Falcons Hire Rams’ Jimmy Lake As DC
Raheem Morris is set to fill another major hole on his coaching staff with a former Rams staffer. The Falcons announced that they’ve hired Jimmy Lake as their new defensive coordinator.
[RELATED: Falcons To Hire Zac Robinson As OC]
Lake worked alongside Morris this past season in Los Angeles, serving as a defensive assistant. Lake ended his brief coaching hiatus when he joined the Rams last offseason, and he’s rapidly climbed the coaching ladder by securing Atlanta’s coordinator job.
Prior to his brief break, Lake was the head coach at Washington. He had a tumultuous two years in that role, a stint that featured a suspension for shoving one of his players away from a fight. Less than a week after being handed his suspension, Lake was fired as head coach, ending his tenure with a 7-6 record.
Of course, prior to those two forgettable years, Lake made a name for himself in Washington, working his way up from defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator and, eventually, head coach. Lake’s previous NFL jobs included assistant positions with the Buccaneers and Lions.
The 47-year-old coach wasn’t previously connected to the Atlanta job. The only two known candidates for the gig were former Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and former Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai. Ultimately, Morris decided to opt for the familiar face, which is what he did when he added Rams QBs coach Zac Robinson as his new offensive coordinator.
The Falcons also announced that they’ve retained Marquice Williams as their special teams coordinator. The organization seemed to be trending in this direction, and Williams made his preferences clear when he rejected job opportunities elsewhere. Now, the veteran coach will stick around for Morris’s first season at the helm.
Coaching/Front Office Notes: Eagles, Bears, Jets, Browns
Clint Hurtt is heading to Philadelphia. After having spent the past two seasons as the Seahawks defensive coordinator, the veteran coach is joining the Eagles as their new defensive line coach, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Hurtt worked with defensive linemen and linebackers in Chicago before joining the Seahawks as their assistant head coach/defensive line coach in 2017. He earned a promotion to defensive coordinator in 2022 and spent two seasons in that role. Seattle’s defense didn’t fare all that well with Hurtt at the helm, as the defense never finished better than 26th in points allowed and 20th in yards allowed.
Still, Hurtt has earned a reputation as a reliable DL coach. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Hurtt had multiple offers to coach defensive linemen, but he ended up opting for the Eagles opportunity.
Pelissero notes that the Eagles are also expected to hire one of Hurtt’s assistants from Seattle. Karl Scott is joining the Eagles as their new DBs coach. Scott spent the past two seasons as Seattle’s secondary coach/passing game coordinator.
More coaching and front office notes from around the NFL…
- The Bears will interview Chargers wide receivers coach Chris Beatty for the same role, according to Pelissero. Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that veteran coach Ike Hilliard will also interview for the Chargers job. After a long college coaching career, Beatty took his first NFL job with the Chargers in 2021 as their WRs coach. Over the past few years, he’s helped guide the likes of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams to 1,000-yard seasons. Hilliard has spent time as the WRs coach with Washington, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh, and he was most recently on the coaching staff at Auburn. Hilliard worked alongside offensive coordinator Shane Waldron when the two were in Washington.
- The Jets are hiring Tony Dews as their running backs coach, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. Dews was Derrick Henry‘s coach in Tennessee between 2018 and 2022, and he spent the 2023 campaign as the Titans tight ends coach. He’ll be replacing Taylor Embree, who was let go after the season. Meanwhile, Connor Hughes of SNYtv reports that the Jets interviewed Rob Moore for their WRs coach job. Moore also recently worked for the Titans, spending the past six years as their receivers coach.
- The Browns have hired Jacques Cesaire as their defensive line coach, per Pelissero. After playing his entire career with the Chargers, Cesaire broke into the NFL coaching ranks as the Bills assistant defensive line coach in 2020. He spent the past two seasons with the Texans, serving as the team’s defensive line coach. He’ll be replacing Ben Bloom, although Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes that the coach could still stick in Cleveland in a different role for the 2024 campaign.
- Saints college scouting director Cody Rager is heading to the Broncos, according to Nick Underhill of NOF Network. Neil Stratton passes along that Rager will be Denver’s new vice president of player personnel. Rager spent the past nine seasons in New Orleans, including the past three as the assistant college scouting director. Rager got his NFL start with the Dolphins back in 2012.
Panthers Notes: ST Coordinator, QBs Coach, Front Office
The Panthers have made some progress filling their coaching staff, but the team still has a vacancy at special teams coordinator. There’s now at least one known candidate for the job, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Panthers are interviewing Bills assistant special teams coach Cory Harkey for their coordinator job.
[RELATED: Panthers Likely To Hire Buccaneers’ Brad Idzik As OC]
Following his five-year playing career, Harkey caught on as a tight ends coach in the college ranks. He earned his first NFL coaching job with the Bills in 2022, and he spent the past two seasons as their assistant special teams coordinator. Harkey clearly made an impression in his role, as he’ll now have an opportunity for the top ST job in Carolina.
While Harkey will interview for the job, he may not be the favorite. Joe Person of The Athletic passes along that Panthers head coach Dave Canales is targeting Seattle’s Tracy Smith as his special teams coordinator. Smith has had two lengthy stints working alongside Canales in Seattle, most recently as an assistant special teams coach. He also spent three years with the Texans organization, including a 2020 campaign where he served as the team’s ST coordinator. With Pete Carroll out in Seattle, Smith likely wouldn’t see any opposition if he decides to take his coaching acumen to the Panthers.
The Panthers are reportedly zeroing in on Buccaneers wide receivers coach Brad Idzik as their next offensive coordinator, and while that move hasn’t been made official, that hasn’t stopped the organization from looking to fill out the rest of the offensive coaching staff. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Panthers requested an interview with Cowboys quality control/offensive assistant Will Harriger for their quarterbacks coach job.
Harriger worked alongside Canales when the two were in Seattle, so there’s a clear connection. The coach recently worked with USC’s quarterbacks during the 2022 season, helping Caleb Williams win the Heisman Trophy. In Carolina, he’d be tasked with guiding former first-overall pick Bryce Young.
As Canales looks to fill his coaching staff, new general manager Dan Morgan is eyeing some reinforcement in the front office. Backing up what we heard last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter passes along that the Panthers are expected to pursue Chiefs vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis for a “prominent” front office role. Albert Breer of SI.com passes along that Tilis’ office in Kansas City has already been cleared out, and the executive hasn’t traveled with the team during the postseason.
Tilis was a candidate for the Panthers GM job, and the long-time Chiefs executive was a popular name in recent hiring cycles. In Carolina, Tilis would be expected to play an essential cap/analytics role within the front office.
One executive who won’t be back in Carolina next season is Samir Suleiman. The team has moved on from the director of player negotiations/salary cap manager, per ESPN’s David Newton.
Dolphins To Interview Leslie Frazier For DC Job
After most recently serving as the Bills defensive coordinator, Leslie Frazier could end his coaching hiatus by joining an AFC East rival. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Dolphins are interviewing the veteran coach for their defensive coordinator vacancy.
Frazier’s six-year stint as the Bills defensive coordinator came to an end following the 2022 campaign, with head coach Sean McDermott opting to call the defensive plays himself for the 2023 season. Frazier ended up spending this past year out of football, but it didn’t take long for him to return to the coaching carousel. He interviewed for the Chargers and Raiders head coaching vacancies this offseason, and now he’s set to take a meeting for Miami’s coordinator opening.
Buffalo’s defense was up-and-down during Frazier’s time with the organization, but the Bills still finished with one of the league’s best defenses in three of the coach’s six years. This included a 2021 campaign where the Bills defense finished first in both points allowed and yards allowed. The team continued that production into 2022, finishing second in points allowed and sixth in yards allowed. However, following a divisional-round loss where the Bills allowed three scores to the Bengals, McDermott decided to make a change.
Prior to his stint in Buffalo, Frazier was also the defensive coordinator with the Bengals, Vikings, and Buccaneers. He parlayed his role in Minnesota into a head coaching gig, a job he held for three seasons. The Vikings went 10-6 and earned a playoff birth in 2012, but the team otherwise went 8-23-1 in his two full seasons as Minnesota’s head coach.
The Dolphins allowed Vic Fangio to leave for Philadelphia earlier this month, opening a major hole on their coaching staff. Frazier will be the fifth candidate to interview for the job, with the veteran coach joining:
- Bobby Babich, linebackers coach (Bills): Interview requested
- Anthony Campanile, inside linebackers coach (Dolphins): Interviewed
- Ryan Slowik, outside linebackers coach (Dolphins): Interview expected
- Brandon Staley, former head coach (Chargers): To interview
Bears Hire Eric Washington As DC
A day after meeting with Eric Washington for an in-person interview, the Bears have added the coach to their staff. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bears have hired Washington as their new defensive coordinator.
This is a bit of a homecoming for Washington, as the coach had a three-year stint with the Bears coaching staff earlier in his career. That job in Chicago was followed by a long stint with the Panthers that culminated in him being named defensive coordinator in 2018. The Panthers struggled during Washington’s two seasons at the helm, including a 2019 campaign where Carolina finished 31st in points allowed and 23rd in yards allowed.
He later reunited with former Panthers DC Sean McDermott in Buffalo, becoming the Bills defensive line coach. He earned a promotion to senior defensive assistant in 2022 and assistant head coach in 2023. The Bills ranked fourth in the league in sacks this past year with 54, and the team has consistently had a strong pass rush under Washington.
Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned back in September, citing health and family concerns. Matt Eberflus took over defensive play-calling duties, and per Pelissero, the head coach is expected to retain that responsibility for the 2024 campaign. The Bears defense allowed a league-low 1,468 rushing yards last season, and they finished tied for the league-lead with 22 interceptions. However, the Bears also allowed 31 passing touchdowns, the fourth-highest mark in the NFL.
Washington was one of four known candidates for the Chicago job. The Bears also showed interest in former Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry, Titans secondary coach Chris Harris, and Titans assistant head coach/defensive line coach Terrell Williams.
As for Buffalo, Ryan O’Halloran of The Buffalo News opines that Washington’s departure makes it clear that McDermott isn’t going to hire a defensive coordinator. Otherwise, the role likely would have been reserved for Washington.
Patriots Promote DeMarcus Covington To DC
2:21pm: The Patriots have made it official, announcing that Covington will be promoted to the defensive coordinator position. Under the new head coach, Mayo, Covington will officially be the team’s first defensive coordinator since Matt Patricia left in 2017.
11:57am: It sounds like Jerod Mayo has zeroed in on his defensive coordinator. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, “all signs point” to the Patriots promoting defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington to defensive coordinator.
While the Patriots haven’t announced the move, Breer notes that the organization has notified other candidates that they’re out of the running. The move is expected to be made official early next week.
Covington has spent his entire NFL coaching career with the Patriots, working his way up from coaching assistant to defensive line coach, a role that he’s held for the past four seasons. Covington has helped with the development of former second-round pick Christian Barmore, and Matt Judon and Josh Uche have both had success on the edge under the coach’s tutelage.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes that Covington impressed during last year’s coordinator interviews, as the coach met about the DC jobs with the Cardinals and Chargers. It seemed like only a matter of time before he earned a coordinator job, and that opportunity has apparently come in New England.
The Patriots didn’t employ a traditional defensive coordinator during Bill Belichick‘s final seasons in New England, but Mayo and Steve Belichick were generally considered the leaders of the defensive coaching staff. Considering Mayo having been promoted to head coach and the younger Belichick’s uncertain future with the organization, the organization looked to fill the leadership void on their staff. Covington was one of four known candidates for the position, joining Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges, Panthers outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu, and Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker.
Elsewhere in New England, the Patriots have added two offensive coordinator candidates to the mix. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the Patriots interviewed 49ers tight ends coach Brian Fleury for their offensive coordinator job. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds that former Bears OC Luke Getsy also interviewed for the position.
Fleury has spent the past five seasons in San Francisco, including the past two in his current role. With Fleury leading the tight ends, George Kittle hauled in a career-high 11 touchdowns in 2022. This past season, Kittle topped the 1,000-yards receiving mark for the first time since the 2020 campaign.
Getsy lost his job earlier this month despite guiding one of the league’s top rushing attacks over the past two seasons. Before his two-year stint in Chicago, Getsy spent three seasons with the Packers as their quarterbacks coach.
Sean Desai To Interview For Bills, Falcons’ DC Jobs
It sounds like Sean Desai could land on his feet relatively quickly. After getting fired by the Eagles earlier this week, the former defensive coordinator is interviewing for the same role with the Bills and Falcons, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
[RELATED: Eagles Fire DC Sean Desai]
After Jonathan Gannon left Philly to coach the Cardinals, the Eagles brought on Desai as their new defensive coordinator last offseason. Things started off well for the new hire, as the Eagles began their 2023 campaign with a 10-1 record. However, following two-straight losses, Desai lost his play-calling duties to Matt Patricia.
Desai’s replacement didn’t inspire much confidence; the Eagles went 1-4 with Patricia at the helm. Still, with the defensive coordinator eyeing reduced responsibilities for the foreseeable future, it didn’t seem like he was going to last all that long in Philadelphia. So, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when the Eagles let him go earlier this week.
Fortunately for Desai, the rough 2023 campaign didn’t do much to impact his coaching outlook. Teams can still point to his one-year stint as Bears defensive coordinator in 2021, when Chicago finished the season ranked sixth in terms of total defense. He also earned a solid reputation during his time as an assistant, including most recently when he was associate head coach and defensive assistant with the Seahawks in 2022.
Atlanta has a growing list of DC candidates as Raheem Morris looks to fill out his new staff. We previously heard that Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde was a candidate for the position, and Morris continues to look within the NFC East for options.
The Bills connection is a bit more surprising. Sean McDermott decided not to replace Leslie Frazier on the 2023 coaching staff, with the head coach effectively taking over the defensive coordinator role. It seemed like McDermott was destined to continue calling defensive plays in 2024, especially following news that trusted Bills assistant Eric Washington was heading to the Bears as their new defensive coordinator.
This led some to assume that if McDermott was serious about adding a defensive coordinator, he wouldn’t have let Washington out the door in the first place. Still, based on this latest development, it sounds like the Bills head coach would at least be open to relinquishing some of his responsibilities.
Falcons Request OC Interview With LSU’s Cortez Hankton
As Raheem Morris looks to fill out his staff in Atlanta, he’s eyeing the college ranks for one of his top assistants. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Falcons have requested an interview with LSU co-offensive coordinator Cortez Hankton for their offensive coordinator job.
[RELATED: 2024 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]
Following a nine-year NFL career, Hankton joined Dartmouth’s coaching staff as their WRs coach in 2012. He’s held that role throughout his coaching career, including stints at Vanderbilt and Georgia. He took on the pass game coordinator role with the Bulldogs in 2019 and won a championship during his final year at the school.
He moved to LSU as their pass game coordinator/WRs coach in 2022. After offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock left for Notre Dame after this past season, Hankton was named co-offensive coordinator alongside quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan for the 2024 campaign. He most recently worked with wideouts Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, two potential first-round picks in this upcoming draft.
Hankton is the first known candidate for the Falcons offensive coordinator job. Morris has already reached out to Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde about the Falcons defensive coordinator job, and the team is set to retain special teams coordinator Marquice Williams (per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).
Jerrod Johnson Earns Second Saints OC Interview
Jerrod Johnson has moved on to the next round of the Saints OC search. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Texans quarterbacks coach has a second interview for New Orleans’ offensive coordinator job today.
[RELATED: 2024 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]
Johnson has quickly worked his way up through the coaching ranks in recent years. Following Bill Walsh Diversity coaching fellowships with the 49ers and Colts, he joined Indianapolis full-time as an offensive quality control coach in 2020. Following two seasons in that gig, Johnson left for Minnesota to become the Vikings assistant QBs coach in 2022.
When DeMeco Ryans got the Texans job last offseason, he turned to his former 49ers coworker. Johnson was named Houston’s quarterbacks coach last offseason, and his first season couldn’t have gone much better. Rookie C.J. Stroud ended up leading the NFL in passing yards per game and in INT rate, throwing just five picks vs. 23 touchdowns. Thanks to the quarterback’s impressive performance, Johnson has become a hot name on the coordinator market. Besides meeting virtually with the Saints earlier this month, the coach has also been connected to open jobs with the Browns, Eagles, Steelers, and Buccaneers.
The Saints have cast a relatively wide net as they look to replace Pete Carmichael. Dan Pitcher was the only other known candidate to earn a second interview with New Orleans. However, the former Bengals quarterbacks coach has since earned a promotion to offensive coordinator, making Johnson the apparent leader in the clubhouse.
Titans Hire Brian Callahan As Head Coach
JANUARY 25: The Titans are giving the five-year Bengals offensive coordinator a five-year deal to lead their staff, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Callahan’s contract length matches what the team handed Vrabel back in 2018.
JANUARY 22: Brian Callahan had a second interview with the Titans today, and the organization isn’t letting him leave Tennessee without a deal. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Titans plan to hire Callahan as their new head coach. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that the two sides are working to finalize a deal.
In recent days, there’s been growing momentum towards Callahan earning his first head coaching gig. Besides his second interview with the Titans today, the coach was also expected to meet a second time with the Panthers and Falcons. Per The Athletic’s Paul Dehner, the Titans viewed Callahan as a top target, and they were clearly determined to make sure he didn’t land elsewhere.
Callahan has been on the head coaching radar for a while after guiding a talented offense in Cincinnati. While his first two years at the helm didn’t necessarily go as planned, the Bengals finished top-seven in points scored in both 2021 and 2022. The offense took a step back in 2023, although that was partly attributed to Joe Burrow‘s injury, and suitors clearly recognized that context as they pursued him for HC jobs.
Callahan had a long stint on the Broncos offensive coaching staff before serving as the Lions QBs coach (2016-2017) and Raiders QBs coach (2018). During his time in the NFL, he’s worked with the likes of Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr, and Burrow. This has led many to assume that Callahan would be an ideal candidate to guide an offense that’s expected to be led by 2023 second-round pick Will Levis.
The Titans had one of the more surprising head coaching vacancies of this hiring cycle, as Mike Vrabel‘s departure wasn’t necessarily expected. The organization cast a wide net in their search for a replacement, with Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown and Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn among those to earn second interviews.
Ultimately, Callahan was the choice. With the head coach soon to be under contract, the Titans will look to fill out the rest of their coaching staff. One name that will surely be connected to Tennessee is Callahan’s father, Bill Callahan. The veteran coach has spent the past four years as the Browns OL coach, and the senior Callahan was previously the head coach for the Raiders.
On the other side, Bengals coach Zac Taylor will now have to hire a coordinator for the first time since he took the Cincy gig in 2019. Dehner notes that Bengals QBs coach Dan Pitcher has been groomed for the job and will likely be a leading candidate to replace Callahan.