game coordinator about their OC role, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The Jags made tremendous strides this season, with Trevor Lawrence showing signs of becoming the star talent he was pegged to be when he went No. 1 overall last year.
The Lions had promoted Cooter to OC when he was just 31, bumping him to their play-calling post during the 2015 season. Matt Patricia kept Cooter on following Jim Caldwell‘s firing but moved on after his first Detroit season. Cooter, 38, has bounced from Jets to the Eagles to the Jags in the years since. Todd Bowles was out of New York by the time Cooter arrived in 2019, but the ex-Jets coach has made him the first known candidate for the Bucs’ OC position.
Bowles fired Byron Leftwich last week, moving on after inheriting the Bruce Arians hire in 2022. The Bucs’ offense, which was a top-seven unit under Leftwich from 2019-21, nosedived this season. Tampa Bay fell from second to 25th in points and second to 15th in yardage. Leftwich’s successor may well not have Tom Brady to coach in 2023, either. Although the 45-year-old legend regressed in 2022, he still provided considerable value to the Bucs over the past three seasons. If Brady plays in 2023, various reports have pointed to that 24th season coming elsewhere.
Cooter coaxed some quality Matthew Stafford seasons in Detroit; the longtime Lions QB finished eighth in QBR in each of Cooter’s first two years as OC. This past season marked Cooter’s first chance to work with a quarterback since his Detroit days, and Lawrence — after a rocky start — rebounded to lead the Jaguars to the playoffs. Jacksonville’s Lawrence-led wild-card comeback — the third-largest deficit overcome in the postseason — points their long-term arrow up after a disastrous Urban Meyer experiment in 2021. Doug Pederson calls the Jags’ plays, and Press Taylor is the team’s OC. That opens the door for Cooter, with other OC openings likely coming soon as teams make their HC choices.
Giants Prioritizing Daniel Jones Over Saquon Barkley?
The Giants’ situation with two of this year’s top free agents may be evolving. After the team held Saquon Barkley negotiations during its bye week and did not discuss a deal with Daniel Jones, the two offensive pillars may have flipped in priority.
Second-year GM Joe Schoen was more declarative regarding a desire to retain Jones than Barkley, citing positional value. Despite Barkley’s two Pro Bowls, retaining Jones looks to be Big Blue’s top task.
“We’d like Daniel to be here. He said it [Sunday]; there is a business side to it. But we feel like Daniel played well this season,” Schoen said, via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. “He’s done everything we’ve asked him to. … We would like to have Daniel Jones back.
“We’re happy Daniel is going to be here. Hopefully we can get something done with his representatives. That would be the goal, to build a team around him where he could lead us to win a Super Bowl. It takes two. Both sides are going to have that conversation,” Schoen said. “We haven’t crossed that bridge yet. There are tools at our disposal.”
Jones, 25, enhanced his value considerably this season by piloting the Giants to their first playoff win in 11 years. A Jones agreement will make a bit of transactions history. No quarterback whose team passed on his fifth-year option — which the Giants did in May 2022 — has re-signed with that franchise. It is certainly looking like Jones will be back, and Schoen’s comments point to the four-year quarterback starter being the potential tag candidate over the former Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Schoen mentioning the tools at the team’s disposal comes nearly three months after he floated the franchise tag as a weapon to retain Barkley. The running back tag is expected to come in at around $10MM, while the nonexclusive quarterback tag is projected to check in at approximately $32MM. Tagging Jones, who fared well in the Giants’ wild-card win before struggling against the Eagles, would take a significant bite into the Giants’ free agency dollars.
The Giants are projected to hold just less than $55MM in cap space — third-most in the league. A Barkley tag, conversely, would allow for increased flexibility without venturing to restructures. Barkley’s bounce-back season notwithstanding, the Giants could be prepared to let him test free agency. The team also has Dexter Lawrence on track to land a deal likely north of $20MM per year, which likely factors into their Barkley plans as well.
“Listen, Saquon’s done everything we’ve asked him to do and he’s a good football player,” Schoen said. “Again, the positional value, we’ll get into how we want to build this team and allocate our resources. That is what it comes down to. Again, he’s a good football player. He was durable for this year. He played well and, again, he’s a guy we would like to have back.”
Barkley, 25, said Sunday he was not pushing to reset the running back market. Doing so would not be an entirely unreasonable ask, given Barkley’s value to the Giants and Christian McCaffrey‘s $16MM-per-year deal having been signed nearly three years ago. But Barkley turned down a deal in the $12MM-AAV range in November. Schoen confirmed a midseason report indicating the sides were not close on terms, and Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano notes (via Twitter) Barkley’s ask is in the McCaffrey range.
With the tag still low for backs, Vacchiano adds the team is unlikely to move much higher than the $12MM range — effectively the running back second tier — ahead of free agency (Twitter link). This could create a fascinating market bid for Barkley, who would be one of the most talented backs to ever reach free agency. The five-year starter totaled 1,650 yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games, recovering from the injuries that plagued him from 2019-21. Barkley mentioned his injury past when assessing his value, and while he wants to stay, he would be a coveted player come March.
However, this year’s running back market will be crowded. A glut of backs including most of the following contingent — Kareem Hunt, Miles Sanders, David Montgomery, Jamaal Williams, Devin Singletary Damien Harris — stands to be available. The Raiders and Cowboys have been mentioned as candidates to tag their top backs — Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard — so it would be interesting to see these two valued via the tag and Barkley be allowed to talk with other teams. The Raiders and Cowboys, however, do not have their starting quarterback on an expiring contract. Jones’ solid season looks to have changed the Giants’ plans.
Tagging the quarterback and attempting to re-sign the running back is the opposite of how the Titans played their similar situation in 2020, when they cuffed Derrick Henry and re-signed Ryan Tannehill shortly before the market opened. The Giants are expected to talk with Jones until the new league year begins, per Raanan, who categorizes the quarterback as the team’s top priority. Teams have until March 7 to use their franchise tags.