HEADLINES

Month: April 2024

Jets, Assistant GM Rex Hogan To Part Ways

January 31st, 2024 at 11:20am CST by Sam Robinson

As this Jets regime enters a do-or-die 2024, one of its top front office staffers is no longer part of the plan. The Jets are splitting with assistant GM Rex Hogan, according to SNY’s Connor Hughes, who describes this as a mutual separation.

Hogan has spent the past four years with the Jets, being hired to join Joe Douglas‘ staff back in 2019. Hogan has enjoyed two Jets stints over the past decade. Mike Maccagnan hired him upon taking over as GM in 2015, adding Hogan as his director of college scouting. After a subsequent run with the Colts, the Jets brought back the veteran exec under Douglas.

[RELATED: Jets Aiming To Trade Zach Wilson]

The team is still waiting for Douglas’ plan to come to fruition, with the Zach Wilson investment being a seminal moment during the regime’s tenure. Hogan is believed to have joined former OC Mike LaFleur in pushing hard for the former BYU prospect. Considering Wilson’s standing with the Jets after three woeful seasons — the most recent of which including a story in which he may or may not have expressed hesitancy about returning to action — it would not be surprising to see this as an issue for the Jets and the staffers who expressed the staunchest support for the bust-in-progress.

Some among the Jets viewed Wilson as a developmental arm at that point and unworthy of the No. 2 pick, and the prospect of giving Sam Darnold a fourth year and looking elsewhere in the 2021 first round was endorsed by parts of the organization. Ultimately, Wilson became the choice. That decision has defined Douglas’ tenure. Hogan remains respected around the league, however, Hughes adds.

The Jets are giving Douglas, Robert Saleh and OC Nathaniel Hackett another year. Woody Johnson has effectively signed off on a mulligan associated with the Aaron Rodgers injury. The Jets will undoubtedly clean house if the 2024 season goes poorly. As Douglas makes offseason plans, he will be in search of another top lieutenant.

Commanders Expected To Retain Martin Mayhew

January 31st, 2024 at 10:01am CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders took the unusual step of holding interviews for a top front office role while keeping its general manager in a holding pattern. Rumors steadily connected Martin Mayhew to following Ron Rivera out the door, but the team conducted a reevaluation under new front office boss Adam Peters.

Peters’ San Francisco past looked to reopen the door to Mayhew staying in Washington; the two worked together with the 49ers. It looks like Peters still values Mayhew. The latter is en route to Senior Bowl workouts in Mobile, Ala., with Commanders staffers this week, according to ESPN.com’s John Keim, who indicates the former Washington GM is expected to stay with the team in 2024.

Hired to work alongside Rivera in 2021, Mayhew came to Washington after four years on John Lynch‘s staff. Lynch brought in both Peters and Mayhew in 2017; the latter finished his 49ers tenure as the team’s VP of player personnel. Mayhew’s new Washington title is not yet known, but after a reevaluation period, appears he will survive and stay with the team for a fourth year.

Mayhew, 58, has extensive history in Washington. He started at cornerback for the dominant 1991 team that won Super Bowl XXVI, becoming a four-year starter under Joe Gibbs despite being a former 10th-round pick. While Mayhew finished his playing career in Tampa, he is best remembered as a player for his time in Washington. GMs are not given second chances at the same rate as head coaches, which made Mayhew’s second shot — after a run as Lions GM from 2008-15 — an interesting effort on Washington’s part. The veteran exec managing to stick around despite new ownership cleaning house following a 4-13 season is perhaps even more intriguing.

Josh Harris is believed to have influenced the Rivera- and Mayhew-led football ops department to trade both Montez Sweat and Chase Young on deadline day, and a swift decline followed. The Commanders lost their final eight games, with Rivera becoming one of the most predictable coach firings in many years. Mayhew, Marty Hurney and Eric Stokes had been among those rumored to be on the chopping block alongside Rivera. Stokes, the Commanders’ senior player personnel director, is already at the Senior Bowl, per Keim.

Being at the Senior Bowl representing a team is not a guarantee of long-term employment. Clubs regularly dismiss front office personnel — particularly those in scouting roles — after the draft to avoid shaking up personnel after extensive draft prep has already commenced. But Keim’s report points Mayhew to staying alongside Peters. It is not clear if Stokes and Hurney, who each worked with Rivera in Carolina prior to rejoining him in Washington, will join him for the long haul.

Thad Lewis, John Van Dam To Interview For Bucs’ OC Job

January 31st, 2024 at 9:51am CST by Sam Robinson

9:51am: After the team lost a host of staffers on offense over the past few days, two in-house candidates for the play-calling post exist. The Bucs are also meeting with tight ends coach John Van Dam for the OC position, CBS Sports Jonathan Jones notes. This will be Van Dam’s first OC interview.

Van Dam has been with the Bucs longer than Lewis, arriving as an Arians hire back in 2019. The Bucs promoted Van Dam from the quality control level in 2021, making him assistant tight ends coach ahead of what turned out to be Rob Gronkowski‘s final season. Van Dam moved up to his current position in 2022, overseeing the development of draftees Cade Otton and Ko Kieft.

9:11am: A number of teams have reached out to Thad Lewis about an OC role. The young assistant’s current team is now part of that mix. Amid a widespread search to replace Dave Canales, the Buccaneers have circled back to Lewis.

Lewis’ interview for the Tampa Bay OC post will take place Wednesday, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Bucs, who employ Lewis as their quarterbacks coach, join the Bills, Bengals, Titans and Raiders as teams to have reached out to Lewis about their OC position.

When Canales-to-Carolina buzz began to intensify, Lewis came up as a natural candidate to take over. The former quarterback has been with the Bucs for the past three seasons, beginning as assistant wide receivers coach under Bruce Arians before being moved to work with QBs last year.

Although Lewis did not have a chance to coach Tom Brady, Baker Mayfield‘s 2023 showing has understandably generated interest here. The Bengals and Bills promoted candidates internally, while the Raiders and Titans are still looking. Lewis, 36, having just one season coaching QBs puts him on the lighter end in terms of ideal experience. But Mayfield bouncing back after a woeful 2022 in Carolina should give Lewis a quality platform toward being a serious candidate to move up the ladder in Tampa.

The Bucs have already lost three key staffers on offense, seeing Canales take wide receivers coach Brad Idzik, run-game coordinator Harold Goodwin and O-line coach Joe Gilbert with him to Charlotte. Lewis following Canales and his new Panthers assistants out the door would stand to drive a full-on reboot on that side of the ball. Seeing as Mayfield showed the form that once generated extension rumors in Cleveland, losing Lewis as well might be counterproductive for a Bucs team interested in a second contract with the quarterback.

Courtesy of PFR’s Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker, here is how the Bucs’ process looks as of Wednesday morning:

Seahawks To Bring In Mike Macdonald For Second HC Interview

January 31st, 2024 at 9:18am CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Macdonald‘s itinerary will now include two Seahawks meetings in a two-day span. After waiting until Tuesday to meet with the popular candidate, the NFC West team will squeeze in a second meeting.

The second Macdonald-Seahawks summit will take place today, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Macdonald-to-Seattle buzz has intensified over the past 24 hours; news of a second meeting will further drive speculation about the two-year Ravens DC being a frontrunner for this job.

A report Tuesday indicated Macdonald and Giants OC Mike Kafka were candidates to watch for the Seattle job. The Seahawks skipped the virtual interview opportunity with the young defensive coordinator, but the team had him on its radar during the process. Tuesday’s meeting took place in Baltimore, per Pelissero. This one will occur in Seattle, per the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta.

The Seahawks went through a second interview with Ben Johnson on Monday, but the two-year Lions OC informed both HC-needy clubs — Seattle and Washington — he no longer wishes to be considered. Hours after Johnson bowed out of a second HC carousel, Texans OC Bobby Slowik followed suit. Slowik, however, had not been connected to a second Seahawks interview. He had met with the Commanders twice.

Johnson removing himself from consideration keeps the door wide open for Macdonald to land one of the two remaining jobs. Though, the Commanders have not met with Macdonald a second time yet. His first interview with the NFC East team took place Monday. The Ravens’ AFC championship game loss clears Macdonald’s interview schedule.

Despite the Chiefs and 49ers advancing to Super Bowl LVIII, it is the Ravens and Lions’ coordinators who have drawn attention during this year’s hiring period. None of the three San Francisco or Kansas City coordinators (Steve Wilks, Matt Nagy, Steve Spagnuolo; the 49ers do not employ a traditional OC) are candidates for the Seattle or Washington positions. Here is how the Seahawks’ search looks as January winds down:

Ben Johnson To Remain With Lions

January 30th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

After drawing significant head coaching interest for the second consecutive year, Ben Johnson has repeated his decision from 2023. Detroit’s highly-acclaimed offensive coordinator will remain with the Lions, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Johnson entered the 2024 hiring cycle as a prime candidate to land a head coaching gig. Only two vacancies remain, and he was a finalist to join both the Commanders and Seahawks. Washington in particular seemed to be in pole position to land him, but both teams’ searches will now move in a different direction. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes, Johnson’s asking price served as a deterrent for some teams. Schefter further details that Johnson’s decision was learned as the Commanders were en route to speak with his counterpart, Aaron Glenn.

It is unknown if financial hesitancy applies to the Commanders and/or Seahawks, teams which have interviewed Johnson twice. The 37-year-old was believed to be Washington’s top choice on a number of occasions, and recent reports pointed to a Johnson hire being the likeliest outcome. After doing the same last year, though, he has elected to make at least one more run at a Super Bowl with the Lions.

Detroit’s offense has been among the league’s best during Johnson’s two-year run as the team’s OC. He has drawn considerable interest around the NFL as a result, and it was reported before the season ended that the Panthers would be a team to watch closely. Carolina attempted to land Johnson last year, and he was believed to be the team’s top choice before Buccaneers OC Dave Canales was tapped for the position. The Commanders and Seahawks openings profile as being more attractive than the one in Carolina, but those teams have now seen one of their finalists bow out of the running.

The Commanders have taken an extended look at candidates with a background on both sides of the ball during their search for a Ron Rivera replacement. Washington has spoken twice with Glenn, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Texans OC Bobby Slowik in addition to the second sit-down with Johnson. The Commanders are also interested in Ravens DC Mike Macdonald, and a member of that group of candidates will now be in line for the gig in the nation’s capital.

Quinn and Macdonald in particular are also central figures in Seattle’s search. Both teams decided to wait until after Sunday’s conference championship games to make their final HC decisions, and the elimination of the Ravens and Lions opened the door to their respective searches reaching an end in the near future. That may well still be the case, but Johnson is no longer in consideration.

Today’s update will of course be welcomed news on a Lions staff which was labeled as one likely to see signficant departures in the wake of the team’s success. Glenn landing a head coaching position would deal a blow to Dan Campbell and Co., but the Lions’ offense will again be expected to put up high-end production with Johnson in place. The latter’s relationship with quarterback Jared Goff was a central reason why he declined to leave last year, and their partnership will continue in 2024. That season marks the final one of Goff’s contract.

Steelers Hire Arthur Smith As OC

January 30th, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after Arthur Smith landed on the radar of the Steelers for their offensive coordinator vacancy, an agreement has been reached. The ex-Falcons head coach is expected to take over as Pittsburgh’s OC, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Smith’s three-year run at the helm of the Falcons came to an end on Black Monday after he posted a third consecutive 7-10 record. An inability to maximize the team’s potential at the offensive skill positions played a key role in that decision, but Smith boosted his stock during his previous time as OC of the Titans.

The recently fired HC will now return to a coordinator posting featuring a run-based attack, with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac indicating this is expected to be a three-year deal.

During a press conference yesterday, Steelers owner Art Rooney II confirmed the team would likely have its next OC in place in the near future. He added that a clear profile was in place with respect to what Pittsburgh was targeting, given the plans for the offense. Smith was interviewed on Sunday, and that meeting has now produced an agreement.

As Pelissero notes, Smith was on the radar of other teams (although his Steelers summit was his only known interview). Indeed, it had been recently reported that the 41-year-old was likely to land a coordinator gig during the 2024 hiring cycle despite the underwhelming nature of his Atlanta tenure. The Falcons ranked no better than 15th in scoring under Smith, though the team’s struggles can be traced in large part to a lack of consistent high-end play at the quarterback position.

In Pittsburgh, Smith will enter a situation which is not entirely settled under center. 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett remains in place atop the depth chart for now, but an offseason competition for the starting spot should be expected. Mason Rudolph is a pending free agent, but he could find himself on a new Steelers contract, especially if a path exists for him to claim the full-time No. 1 role. Smith will be tasked with developing Pickett or overseeing a transition to a new passer.

Smith spent 10 years on the Titans’ staff, including a pair of seasons (2019-20) as the team’s offensive coordinator. During that time, a ground-heavy approach yielded a top-four showing in both total and scoring offense in 2020. Smith’s HC stock rose to the level that he landed the Falcons gig, but it has obviously taken a hit over the past three campaigns. This opportunity will allow him to rebuild his value on at least a coordinator level.

Matt Canada entered the 2023 season with signficant pressure, and the Steelers made an all-but unprecedented move in firing him midseason. It has been clear for some time that an outside hire would be made, and Pittsburgh spoke with a pair of external candidates (Panthers OC Thomas Brown and Texans QBs coach Jerrod Johnson) before landing on Smith.

With a running back tandem of Najee Harris (who will likely be in place through at least 2025) and Jaylen Warren, Smith will have the pieces in place to continue the run-heavy approach which yielded success late in the year for Pittsburgh. The impact he makes on the team’s offense will be a key factor in determining the Steelers’ ability to at least replicate their run to a wild-card spot in 2024.

Panthers Hire Harold Goodwin, Three Other Assistants

January 30th, 2024 at 9:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Already committed to bringing Buccaneers wide receivers coach Brad Idzik with him to Carolina, Dave Canales is adding another veteran Bucs staffer.

The new Panthers HC will bring Harold Goodwin with him to work as the team’s run-game coordinator. The Cardinals’ offensive coordinator under Bruce Arians from 2013-17, Goodwin will bring some experience to an offensive staff that lacks it — in the top positions, at least. Goodwin, 50, spent the past five seasons as the Bucs’ run-game coordinator.

This is an interesting pickup for Canales, as Goodwin was an Arians assistant for much of the past 20 years. Following Arians from Pittsburgh to Indianapolis to Tampa, Goodwin will make his first non-Arians-driven move since he began his NFL career on Lovie Smith‘s Bears staffs in the mid-2000s.

Todd Bowles is in the process of finding a new offensive coordinator; he will need to replace two key offensive assistants as well. This includes O-line coach Joe Gilbert, who is following Canales and Goodwin to Charlotte.

The Panthers sent out an interview request to Raiders assistant offensive line coach Cameron Clemmons about their O-line coach position, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The Raiders already lost their O-line coach from last season, Carmen Bricillo, to the Giants. It is unclear if Clemmons remains in the Antonio Pierce-run team’s plans. But Canales will bring another Bucs assistant with him.

Gilbert joined Goodwin, 59, as an Arians hire back in 2019, and the veteran assistant spent the past five seasons as the Bucs’ O-line coach. This will be Gilbert’s third run as an NFL O-line coach; he initially held that position for the Colts under Chuck Pagano. While Canales and Idzik will run the Panthers’ offense, Goodwin and Gilbert will provide considerable experience. Gilbert replaces James Campen, a Matt Rhule hire who was not retained.

Additionally, the Panthers are adding Rob Moore as wide receivers coach and Bernie Parmalee as running backs coach. A former Jets and Cardinals standout receiver, Moore spent the past six seasons as the Titans’ wideouts coach. He held the same roles with the Bills and Raiders previously. A former running back, Parmalee spent the past three years as the Jaguars’ RBs coach. He has also coached special teams and tight ends during a 14-year NFL coaching career.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/30/24

January 30th, 2024 at 9:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s reserve/futures deals:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Detroit Lions

Philadelphia Eagles

Titans Interview Brandon Lynch For DC; Team Retaining Shane Bowen During Search

January 30th, 2024 at 8:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

After the Browns put together a quality defensive season, one of their assistants is on the coordinator radar. Brandon Lynch is the first of Jim Schwartz‘s assistants to land such a meeting.

The four-year Browns assistant met with the Titans on Tuesday, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. Brown spent the 2023 season as Cleveland’s cornerbacks coach. The 41-year-old assistant spent most of the 2010s in the college ranks, but new Tennessee HC Brian Callahan certainly has observed Lynch’s work in recent years.

[RELATED: Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]

Callahan’s Bengals wideouts tussled with the Browns’ corners twice a year. The Browns initially hired Lynch to be their assistant DBs coach under Joe Woods in 2020; despite the DC changeover last year, the team retained Lynch. Denzel Ward earned his second Pro Bowl nod, and the Browns ranked first in pass defense. The Browns hired Lynch after he spent time coaching DBs at Northern Iowa and East Carolina during the 2010s.

Lynch and Ravens assistant Dennard Wilson are the only candidates for the Titans’ DC job so far. While it would certainly appear incumbent Shane Bowen is on his way out, veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky notes the team is retaining its current DC while it assesses outside options. Bowen, 37, worked as Tennessee’s DC for the past three seasons. He has interviewed with the Giants and Jaguars this far. The New York job remains open, but the Jacksonville position went to Ryan Nielsen.

It would surprise if the Titans retained Bowen, who was with the team throughout Mike Vrabel‘s tenure. Bowen began his Titans run as their outside linebackers coach under Dean Pees from 2018-20. The Titans ranked in the top half throughout Bowen’s tenure, checking in 16th in scoring defense this season. As Bowen waits, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds pass-game analyst Pat O’Hara will not be retained. O’Hara joined Bowen in being on all six Vrabel-led staffs. O’Hara, 55, also coached with Vrabel in Houston.

Bears To Add Thomas Brown To Staff

January 30th, 2024 at 8:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two of recent NFC offensive coordinators will be part of the Bears’ 2024 staff, which will have a major Sean McVay imprint. Thomas Brown will follow Shane Waldron to Chicago.

With it being clear for weeks Brown was done in Charlotte, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs notes he will join the Bears as passing game coordinator. While Brown spent last season as the Panthers’ OC, he worked on McVay’s Rams staff from 2020-22. Brown and Waldron worked together for the 2020 Rams. Prior to joining the Panthers last year, Brown worked as a tight ends and running backs coach in Los Angeles.

Other teams interviewed Brown, 37, for their OC jobs, but he will head for Illinois. The Bears brought in Brown for an OC interview earlier this month but hired Waldron soon after. As the Bears prepare for a monumental decision on offense — one that almost definitely comes down to a future with Justin Fields or Caleb Williams — they will have two former McVay staffers running the show whenever that call is made.

The Panthers hired Brown as their OC last year. While NFL history suggested it was safe for Brown to expect Frank Reich to be retained for at least two years, David Tepper bucked that by firing the longtime HC after 11 games. This came after Reich had yanked play-calling duties back from Brown following an initial three-week run. Brown finished the season as the Panthers’ play-caller, but as the team has made retaining DC Ejiro Evero a priority from Reich’s staff, it never stood in the way of Brown looking elsewhere.

An abysmal Panthers season led to the Reich firing and an eventual Dave Canales pickup. Canales has brought in Brad Idzik, who also worked under Waldron in Seattle, to be his non-play-calling OC. The Panthers ranked 31st on offense under Reich and Brown, but the latter interviewed for the Bears, Patriots and Steelers’ jobs. Although the New England position has not been filled, Brown may not have been the favorite. The Steelers hired Arthur Smith earlier today.

Brown will rejoin D.J. Moore in Chicago, though the two did not exactly overlap long in Carolina. The Panthers traded their top wide receiver to the Bears — in the Bryce Young swap — barely a month after hiring Brown. Moore represents a key piece as the Bears evaluate their quarterback situation, with Waldron and Brown input potentially on tap as the top offensive voices in the building.

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