2023 Free Agent RB Class
This offseason is set to be an intriguing one in the running back market for multiple reasons. Not only are their top running backs in the league set to hit the market, but there is depth to be found throughout the position from starters to role players to backups. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the names your team may have the chance to add before the 2023 season. 
First off, there are some bona fide starters set to hit free agency this year. The Giants’ Saquon Barkley and Raiders’ Josh Jacobs are the two that mainly fall under this umbrella. Barkley had a resurgent 2022 season that saw him assert the rushing dominance that had been absent since his rookie season in 2018. Though he failed to amass the receiving numbers he held as a rookie, his Pro Bowl season should be enough to establish him as one of the best running backs available this offseason, if not the best.
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If it’s not Barkley, Jacobs has a strong claim of his own. The fourth-year rusher out of Alabama answered the calls questioning his future in Las Vegas with a career year that saw him rush for nearly 100 yards per game. Jacobs led the league with 1,653 rushing yards adding 12 touchdowns and 400 receiving yards for good measure. These two are the cream of the running back free agency crop and there’s no doubt about it.
Next, there are a number of running backs with star power potential. They either just displayed career years that should excite teams who may want them, or they have shown such potential in the past. Cowboys running back Tony Pollard and Eagles back Miles Sanders lead this group. Pollard has truly been itching to show the NFL what he can do. He broke 1,000 yards rushing for the first time this season and has 1,726 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns in the past two years, all while playing second fiddle to starter Ezekiel Elliott. Pollard routinely averages more yards per attempt than Elliott and, for the first time this year, despite having 38 fewer rush attempts, Pollard outgained Elliott by 131 yards. Pollard rightfully deserves a chance to be a lead back in the NFL. Will he get his opportunity next season? Sanders has had a bit more opportunity to establish himself as a lead back but finally succeeded this season after rushing for career highs of 1,269 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. It’s taken him awhile to get here, but in the new offense with Hurts and other weapons, Sanders finally proved he was worth the second-round pick Philadelphia used on him in 2019. After Sanders accounted for over 70% of the team’s carries by running backs, the Eagles will have to decide just how valuable he is to the team.
Others who fall under this umbrella are the Browns’ Kareem Hunt and Lions’ Jamaal Williams. Hunt was a star in his rookie season with the Chiefs, leading the league in rushing that year with 1,327 yards. His sophomore season was as impressive until it was cut short when a video surfaced of him physically assaulting a woman. Since then, Hunt has played a competent second fiddle to Nick Chubb in Cleveland. He has failed to reach his lofty number from Kansas City but continues to be a strong addition to the offense. Heading in 2023 at 28 leaves Hunt with less and less time to regain his potential as a lead back. Williams, on the other hand, is a 28-year-old heading in the right direction. For the first time in his career, Williams was given the opportunity this season to be treated as a lead back and rewarded the Lions with a career-high 1,066 rushing yards and a league-leading 17 rushing touchdowns. Williams should certainly have earned himself a chance at another leading role somewhere next season.
This is already a ton of running back talent set to hit the market, but the depth doesn’t stop there. Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny has averaged over six yards per carry in each of the last two seasons, despite his career being hamstringed by injuries. David Montgomery has rushed for over 800 yards and five touchdowns in each of his four seasons with the Bears. Bills running back Devin Singletary showed similar production in his last two years in Buffalo. And, only a year ago, Jets running back James Robinson was considered one of the best players in Jacksonville after totaling 1,837 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns over his first two years.
Former 49ers running backs Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida, Jerick McKinnon, and Jeff Wilson all have shown some success in backup roles over the years and should find opportunities in the coming seasons. Veterans in Saints running back Mark Ingram, Buccaneers running back Giovani Bernard, Ravens running back Kenyan Drake, and Broncos running back Latavius Murray should all hit the market. A number of players who have established themselves as reliable backups should be available like the Bengals’ Samaje Perine, Lions’ Justin Jackson, Broncos’ Marlon Mack, Vikings’ Alexander Mattison, Ravens’ Justice Hill and Seahawks’ Travis Homer.
Not only is the free agent pool already stacked, but it may also benefit even more from a number of talented rushers who are set to have rather large cap hits next season. While talented, Saints running back Alvin Kamara‘s recent legal troubles may make his $16.03MM cap hit next year a bit less palatable. Arizona back James Conner‘s $10.45MM cap hit and Tampa Bay back Leonard Fournette‘s $8.47MM cap hit may make them potential cap casualties, as well. Similarly, Broncos running back Chase Edmonds ($5.92MM), Ravens running back Gus Edwards ($5.63MM), Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson ($5.50MM), and Bills running back Nyheim Hines ($4.79MM) all hold high cap hits for their relative production.
There are many factors that affect how this offseason will play out for all these rushers. A low franchise tag amount of $10.1MM may keep backs like Pollard, Sanders, and Williams in place for another year. A tag of that amount being placed on Barkley or Jacobs should, rightfully, upset either back, who should earn north of $12MM per year. The rest of the field may be up to the whims of the market. The pure abundance of talent in the market may make it difficult for anyone to demand a high price. Another factor working against them is that many teams are adopting a draft-only policy on running backs, using the rushers for four years, then going back to the college ranks to replace them. This will likely require free agents to take lesser deals in order remain viable options in the NFL.
Starting next week, teams will have the option to apply their tags to impending free agents. March 13 will begin a negotiating period for free agents with the rest of the league before free agency officially opens two days later. The draft will follow a couple weeks after. There is plenty to keep an eye on in this year’s running back class, both in free agency and in the draft. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.
Eagles Want To Extend QB Jalen Hurts
While they weren’t able to win it all this year, the Eagles were able to convincingly establish themselves as the NFC’s best team. Though a top-10 defense and strong offensive position groups certainly helped Philadelphia dominate this year, the development of third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts was perhaps one of the biggest reasons they were able to find success in 2022. The team has no intentions of allowing their second-team All-Pro quarterback to leave anytime soon, according to Bo Wulf of The Athletic. 
Hurts was the team’s second-round selection in 2020, meaning that, unlike many starting quarterbacks around the league, there is no fifth-year option on his rookie contract. Hurts’s upcoming fourth season will be a contract year, barring an extension. While avoiding any guarantees, general manager Howie Roseman made it clear that extending “one of (their) best players” was a leading priority for the Eagles in the coming year, as reported in a tweet from Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
While likely still fresh on the minds of Eagles fans, Roseman ensured that the team’s recent experience with former quarterback Carson Wentz won’t “affect its thought process with Hurts.” The situation in question deteriorated so quickly following Wentz’s long-term agreement that he was traded before he even got the chance to play under it. Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports quoted Roseman saying, “We have a good sense of what we need to do here. We have a little bit of time to figure it out.”
So, what does a long-term deal for Hurts look like? That is an interesting question with lots of different factors. Firstly, looking at his fellow quarterbacks throughout the league, his Super Bowl opponent, Patrick Mahomes, currently leads the league in overall contract value. The year Hurts was drafted, Mahomes signed a ridiculous 10-year, $450MM contract. Both Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Bills quarterback Josh Allen received new deals the following year with annual average values that failed to reach Mahomes’s $45MM per year or 10-year length.
Last year, though, saw four quarterbacks receive contracts that surpassed Mahomes’s deal in AAV and guaranteed money at signing. In fact, two of the deals nearly doubled what Mahomes received in guaranteed money at signing. Now, Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who had the entirety of his five-year, $230MM contract guaranteed at signing, has since proven to be an anomaly. None of the other three contracts even came close to that number or percentage of guaranteed money, even in Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘s relatively short-term three-year, $150.82MM contract.
Also, aside from Mahomes and Rodgers, who are extremes on opposite ends of the spectrum for term of a new contract, the other three contracts with an AAV higher than $45MM are all five-year deals. That gives an idea of what length we should expect for a Hurts-extension. In terms of value, Hurts’s statistics are entirely far off from what Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray did in the season before he was extended. That’s really the only comparison we can look at. We’ve already established that Watson’s deal was an anomaly (he didn’t even play the year before his new deal was signed) and, though Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson‘s numbers were also similar in the year prior to his new deal, Wilson and Rodgers both have long careers of prior regular and postseason success on which to base their deals.
Murray’s stats are extremely similar to Hurts. Both have shown the ability to produce with their legs while not overly relying on them. In each of their full seasons as starters, both quarterbacks have surpassed 3,000 yards passing, a feat fellow rushing quarterback Lamar Jackson has only accomplished once.
Murray showed more historic consistency with higher passing numbers averaging over 3,700 passing yards per year over his first three seasons, while Hurts’s 3,701 passing yards this season were his highest by far. Hurts, though, has shown more consistency with his legs and more consistency protecting the ball. In each of the past two seasons, Hurts has rushed for over 700 yards and reached double-digit rushing touchdowns while throwing single-digit interceptions.
The last big factor that leans in Hurts’s favor is regular and postseason success. In Murray’s first three seasons as a starter, he made the postseason once and exited in the first round. Hurts has started two full seasons and made the postseason both times. After a first-round exit last year, Hurts led his team to the Super Bowl in Year 2.
Regardless of it all, to hold onto a winning quarterback in the year 2023, you’re going to have to shell out the big bucks. An extension is likely going to range from four to six years, leaning closer to six if you’d like to keep your quarterback happy, with an average from $40-50MM per year. Based on all the factors listed above, I would expect a new contract for Hurts to be six years and average around $47-48MM per year with about $100-120MM guaranteed at signing.
Roseman and the Eagles have made it known, they’d like to hold on to Hurts long-term. They have the option of following the Ravens lead and allowing him to play out his contract and find the best deal for both parties, but if they want to avoid the media circus that’s plagued Jackson and the Ravens, they’re going to have to put their money where their mouth is.
Bucs To Hire Seahawks’ Dave Canales As OC
The Buccaneers have landed on their new offensive coordinator, hiring Seahawks quarterbacks coach Dave Canales to call plays in Tampa Bay next season, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The longtime Seattle staffer made a true name for himself with the help of a resurgent season by veteran quarterback Geno Smith and will now get the opportunity to lead an entire offense. 
The Seahawks gave Canales his first opportunity in the NFL back in 2010 as their wide receivers coach. Before that his only coaching experience was as the offensive coordinator at his former high school, the special teams & tight ends coach at El Camino College, and the assistant strength and conditioning coach at USC. Over seven years in his initial role in Seattle, Canales developed Seahawks receivers like Doug Baldwin, Golden Tate, Sidney Rice, Jermaine Kearse, Percy Harvin, Paul Richardson, and Tyler Lockett. Despite the many big names, only Baldwin ever eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in a season under Canales, who typically developed a versatile room of targets.
In 2018, Canales was granted the quarterbacks coaching position, tasked with mentoring seventh-year veteran Russell Wilson and backup quarterback Brett Hundley. Although he wouldn’t play, Smith would join the roster the following season. For the next four years, two of which he spent under the title of passing game coordinator, Canales worked primarily with Wilson as the starter, tutoring Smith through the few appearances he would make during the time.
In 2022, with the trade that would send Wilson to the Broncos, Canales’s years of tutelage over Smith would be put to the test. Today, it’s fair to say that both Smith and Canales passed with flying colors as Smith would go on to lead the NFL in completion percentage, lead the Seahawks to the playoffs in their first season without Wilson, earn a Pro Bowl bid, and win the Comeback Player of the Year award.
Canales is now getting his due credit, as well, being rewarded with the opportunity to lead an NFL offense for the first time in his career. Canales will be tasked with a similar challenge as he faced this past season. After three seasons with Tom Brady at quarterback, Tampa Bay, barring a move in free agency, trade, or the draft, will be turning to either a veteran backup who started early in his career in Blaine Gabbert or a young developing quarterback in Kyle Trask.
Canales received recognition for his coaching of Smith early, receiving coordinator interest from both Tampa Bay and Baltimore. He actually was a strong candidate for the Ravens’ position, receiving a second interview for the job that would eventually go to Todd Monken. Regardless, Canales is the man for the Buccaneers. Under head coach Todd Bowles, Canales and the Buccaneers will look to return to playoffs in the post-Brady era.
AFC Coaching Rumors: Broncos, Henry, Texans, Donatell
As has been expected for a little while now, Saints offensive assistant Declan Doyle will be departing New Orleans to join Sean Payton‘s new staff in Denver, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The original reports about Doyle indicated that he was in consideration for a first-time position coaching role leading the tight ends for the Broncos, but Underhill’s recent report didn’t specify what his role would be.
The Broncos made another minor coaching staff addition today, hiring someone who has a bit of a different connection to New Orleans, as reported by Zach Barnett of Football Scoop. While not a former Saints staffer, new Broncos passing game quality control coach Logan Kilgore was the offensive coordinator for new Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning during their time together at the Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. Kilgore was set to rejoin head coach Butch Jones at Arkansas State as the Red Wolves’ tight ends coach after working as an offensive analyst with the team in 2021. Instead, Kilgore is headed to Denver, where he will work with many other former New Orleans coaches.
Here are a few other coaching rumors from around the AFC, starting with a new assistant coaching hire in Buffalo:
- The Bills have hired a veteran to their staff in longtime wide receivers coach Adam Henry, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Newtork. Henry has coached the position at McNeese State, LSU, and Indiana at the college level, serving, as well, as offensive coordinator at McNeese State, passing game coordinator at LSU, and co-offensive coordinator at Indiana. At the NFL level, Henry’s first position coaching role was as tight ends coach under Tom Cable in Oakland. Since then, he has coached receivers for the 49ers, Giants, Browns, and Cowboys. An interesting aspect of this hire is Henry’s connection to free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Henry coached both Beckham and Jarvis Landry when the two were at LSU and in Cleveland.
- The Texans have made a number of decisions recently for new head coach DeMeco Ryans‘s staff, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. First, Houston hired former Browns defensive line coach Chris Kiffin as their new linebackers coach. The younger brother of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and former NFL defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, Chris formerly worked alongside Ryans during their time together in San Francisco. Second, the team chose to retain defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire from Lovie Smith‘s staff. Under Cesaire, the defensive line saw surprising contributions from defensive ends Jerry Hughes and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and defensive tackle Maliek Collins. Third, former 49ers defensive passing game specialist and secondary coach Cory Undlin is expected to reunite with Ryans as the Texans defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach. Finally, fourth, after choosing not to retain offensive line coach George Warhop, Colts offensive line coach Chris Strausser has emerged as the leading candidate to replace him.
- The Dolphins have requested to interview Chargers assistant secondary coach Tom Donatell for the secondary coaching position in Miami, according to a tweet by Pelissero. The son of Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, Tom is making his own way up through the coaching ranks of the NFL.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/15/23
Here are the only minor moves from today:
New England Patriots
- Waived: CB Tae Hayes, K Quinn Nordin, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Hayes has bounced around quite a bit in his first three years of NFL play with New England being his fifth destination. He played in the last two games for the Patriots this year. Wilkerson signed with the Patriots practice squad in 2020 after initially signing as an undrafted free agent with the Titans. The former All-OVC receiver out of Southeast Missouri State showed promise at the end of the 2021 season, catching four passes for 42 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start but was placed on injured reserve just before the start of the 2022 season. Nordin has had a bumpy road as a Patriot. Initially being chosen to kick for the team over Nick Folk as an undrafted rookie out of Michigan in 2021, despite a preseason game that saw him miss a 36-yard field goal and two extra points, Nordin never saw action in his rookie season due to injury. He spent the 2022 season on the reserve/non-football injury list.
Coaching Notes: Panthers, Kocurek, Leftwich, Titans
Yesterday, Joseph Person of The Athletic provided a breakdown of the Panthers‘ recent search for a new head coach that ended in the hiring of Frank Reich. There were a few notes of interest that we took away from the behind the scenes look.
The first note of interest is the revelation that, when interim head coach Steve Wilks interviewed for the official role, he laid out his full offensive plan for the search committee. Part of Wilks’ offensive plan relied on the pursuit of Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson as his offensive coordinator. Johnson’s year coaching a phenomenal season by quarterback Jalen Hurts made him a name to watch for many of the open offensive coordinator jobs around the league. He did end up interviewing with the Rams and Jets for jobs that went to Mike LaFleur and Nathaniel Hackett, respectively.
A second note of interest is likely a clue as to why Wilks didn’t end up as the official head coach of the Panthers. Of the nine candidates Carolina looked at for the position, seven had offensive backgrounds. Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer has a belief that “offensive coordinators-turned-head coaches might have an edge in game management.” That explains why Wilks was so detailed in his offensive plan and, perhaps, how much of an uphill battle he faced.
Lastly, it was reported that Reich was becoming the clear choice for the job by his second interview. “The first time he came in, he was dialed in, laid out his plan,” Fitterer said. “Then when he came back in the second time, he took that plan and went deeper, went to a different level.” Reich was offered the position the next day, prompting an immediate response from the legal team representing Wilks and Brian Flores in their lawsuit accusing the league of racial discrimination.
Here are a few other notes of coaching developments occurring around the NFL:
- Even though Wilks didn’t get the head coaching position he coveted, he ended up landing a top coordinator position in the league with the 49ers, following the departure of DeMeco Ryans. San Francisco defensive line coach Kris Kocurek received some interest for the Texans defensive coordinator position under his former coordinator and was in consideration for the job that Ryans vacated and Wilks took. Wilks apparently was able to convince Kocurek to stay in the Bay Area, keeping a respected defensive assistant on his staff, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
- Former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich could be headed to the college ranks, following his recent dismissal from Tampa Bay. According to Grace Remington of 247Sports, Leftwich reached out to Notre Dame about the offensive coordinator position vacated by Tommy Rees, who left to become the offensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa. Leftwich has reportedly remained in contact with the head coach of the Fighting Irish, Marcus Freeman, and remains a strong contender for the job.
- A slew of coaching updates in Nashville were provided earlier today, with a few smaller assignments sliding under notice. Formerly the running backs coach over star Derrick Henry, Tony Dews has transitioned to the tight ends coaching position for the Titans, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. It was recently reported that former Buccaneers assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust was making her way to Tennessee. Wilson provided clarification that she has been brought on in a defensive quality control role. Justin Hamilton will reportedly join her in a similar role. Finally, Wilson provided news of a departure, reporting that secondary coach Anthony Midget will not be retained in 2023.
Latest On Broncos’ Coaching Staff
The Broncos’ coaching staff around new head coach Sean Payton is starting to take shape after many assistants have parted ways with the franchise in anticipation of Payton bringing in his own staffers. Currently, “roughly 60-percent of the top coaches from last year won’t return,” according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. 
Of 17 primary coaches from last season, excluding quality control, lower level assistants, and interns, 10 are on their way out of Denver after either deciding to move on or being told they will not be retained. Former head coach Nathaniel Hackett, offensive line coach Butch Barry, and special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes were let go before the conclusion of the 2022 season.
Since then, tight ends coach Jake Moreland and assistant offensive line coach Ben Steele were named early as coaches who would not return. Also on offense, running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley is listed as a coach on the way out, according to Klis’ list.
After failing to secure the open head coaching position, former defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero accepted the same position under new Panthers’ head coach Frank Reich. Yesterday, it was revealed that inside linebackers coach Peter Hansen would part ways with the team, and today, Klis tweeted that outside linebackers coach Bert Watts is also not expected to return. Watts did a commendable job putting together a pass rush for one of the league’s top defenses despite multiple serious injuries at the position. Both Hansen and Watts are likely candidates to join Evero in Carolina.
Lastly, head strength and conditioning coach Loren Landow was also reported to be seeking other opportunities with the expectation that Payton will bring in his own strength and conditioning coach to Denver.
Currently, that leaves offensive coordinator Justin Outten, quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak, wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni, defensive line coach Marcus Dixon, defensive backs coach Christian Parker, assistant defensive backs coach Ola Adams, and special teams assistant Mike Mallory as the last remnants of the Broncos’ 2022 staff. That’s not to say all of these assistants will remain in Denver in 2023, though. Many staff changes are still expected to come as Payton begins staff interviews this week.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/7/23
Texans Request Chris Harris, Marquand Manuel DC Interviews
FEBRUARY 7: Houston has also put in a request to interview Manuel, reports Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. That comes as little surprise, given the Texans’ previously noted interest in him following Ryans’ HC hire. Manuel, 43, spent two years as a defensive coordinator in Atlanta, and has since worked with the Eagles’ and Jets’ defensive backs.
Wilson also notes that Kocurek is no longer on the Texans’ radar not due to a lack of interest, but rather the overwhelming belief that he will remain in San Francisco. He, along with Undlin, represent logical internal replacement candidates for Ryans with the 49ers. Undlin had been reported to be “in the mix” for that position by SI’s Albert Breer, but Wilson tweets that the 51-year-old’s contract with San Francisco has expired. As a result, he is free to explore opportunities below the coordinator level, including in Houston and elsewhere.
FEBRUARY 6: The Texans are looking to fill out their staff under new head coach DeMeco Ryans, reportedly requesting to interview former Commanders defensive backs coach Chris Harris for the defensive coordinator job in Houston, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Harris had reportedly been the Titans’ planned hire as defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach, but no official statement was ever made.
It seemed that Harris was off the market due to the Titans’ plans, but a little over a week later, the 49ers reportedly had interest in interviewing Harris for their defensive coordinator position. After that, it began to seem that Harris would allow his greater options to play out before committing to Tennessee. Harris did interview with San Francisco, and the 49ers’ coordinator hiring process is still ongoing, plus now Harris has been connected to Houston’s search.
Harris isn’t the only name that’s been mentioned in Houston so far. A little over a week ago, the first few names of interest were reported. Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel, 49ers passing game specialist/secondary coach Cory Undlin, and 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek were all mentioned as candidates of interest in Houston. Manuel is the only one of the four who has experience as a defensive coordinator, but with Ryans leading the team, it appears prior experience is not a requirement.
The intriguing scenario around Harris has been prolonged, as he is still receiving significant interest for open defensive coordinator jobs. In Houston he’ll be forced to compete with two of Ryan’s former San Francisco underlings in Undlin and Kocurek, but Harris has certainly been a hot name in coaching circles. His ascent up the coaching ladder is sure to continue next year whether he accepts the offer in Tennessee, replaces Ryans in San Francisco, or joins him in Houston.
Coaching Notes: Broncos, Montgomery, Robertson, Johnson
After the announcement that he would become the next head coach in Denver, Sean Payton‘s new coaching staff is beginning to take form. Recent reports have clued us in to expected hires for the offensive line and tight ends coaching positions and have revealed the fate of a holdover from last year.
At offensive line coach, the Broncos are expected to hire Zach Strief, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Strief is a former seventh-round draft pick for the Saints that spent five years on the bench before taking over at right tackle for the retiring Jon Stinchcomb. He would go on to start the next five seasons as the team’s right tackle. Strief spent all 12 years of his playing career in New Orleans before eventually retiring a Saint in 2019. Since then, Strief has been working towards a role in coaching, serving as the Saints assistant offensive line coach for the past two seasons. A role as the Broncos offensive line coach would be his first opportunity as the lead coach at that position.
Payton’s poaching of his former coaching staff may not stop there. Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported today that Saints offensive assistant Declan Doyle is being considered for the Broncos tight ends coaching position. This would also be a first-time position coach hire. Doyle has spent four years in his current role with New Orleans. His only prior experience was as an offensive student assistant at the University of Iowa.
In the opposite direction, the Broncos’ inside linebackers coach from last season, Peter Hansen, is reportedly not going to be a part of the new staff, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. In his only year at the job, Hansen coached linebackers Alex Singleton and Josey Jewell to career highs in tackles and tackles for loss. Singleton’s 163 total tackles ranked fifth in the NFL this season. A likely outcome would see Hansen joining his former defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero in Carolina.
Here are a few more coaching notes from around the league:
- The Lions added a strong piece to their coaching staff today, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, reportedly hiring Scottie Montgomery in the role of assistant head coach/running backs coach. Montgomery had spent the last two years as the running backs coach in Indianapolis coaching up young super star Jonathan Taylor. Despite a third-year slump devastated by injuries, Taylor’s sophomore season benefitted greatly from the addition of Montgomery to the staff as he would lead the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns in 2021. The respected veteran position coach was a popular candidate for many other jobs around the league. The hire is a big one for Detroit.
- The Saints are on the lookout for a new defensive backs coach after dismissing co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach Kris Richard earlier this week. Anderson from CBS Sports reported that Cardinals defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson is being considered for a role that may be defined as secondary coach/passing game coordinator.
- Former Aggie quarterback Jerrod Johnson was back in Texas this weekend as the Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach interviewed for a senior offensive assistant staff position with the Texans, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The Houston-native worked closely with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and quarterback Kirk Cousins this season. He’s quickly becoming a hot name in coaching circles, earning an interview this offseason for the Chargers offensive coordinator position that went to Kellen Moore.