NFC Coaching Notes: Giants, Seahawks, Bears
Brian Daboll is naturally making some changes to the Giants coaching staff. Per Aaron Wilson on Twitter (detailed in four tweets), the Giants have hired Drew Wilkins as linebackers coach, Christian Jones as an offensive assistant, Laura Young as director of coaching operations, Bobby Johnson as offensive line coach, Shea Tierney as quarterbacks coach, DeAndre Smith as running backs coach, Mike Groh as wide receivers coach, Andy Bischoff as tight ends coach, Tony Sparano Jr. as assistant offensive line coach, and Andre Patterson as defensive line coach.
Daboll also retained a handful of holdovers from Joe Judge’s staff. That grouping includes Jerome Henderson (defensive backs coach), Mike Treier (assistant defensive backs coach), Anthony Blevins (special teams assistant), and Nick Williams (special teams quality control coach).
Finally, the Giants shifted Ryan Hollern to college scouting coordinator and named Mark Loecher as assistant strength and conditioning coach.
Some more coaching notes out of the NFC…
- The Seahawks will promote Andy Dickerson to their offensive line coach, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson (via Twitter). Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron recruited Dickerson from the Rams last offseason, with Dickerson earning the role of run-game coordinator. Now, he’ll earn the (apparent) promotion to OL coach. The Seahawks fired former offensive line coach Mike Solari last week, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). This was the 67-year-old’s second stint with the organization, and he had served as the team’s OL coach since 2018.
- The Bears announced last week that they hired Carlos Polk as their assistant special teams coach. The 44-year-old coach has served in the same role with a handful of teams, including the Chargers, Buccaneers, Cowboys, and Jaguars. He spent the 2021 campaign in Jacksonville.
- The Cardinals have hired Matt Burke as their defensive line coach, reports Pelissero (on Twitter). The 45-year-old was the Dolphins defensive coordinator between 2017 and 2018, and he most recently worked for the Jets as a “game management coach.” Burke has also had coaching stints with the Eagles, Bengals, Lions, and Titans.
- The Vikings have hired Brian Angelichio as their pass game coordinator/tight ends coach, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter). Angelichio spent the past two years as the Panthers tight ends coach, so he’s getting a slight promotion in Minnesota. Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the Vikings are hiring Jerrod Johnson as an offensive assistant. Johnson is expected to work with the QBs. The coach was a two-time participant in the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, and he spent last season as the Colts quality control coach.
- Matt Rhule has made some changes to his staff. The Panthers announced that they’ve hired Joe Dailey as wide receivers coach. Dailey has spent the past two seasons as Boston College’s offensive coordinator. Meanwhile, Robert Kugler was hired as assistant offensive line coach while defensive analyst Kevin Gilbride Jr. was promoted to TE coach (replacing Angelichio).
Raiders To Hire Antonio Pierce As LB Coach
Antonio Pierce is back in the NFL. The former linebacker is joining Josh McDaniel’s Raiders staff as their linebackers coach, reports Mike Garafolo (via Twitter).
After spending the first four years of his career in Washington, Pierce became a fan favorite during his time with the Giants. Pierce ended up spending five seasons in New York, compiling 691 tackles, nine sacks, and eight forced fumbles. Pierce earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2006, and he won a Super Bowl ring the following season, compiling 25 tackles in the Giants’ four postseason games.
After retiring following the 2009 season, Pierce resurfaced a few years later on the coaching circuit. He’s been with Arizona State since 2018, working his way up from linebackers coach to associate head coach/defensive coordinator.
As Garafolo notes on Twitter, Pierce interviewed for a coaching job on the Giants a few years ago when Patrick Graham was hired as Joe Judge’s defensive coordinator. That move obviously didn’t come together, but Pierce will now have an opportunity to coach alongside Graham in Las Vegas.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/14/22
Today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Claimed off waivers: DB Essang Bassey (from Chargers), P Corliss Waitman (from Steelers)
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers: DB Juju Hughes (from Rams)
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers: DL Kingsley Keke (from Packers)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DE Da’Shawn Hand
Per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Broncos (with Bassey and Waitman), Lions (with Hughes), and Texans (with Keke) placed their respective claims earlier in their offseasons. Since these players were on playoff teams, they weren’t immediately assigned. Instead, the teams needed to wait for the league year to switch over to 2022, allowing the players to join their new squads.
Latest On Cardinals, QB Kyler Murray
This past weekend, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen suggested that there was acrimony between the Cardinals and QB Kyler Murray, with “sources” describing the quarterback as a self-centered, immature finger-pointer. Well, Murray is now firing back via Twitter, saying he’s not about “this nonsense.”
[RELATED: Acrimony Between Cardinals, Kyler Murray?]
“I play this game for the love of it, my teammates, everyone who has helped me get to this position that believed in my [and] to win championships,” Murray wrote. “All of this nonsense is now what I’m about, never has been, never will be. Anyone who has ever stepped between those lines with me knows how hard I go.
“Love me or hate me but I’m going to continue to grow and get better.”
While the weekend report was clearly aimed at Murray (with Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com describing it as a “bizarre hit job”), it also acknowledged that the frustration wasn’t one-sided. Rather, Mortensen reported that Murray had his own issues with the organization and was embarrassed by how the Cardinals’ season ended. The quarterback also scrubbed all mentions of the organization off his social media.
While Murray is now firing back, it still seems unlikely that this is heading towards a divorce. Mortensen said the organization remains committed to the former first-overall pick, and head coach Kliff Kingsbury plans to do some “self-scouting” in an effort to provide Murray with “better alternatives.” Temporarily, this growing tension could play a role in a potential Murray extension; with three years of service time under his belt, the quarterback is now extension-eligible, and it will be interesting to see if player and team are willing to commence extension talks at this point.
Latest On Seahawks QB Russell Wilson
For the better part of a year, there have been rumblings that Russell Wilson could be looking to play elsewhere in 2022. However, during an interview with SiriusXM’s Chris Russo, the quarterback indicated that he wants to stick with the Seahawks.
“I’ve been fortunate to be able to play 10 amazing years in Seattle,” Wilson said (h/t to Daniel Chavkin of SI.com). “My hope and goal is to be back there and keep winning there. That’s the vision, that’s the goal. That’s always been it, never been anything different.”
The most recent report indicated that the organization planned to retain Wilson, though the team wouldn’t say anything different at this point and risk losing leverage in trade talks. The Seahawks’ commitment to Wilson hasn’t stopped the trade chatter; Ian Rapoport of NFL.com later reported that Wilson wants to at least “explore his options” this offseason.
Wilson’s camp has made it clear that he hasn’t (and probably won’t) demand a trade; rather, he simply wanted to explore whether another club might offer him opportunities that the Seahawks cannot. Last February, of course, his agent told the club that Wilson would waive his no-trade clause if he were to be dealt to the Cowboys, Bears, Raiders, and Saints, and in December, a report surfaced indicating that Wilson would approve a trade to the Broncos, Giants, or Saints.
This past season, Wilson missed a handful of games with a broken finger, and he had a sub-.500 record (6-8) for the first time in his career. However, the 33-year-old was still plenty productive, tossing 25 touchdowns vs. six interceptions while adding another two scores on the ground.
Dolphins To Interview Frank Smith For OC Job
Mike McDaniel continues to look for an offensive coordinator. The Dolphins will interview Chargers run game coordinator/OL coach Frank Smith for their OC job, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Dolphins Retain Josh Boyer As DC]
Smith joined the Chargers just last offseason. He spent the previous three years with the Raiders as their tight ends coach, overseeing the development of Darren Waller. The veteran coach also served as the Bears tight ends coach for three years, and he had a five-year stint as the Saints assistant offensive line coach (during which time the Saints had four OLs earn Pro Bowl nods: Jermon Bushrod, Jahri Evans, Ben Grubbs, and Carl Nicks).
We previously heard that Curtis Johnson was a candidate for the OC job in Miami. The Dolphins were set to interview the long-time Saints coach for the vacancy.
Elsewhere on the Dolphins staff, McDaniel will be retaining a handful of coaches. In addition to defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, the Dolphins will also be keeping linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, cornerbacks coach Charles Burks, and defensive line coach Austin Clark on the staff (per Barry Jackson of Miami Herald on Twitter).
Rams OT Andrew Whitworth Considering Retirement?
Andrew Whitworth previously indicated that he wouldn’t retire following the season. However, when asked if he’d consider hanging up his cleats if the Rams win the Super Bowl, the left tackle hinted that he would think about calling it a career.
“What an unreal way to walk off,” Whitworth said when asked if he’d retire following a Super Bowl victory (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter). “I don’t think there’s anything else I would have to do.”
This runs counter to what we heard in December. Then, Whitworth said he wanted to keep playing for as long as possible, cautioning that he’d only retire if “the Rams can’t afford me” or “it doesn’t work out for the both of us for me to be back.” Whitworth is under contract through the 2022 season, when his cap hit rises from its current figure of $5.67MM to $14.67MM.
At that time, the 16-year veteran had just become the first left tackle to start an NFL game at the age of 40, and he was one of only two active players this year older than 40 (along with Tom Brady).
A Bengals second-round pick in 2006, Whitworth played in Cincinnati for the first 11 years of his career. The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All Pro has been with the Rams since 2017 and has consistently been one of the league’s pass protectors. Now, he’ll be looking to secure his first Super Bowl ring against his former squad, and a win could end up being the cherry on top of a standout career.
DE Everson Griffen Intends To Play Next Season
Everson Griffen sat out the final seven games of the season as he dealt with a mental health incident, but the Vikings defensive end told Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com that he’s “doing great” and intends to play next season.
“Yeah, of course I’m looking to play again this season,” the impending free agent told the reporter.
In November, there was an incident at Griffen’s home. He first wrote in an Instagram story that he needed help and people were “trying to kill” him, and he later refused to leave the premises. Griffen called police himself and requested assistance himself, and while police acknowledged that the player had fired a round, no one was injured. The defensive lineman had previous mental health incidents in 2018.
“I’m doing great but I don’t want to talk about that time,” Griffen said. “I’m going to keep my personal business personal … I’m doing well, but I’m taking it one day at a time, and I feel good.”
Griffen had spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Vikings, and following a 2020 campaign where he split time with the Cowboys and Lions, the veteran returned to Minnesota for the 2021 season. Griffen made a Pro Bowl as recently as 2019, and he was productive in his nine games (six starts) with the Vikings this season, collecting five sacks and 10 QB hits. The 34-year-old wouldn’t commit to re-signing with the team, per Tomasson, and while the player also wouldn’t discuss the firings of Mike Zimmer or Rick Spielman, he did discuss the departure of defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson.
“He meant a lot to my career,” Griffen said. “He taught me great technique and I went out there on the field and I used his technique that he taught me. I worked hard for him. Coach P was a great coach. He was able to relate to players and he always had great speeches to make us understand how football was meant to be played.”
Latest On Aaron Rodgers’ Future With Packers
While it’s still uncertain if Aaron Rodgers will be sticking around Green Bay, it sounds like his relationship with the organization is improving. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Rodgers has “made it clear that the animosity he felt toward the organization at this time last year is gone.” However, the MVP still hasn’t made a decision about whether he wants to return to the Packers next season.
The issues started about nine months ago when things gradually bubbled over during a long-term contract negotiation between the Packers and Rodgers. Rodgers had reportedly been unhappy during the proceedings and became so disgruntled that he told members of the organization that he didn’t want to return to the team. This frustration continued throughout an offseason that saw loads of trade speculation, including a report that Rodgers was under the impression that the Packers had promised to trade him before reneging on their deal. The offseason also contained a Rodgers hold-out that ended with a deal that some saw as a “Last Dance” contract that would help set up his departure after the season ended.
Now, Rodgers is coming off his fourth MVP season, with the 38-year-old leading the organization to their second-straight first-round bye in the playoffs. After accepting the MVP award the other day, Rodgers addressed his future, and he said he’d make a decision before long.
“I think you’ve got to take some of the emotion out of it and then kind of lean into understanding what it takes to revamp and feel like what’s the best place,” Rodgers said. “The best decision for me moving forward — not really place — more just what does it feel like to commit to a season if that’s what I want to do? The good thing is I still feel like my body is in a good place.”
Immediately after the season ended, Rodgers made it clear that he has no interest in staying in Green Bay if he doesn’t think the team can win in 2022. Part of that had to do with the issues detailed above, but Davante Adams‘ free agency and Nathaniel Hackett‘s move to Denver certainly wouldn’t help the Packers’ cause. However, Rodgers is seemingly leaving the door open to playing another season in Green Bay.
If that happens, the Packers will need to rework Rodgers’ contract, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com confirms that that club is willing to go “all in” by spending to the cap and spreading out cap charges into future years to give Rodgers as competitive of a roster as possible (Twitter link). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests that a two-year deal worth over $45MM per year and with voidable years tacked onto the back end for cap purposes could be in play.
NFC Coaching Notes: Bears, Vikings, Giants
The post-Sean Payton era has started in New Orleans, with Dennis Allen officially taking over as the Saints new head coach. When speaking about his promotion, Allen mentioned the value of continuity within the franchise.
“I think that was one of the unique things about this job is that this was not a broken job. This is a job that’s a desirable job. This is a job that has a foundation and culture of winning that’s already been built,” Allen said (via ESPN’s Mike Triplett). “I don’t see this as something where we need to have a ton of change.”
While Allen acknowledged that he’ll preach a lot of the lessons he learned from Payton, he also intends to put his “own spin” on the job.
“I want to take the lessons that I’ve learned, I want to build upon those lessons, and I want to create my own legacy here with the New Orleans Saints,” the coach said.
More coaching notes out of the NFC…
- Andre Curtis is the Bears new safeties coach, the team announced. The 45-year-old has spent the past seven years with the Seahawks, including the past four years as the defensive passing game coordinator. Per the Bears’ website, the Seahawks had six defensive backs earn at least one Pro Bowl nod during Curtis’s stint with Seattle.
- The Vikings are expecting to hire Chris Kuper as their offensive line coach, reports Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network (via Twitter). Kuper had an eight-year playing career with the Broncos, and following a three-year coaching stint with the Dolphins, he joined the Broncos as their assistant offensive line coach in 2019. He ultimately spent three seasons in Denver.
- The Vikings are also hiring Chris Rumph as their defensive line coach, per Wilson (on Twitter). The 50-year-old spent the 2021 season in the same role with the Bears, and he’s also had an NFL coaching stint with the Texans.
- The Giants are hiring Mike Groh as their wide receivers coach, according to Pro Football Talk. Groh spent the past two years as the WRs coach with the Colts, and he had a previous stint with the Eagles that saw him getting promoted to offensive coordinator for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.