NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/3/25
Today’s reserve/futures contracts:
New England Patriots
Seattle Seahawks
Jaguars Request GM Interview With Buccaneers Exec Mike Greenberg
New Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is driving the organization’s search for a new general manager. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Coen is eyeing a familiar face to help guide his front office. According to FOX Sports’ Peter Schrager, the Jaguars have requested an interview with Buccaneers assistant general manager Mike Greenberg.
[RELATED: Liam Coen ‘Pushing Hard’ For Mike Greenberg To Become Jaguars GM?]
Greenberg has spent more than a decade in Tampa Bay’s front office. He’s gradually worked his way up the ranks with the Buccaneers, culminating in him earning the role of assistant GM ahead of the 2023 campaign. Per the Buccaneers website, the executive has been credited with managing the team’s salary cap, contract negotiations, and compliance with the CBA. He was lauded for his work last offseason, when he helped navigate the organization’s difficult cap situation to re-sign notable players like Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Antoine Winfield, and Lavonte David.
Interestingly, Greenberg was believed to be one of Tampa Bay’s decision makers who attempted to reach Coen during the play-caller’s off-grid departure from the organization. While there was some natural resentment following the fiasco, it may not be enough to dissuade the executive from considering a promotion in Jacksonville. The last we heard, Coen was reportedly “pushing hard” to bring Greenberg to the Jaguars.
The Bucs have so far rejected Coen’s request to lure contracted assistants to Jacksonville. While many of Coen’s initial inquiries were focused on lateral moves, Greenberg’s GM interview would represent a promotion. This means the Buccaneers wouldn’t be able to stop the executive from joining his former coach in a new spot.
The presence of former Jaguars GM Trent Baalke reportedly dissuaded some candidates from considering the HC gig, and the organization swiftly moved on from the executive when they realized the move would net them Coen. Greenberg is the first candidate to be definitively connected to the Jaguars, although Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham and former Titans GM Jon Robinson have also been mentioned as potential options for the organization.
For the Buccaneers, Greenberg would represent another high-profile loss for the organization. In addition to Coen, the team has also lost one of their other assistant GMs in John Spytek, who agreed to join the Raiders as their new general manager. Of course, a Greenberg loss wouldn’t be completely unexpected, as the executive met with the Jets about their vacancy earlier this offseason.
Dolphins Eyeing Marcus Mariota, Andy Dalton?
After cycling through a handful of backup quarterbacks in 2024, the Dolphins are determined to find a capable contingency plan for Tua Tagovailoa. That search could lead them to a former first-round pick, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported today that the Dolphins could be a suitor for free agent QB Marcus Mariota (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald).
[RELATED: Dolphins To Prioritize Backup QB Job]
Schefter noted the friendship between Mariota and Tagovailoa, plus the lack of state income taxes. While Mariota’s stats have generally been underwhelming throughout his career, he’s shown an ability to keep his team afloat. In 74 career starts, the former second-overall pick has gone 34-40, including a three-year span with the Titans where he finished with a winning record.
Most recently, Mariota has served as a backup in stops with the Raiders, Falcons, Eagles, and Commanders. He did garner 13 starts with Atlanta in 2022, but he’s otherwise been held to a bench role over the past five seasons. Over that span, Mariota has completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 2,977 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He spent the 2024 campaign in Washington, where he tossed four touchdowns in three relief appearances.
Jackson adds another name to Miami’s impending search: Andy Dalton, with the reporter noting that the veteran is “held in high regard” by the organization. Dalton has garnered starts at all of his post-Bengals stops, although that wasn’t always necessarily the plan. The 37-year-old got five starts for the Panthers this past season while filling in for the struggling Bryce Young, with Dalton guiding his squad to only a 1-4 record while tossing seven touchdowns vs. six interceptions.
While the Dolphins pursued “a couple of top-flight backup QBs” last offseason, the team ultimately stuck with Skylar Thompson as their initial QB2 while releasing Mike White from the roster. Thompson only got one start for the Dolphins, as the team also gave Tyler Huntley and Tim Boyle looks under center. The trio of backup options represented a clear step back from Tagovailoa, and when the QB1 was sidelined early in the season, the Dolphins were limited to only 40 total points in four games. The Dolphins are clearly looking to avoid a similar situation in 2025.
18-Game Regular Season On Horizon Within 2-3 Years?
FEBRUARY 2: Although the NFL schedule may well chance twice during the 2020s, Goodell said Monday (via Bovada’s Josina Anderson) no formal discussions have taken place on a move to 18 yet. It appears a near-certainty those will happen in the not-too-distant future, as the NFLPA will have a major bargaining chip to use in an effort to land concessions from the league in exchange for the extra game.
FEBRUARY 1: An 18-game regular season may be on the horizon. According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, the NFL and NFLPA recently discussed the potential schedule adjustment.
This comes on the heels of a recent Roger Goodell interview. The commissioner cited the NFL’s continued “focus on the safety” aspect of the game as a stepping stone for a potential 18-game season. Goodell continued to point to the league’s “20-game framework” and the understanding that an added regular season contest would only come at the expense of a preseason exhibition.
As Florio notes, the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement lasts through the 2030 season, and it’s believed an 18-game schedule could be apart of the next CBA. When the two sides last agreed on a new CBA in 2020, they expanded the regular-season schedule to 17 games.
Florio believes “it’s possible (if not likely)” that the NFL and the NFLPA are currently refining details for an 18-game schedule, and their recent discussion indicates that the change could be coming sooner than later. Mark Maske of The Washington Post cautions that an agreement is not imminent, although he adds that NFL owners remain hopeful that the NFLPA will agree to expand the regular-season slate. If the two sides continue to move in the right direction, some owners believe the change could be implemented in the “next two to three years.”
There have been previous rumblings of an 18-game campaign, and NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell already hinted at some possible concessions surrounding the addition of an 18th game. While overall compensation is the obvious one, other points of negotiation would include additional bye weeks, improved playing surfaces, and decreased travel.
While these concessions represent some possible hurdles during negotiations, it seems the two sides are at least heading towards an eventual solution. While an 18-game schedule was once discussed as possible, it’s seeming more and more likely that an 18-game schedule is truly inevitable.
Bengals TE Erick All Expected To Miss 2025 Season
Erick All missed half of the 2024 campaign after suffering the second torn ACL of his career. While there was natural hope that he’d be back on the field midway through the 2025 season, it now sounds like the Bengals tight end won’t play again until 2026.
[RELATED: Bengals TE Erick All Suffers Torn ACL]
According to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, All is expected to miss the entire 2025 season following complications from a previous knee surgery he underwent in college.
All suffered his first torn ACL back in 2023 while he was at the University of Iowa. When the tight end suffered his most recent tear, it was determined that his knee issues were “so severe” that he’d require two surgeries instead of the standard single procedure. According to Dehner, All has already gone under the knife once, and his upcoming surgery will effectively start the clock on the “traditional ACL recovery timeline.”
Injuries were a big reason why All fell to the Bengals in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. Other than the aforementioned ACL tear, the tight end also suffered a back injury that ultimately required “life-changing” spine surgery (per Dehner). The Bengals are naturally treading lightly with the young player, and the current recovery strategy is intended to benefit “the long term of his career.”
All got into nine games (six starts) as a rookie, hauling in 20 catches for 158 yards. As Dehner writes, the player’s real production came as a blocker, with the Bengals slightly revising their run-blocking approach to accommodate All’s game-changing ability.
While the Bengals probably intended to pencil All in as their TE1 in 2025, the team will now have to look for another solution. With Mike Gesicki hitting free agency, the Bengals are currently eyeing a depth chart that consists of Drew Sample, Tanner McLachlan, and Cam Grandy.
Patriots Hire Ashton Grant As QBs Coach, Make More Coaching Moves
Mike Vrabel‘s staff in New England continues to take shape. Most notably, the Patriots have landed on a new QBs coach to work alongside Josh McDaniels and Drake Maye. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports that the Patriots have hired Ashton Grant for the gig.
Grant has spent the majority of his coaching career in Cleveland, where he worked his way up from an offensive quality control coach to QBs coach. While Deshaun Watson‘s performance left plenty to be desired, Grant also earned praise for his handling of the rest of the depth chart (including Jameis Winston).
In New England, he’ll be taking over a QBs room that features a pair of young arms in Maye and Joe Milton. Grant is set to replace T.C. McCartney, who isn’t expected to return to the Patriots in a new role, per Mark Daniels of MassLive.com.
The Patriots weren’t finished making additions to their coaching staff. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Jason Houghtaling is expected to join New England’s staff. Houghtaling was an OL coaching assistant on Vrabel’s staff in Tennessee before spending last season with the Bears. Elsewhere on offense, the team is bringing in Riley Larkin as an offensive assistant, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Larkin most recently served as an offensive assistant in Ohio State’s quarterbacks room.
On the other side of the ball, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reports that former Titans defensive assistant Clint McMillan will also be following his former boss to New England. Further, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports that the Patriots are expected to hire Bills nickels coach/senior defensive assistant Scott Booker. Following the theme, Booker previously worked Vrabel during the duo’s time with the Titans. Finally, while a deal hasn’t been finalized, the Patriots are targeting Colts assistant defensive backs coach Justin Hamilton for a role on their defensive staff, per Zenitz. Unsurprisingly, Hamilton was on the Titans staff in 2023.
As Vrabel crafts his first New England staff, he’ll also be saying goodbye to a handful of incumbent coaches. Most notably, Brian Belichick won’t be back with the Patriots in 2025, according to Reiss. The son of Bill Belichick, Brian spent the past five seasons coaching safeties in New England, including this past year working under a new boss in Jerod Mayo. Drew Wilkins, who most recently served as the Patriots outside linebackers coach, also isn’t expected to be retained (per Jones), and cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino won’t be back with the organization (per Reiss).
There is at least one coach who will be retained from last year’s staff. Former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo is expected to stick on Vrabel’s staff, per Reiss. McAdoo spent this past season as a senior offensive assistant, but Reiss notes that the coach’s title could change in 2025. Speaking of titles, the Patriots have also officially hired Vrabel’s right-hand man, John “Stretch” Streicher, who will serve as the team’s vice president of football operations and strategy (per Albert Breer of TheMMQB).
Texans Expected To Interview Adam Stenavich For OC Job
After missing out on head coaching and coordinator gigs this offseason, Adam Stenavich is once again participating in an active interview cycle. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Packers offensive coordinator is expected to interview for the same job with the Texans.
The 41-year-old has been a relatively popular name this offseason. Stenavich interviewed for the Bears head coaching job before it went to Ben Johnson, and he was a candidate for the Seahawks OC job before Klint Kubiak was hired.
Stenavich has spent most of his NFL coaching career in Green Bay. He spent two years as the offensive line coach before earning the added responsibility of run game coordinator in 2021. When Nathaniel Hackett left for Denver, Stenavich earned the promotion to offensive coordinator, a job he’s held for the past three seasons.
While the OC doesn’t call offensive plays in Green Bay, he does work closely with Matt LaFleur to devise game plans and strategy. The Packers finished this past season ranked fifth in total offense and eighth in points per game.
With Bobby Slowik out in Houston, the Texans have cast a wide net trying to find a replacement. The team’s current list of OC candidates includes:
- Nick Caley, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed 1/30
- Brian Johnson, pass game coordinator (Commanders): Interview requested
- Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coacth (Texans): Interviewed 1/27
- Chip Kelly, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Ohio State): Team has interest
- Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Saints): Mentioned as candidate; hired by Seahawks
- Bill Lazor, senior offensive assistant (Texans): Interviewed 1/30
- Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/28
- Ben McDaniels, wide receivers coach/pass-game coordinator (Texans): Mentioned as candidate
- Jeff Nixon, offensive coordinator (Syracuse): Interviewed 1/27
- Grant Udinski, assistant quarterbacks coach (Vikings): Interviewed 1/30
Jaguars Hire Anthony Campanile As DC
Liam Coen has landed his new defensive coordinator. The Jaguars are hiring Anthony Campanile to run their defense, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The Jaguars have since announced the move.
“Anthony Campanile represents exactly what we want to be as a defensive unit and football team,” Coen said in a statement (via Bleacher Report’s James Palmer). “He brings an aggressive defensive mindset and a system that is adaptable to our players and allows them to play fast and physical.”
Following a long stint coaching college football (including a one-year look as Boston College’s co-defensive coordinator), Campanile has seen a rapid rise through the NFL ranks. He got his first NFL job with the Dolphins as their linebackers coach in 2020, and he ended up spending four years in that gig. After going empty handed during Miami’s search for a new DC, Campanile left for a promotion in Green Bay in 2024, where he served as the Packers linebackers coach and run game coordinator.
The Packers finished this past season ranked seventh in rushing yards allowed per game (99.35) and third in yards per attempt (4.0). As a result of Green Bay’s impressive showing, Campanile became a relatively popular name on the coordinator circuit. He had an interview with the 49ers earlier this offseason, and Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Campanile likely would have gotten the 49ers gig if Robert Saleh rejected the job. Silverstein notes that Campanile also had an opportunity to join Penn State as their new defensive coordinator.
Instead, the 42-year-old will be heading to Jacksonville, where he’ll be tasked with guiding a defense that finished last season ranked 31st in yards allowed and 27th in points allowed. Campanile’s extensive work with linebackers should also benefit some of the team’s recent draft picks, including 2022 first-round pick Devin Lloyd.
Coen made it clear that he wasn’t going to retain Ryan Nielsen on his new staff. The Jaguars launched a DC search that includes the likes of Panthers defensive pass game coordinator Jonathan Cooley, former Raiders DC Patrick Graham, Vikings defensive pass game coordinator Daronte Jones, and Rams defensive pass game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant. Ultimately, Campanile won out.
With Campanile now in Jacksonville, the Packers will need to find a new coach for their linebackers. Matt Schneidman of The Athletic points to Sean Duggan as a natural replacement. Duggan most recently served as a defensive assistant in Green Bay’s linebackers room, but he previously coached the position under current Packers DC Jeff Hafley when the two were at Boston College.
Bills Don’t Regret Amari Cooper Trade, Would Consider Re-Signing WR
Amari Cooper‘s half-season stint in Buffalo didn’t necessarily go as planned. After being shipped from the Browns to the Bills in October, the veteran wideout was limited to only 20 receptions and a career-worst 37.1 yards per game. Despite the disappointing results, it sounds like Bills GM Brandon Beane would make the move again.
Speaking to reporters today, Beane said he does “not regret the move” and believes Cooper helped the Bills despite the lack of counting stats (per ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). The GM also hinted that the wideout’s wrist injury may have contributed to his underwhelming production. Beane told reporters that Cooper’s wrist injury could have required surgery, with one doctor actually recommending that route. However, the wideout decided to play through the injury (per Getzenberg).
Cooper is now set to hit free agency, and there’s a chance the two sides look to continue their partnership. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bills have been happy with Cooper’s presence in the locker room, and they’re “intrigued” by the idea of giving the receiver a full offseason to click with Josh Allen.
The 30-year-old WR may not have a robust market following a disappointing 2024 campaign. In 14 games with the Browns and Bills, Cooper was limited to only 44 catches for 547 yards and four touchdowns. Still, Cooper is only a year removed from a 2023 campaign where he hauled in a career-high 1,250 receiving yards, so there could be plenty of teams that are willing to look past the recent drop in production.
While the Bills will continue to evaluate their wide receiver options heading into the offseason, the front office will also be focused on keeping their franchise QB in Buffalo for the long haul. While Allen is still under contract through the 2028 campaign, Beane didn’t completely rule out extending his franchise star.
“I’m not saying it will happen, I’m not saying it won’t happen — I don’t really want to go into that,” Beane said of a potential extension (h/t Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com). “And I really can’t tell you at this point. We haven’t even approached that. It’s just, season-ending loss, he doesn’t even want to talk about it. … He was dejected, like all of us. There will be a time and place. And not saying we will, but not ruling it out either.”
Former Steelers GM Kevin Colbert Joining Colorado State
After spending a few years out of football, Kevin Colbert has reemerged in the college ranks. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the former Steelers executive is joining Colorado State as a consultant.
According to Thamel, Colbert’s new role will see him working closely with coach Jay Norvell and Colorado State’s player personnel department to help build up the school’s “football front office.” Colorado State is focused on staying “at the forefront for the new era of college football,” and they’re turning to a long-time NFL executive to help their cause.
Colbert spent more than 20 years in Pittsburgh, working his way up from director of football operations to general manager. The executive earned a pair of Super Bowl rings during his time with the organization, and he had the distinction of being the organization’s first official GM when he was promoted to the role in 2010.
During his time guiding the front office, Colbert was credited with adding foundational players (including Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu). The executive also had a prominent role in the team’s transition from Bill Cowher to Mike Tomlin. Colbert stepped down from his role following the 2022 draft, and he’s been out of football since.