Dolphins Complete Coaching Staff
Mike McDaniel has completed his staff in Miami. The Dolphins announced their full coaching staff this week, and there were a handful of hires that weren’t previously reported.
Specifically, we learned that the organization hired:
- Steve Gregory as safeties coach
- Chandler Henley as assistant quarterbacks coach
- Derrick LeBlanc as assistant defensive line coach
- Steve Ferentz as assistant linebackers coach
- Mathieu Araujo as assistant defensive backs coach
- Kolby Smith as offensive assistant
- Ryan Slowik as senior defensive assistant
- Patrick Surtain as defensive assistant
Surtain is one of the most familiar names on the list. The former cornerback earned All-Pro honors in both 2002 and 2003, and he earned three Pro Bowl nods throughout his career. The 45-year-old served as a high school head coach for the past six years. His son, Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, was the ninth-overall pick in last year’s draft. Gregory had an eight-year playing career, appearing in 111 games (54 starts) in stints with the Chargers and Patriots. Since his career ended in 2014, Gregory has been in the coaching ranks. He spent the 2021 season on the Dolphins staff, serving as a defensive assistant.
Frank Smith will guide the offense as the offensive coordinator, while Josh Boyer is serving as defensive coordinator.
Vikings To Interview Chris Beatty For OC Job
Kevin O’Connell is officially the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, and he’s now looking to add some key members to his staff. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter), the Vikings will interview Chargers receivers coach Chris Beatty for their offensive coordinator job. The interview will take place today.
Beatty had a long collegiate coaching career, including stints as co-offensive coordinator at Illinois and Maryland. After spending two seasons as Pittsburgh’s wideouts coach, he joined the NFL in 2021 as the Chargers receivers coach. During his first season in the role, the Chargers had a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
We’ve been hearing various notes about O’Connell’s staff throughout the week. Notably, Dave Canales will remain as the team’s QBs coach, while Brian Angelichio and Curtis Modkins will serve as offensive pass and run game coordinators.
On the other side of the ball, Ed Donatell was recently confirmed as the team’s new defensive coordinator, giving the first-time head coach an incredibly experienced staffer on the defensive side of the ball.
Latest On Tom Brady’s Retirement Decision, Buccaneers’ Plan At QB
When Tom Brady announced his retirement, he cited a desire to focus his “time and energy on other things that require [his] attention,” including his family and business ventures. However, there might be more to his decision. According to Mike Sando of The Athletic, the future Hall of Fame quarterback had “grown frustrated with some of the Buccaneers’ coaching.”
[RELATED: Tom Brady Has Not Ruled Out Playing In 2022; Bucs Interested In Wilson, Watson]
Meanwhile, former player (and current FOX Sports Radio host) Rich Ohrnberger tweeted that Brady and head coach Bruce Arians had issues seeing “eye-to-eye” regarding the offensive game planning. According to Ohrnberger, Brady and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich would spend mornings working on the week’s game plan. Arians, meanwhile, would be rehabbing his Achilles injury, and the HC would later enter the offensive meeting and “take the red pen” to his OC’s and QB’s draft. Leftwich and Brady both felt “undermined,” leading to “tension” in the locker room.
Brady’s intensity, desire for perfection, and stubbornness has often led to tension with coaches. While he obviously shared the same championship-focused vision as Bill Belichick in New England, there were continuous rumors of issues between the two, rumors that seemed to be (partly) confirmed when Brady ultimately left the Patriots.
This reported tension with Arians has only fueled the fire regarding a potential Brady return. Either way, as Sando writes, his tenure in Tampa Bay is absolutely done, and the organization now has to figure out their QB situation moving forward. We heard recently that the front office could have their eye on big names like Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson. NFL Network’s James Palmer reports (via Twitter) that the organization isn’t interested in pursuing a QB via the draft, mostly because the team is encouraged by the development of 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask.
Dolphins Unlikely To Tender WR Preston Williams?
After going undrafted in the 2019 draft, wideout Preston Williams has managed to play in 24 games for the Dolphins over the past three seasons. Despite his role, it sounds like the Dolphins will let the impending restricted free agency test his value. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins are “more likely” to decline Williams’ $2.6MM tender, which would make him an unrestricted free agent.
The Colorado State product caught on with the Dolphins following the 2019 draft, and he had a standout rookie campaign in 2019, finishing with 32 receptions for 428 yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately, a torn ACL ended his season after only eight games (seven starts). Williams got into eight games (seven starts) again during his sophomore season, finishing with 18 receptions for 288 yards and four touchdowns, but a foot injury cut short his year.
The 24-year-old found himself buried on the depth chart in 2021. He (once against) got into eight games, finishing with only six catches.
Just because the Dolphins likely won’t be tendering the receiver, it doesn’t mean he won’t be back. Not including Williams, Miami has four wideouts hitting unrestricted free agency (Will Fuller, Albert Wilson, Isaiah Ford, Mack Hollins), and veteran Allen Hurns has a non-guaranteed contract.
AFC Coaching Notes: Chargers, Steelers, Jaguars
Al Golden is leaving Cincinnati after all. The Bengals coach is joining Notre Dame as their new defensive coordinator, reports ESPN’s Pete Thamel (on Twitter). Golden is inking a three-year deal with the school.
The 52-year-old had spent the past two seasons with the Bengals as the team’s linebackers coach. Following a successful 2021 season, Golden was expected to ink a new deal with Cincy. Instead, he’ll be heading back to the college ranks.
Golden spent almost two decades in the NCAA, including stints as head coach at Temple and Miami. He joined the NFL in 2016 when he was hired as the Lions tight ends coach, and he eventually switched over to the defensive side of the ball in 2018.
More coaching notes out of the AFC…
- The Chargers are looking to hire Brendan Nugent as their offensive line coach, as Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com passes along. Frank Smith left to become the Dolphins offensive coordinator, leaving a vacancy on the LAC staff. Nugent had spent the past seven years with the Saints, earning the promotion to OL coach in 2021.
- The Steelers have also been seeking a new OL coach, and Brooke Pryor of ESPN tweets that the team is hiring Pat Meyer for the role. Meyer spent the past two seasons as the Panthers offensive line coach, and he also served in that role with the Chargers. The 49-year-old has also had coaching stints with the Bills and Bears.
- Richard Angulo is heading south. The Ravens assistant offensive line coach is joining the Jaguars as their new tight ends coach, reports Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (on Twitter). The former player had been coaching in Baltimore since 2014. Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets that the Jaguars have finalized deal with Deshea Townsend as defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach. Before his three-year stint as the Bears secondary coach, Townsend had stints on the Giants and Titans coaching staffs.
- Nathaniel Hackett continues to add to his Broncos staff. According to Wilson (on Twitter), Denver has hired Ramon Chinyoung as an offensive quality control. Chinyoung had been serving as head football coach/athletic coordinator at Willowridge High in Houston. Meanwhile, the team announced (on Twitter) that they’ve hired Derek Haithcock as assistant to head coach (Dwight Schrute?) and John Vieira as instructional designer.
- The Colts are finalizing a deal with Richard Smith to be their new linebackers coach, reports Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports in Indy (on Twitter). Smith has had a long NFL coaching career that saw him serve as the defensive coordinator with the Dolphins, Falcons, and Texans. He’s also been on the coaching staffs for the Oilers, Broncos, 49ers, Lions, Panthers, Chargers, and Raiders.
- The Jets are adding Nathaniel Willingham as a defensive assistant, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter). The son of former college coach Tyrone Willingham, Nathaniel Willingham worked at Stanford for four years before spending the past three seasons as a quality control coach with the Broncos.
Vikings To Interview Thomas Brown For OC Job
Following a Super Bowl win on Sunday, Rams running backs coach Thomas Brown is now eyeing a potential promotion. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), Brown will interview with the Vikings for their offensive coordinator job.
[RELATED: Vikings Plan To Hire Rams’ Kevin O’Connell]
Former Rams OC (and new Vikings head coach) Kevin O’Connell will surely recruit some of his fellow Rams coaches to Minnesota, and it appears that Brown is on his list. Only 35, Brown has made a rapid rise through the coaching ranks. Following a nine-year stint in the NCAA, Brown has spent the past two years with the Rams. After starting as RBs coach in 2021, Brown also earned the title of assistant head coach in 2021.
Thanks to his success in Los Angeles, Brown was considered for the Dolphins HC gig this offseason. According to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network (on Twitter), Brown impressed the Dolphins brass, and the coach is considered a “respected offensive mind” around the NFL.
Meanwhile, the Vikings are finalizing their deal with O’Connell to be their new head coach, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). An announcement is coming, and the press conference is expected to take place on Thursday.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/15/22
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed to active roster: TE Ryan Becker
Washington Commanders
- Waived: TE Tyrone Swoopes, G Najee Toran
Dolphins Expected To Add Darrell Bevell To Coaching Staff
Mike McDaniel is adding a notable name to his coaching staff. Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports that the Dolphins are expected to hire Darrell Bevell as their passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. ESPN ‘s Jeremy Fowler was first to report (via Twitter) that the Dolphins were closing in on a deal with the veteran coach.
Brought onto Urban Meyer‘s Jaguars staff to be offensive coordinator a little over a year ago, Bevell was tasked with serving as the interim head coach for the Jaguars’ final four games of the 2021 season after Meyer was relieved of his duties. Over those four games, Jacksonville recorded one win and three losses. This wasn’t Bevell’s first tenure as an interim head coach; Bevell coached the final five games of the Lions’ 2020 season after the firing of Matt Patricia, winning one game in Detroit (for a career record of 2-7 as a head coach (all in an interim capacity)).
Prior to his forgettable stints in Detroit (where he also served as OC) and Jacksonville, Bevell had a successful run with the Seahawks. During his seven years as Seattle’s offensive coordinator, the Seahawks were a consistent top-10 offense. Aaron Wilson also gave credit to the coach for the selection of Russell Wilson, and the writer also pointed out Bevell’s ability to recruit former players to his new gigs (a list that includes Brett Favre, Sidney Rice, and Percy Harvin). Now, after having worked with a long list of quarterbacks that includes Favre, Wilson, and Matthew Stafford, Bevell will now be focused on the development of Tua Tagovailoa.
The 52-year-old Bevell was OC in Minnesota from 2006 to 2010, and he also had a six-year stint on the Packers coaching staff.
TE Cameron Brate Expected To Stick With Buccaneers
Cameron Brate is expected to be back in Tampa Bay next season, but that will likely come with another pay cut. According to Greg Auman of The Athletic (via Twitter), Brate is expected to return to the Buccaneers next year but will likely have to rework his contract.
The tight end has taken “literal” pay cuts in each of the past two offseasons, per Auman. Brate inked a six-year, $40.8MM extension with the organization in 2018, and he’s set to earn $6.8MM in 2022.
The former undrafted free agent out of Harvard took a bit to find his footing in the NFL. He had a breakout season in 2016, finishing with 660 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He’s been a consistent member of the offense ever since, appearing in every game for the Buccaneers since 2017. He finished this past season with 30 receptions and four scores.
He was buried behind Rob Gronkowski during Tom Brady‘s two years in Tampa Bay, but with the two Hall of Famers out of the picture, Brate should return to the top of the tight end depth chart next season. Fellow tight end O.J. Howard is set to hit free agency this offseason.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow Avoided Serious Injury During Super Bowl
Joe Burrow suffered a knee injury during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. Fortunately, it sounds like the Bengals QB avoided a serious injury. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (and passed along by NFL.com’s Chase Goodbread), Burrow suffered a sprain that will not require surgery.
Burrow suffered the injury with 11:55 remaining in the game. The QB was sacked by Rams defender Von Miller, and replays showed Burrow yelling in pain after landing on the ground. The former first-overall pick limped to the sideline, but he was able to return to the field and finish the game.
All of Cincinnati surely held their breath while Burrow limped off the field, especially following a 2020 campaign when Burrow was knocked out by a torn ACL and MCL. Fortunately, Burrow escaped serious injury this time around, but the knee sprain just emphasizes the Bengals’ need for more protection in front of their franchise quarterback.
Burrow got into 16 games during his sophomore season, completing a league-leading 70.4 percent of his passes while tossing 34 touchdowns vs. 14 interceptions. The 25-year-old also had a strong postseason, throwing another five touchdowns.