AFC North Notes: Browns, Bengals, McCarron
Let’s take a quick spin around the AFC North:
- Hue Jackson is interested in adding former Bengals offensive coordinator Ken Zampese to the Browns’ coaching staff, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (Twitter link). Jackson and Zampese overlapped for a number of years on the Cincinnati staff, so there is clearly a familiarity between the two coaches. Zampese, the Bengals’ quarterbacks coach from 2003-16, lasted only two touchdown-less games as the club’s offensive play-caller in 2017. Cleveland, which didn’t employ an offensive coordinator last year, wants to interview Texans quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan for its OC vacancy.
- Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther may not be the only assistant coach to leave the Bengals this offseason, as Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reports (Twitter link) a number of Cincinnati staffers are on expiring contracts. Head coach Marvin Lewis agreed to an extension through 2019 earlier today, but that doesn’t mean all of his assistants will return. Given the lack of success in the Queen City over the past two years, some staff overhaul is to be expected.
- Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron‘s free agent status grievance hearing will be settled on February 15, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. McCarron will argue that he should be an unrestricted free agent in March, while Cincinnati will contend that McCaron is a restricted free agent given that he was on the non-football injury list for most of his rookie campaign in 2014. The Bengals, of course, nearly traded McCarron to the Browns for second and third-round picks earlier this season.
AFC West Notes: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders
The Broncos will consider former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo and former Bengals offensive coordinator Ken Zampese as they seek to hire a new quarterbacks coach, according to Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). While Denver’s coaching staff will undergo something of an overhaul, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave is staying put, as is interim quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak (in a new role). While neither McAdoo nor Zampese made it through the 2017 without being fired, both offer experience with Broncos head coach Vance Joseph. McAdoo and Joseph spent time together with the 49ers in 2005, while Joseph overlapped with Zampese during his tenure in Cincinnati.
Here’s more from the AFC West:
- Elsewhere on the Broncos‘ offensive staff, Sean Kugler — who spent the past four-plus years as UTEP’s head coach — is interviewing today for the club’s offensive line position, tweets Alex Marvez of the Sporting News. Incumbent assistant offensive line coach Chris Strausser will also interview for the full-time job, per Klis (Twitter link). Denver is seeking a replacement for Jeff Davidson, who was fired earlier this week along with several other members of the club’s offensive staff. The Broncos ranked ninth in adjusted line yards but 29th in adjusted sack rate a season ago.
- Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn wants Gus Bradley to return as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2018, as Greg Beacham of the Associated Press writes. Bradley’s deal is set to expire, however, so nothing is certain at the moment. “We’d like to keep this together if we can,” Lynn said Monday. “I know some guys, the contracts are up. We’re working on that right now. We’re trying to keep this staff together, this nucleus together, because I think we got better as a coaching staff as the season went on.” Los Angeles ranked ninth in defensive DVOA in 2017, Bradley’s first year at the helm.
- Defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes may get a late start to his sophomore campaign, as the rookie third-round pick suffered a torn ACL in the Raiders‘ season finale, tweets Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. While Vanderdoes graded as a bottom-20 interior defender per Pro Football Focus, he did manage to play 464 defensive snaps in his first NFL season. Now facing rehab and possibly a new defensive scheme, Vanderdoes could be looking at an uphill battle as he seeks medical clearance for the beginning of the 2018 season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/18
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted to active roster: T Blaine Clausell
- Placed on injured reserve: TE Chris Manhertz
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: RB C.J. Spiller
- Promoted to active roster: WR Marcus Kemp
- Placed on injured reserve: RB Akeem Hunt, WR De’Anthony Thomas
Dolphins Interview Ex-Bears OC Dowell Loggains
Former Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains interviewed for a position with the Dolphins today, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune was the first to report that Loggains — who took over for current Miami head coach Adam Gase as Chicago’s offense coordinator in 2016 — could be in line to join the Dolphins staff. Loggains served as the Bears’ quarterbacks coach under Gase before succeeding him, so the two clearly have a working relationship. Miami has yet to announce any coaching staff changes, so it’s unclear how Loggains would fit, but Salguero reported earlier this week that significant alterations are expected along the Dolphins’ offensive staff.
While Gase intends to continue calling offensive plays in 2018, he is seeking assistance in formulating a weekly gameplan, as Salguero wrote today. As such, incumbent offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen could now be in limbo if Loggains is indeed hired.
Colts, Bears Request To Interview Matt Nagy
Both the Colts and Bears have put in requests to interview Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Nagy, who is only 39 years old, had been considered a “hot” name within NFL circles, and with good reason. In his first season as Kansas City’s solo coordinator (he split duties with veteran coach Brad Childress prior to 2017), Nagy ran one of the more innovative offenses in the NFL. Utilizing weapons such as Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Kareem Hunt, Nagy helped the Chiefs finish third in offensive DVOA.
That the Colts would express interest in Nagy should come as no surprise, as Indy general manager Chris Ballard spent several seasons as an executive in Kansas City. Nagy is the fifth candidate to be linked to the Colts, joining Josh McDaniels, Mike Vrabel, Steve Wilks, and Kris Richard. The Bears, meanwhile, have been tied to Nagy, McDaniels, Wilks, Pat Shurmur, and John DeFilippo.
NFC West Notes: Cards, Bettcher, Seahawks
While the Cardinals will interview incumbent defensive coordinator James Bettcher as they seek to replace head coach Bruce Arians, offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin is unlikely to be granted a meeting, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Unlike Bettcher, Goodwin has actually interviewed for other NFL vacancies in the past, as he met with the Buccaneers, Bills, Jaguars, and Rams since 2016. Bettcher, meanwhile, will meet with Arizona’s decision-makers on Wednesday, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- Veteran defensive lineman Michael Bennett said he is committed to continuing his career in 2018 and hopes he’ll remain with the Seahawks, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Bennett, 32, is signed for three more years at affordable rates, and Seattle would only create ~$2MM by releasing him this offseason. Additionally, Bennett graded as the No. 38 edge defender among 108 qualifiers a season ago, per Pro Football Focus, meaning he’s more than worth his salary. Seattle may be without Cliff Avril (retirement) and Sheldon Richardson (free agency) in 2018, making Bennett’s presence all the more crucial.
- The Seahawks have already begun exploring kicker upgrades, and former Jaguar Jason Myers is among the options on Seattle’s radar, per Condotta (Twitter link). Given that the Seahawks are narrowing in on street free agents (players who were cut before the 2017 regular season concluded), their options are certainly limited. But Myers, who was released by Jacksonville in October, could represent improvement over incumbent Blair Walsh, who missed eight field goals last year. Myers, meanwhile, owns a career field goal percentage of 81%.
- Tight end Jermaine Gresham suffered a torn Achilles in the Cardinals‘ regular season finale, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link). Given the timeline of Gresham’s injury, he may not be ready to start the 2018 campaign. But Arizona would incur $2MM in dead money by releasing Gresham, who inked a four-year extension last spring. Gresham, 29, managed only 33 receptions and 322 yards last year, his third consecutive season with fewer than 400 yards receiving.
Packers Notes: GM Search, Ball, Wolf, Evans
Now that the Packers have reassigned former general manager Ted Thompson (he’s now a senior advisor to football operations, the club announced today), Green Bay is searching for a new decision-maker atop its personnel department. Incumbent vice president of football administration Russ Ball is thought to be a candidate for the position and has a “close relationship” with Packers president Mark Murphy, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, but promoting Ball could cause other problems for Green Bay. If Ball (or an external candidate is hired), the Packers will likely lose fellow personnel men Eliot Wolf and Brian Gutekunst to other clubs, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. However, if one of Wolf or Gutenkunst is promoted to GM, the other man will likely stay in Green Bay, per Silverstein.
Here’s more on the Packers:
- While the Packers will utilize search firm Korn Ferry as they look for a new general manager, Murphy told reporters that he will make the final call on the club’s top personnel job (Twitter links via Jason Wilde of ESPN.com). Additionally, Green Bay’s next GM will have the power to fire the team’s head coach, an interesting development given that Mike McCarthy is currently signed through 2019. Murphy said “[McCarthy] will be our coach,” an indication that the new Packers general manager will be stuck with McCarthy for at least one campaign.
- Green Bay’s decision to extend McCarthy’s contract will allow the longtime head coach more flexibility as he seeks to fill out his staff, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. The most pressing decision for McCarthy will be to hire a new defensive coordinator following Dom Capers‘ firing, but the Packers will also see change on the offensive side of the ball. Luke Getsy, who’s served as Green Bay’s wide receivers coach for the past two seasons, is now Mississippi State’s offensive coordinator, per Demovsky.
- The Packers have interest in re-signing veteran guard Jahri Evans, who will become a free agent in March, per Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com (Twitter link). Evans would likely need to accept less than the $2.25MM he earned in 2017, per Wood, and the 34-year-old offensive lineman would almost certainly ink a one-year pact. In his first season outside of New Orleans, Evans ranked as the No. 30 guard among 82 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/2/18
Today’s practice squad updates:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Lucas Crowley, WR Rannell Hall
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: RB Aaron Green
- Waived: S L.J. McCray
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Daniel Braverman
Lions To Interview Mike Vrabel, Pat Shurmur This Week
The Lions will interview Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel for their head coaching vacancy on Wednesday, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link), while Detroit’s meeting with Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will take place on Thursday, per Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
In his first year as Houston’s defensive play-caller, Vrabel — who took over for veteran coach Romeo Crennel — lead the Texans to a No. 23 ranking in DVOA. While that’s not an overly impressive finish, Houston was dealing with the loss of defensive stalwarts such as J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus, so Vrabel was forced to work with limited options. He’s also drawn interest from the Colts, who have requested to interview the 42-year-old coach.
Detroit put in a request earlier this week to interview Shurmur, and that proposal has evidently been granted by the division-rival Vikings. Because Minnesota has a first-round playoff bye, Shurmur is allowed to interview this week. Injuries to Sam Bradford, Teddy Bridgewater, and Dalvin Cook meant Shurmur lead an offense built around Case Keenum, Latavius Murray, and Jerick McKinnon, but the Vikings still managed to finish fifth in offensive DVOA.
Vrabel and Shurmur aren’t the only candidates the Lions are interested in, as general manager Bob Quinn & Co. has interviewed incumbent defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, incumbent offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, and Packers assistant head coach Winston Moss today. Detroit has also requested permission to interview Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Giants To Interview Steve Spagnuolo On Wednesday
The Giants will initiate their head coaching interview process by meeting with interim head coach/defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo on Wednesday, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). 
Spagnuolo, 58, began his second stint as New York’s defensive play-caller in 2015, and subsequently took over as the club’s interim head coach after Ben McAdoo was fired earlier this season. In four games as head coach, Spagnuolo posted a record of 1-3. Nearly everything went wrong for the Giants in 2017, and Spagnuolo’s defense wasn’t immune to dysfunction, as the unit dealt with off-field issues en route to a No. 24 rating in defensive DVOA.
If new general manager Dave Gettleman does opt to retain Spagnuolo, he’ll be keeping someone with head coaching experience. Spagnuolo, who’s been an NFL coach since 1999, was the Rams’ head coach from 2009-11, but never finished with more than seven wins and posted a 10-38 overall record.
Meanwhile, the Giants put in a request to interview Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur for their head coaching vacancy, and that request has evidently been approved. Shurmur will interview with Big Blue on Saturday, tweets Garafolo.