Seahawks To Hire Ryan Grubb As OC
Mike Macdonald has landed on his new offensive coordinator. According to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, the Seahawks are hiring Ryan Grubb as their new OC.
[RELATED: Seahawks To Hire Aden Durde As DC]
After spending the past two years as the offensive coordinator at Washington, Grubb recently accepted the same position on Alabama’s coaching staff. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Macdonald recently made a “major recruiting pull” to convince Grubb to join his staff in Seattle. Per Condotta, Grubb met with Macdonald and Seahawks general manager John Schneider last night to “iron out the details” of their agreement. The move is expected to be officially announced next week.
Sources told Condotta that Grubb was always atop the Seahawks’ list of OC candidates, even as the team eyed other options like Chip Kelly and Tanner Engstrand. While some pundits believed Grubb was the leader in the clubhouse, the coach seemed to double down on his recent job offer. Per Condotta, Grubb appeared at an Alabama booster event earlier this week and introduced himself as the school’s new offensive coordinator.
Instead, the 47-year-old will be sticking in the state of Washington. He was name the Huskies’ offensive coordinator/assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach in 2022, and he immediately helped turn around the school’s offense. The team finished the 2022 campaign first in the nation in passing yards per game, and he helped guide the offense to a second-place finish in total offense.
He also worked closely with quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who emerged as one of the top signal-callers in the nation. While Penix couldn’t crack the projected top-three QB draft grouping of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels, the prospect is still expected to hear his name called during one of the first two days of the draft.
While Grubb was recently credited with Washington’s passing offense, he also has extensive experience coaching the running game. During stops at Fresno State, Eastern Michigan, Sioux Falls, and South Dakota State, Grubb was tasked with coaching running backs and offensive linemen.
After Nick Saban retired, Alabama was quick to hire Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer. Washington opted not to promote Grubb to their open HC job, so the coordinator decided to follow his head coach to Alabama. Grubb is also expected to bring current Alabama offensive line coach (and former Washington OL coach) Scott Huff with him to the Seahawks, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Macdonald has done quick work filling his staff, adding Aden Durde as defensive coordinator and Jay Harbaugh as special teams coordinator. Grubb will be replacing Shane Waldron, who took the Bears’ OC job after the Seahawks moved on from Pete Carroll.
WR Keenan Allen Expects To Be Back With Chargers
Keenan Allen expects to be back in Los Angeles next season. Despite being attached to an untenable $34.71MM cap hit next year, the veteran wide receiver doesn’t believe he’ll be traded or cut.
“Yea, absolutely,” Allen responded when asked if he’ll be back in Los Angeles next season (via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe). “I don’t see myself going anywhere.”
Allen is still playing on a four-year, $80.1MM extension he signed with the Chargers back in 2020. The Chargers do have the ability to get out of Allen’s $34MM-plus cap hit in 2024; the team would face just $11.6MM in dead cap by releasing the receiver. Allen is also due a $5MM roster bonus in the middle of March, so the Chargers will surely make a decision sooner than later.
The organization is facing a cap crunch heading into the offseason, with Spotrac.com currently projecting them to be $44MM in the red. Even if Allen does want to stick with the organization, the front office may ultimately decide to value the cap savings. Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, and Mike Williams also have cap hits that exceed $30MM, so tough decisions are certainly coming in Los Angeles.
Allen rebounded from an underwhelming 2022 campaign to have one of the best seasons of his career in 2023. He finished this past year with 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns in only 13 games.
The wide receiver was also asked about the team’s decision to hire Jim Harbaugh. Allen said his new head coach has encouraged him to “continue to be a leader, continue to be who I am.” The wideout also expects to return to the playoffs for just the second time in six years.
“We’re going to continue to compete,” Allen said. “Do what we do. And we’ll put some better results out there.”
Latest On Steelers Coaching Staff
With Arthur Smith now in place as offensive coordinator, the Steelers continue to make changes to their offensive staff. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported earlier this week that wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson wouldn’t be back next season. The organization was quick to fill that vacancy, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler later reported that the Steelers were hiring Jets assistant Zach Azzanni for the job.
[RELATED: Steelers Hire Arthur Smith As OC]
While Jackson previously worked alongside Smith when the two were in Tennessee, he couldn’t overcome the underwhelming performance from his WRs corps in 2023. Both George Pickens and Diontae Johnson drew criticism for their lackadaisical play, and since the Steelers aren’t completely revamping their offensive staff, it sounds like part of blame has been attributed to the veteran coach.
So, the team will turn to Azzanni to help revamp the receivers room. The 47-year-old coach has had multiple stops as a WRs coach, including stints with the Bears, Broncos, and Jets. During his five years in Denver, he was tasked with the development of Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy.
The Steelers have also added former Chargers assistant Tom Arth as their new QB coach, per Dulac. The team has since announced the move. There were reports from earlier this week that Mike Sullivan would be retaining his job as Steelers QBs coach. That didn’t end up coming to fruition, but it sounds like Sullivan is expected to stick around Pittsburgh in a different role. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reports that the team has also let go of assistant quarterbacks coach David Corley.
Arth was most recently the passing game specialist for Brandon Staley in Los Angeles, where he worked extensively with Justin Herbert for two years. Following a playing career that saw him briefly serve as Peyton Manning‘s backup in Indianapolis, Arth served as the head coach at John Carroll, Chattanooga, and Akron.
Sullivan took on the role of co-offensive coordinator (alongside RBs coach Eddie Faulkner) following the firing of Matt Canada back in November. A former offensive coordinator with the Buccaneers and Giants, Sullivan had served as Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks coach since the 2021 season, guiding the team through the transition from Ben Roethlisberger to Kenny Pickett.
Jets Owner Woody Johnson Talks HC/GM Hot Seat, Offensive Struggles, Rodgers
FEBRUARY 9: When speaking to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Johnson noted that Saleh will “concentrate” on the team’s offense this season (video link). That is notable given the latter’s background on defense, and the continued presence of much-maligned OC Nathaniel Hackett. Johnson praised defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as well as New York’s special teams units, doubling down on the team’s abundant need for offensive improvement. It will interesting to see what alterations could be made with Saleh committing more time and attention to that side of the ball.
FEBRUARY 8: Following their offseason acquisition of Aaron Rodgers, the Jets had high hopes heading into the 2023 campaign. Those hopes were dashed when Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on his fourth snap. The Jets still managed to finish the season with seven wins, but a five-game midseason losing streak revealed some major cracks in the foundation.
While owner Woody Johnson gave both head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas a vote of endorsement following the 2023 season, the duo won’t be completely excused for the team’s underwhelming performance. While speaking with reporters during tonight’s NFL Honors, Johnson seemed to hint that the HC/GM duo will be on the hot seat heading into the 2024 campaign.
“They’ve seen me about as mad as I could be with what was going on with the offense particularly,” Johnson said (via Adam H. Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com). “We’ve got all this talent and we’ve got to deploy talent properly. So I think they all got the message.
“This is it, this is the time to go. We’ve got to produce this year, we have to produce this year.”
The Jets are 16-32 under Saleh, and the organization has gone 25-55 with Douglas leading the front office. While Johnson admitted that he’s not a “playoff mandate (guy),” he is counting on his coach and GM to improve on their seven-win campaign (via Costello).
During his conversation with reporters, Johnson seemed to express specific disappointment in the offense in 2023. He even took a clear shot at former second-overall pick Zach Wilson, stating that the team needs a backup quarterback since they “didn’t have one last year” (via Brian Costello of the New York Post). Johnson also pointed to the offensive line when asked about the team’s overall plan for success in 2024.
“We need to keep the quarterback vertical,” Johnson said (via Beasley). “It’s really all about the offense. For the last five years, it’s been about the offense. The offense has to score, keep the defense off the field.
“Defense is good, but we got, I think we were developing a really good plan for free agency and the draft, coaching trying to get the offense, so we have a balance, more of a balance, a balance on offense. We run the ball better in the red zone. A change in our practice schedule? We’re looking at everything. So we know we know what we can’t do, so now we got to do it.”
The owner also made it clear that he’s counting on Rodgers to return to top form. When asked if the Jets could close the gap between themselves and the top of the division, Johnson pointed directly at his veteran QB.
“Yeah. I think we can close it with Aaron Rodgers, yeah for sure,” he said (via Beasley). “We’ve got a very good defense. If we can do anything on offense. I mean, we won games without scoring a touchdown. That’s absolutely incredible.”
Impending Free Agents Playing In Super Bowl LVIII
On Sunday, a number of players from both the Chiefs and 49ers will have one last chance to put some film on their 2023 reel before hitting free agency. Both teams won their respective conferences by virtue of deep, talented rosters, and if any of the impending free agents depart during the offseason, it shouldn’t be enough to hurt either team’s chances in 2024.
Still, there are some notable names on the free agency list. In fact, Chiefs GM Brett Veach discussed two of his notable expiring contracts today. The executive made it clear that he wants to re-sign pass rusher Chris Jones and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, but he also admitted the financial difficulties of committing big money to the two players. Jones is seeking a contract that will pay him more than $30MM annually, while Sneed will sit towards the top of the CB market and will likely command lucrative offers from rival teams.
The Chiefs have a number of other contributing players who are set to hit free agency, including linebackers Drue Tranquill and Willie Gay Jr., defensive end Michael Danna, and offensive tackle Donovan Smith.
The 49ers don’t have the same number of question marks heading into the offseason, but they’ll still have to make some tough decisions on veteran free agents.
Despite 2023 marking his age-33 season, safety Tashaun Gipson continued to produce. The veteran started all 16 of his appearances for San Francisco, finishing with 60 tackles. Gipson inked a one-year extension to stick with the 49ers for the 2023 campaign, and while he might be able to garner a higher offer elsewhere, it wouldn’t be a huge shock if he’s back with the team next year.
Chase Young is another interesting name, as the former second-overall pick was traded to the 49ers for a third-round pick back in November. The 2023 campaign ended up being Young’s healthiest and most productive season since his rookie year, with the 24-year-old finishing with 7.5 sacks and 15 QB hits in 16 games. The Commanders previously declined Young’s fifth-year option, making him a free agent after this season.
Between the two conference champs, there are 46 impending free agents. We’ve listed all of the players below, along with their free agent status:
Kansas City Chiefs
- G Nick Allegretti, UFA
- TE Blake Bell, UFA
- S Deon Bush, UFA
- G Mike Caliendo, ERFA
- LB Jack Cochrane, ERFA
- DE Michael Danna, UFA
- S Mike Edwards, UFA
- RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, UFA
- TE Jody Fortson, RFA
- QB Blaine Gabbert, UFA
- LB Willie Gay Jr., UFA
- WR Mecole Hardman, UFA
- DE Malik Herring, RFA
- WR Richie James, UFA
- CB Nazeeh Johnson, ERFA
- DT Chris Jones, UFA
- RB Jerick McKinnon, UFA
- DT Derrick Nnadi, UFA
- LT Donovan Smith, UFA
- CB L’Jarius Sneed, UFA
- P Tommy Townsend, UFA
- LB Drue Tranquill, UFA
- OT Prince Tega Wanogho, RFA
- DE Tershawn Wharton, UFA
- LS James Winchester, UFA
San Francisco 49ers
- QB Brandon Allen, UFA
- G Ben Bartch, RFA
- LB Oren Burks, UFA
- WR Chris Conley, UFA
- QB Sam Darnold, UFA
- TE Ross Dwelley, UFA
- C Jon Feliciano, UFA
- DE Clelin Ferrell, UFA
- LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, UFA
- FS Tashaun Gipson, UFA
- DT Kevin Givens, UFA
- LB Randy Gregory, UFA
- WR Jauan Jennings, RFA
- DT Sebastian Joseph-Day, UFA
- DT Javon Kinlaw, UFA
- WR Ray-Ray McCloud, UFA
- CB Terrance Mitchell, UFA
- G Matt Pryor, UFA
- CB Logan Ryan, UFA
- TE Charlie Woerner, UFA
- DE Chase Young, UFA
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