Falcons Interview Nathaniel Hackett
The Falcons interviewed Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett on Thursday (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport and Peter Schrager of NFL.com). This marks Hackett’s first head coaching interview of the offseason.
Hackett, 41, has been in Green Bay since 2019. He comes into this cycle with strong reviews from head coach Matt LaFleur, as well as quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“Hack has been a really important part of our culture change and a part of our success on offense. I love him,” Rodgers said recently. “Hope he doesn’t go anywhere. Unless I do.”
The Packers offense took another step forward in 2020 with Hackett’s guidance. The unit finished first in points and fifth in total yards with a steady balance between the passing game and the running game.
It’s worth noting that Hackett’s old boss, Doug Marrone, is also available for hire after being fired by the Jaguars. If Hackett is hired in Atlanta, he could conceivably bring Marrone along with him for a role-reversal.
Hackett is the fifth candidate to meet with the Falcons. Previously, they interviewed incumbent Raheem Morris, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, and Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady for the job.
Falcons, Lions, Texans Interested In Pat Fitzgerald?
Buzz surrounding Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald may be more relevant this year. Two years after he declined NFL interest, the Big Ten HC is interested in making a jump, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
He appears to have a few suitors. The Falcons and Lions are interested in Fitzgerald, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. And despite a previous report indicating the Texans are not looking to hire a college coach, La Canfora adds that Houston is interested as well.
The Falcons and Lions are moving forward with their respective searches. Both teams are interviewing Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy and Titans OC Arthur Smith. Each team interviewed its interim coach — Raheem Morris and Darrell Bevell, respectively — and Michigan native Robert Saleh has been a frontrunner for this post for a bit now. But Fitzgerald has displayed impressive credentials at Northwestern.
The Wildcats have won 10 games three times since Fitzgerald, a Northwestern player on one of those teams (1995), took over in 2006. In the program’s previous 100-plus years, it only reached the 10-win plateau twice. Northwestern went 7-2 this year. Fitzgerald, 46, is not expected to take every interview possible, JLC adds, but he is squarely back on the NFL radar after not being connected to any pro jobs last year. He would be the third college coach to jump in the past three years, following Kliff Kingsbury and Matt Rhule. Northwestern OC Mike Bajakian, the Buccaneers’ QBs coach from 2015-18, has also received interest as an NFL assistant, La Canfora notes.
It now appears Nick Caserio will be offering key input into Houston’s HC hire, so it would be interesting if the 20-year NFL exec and Division III alum would go with a longtime college coach.
Texans, Falcons, Chargers To Interview Panthers OC Joe Brady For HC Openings
There’s been a trend around the league in recent years of teams with head coach openings going after young and innovative offensive minds, and there’s no reason to believe it’s slowing down. To that end, Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady is starting to get a lot of buzz.
Brady received interview requests from the Texans, Falcons, and Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Houston already completed their interview on Tuesday with the 31-year-old, the team announced. The man running Matt Rhule’s offense has seen a meteoric rise through the ranks in the past handful of years, and as recently as 2016 he was only a graduate assistant at Penn State.
He then became and offensive assistant with the Saints for two years before landing the gig as LSU’s passing game coordinator for the 2019 season. We all know what happened then, as he turned LSU’s offense into a juggernaut, helped Joe Burrow win the Heisman and become the first overall pick, and helped LSU win a national title.
After just one season at LSU, Rhule plucked him to be on his inaugural staff in Carolina. The Panthers were a mixed bag this year, but they did get pretty creative on offense even while missing Christian McCaffrey for pretty much the entire season. Even by today’s standards Brady would be pretty young and inexperienced, but more and more teams are learning that fortune often favors the bold. Even if he doesn’t land a job this cycle, Brady will be a candidate next year and the one after.
All 6 Teams With HC Openings To Interview Titans OC Arthur Smith
Well it wouldn’t really be possible for Arthur Smith to be in higher demand right now. All six teams with head coach vacancies either already have or will request to interview the Titans offensive coordinator, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Those six teams, of course, are the Chargers, Jets, Jaguars, Lions, Falcons, and Texans. The Jags and Texans are both in the same division as Smith. Teams can’t prevent an assistant from interviewing for a promotion to head coach, so Smith can make the rounds if he so chooses. Still only 38, Smith has seen his stock take a meteoric rise in league circles the past couple of seasons even though just two years ago he was a tight ends coach who had never called plays before.
Smith joined the Titans as a quality control coach in 2011, and was so highly regarded within the building that he was able to survive multiple head coach regimes. After Matt LaFleur was hired to be the Packers head coach after the 2018 season, Mike Vrabel promoted Smith to offensive coordinator, and the rest is history.
Ryan Tannehill has had a sudden resurgence to become one of the league’s most efficient quarterbacks under Smith’s tutelage, and the running game led by Derrick Henry has been unstoppable at times. Whether it’s this year or not, it seems like only a matter of time before Smith lands a head coaching gig and becomes the next young offensive mind to lead a team alongside the likes of Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, and LaFleur.
Falcons QB Matt Schaub To Retire
Assuming the Falcons bring back Matt Ryan next year, they’ll need to find a new clipboard holder for him. Veteran quarterback Matt Schaub is retiring following the 2020 season, Atlanta owner Arthur Blank revealed during his end of season media availability Monday.
It’s a relatively quiet end to a very interesting rollercoaster of a career. A Virginia product, Schaub began his career as a third-round pick of the Falcons all the way back in 2004. Taken in the same class as Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, and Philip Rivers, he only started two games during his three seasons in Atlanta due to the presence of Michael Vick. He showed flashes in limited action though, and it was enough for the Texans to trade two second-round picks for him before the 2007 season.
He went on to spend the next six and a half seasons as Houston’s quarterback, and had some real success there. He made the Pro Bowl twice in 2009 and 2012, and led the NFL in passing in 2009 with 4,770 yards. He suffered a handful of injuries with the Texans and his play fell off a cliff in the 2013 season, after which he was traded to the Raiders. He lost that starting job to a rookie Derek Carr.
Despite an accomplished run with the Texans, he would start just three games the rest of his career after leaving Houston. Two of those came with the Ravens in 2015 in place of an injured Joe Flacco. In 2016 he reunited with the Falcons, and spent the past five years backing up Ryan.
The last start of his career came last season in spot duty, when he threw for 460 yards in a loss to the Seahawks. He didn’t attempt a pass this season, and will now hang up his cleats at the age of 39. The only other quarterback on Atlanta’s roster is 2018 UDFA Kurt Benkert, and they’ll likely add one in the draft at the very least. All of us here at PFR wish Schaub nothing but the best in retirement.
GM Interviews: Lions, Falcons, Panthers
It’s been a very busy Monday after Week 17 so far, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. There are a number of GM openings around the league, and interview requests for execs are flying in. Let’s get you caught up on all the latest:
- Saints VP/assistant GM for pro personnel Terry Fontenot is scheduled to interview for the Lions GM job on Tuesday and the Falcons GM job on Wednesday, Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets. The Falcons have also requested a GM interview with Rams college scouting director Brad Holmes (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Along with Rick Smith, these were the top names expected to be in the mix in Atlanta. Fontenot isn’t the only Saints exec in the mix, as New Orleans assistant GM Jeff Ireland has been requested by the Panthers and Lions, Pelissero tweets.
- Finally (for now), the Lions are also going to interview Vikings assistant GM George Paton, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Rapsheet says both Paton and Fontenot are “very strong candidates” for the Detroit job. Paton has drawn interest before, and has been in Minnesota’s front office since the 2007 season.
- The Panthers are casting a wide net, and they’re also requesting to interview Chiefs assistant director of player personnel Ryan Poles for the vacancy created by Marty Hurney’s firing, Rapoport tweets. One more, as Carolina has officially requested to interview 49ers VP of Player Personnel Adam Peters, Rapoport tweets. We had heard they might have some interest in Peters, and Rapoport notes that he spent time with head coach Matt Rhule at UCLA and is “one to watch” here.
- The Falcons have requested Colts college scouting director Morocco Brown, Pelissero tweets. Indy’s GM Chris Ballard is very highly regarded, so it’s not surprising that teams are digging into some of his deputies. Brown previously had personnel roles with Cleveland (2014-15) and Washington (2008-13).
2021 NFL Draft Order
The 2020 regular season is in the books. For more than half of the NFL, that means the offseason is officially underway.
The league’s 18 non-playoff teams now know where they stand in the 2021 NFL Draft order. For the remaining clubs, the playoffs will help determine their position. Here’s the rundown of the 2021 NFL Draft order, thus far:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins (via Texans)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinatti Bengals
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. San Francisco 49ers
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
Jets, Falcons, Lions To Interview Eric Bieniemy
It’s shaping up to be a busy week for Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. He’ll conduct virtual interviews with the Lions and Falcons on Monday afternoon, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Meanwhile, the Jets have officially requested an interview of their own. 
Head coaching candidates whose teams are in the playoffs aren’t allowed to interview until after wild-card weekend. But, for Bieniemy, there’s a loophole, thanks to the Chiefs’ first-round bye. The same goes for 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who is also slated to meet with the Lions. The Lions’ latest round of interview requests also includes Saints AHC/TE coach Dan Campbell and Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Saleh, a Dearborn, Michigan native, may be poised for a homecoming. Still, the Lions have a candidates list in the double digits, so he’ll have lots of competition. Bieniemy, of course, is one of the hottest coaches on the block, and he has the offensive acumen the Lions need to get the most out of their talent.
Falcons To Interview Robert Saleh And Eric Bieniemy For HC Vacancy Monday
The 49ers’ season just ended with a loss to the Seahawks, but things are just getting started for defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Saleh is expected to be a hot heat coaching candidate this cycle, and it sounds like he’s got his first move lined up. Saleh will interview with the Falcons over zoom for their job on Monday, San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan revealed during his post-game press conference.
Atlanta won’t stop there, as they’re also going to interview Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy on Monday, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). They clearly aren’t honing in on anything specific, interviewing coaches with defensive and offensive backgrounds. Saleh is a highly regarded leader who always has his defenses playing with high intensity, and when they were healthy the 49ers had one of the league’s best defenses last year.
Bieniemy has a ringing endorsement from Andy Reid, which obviously goes a long way these days. He’s been in Kansas City with Reid since 2013, previously as his running backs coach. Bieniemy is widely considered to be one of the frontrunners for the Texans’ job.
The Falcons won’t be the only team interested in Saleh, and Shanahan even said that he would have several more interviews in the coming days. Saleh is from Michigan, and has also been linked to the Lions’ job. Get ready, the coaching carousel is just starting to heat up.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/21
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Christian Kirk
- Promoted: DL Stacy McGee, LB Terrance Smith, CB Jace Whittaker
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: WR Chris Rowland, WR Devin Gray, TE Jared Pinkney
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: CB Nate Brooks, QB Tyler Huntley
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Tyler Kroft; Kroft contracted the coronavirus
- Promoted: TE Nate Becker, CB Dane Jackson, DE Mike Love, RB Antonio Williams
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: LB Clay Johnston, T Aaron Monteiro, QB Tommy Stevens
- Placed on IR: CB Troy Pride
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: DB Xavier Crawford
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Mike Daniels
- Promoted: LB Keandre Jones, DT Kahlil McKenzie, CB Winston Rose
Cleveland Browns
- Signed off Jets’ practice squad: G Blake Hance
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Karl Joseph
- Promoted: G Cordell Iwuagwu, LB Montrel Meander, T Alex Taylor
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: DB Steven Parker
- Promoted: DT Walter Palmore, T William Sweet
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: WR K.J. Hamler
- Promoted: LB Josh Watson
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: DT Danny Shelton
- Promoted: C Evan Brown, DT Albert Huggins, S Bobby Price
- Waived: DL Frank Herron
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on IR: David Bakhtiari (story)
- Promoted: G Ben Braden, DL Brian Price
Houston Texans
- Promoted: OL Greg Mancz, WR Steven Mitchell
- Placed on IR: OL Brent Qvale
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: S Ibraheim Campbell, T Jared Veldheer
- Activated from IR: TE Noah Togiai
- Waived: WR Marcus Johnson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: WR Collin Johnson
- Promoted: WR Terry Godwin, OL Tre’vour Wallace-Simms
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from IR: S Jeff Heath
- Promoted: LB James Onwualu, OL Erik Magnuson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: DB John Brannon
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: QB Bryce Perkins
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: S Nate Holley, WR Marcus Kemp, QB Reid Sinnett
- Waived: FB Chandler Cox
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: CB Tae Hayes, Cordrea Tankersley, DE Eddie Yarbrough
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: RB Damien Harris
- Promoted: TE/DL Rashod Berry, CB Michael Jackson, LB Cassh Maluia, OL Ross Reynolds, CB D’Angelo Ross
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: FB Michael Burton, RB Latavius Murray, S D.J. Swearinger, RB Dwayne Washington; Murray and Washington are close contacts of COVID-positive Alvin Kamara (story)
- Promoted: LB Andrew Dowell, TE Garrett Griffin, CB Grant Haley, LB Chase Hansen, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, RB Tony Jones Jr., WR Tommylee Lewis
New York Giants
- Activated from IR: LB Kyler Fackrell, CB Madre Harper
- Promoted: P Ryan Santoso
- Placed on IR: FB Elijhaa Penny
- Waived: QB/WR Joe Webb
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: G Greg Van Roten
- Waived: K Sam Ficken
- Promoted: LB Noah Dawkins, LB Sharif Finch, LB Brady Sheldon, DL Tanzel Smart
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: S Blake Countess, DE Joe Ostman, T Prince Tega Wanogho
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Eric Ebron, LB Cassius Marsh
- Promoted: WR Deon Cain, T Anthony Coyle, TE Kevin Rader, K Matthew Wright
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: G Tom Compton
- Promoted: DT Josiah Coatney, WR Jordan Matthews, K Tristan Vizcaino, OL Isaiah Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: CB Tre Flowers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Damarious Randall, T Brandon Shell
- Promoted: G Alex Boone, RB Alex Collins, WR Penny Hart
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Herb Miller, DL Benning Potoa’e
Tennessee Titans
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: P Brett Kern
- Promoted: LB Brooks Reed, K Sam Sloman
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Dontrelle Inman