Raiders Expected To Add Hue Jackson To Coaching Staff
The Raiders are set to add another experienced coach to their staff. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the Raiders are expected to hire Hue Jackson.
The former Raiders and Browns head coach met with the organization last week, and he’s currently “ironing out a role” on new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy‘s staff. We heard that the organization was eyeing Jackson last week, but it was uncertain if he was still in the team’s plans after they had to pivot from Kliff Kingsbury to Getsy.
Jackson has multiple connections to the Raiders. The long-time coach had a two-year stint in Oakland, serving as the OC for a year before replacing Tom Cable at head coach. He went 8-8 during his lone season at the helm and was fired after the season. The 58-year-old also has a connected to head coach Antonio Pierce, who was an undrafted free agent when Jackson was in Washington.
Jackson has held multiple OC titles through his long career, but he’s most known for his dreadful two-plus-year stint in Cleveland that saw the Browns go 3-36-1. After getting fired by the Browns during the 2018 campaign, he had a stint with the Bengals and Tennessee State before being named the head coach at Grambling State. Following two-straight losing seasons, he was fired by the school in November. Now, he’ll land on his feet in Las Vegas.
Pierce has been busy adding experienced voices to his coaching staff. After assisting Pierce during his interim stretch, Marvin Lewis will be sticking with the organization in some capacity.
Chargers Hire Jesse Minter As DC
As expected, Jim Harbaugh has recruited his Michigan defensive coordinator to Los Angeles. The Chargers have finalized a deal with Jesse Minter that will make him the team’s new defensive coordinator, per Albert Breer of TheMMQB. Minter has acknowledged the move, posting a farewell message to Michigan players and fans.
[RELATED: Chargers To Hire Greg Roman As OC]
Throughout Harbaugh’s interview process, it was hinted that Minter could follow his boss to the NFL. Minter spent the past two seasons as Michigan’s defensive coordinator, and he also had a four-year stint on John Harbaugh‘s staff in Baltimore. Jim Harbaugh has targeted familiarity as he’s filled out his new Chargers staff, so it’s not a huge surprise that Minter will be joining the ranks.
The 40-year-old coach helped guide a stout defense to a national championship, and the school had CFP appearances in each of Minter’s two years at the helm. Michigan allowed the fewest points in the nation (13.1 ppg) over the past two seasons, and Minter was a 2022 finalist for the Broyles Award, given to college football’s top assistant coach.
In between his stint in Baltimore and his time at Michigan, Minter had a one-year stop as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator. He held that same role with Georgia State and Indiana State. He earned a DC interview with the Eagles last offseason.
Harbaugh is continuing to add to his defensive staff, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero passes along that the Chargers have hired Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston for the same position. Prior to his two years in Michigan, the veteran coach spent more than a decade on Notre Dame’s staff. The Chargers have also hired Ravens player evaluation and analytics manager Corey Krawiec for an unknown role, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.
Raiders Targeting Jayden Daniels?
The Raiders will be eyeing quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft, but they might not wait for a signal-caller to fall to No. 13. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders could be a trade suitors for a top-three pick.
Fowler notes that head coach Antonio Pierce is a “big fan” of Jayden Daniels, but the organization would surely have to trade for the LSU quarterback. Pierce and Daniels crossed paths during their stints at Arizona State, and that familiarity makes the Raiders a natural landing spot for the prospect.
Further, Fowler notes that Pierce was evaluating offensive coordinator candidates with “the loose possibility of Daniels in mind.” The team’s first choice for OC, Kliff Kingsbury, most recently worked with the draft’s top QB prospect, USC’s Caleb Williams. When Kingsbury declined the Raiders offer and opted for the Commanders’ job, the Raiders pivoted to Luke Getsy.
Fowler assumes that the Bears will take Williams with the first-overall pick, meaning the Raiders will likely have to trade with the Commanders (No. 2) or the Patriots (No. 3) if they want to add Daniels or UNC’s Drake Maye. New GM Tom Telesco was known for his drafting prowess during his years with the Chargers, although his strategy usually didn’t feature home-run, draft-day trades.
With that in mind, it’s notable that the team recently met with Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. at the Senior Bowl, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Penix is hoping to emerge as the fourth QB on the draft board (following Williams, Daniels, and Maye), although he’s not consistently projected for the first round.
Regardless of how things unfold during the draft, it’s likely that the Raiders will be eyeing a new signal-caller in 2024. Jimmy Garoppolo barely played once Pierce was named the interim head coach, and the veteran will likely be a trade/cut candidate. And while rookie Aidan O’Connell was a standout during the final chunk of the season, it sounds like the Raiders envision him as more of a backup. If the Raiders strike out in the draft, the team could turn to the likes of Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, and Jameis Winston via free agency.
Packers Notes: Coaching, Clements, Evero, Watson
Tom Clements is expected to be back in Green Bay next season. The long-time coach will continue being the quarterbacks coach on Matt LaFleur’s staff in 2024, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
There was some speculation that the organization’s recent hiring of Sean Mannion could mean that the 70-year-old Clements would retire, but that isn’t the case. Per Silverstein, the Packers believe Clements will be a great mentor to Mannion, perhaps a hint that the recently-retired QB could eventually take over the role.
Over the past two years, Clements has overseen a major turnover at the position. After coaching Aaron Rodgers during his first season at the helm, Clements guided Jordan Love through the QB’s first season as a starter.
Clements has been coaching since the 1990s, serving as the QBs coach with the Saints, Chiefs, Steelers, Cardinals, and Packers. He had a two-year stint as the Bills offensive coordinator before catching on with the Packers in 2006. He spent more than a decade in Green Bay, eventually serving as offensive coordinator and later assistant head coach. He called it a career following a two-year stint in Arizona, but he was coaxed out of retirement in 2022 and returned to the Packers.
More news out of Green Bay…
- With the Packers having settled on Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley as their new defensive coordinator, the rest of the defensive coaching staff is starting to take shape. According to Silverstein, Hafley will bring along BC defensive line coach Vince Oghobaase. Incumbent defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery isn’t expected to be back next season, although Silverstein adds that linebackers coach Jason Rebrovich is expected to pivot to defensive line coach in 2024, making Oghobaase’s role unknown. In addition to Montgomery, passing game coordinator Greg Williams and inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti won’t return to the Packers, per Silverstein.
- The Packers are expected to hire former Dolphins linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, per Silverstein. Campanile is expected to be the team’s new run game coordinator, and the hiring was inspired by LaFleur‘s desire to transition to a 4-3 defensive scheme. Campanile has been a popular name this offseason; he interviewed for the Giants defensive coordinator job and was pursued by the Eagles to be their linebackers coach.
- The Packers are also adding former Chargers defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley as their defensive pass-game coordinator, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Ansley had a long stint in the NCAA to begin his coaching career, culminating in him serving as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020. He joined the Chargers the following season, and after serving as their defensive backs coach for two years, he earned a promotion to DC in 2023.
- Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is sticking in Carolina, but if he shook loose, the Packers would have had interest, according to Fowler. The feeling would have been mutual, as Evero would have had interest in the Green Bay DC job. We heard last week that the Packers also made an unsuccessful run at Zach Orr as their defensive coordinator.
- A hamstring injury has forced Packers wide receiver Christian Watson to miss a handful of games through his first two seasons in the NFL, but the organization is working to remedy the lingering issue. LaFleur told reporters (including Silverstein) that the Packers have a “plan” to figure out why Watson’s hamstring continues to be an issue. The team intends to send the wideout to a specialist who should provide further guidance.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/6/24
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Dan Chisena
Detroit Lions
- OL Netane Muti
New England Patriots
- WR Kawaan Baker
Dolphins Hire Anthony Weaver As DC
It sounds like the Dolphins have found their replacement for Vic Fangio. According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the Dolphins are hiring Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver as their new defensive coordinator.
[RELATED: Anthony Weaver Emerging As Dolphins DC Favorite]
Weaver is well regarded in coaching circles, leading to him garnering a pair of head coaching interviews (Atlanta, Washington) this offseason. He didn’t land either of those gigs, but he’ll still earn a promotion to defensive coordinator in Miami. We heard yesterday that Weaver was the favorite to land the open defensive coordinator position previously held by Fangio, who recently left the Dolphins to return to the Eagles.
Weaver, a former Ravens second-round pick, earned his first NFL coaching job with the Jets in 2012. He was the defensive line coach in Buffalo, Cleveland, and Houston before he landed the Texans defensive coordinator gig in 2020. The Texans defense didn’t fare all that well that season, and with David Culley being brought in as head coach in 2021, Weaver wasn’t retained.
He was quickly scooped up by his former coach, John Harbaugh. Weaver joined the Ravens coaching staff as their defensive line coach/run game coordinator in 2021, and he earned a promotion to associate head coach in 2022. Schultz notes that the Ravens attempted to keep Weaver on their staff, but the Dolphins managed to lure him to Miami.
It’s not a huge surprise that Weaver decided to take his talents elsewhere, as he’s twice been passed over for Baltimore’s DC gig. The Ravens hired Mike Macdonald over promoting Weaver to DC in 2022, bringing the former back after a one-year stay at Michigan. They most recently elevated inside linebackers coach Zach Orr over Weaver to replace Macdonald. The Ravens defensive coaching staff has been decimated this offseason. Besides Weaver and Macdonald, the Ravens have also lost defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, who was named the Titans new defensive coordinator.
The Dolphins should anticipate an improvement to their already-impressive pass rush corps. Miami finished third in the NFL this past year for sacks, behind only the Chiefs and Weavers’ Ravens. A Dolphins pass rush featuring Bradley Chubb (11.0 sacks in 2023), Zach Sieler (10.0), Christian Wilkins (9.0), and Jaelan Phillips (6.5 sacks in only eight games) could become that much more formidable with their new defensive coordinator at the helm.
After the Dolphins and Fangio decided to mutually part ways last month, the organization cast a relatively wide net for a replacement. Many of their targets earned DC jobs elsewhere or decided to stick with their current situations. Besides Weaver, the known remaining candidates included Dolphins inside linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, Texans linebackers coach Chris Kiffin, Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Slowik, and former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley.
Kliff Kingsbury Won’t Take Raiders’ Offensive Coordinator Job
It sounds like Kliff Kingsbury won’t be heading to Las Vegas after all. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Kingsbury has withdrawn himself from consideration for the Raiders offensive coordinator job. It was reported earlier this week that the Raiders were set to hire the former Cardinals head coach for the role.
[RELATED: Raiders Expected To Hire Kliff Kingsbury]
Per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the agreement between the two sides was believed to be all but done. Peter Schrager of Fox Sports reports that contract negotiations became “undone” over the past 24 hours, and Kingsbury informed multiple members of the organization this morning that he wouldn’t be joining the coaching staff.
Following a one-year stint at USC, Kingsbury seemed prime for a return to the NFL. Besides the interest from the Raiders, the coach also interviewed for the Bears and Eagles offensive coordinator vacancies. While both of those franchises decided to go in different directions, it was still clear that Kingsbury was back on the coordinator radar.
The former NFL quarterback was once considered one of the brightest offensive coaching minds in the sport. That offensive acumen helped him earn the Cardinals head coaching job back in 2019. The team took steps forward in each of Kingsbury’s first three years at the helm, including a 2021 campaign where the Cardinals won 11 games. However, the Cardinals dropped to 4-13 in 2022, and Kingsbury was let go.
The coach seemed to lose a bit of his shine last offseason, leading to him taking a gig as senior offensive analyst/quarterbacks coach at USC. It wasn’t the most taxing job; after all, Kingsbury was tasked with guiding former Heisman Trophy winner and top quarterback prospect Caleb Williams. The signal-caller didn’t do anything to hurt his draft stock this past season, with Williams finishing the campaign tossing 30 touchdowns vs. five interceptions.
Former Raiders offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi was fired back in October, and Antonio Pierce has clearly put an emphasis on experience as he looks for his next offensive leader. We heard recently that the organization was eyeing Hue Jackson for a role on the staff, and the team also reportedly gave a long look at Chip Kelly for their offensive coordinator vacancy. Kingsbury was expected to lead this group, but the Raiders will apparently have to pivot in a different direction.
While the Raiders cast a wide net to fill their OC vacancy, many of their candidates have already taken jobs elsewhere. Besides Kelly, the Raiders could still turn to former Bears OC Luke Getsy, Buccaneers QBs coach Thad Lewis, or Steelers quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan.
As for Kingsbury, it will be interesting to see where he lands next. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports points out that Kingsbury had been discussed as a potential OC option for the Commanders. With Dan Quinn now in place, that might be an idea that Washington circles back to.
Latest On Stefon Diggs’ Future With Bills
After finishing with at least 100 receiving yards in five of his first six games, Stefon Diggs didn’t put up nearly the same numbers through the final three months of the season. In his final 11 regular-season games, Diggs averaged only five catches for 51 yards per contest, and he scored only three touchdowns over that span. Things didn’t get any better in the playoffs, with the Bills wideout hauling in only 73 receiving yards. This includes a playoff loss to the Chiefs where he had a season-low 21 receiving yards and dropped a crucial fourth-quarter pass.
Considering his drop in production, some have speculated that Diggs may be frustrated in Buffalo and looking for a change. Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com says that’s not the case, as Diggs isn’t expected to ask for a trade. Diggs discussed his future in Buffalo while attending this week’s Pro Bowl Games, marking the first time he’s talked with reporters since Buffalo was eliminated from the playoffs. The receiver was generally noncommittal about his future, just stating that he’s “ready to go no matter which way it goes.”
“I feel like I take it day by day,” Diggs said (via ESPN’s Stephen Holder). “Obviously, there’s a lot of changes going on, a lot of things going on. I can’t really put the carriage before the horse, you know what I’m saying? But I got a great offseason in front of me to put a lot of work in and kind of build around what we got and what we’re doing.
“I can’t tell you what the future holds, but I’m still being me.”
Diggs is a questionable trade/release candidate just by virtue of his contract. He’ll account for a $27.35MM cap hit next season, and there’s three years remaining on the four-year extension he inked back in 2022. The Bills would face significant dead cap if they cut the veteran, and his incoming salary would likely be untenable for many trade suitors.
As a result, Pete King of Football Morning in America believes that GM Brandon Beane and the Bills front office will ultimately do “major surgery” on the wide receiver’s deal, and the writer suspects that Diggs wouldn’t be happy about that arrangement. Pauline agrees that a restructured Diggs contract would partly help the cap-strapped Bills, but he’s also wary of how that move would impact the player’s attitude.
For what it’s worth, it doesn’t sound like the Bills are particularly anxious to get rid of Diggs. Beane told reporters that he expects the two-time All-Pro receiver to continue leading their depth chart in 2024.
“He’s a No. 1 receiver,” Beane said (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic). “I firmly believe that. I’m not wavering off of that. Listen, we have to continue to put weapons out there to keep teams from bracketing him or, you know, locking him down in different ways to take him away.”
Coaching Notes: Patriots, Raiders, Jets, Dolphins
Steve Belichick and Jerod Mayo worked in tandem to guide the Patriots defense during Bill Belichick‘s final years in New England. With the older Belichick gone and Mayo having been promoted to head coach, the younger Belichick was facing an uncertain future with the organization. While there were some rumblings that Mayo was interested in keeping Steve Belichick on staff, the Patriots linebackers coach is set to interview for a job at the University of Washington, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
While the Patriots didn’t have a traditional defensive coordinator in recent years, Belichick and Mayo were both credited with running the group. Steve Belichick was the defensive play-caller over each of the past four seasons, leading some pundits to wonder if he could earn a promotion to full-time DC with Mayo now leading the way. There were also rumblings that the younger Belichick could join his father in a new landing spot. Ultimately, neither of those scenarios came to fruition, and Steve Belichick is now eyeing a role elsewhere.
Patriots RB coach Vinnie Sunseri is also set to interview with the University of Washington. The coach has experience working on both sides of the ball, and he worked alongside Jedd Fisch when the two were in New England.
Elsewhere on the Patriots staff, assistant special teams coach Joe Houston is leaving for the University of Florida, according to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com. Houston was set to be named Alabama’s special teams coach in 2020, but the Patriots convinced him to join their coaching staff. He’s spent the past four seasons in New England.
More coaching notes from around the NFL…
- The Raiders are hiring DeShaun Foster as their new running backs coach, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. After finishing his playing career with more than 4,500 yards from scrimmage, Foster joined UCLA’s staff in 2012. He’s spent most of the past 12 seasons with the Bruins, including the past seven as their running backs coach. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport adds that he expects the Raiders to also add Andre Carter to their staff. The former first-round pick previously served as the Jets defensive line coach.
- The Jets have added Shawn Jefferson as their new wide receivers coach, according to Josina Anderson. Jefferson has been coaching since 2006, and he’s had stints as the WRs coach with the Lions, Titans, Dolphins, Jets, Cardinals, and (most recently) the Panthers. He had a previous stint with New York’s coaching staff, serving as the WRs coach/assistant head coach in 2019 and 2020.
- The Dolphins are making some significant changes to their coaching staff. According to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, the organization has parted ways with offensive assistant Kolby Smith. Wolfe adds that offensive assistant Ricardo Allen, offensive assistant Mike Judge, and assistant special teams coach Brendan Farrell also won’t be back in 2024. Smith is a somewhat notable departure. After working alongside RB coach Eric Studesville this past season, he was interviewed for the Jaguars RB coach job.
- The Rams have hired Giff Smith as their defensive line coach/run game coordinator, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The long-time coach had been with the Chargers since 2016, serving as defensive line coach and linebackers coach. He took on the role of interim head coach this past season following the firing of Brandon Staley, with the Chargers going winless in his three games at the helm. Per Pelissero, a number of teams reached out to Smith about joining their staffs, but the coach ultimately decided to stick in Los Angeles.
Raiders Expected To Hire Kliff Kingsbury As Offensive Coordinator
Kliff Kingsbury is back in the NFL. The Raiders are expected to hire the former Cardinals head coach as their new offensive coordinator, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
[RELATED: Latest On Raiders’ OC Vacancy]
Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reported earlier today that the Raiders were considered the front runner for Kingsbury’s services. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo adds that the two sides still haven’t officially agreed to a deal, although it’s expected to get done eventually.
Kingsbury spent the 2023 campaign at USC, where he served as the senior offensive analyst and quarterbacks coach. He worked extensively with top QB prospect Caleb Williams, guiding the former Heisman Trophy winner to a 30-touchdown, five-interception campaign. While Kingsbury obviously isn’t entirely responsible for Williams’ NFL future, the coach didn’t do anything to hurt the QB’s draft stock.
Thanks to his relative success at USC, Kingsbury seemed to brush away some of the concerns surrounding him following his disappointing end in Arizona. It was the coach’s offensive acumen that helped earn him the Cardinals head coaching job back in 2019. The team took steps forward in each of Kingsbury’s first three years at the helm, culminating in an 11-win season in 2021. However, following a 2022 campaign that saw Arizona drop to 4-13, Kingsbury was relieved of his duties.
Following his one season in the college ranks, Kingsbury returned to the coaching cycle this past offseason. He also interviewed for the Bears and Eagles OC vacancies, although both organizations decided to go in different directions. Ultimately, he managed to secure a coordinator job under Antonio Pierce in Las Vegas.
Former offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi was fired back in October, but the team waited until they had a full-time HC before making a move. A number of candidates have been connected to the open gig, but we’re still learning of other coaches who were apparently interviewed for the job. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, former Eagles and 49ers head coach Chip Kelly interviewed at least twice for the Raiders OC job.
We heard a few weeks ago that Kelly could be a candidate for an offensive coordinator role, although there weren’t any definitive teams connected to the veteran coach. Kelly has served as UCLA’s head coach since the 2018 campaign.
Pierce is clearly focused on adding experienced coaches to his staff. Former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has already caught on with the organization, with Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily revealing that Lewis has officially been named the Raiders assistant head coach. Further, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Raiders are also eyeing former Browns head coach Hue Jackson for an offensive coaching job. This would be a return trip for Jackson. Prior to his defining stint in Cleveland, Jackson enjoyed a one-season stint (2011) as Raiders HC, finishing 8-8.