Latest On Falcons CB Isaiah Oliver
Three days after his 25th birthday, Falcons cornerback Isaiah Oliver was carted off the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with what would eventually be diagnosed as a season-ending, surgery-requiring right ACL tear. Nine months later, Oliver is still working his way back onto the field, not fully ready to return, but not far off, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN. 
The advancement in science, medicine, and rehabilitation has affected so much about injury returns in the NFL. Comments worrying about if players will look like their former selves after an ACL-repair surgery are few and far between these days with many players not showing a hint of injury upon their return to full strength. The one thing that doesn’t seem to be too affected is the recovery timeline. The length of time it takes to return to the gridiron after a torn ACL remains lengthy, ranging from nine months to one year. Some doctors will permit returns after as few as six months, but a consensus full-recovery usually takes a bit longer.
With this timeline in mind, Oliver is perfectly on track. He spent six weeks on crutches and still required some time after to get comfortable off of the crutches. It wouldn’t be until three-and-a-half months after his surgery that Oliver would begin running again. Months worth of atrophy made it an unfamiliar feeling, but, slowly, Oliver returned to surer footing, with his teammates helping him as much as he wished he could help them.
“Just make sure you’re keeping him right and in a good head space,” cornerback AJ Terrell, Oliver’s teammate of the past two seasons, told Rothstein. “And just letting him know that we got him and just taking care of his body and get back as soon as possible.”
The injury couldn’t have occurred at a worse time for Oliver as he was four weeks into a contract year. Oliver hasn’t proven himself to be a ball-hawk, snagging only one interception in his career, but he’s shown his ability to separate the ball from an offensive player with 27 passes defensed and three forced fumbles in his first four years. He was also in the process of learning to play in the slot to give Atlanta a strong three-man cornerback group of himself, Terrell, and Fabian Moreau. If Oliver had showed success in expanding his versatility, it would have presented him with another bargaining chip to bring to the discussions over his next contract.
Fortunately for Oliver, the Falcons are giving him another opportunity at a contract year. Shortly after the season, Atlanta re-signed Oliver to a one-year, $2.39MM deal.
“I essentially get, like, a redo,” Oliver explained. “I get that year over again, being in the same system with the same team and the same guys.”
In May, seven months post-surgery, Oliver’s running started to feel more natural. Falcons secondary coach Jon Hoke claimed he “can see the significant growth” each week, while noting that there is still some progress to go.
Oliver participated in individual drills this offseason while continuing his rehabilitation. The next steps will come in camps and will begin to test Oliver’s confidence and comfort in real-time scenarios. Until then, Oliver will continue to plug away at his rehab with his teammates by his side.
Panthers LB Frankie Luvu To Expand Role In 2022
Linebacker Frankie Luvu has slowly built his name in the NFL. He’s worked his way from special teams back to the defensive side of the ball and, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic, Carolina will look to utilize Luvu as a linebacker on both the inside and the outside next season. 
After going undrafted in 2018, Luvu signed with the Jets. He probably sealed his spot on the roster with his special teams play, but Luvu found the field quite a bit as an undrafted rookie. Spending the season as a backup linebacker, Luvu compiled 22 total tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, and 11 quarterback hits during his first year in the NFL. Although he was unable to record any stats in Week 17, New York rewarded him with his first career start.
After being relegated to more of a special teams role in his sophomore season, Luvu returned to more of a split role between defense and special teams in his third year, earning three starts following an injury to starter C.J. Mosley. Luvu’s stat sheet that year resembled his rookie season more than his second year as he continued to play more on defense.
Luvu’s hard work and production despite limited playing time didn’t go unnoticed. When he hit free agency that offseason, Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer took a flier on Luvu despite his size lending doubt to where he might fit in defensive coordinator Phil Snow‘s defense. They decided they liked him as a linebacker and, of course, a core special-teamer.
Luvu spent the season as a backup behind starting linebackers Shaq Thompson, Jermaine Carter, and Haason Reddick, earning most of his snaps on special teams. He did earn four starts throughout the season in four games that either Thompson or Reddick sat out.
Once again, despite the limited playing time, Luvu filled out the stat sheet. During his first year in Carolina, Luvu totaled 43 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 8.0 tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, one pass defensed, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries. He even added a blocked punt for good measure.
Thompson, a defensive captain for the Panthers, spoke highly of Luvu, saying, “He’s energetic. He’s a leader. He’s a big part of our defense. He’s one you can count on to make a play. He’s one you can count on off the field to be there for you.”
Carolina rewarded Luvu’s production and reliability with his first multi-year contract, a two-year, $9MM deal. Snow also plans on rewarding him with more opportunities in more positions on defense.
“He can create a lot of havoc by sending him in different areas,” Snow explained. “That’s his biggest asset, but Frankie’s made a lot of progress dropping (in coverage)…I think you’re gonna see a more all-around linebacker this fall from Frankie.”
The Panthers lost starters Carter and Reddick to free agency, but were able to reload with the free agent additions of veteran linebackers Damien Wilson and Cory Littleton. So Luvu will once again back up the starting three, this time composed of Thompson, Wilson, and Littleton, but his increased experience and production, combined with Snow’s desire to utilize him all over the field, should provide Luvu with more playing time and opportunities come September.
Trade Candidate: Cowboys DT Trysten Hill
Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill has seen his fair share of obstacles en route to a career in the NFL, some self-inflicted. It appears he hasn’t seen the end of these obstacles yet, as ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that Hill’s road to continue playing in the NFL may require him to boost his stock and earn some trade-value at camp this summer. 
The Cowboys selected Hill in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft as their top draft pick that year. Hill had entered the draft early, forgoing his senior season after three years at UCF. He had started all 13 games in both his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Knights, but, by his junior year, Hill had reportedly fallen out of favor with the UCF coaches and only started one game during his third season. Despite not being granted the privilege of starting, 2018 was Hill’s best year in Orlando as he doubled his career sack total from 3.0 to 6.0 and more than doubled his career tally of tackles for loss from 9.5 to 20.0.
The Cowboys’ top-drafted rookie didn’t see much of the field in his first season. Playing behind Maliek Collins and Christian Covington, Hill only saw seven games of action in 2019, never playing in even half of the team’s defensive snaps. In those seven appearances, Hill was only able to make 5 total tackles, one for a loss, and 2 quarterback hits.
In his second year with the team, a preseason injury to presumed starter Gerald McCoy left the door wide open for Hill. Hill was named the starting three-technique defensive tackle to start the season. Unfortunately for Hill, he tore his ACL in a Week 5 game against the Giants and spent the rest of the season on injured reserve.
His time before the injury wasn’t all sunshine and roses, though. While he was starting to make more of an impact on defense, racking up 11 total tackles, one for a loss, and 3 quarterback hits, a couple of plays with questionable intention brought back memories of the behavior that lost Hill his starting honors in college. In a Week 3 game against Seattle, Hill caused controversy on plays against running back Chris Carson and quarterback Russell Wilson. After tackling Carson, Hill appeared to twist Carson’s knee after the whistle had blown. Carson suffered a knee sprain and Hill was fined $6,522 for the act. On the same drive, Wilson was the recipient of a late, helmet-to-helmet hit from Hill. While Wilson suffered no injury as a result, the league still fined Hill an additional $6,522 for the hit.
Last year saw Hill start the season on the reserve/PUP list. He wasn’t activated until Week 10 and failed to make the same impact he had the prior year, though he did record his first portion of a sack in the NFL. Hill fought for playing time behind Osa Odighizuwa, Carlos Watkins, and Quinton Bohanna. When he wasn’t fighting for playing time, though, he was still fighting. After a Week 12 game against the Raiders, Hill punched Las Vegas guard John Simpson, leading to a one-game suspension.
Now, Hill is headed into a contract year. Odighizuwa, Watkins, and Bohanna all return this year after taking playing time from him last season. Even Neville Gallimore has apparently risen above Hill on the depth chart, leading to some long odds for Hill to earn significant playing time.
As Archer suggested above, the best path forward for Hill might be to seek a less-crowded depth chart. If Hill can take advantage of the playing time he will get as a back up in the preseason and prove that he can behave and play nicely with the other players in the NFL, the Cowboys may be able to move Hill for a reasonable return and provide him with an opportunity to start again in a new city.
Release Candidate: Colts DE Ben Banogu
The Colts have a strong recent history picking in the second round of the NFL draft. General manager Chris Ballard has hit multiple homeruns on both sides of the ball with picks like linebacker Darius Leonard in 2018 and running back Jonathan Taylor in 2020. Defensive end Ben Banogu, though, a 2019 second-round draft pick, may soon see his opportunity in Indianapolis come to end, according to Mike Wells of ESPN. 
Banogu’s college career granted him access into the league. After one year of play at Louisiana-Monroe as a redshirt freshman, Banogu transferred to TCU, sitting out for a year before he could play in Fort Worth. The Nigerian-native made the most out of his final two years of eligibility, compiling 8.5 sacks in each of his two seasons with the Horned Frogs and totaling 34.5 tackles for loss in those years. In both seasons of Big 12 play, Banogu was named first-team All-Big 12.
Banogu’s domination at the collegiate-level justified Ballard’s use of a second-round pick at the time. The Colts saw what he did at TCU and wanted to see that production in their blue and white, putting him on the field early and often during his rookie season. That first year in the league, under the mentorship of Justin Houston while playing with Al-Quadin Muhammad and Jabaal Sheard, was Banogu’s best. While he only tallied 11 total tackles, he recorded 2.5 sacks, 3.0 tackles for loss, 5 quarterback hits, a forced fumble, and a pass defensed. He was on the field for a quarter of the team’s defensive snaps as a back up, getting a good amount of experience as a rookie.
In the two years since, Banogu has only made 8 total tackles and 1 quarterback hit. He hasn’t collected a sack or tackle for loss since November of 2019. While Banogu has seen a significant drop in snap count when he’s active, the other factor that has crushed his production is his availability. Banogu has seen long stretches of time over the past two seasons as a healthy scratch, a situation where an injury is not the reason a team lists a player as inactive for a game.
Banogu has seen his opportunity begin to wane. The Colts drafted pass rushers in the first and second rounds last year in Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo, who both currently sit above Banogu on the depth chart. Indianapolis also brought in former Pro Bowler Yannick Ngakoue to add a veteran presence to the ends-group.
Banogu has seen the field less and less each season, spending most of last year on the inactive list. The team’s moves to add production to the defensive end position over the past year or so points to the end of their patience. Banogu is trending fast towards a bust-label and it could cost him his job by the end of August.
Jaguars File Motion To Dismiss Lambo Lawsuit
Two months ago, free agent kicker Josh Lambo filed a lawsuit against his former team in Jacksonville for acts allegedly performed by the former head coach of the Jaguars, Urban Meyer. Jacksonville filed a motion this week to dismiss the lawsuit, alleging that the club is not responsible for the actions of Meyer, according to Daniel Kaplan of The Atheltic. 
In the 2021 preseason, Lambo missed a kick in each of Jacksonville’s first two games. Lambo alleged that, during a practice before the final preseason game, Meyer kicked him in the leg and said, “Hey dips—, make your f—ing kicks!” When Lambo told Meyer, “Don’t you ever f—ing kick me again!” Meyer replied by saying, “I’m the head ball coach. I’ll kick you whenever the f— I want.”
The Jaguars claim in their motion that, under the Florida Whistleblower Act, the team cannot be sued for retaliation since they didn’t instruct Meyer to kick Lambo. Their motion says, “Plaintiff’s case is predicated solely on the alleged criminal acts of Urban Meyer, not any policy, practice or activity of club.”
Lambo’s initial suit further claims that he notified his agent, Richard Irvin, of the interaction and that Irvin made the team’s counsel aware of the matter the following day. The allegations became public in December, shortly before Meyers was terminated, and, at the time, the Jaguars released a statement saying that the team immediately responded to Irvin’s query saying, “Counsel offered to speak with Josh, or to assist Josh in speaking with coaching or any other football personnel, if he was comfortable with her sharing the information. Any suggestion otherwise is blatantly false.”
According to Jacksonville’s new motion, they allege that they received no response to their offer to provide Lambo with counsel. The motion reads, “Plaintiff does not allege he or his agent ever responded to the inquiry made by Club’s legal counsel offering to follow up with Plaintiff, with Mr. Meyer and/or with Club management.”
Lambo is seeking damages for emotional distress and reputational harm as well as his full $3.5MM salary from 2021. He claims “the environment created by Meyer and the franchise affected his performance,” which suffered until he was cut after missing three field goals and two extra points in the team’s first two games.
Meyer has refuted the accuracy of Lambo’s description of events and Jacksonville’s new motion claims that, regardless of the accuracy, they hold no fault for Meyer’s “alleged criminal acts.”
Chargers QB Justin Herbert’s Responsibility Extending Off-Field?
After only two years in the NFL, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has made an incredible impression on the field for Los Angeles, breaking a few league records along the way. His impact on the team hasn’t stopped there, though, as the Chargers have asked for Herbert’s opinions on roster decisions, as well, according to Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports. 
There is plenty about the 24-year-old quarterback to be impressed about. Despite the lack of team success, Herbert has accumulated “the most completions (839) and passing yards (9,350) through the first two seasons of a career” in NFL history. He also became the first quarterback in league history to throw for 30 touchdowns or more in each of his first two seasons. The feat of throwing for over 5,000 yards in a season this past year is another anomaly, as only Patrick Mahomes and Dan Marino had accomplished that in one of their first two years of NFL football.
In an interview with the young phenom, Kerr inquired about the impacts of Herbert’s career so far beyond the gridiron. He asked the Oregon product if Los Angeles asks for his input on roster construction, if they invite his opinions on what he needs in order to improve the roster.
“The great part about the Chargers is they have asked!” Herbert replied. “They definitely want to keep communication open there, but my response to them is ‘I just want to play quarterback and I trust you guys and whatever you decide to do.'”
The answer to the question says a ton about the respect the Chargers have for their young passer and his response to their request shows trust and maturity. There are plenty of things for Herbert to be working on this offseason, but scouting probably shouldn’t be on the list. Trusting general manager Tom Telesco and company to build a team around him is probably the best move for Herbert at the current moment. But how has that trust been serving him so far?
The biggest possible move the Chargers could make to help Herbert succeed is exactly what they did. Los Angeles took Herbert’s leading receiver from last year, Mike Williams, and secured his return with a three-year, $60MM contract. The Williams signing, along with exclusive rights free agent Jalen Guyton signing a one-year deal, ensures that all four of Herbert’s top wide receivers from last year will return in 2022.
After the departures of Jared Cook and Stephen Anderson in free agency, the Chargers only return 235 receiving yards from the tight end position between Donald Parham, who signed his ERFA tender in March, and Tre’ McKitty. Los Angeles countered the losses by signing former Seahawks tight end Gerald Everett to a two-year, $12MM contract. While his numbers have never been eye-popping, Everett has shown reliably, putting up at least 400 receiving yards each of the last three years and catching four touchdowns last season.
Los Angeles utilized the draft, as well, to bring in a strong back up running back in Isaiah Spiller to relieve Austin Ekeler on occasion. They also attempted to fill in some weak spots on the offensive line by drafting guards Zion Johnson in the first round and Jamaree Salyer in the sixth.
Not only have the Chargers been making moves to build their offense around Herbert, but they made major moves on the defensive-side of the ball in an attempt to build a complete team for Herbert to lead to the playoffs. To combat the losses of Uchenna Nwosu, Kyzir White, Justin Jones, and Kyler Fackrell, Los Angeles broke out the checkbook to bring in the likes of J.C. Jackson, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, Kyle Van Noy, Bryce Callahan, and Troy Reeder. They even sacrificed some draft capital in a trade with Chicago that brought former Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack back to California.
So, yes, the Chargers have been going to great lengths to prop Herbert up and help him and the franchise succeed, going as far as to ask Herbert exactly what he needs from them. Herbert trusts them and they’ve rewarded his trust thus far.
AFC East Rumors: Poyer, Franklin-Myers, Joyner, Hall
Bills safety Jordan Poyer ended his hold out last month, attending mandatory minicamp in order to avoid the roughly $90,000 in fines he would have been liable to pay for an unexcused absence. He’s also not likely to return to his hold out once camp begins for a similar reason, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News.
Poyer had skipped OTAs in May after he had decided to push Buffalo for a contract extension. The deal would likely benefit both parties. Poyer would get a raise while the Bills would have an opportunity to lower Poyer’s cap hit and keep one of the NFL’s best safety tandems together for a few more years (as fellow safety, Micah Hyde, is under contract through next season).
If Poyer balked and ended his hold out at $90,000 to attend minicamp, it’s had to imagine that he would be willing to shell out the $50,000 daily fine that would hit him as a player not on a rookie contract missing camp. Poyer has recently doubled down on his assertion that he truly wants to remain in Buffalo, so moving forward in good faith puts the pressure on the Bills to provide him with a deal to keep him from walking at the end of the season..
Here are a few other rumors from out of the AFC East, specifically coming out of the Garden State:
- The Jets brought in edge defender Carl Lawson last offseason to improve their pass rush but, unfortunately, saw his season end before it had a chance to begin. With Lawson coming back healthy and looking to start, New York will have to figure out who to start opposite Lawson on the line. Despite some initial thought that rookie first-round pick Jermaine Johnson II would slide into the starting position, it’s looking like veteran John Franklin-Myers will show early dividends on his recent four-year, $55MM extension and earn the starting job, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. Johnson will likely rotate in off the bench along with Jacob Martin and Bryce Huff.
- The Jets brought in veteran cornerback Lamarcus Joyner last offseason in hopes that he could move to safety and start alongside Marcus Maye. Similar to the loss of Lawson, though, New York saw Joyner suffer a Week 1 injury that would hold him out for the remainder of the season. Despite the loss of Maye to free agency, the Jets are still hoping Joyner can start for them at safety, this time alongside free agent addition Jordan Whitehead, according to Costello. New York still has depth at the position with Ashtyn Davis and Elijah Riley both earning starts throughout last year, but the Jets are hoping they can rely on the veteran 1-2 punch of Joyner at free safety and Whitehead at strong safety.
- Last year’s fourth-round pick, running back Michael Carter, performed admirably over his rookie season showing he can be effective at the NFL-level. But Carter is extremely likely to take a back seat this upcoming season to the team’s second-round pick from this year’s draft, Breece Hall, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic. While Carter was good in his debut season, the Jets fully expect Hall to be a Pro Bowler and a home run hitter. Hall is expected to receive the majority of the carries for New York’s offense and Carter will be a bit more of a role player in his sophomore season.
AFC Roster Rumors: Van Roten, Jefferson, Scharping, Reed
As the calendar year ticks away the days, NFL teams are having to start thinking about the difficult decisions they will have to make to eventually get their rosters down to 53 players to start the season. While the teams still have almost two months to make all the necessary cuts, many veterans are entering training camp on roster bubbles.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the players who may find themselves looking for a new team by the time the season begins:
- The Bills brought in free agent offensive guard Greg Van Roten to solidify their depth on the interior of the offensive line. The 32-year-old veteran has starting experience with the last two clubs he’s spent time with, the Panthers and Jets, but he may not even make it to the final 53-man roster in Buffalo, according to Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. As the Bills figure out just who will receive their coveted roster spots, the final spot will likely become a battle between Van Roten, Greg Mancz, whose experience at center could give him an edge, and rookie sixth-round pick Luke Tenuta.
- The Ravens are overloaded with talent at the safety position. With free agent addition Marcus Williams, first-round pick Kyle Hamilton, and incumbent starters from last year Chuck Clark and Brandon Stephens all crowding the depth chart, veteran Tony Jefferson may find himself on the outside looking in, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. Jefferson was released by Baltimore two offseasons ago, following a season mostly lost to a torn ACL, but was brought back last year after starting safety DeShon Elliott went down with a season-ending injury and Baltimore needed another veteran presence in their defensive backfield. Unfortunately, with the influx of new talent combined with the presence of last year’s starters, the Ravens may find that rostering Jefferson is not crucial to their depth at the position.
- After trading cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. to the Chiefs this offseason, the Texans‘ 2019 draft class is down to two remaining players: first-round tackle Tytus Howard and second-round guard Max Scharping. While Howard has established himself as a starter on the line, Scharping is not a lock for the 53-man roster, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN. Scharping stepped up as a starter during his rookie season but could not manage to hold onto the spot in his second year. The 2021 season saw Scharping struggle enough that his roster spot is now in question.
- Over the past three seasons, pass rusher Malik Reed has been a lifesaver for Denver as the Broncos saw stars Von Miller and Bradley Chubb each miss time over the 2019, 2020, and 2021 seasons. Some roster moves by the Broncos, though, seem to be pointing toward some roster danger for Reed, according to ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. Free agent Randy Gregory was brought in on a $70MM contract, Denver drafted rookie Nik Bonitto in the second round this year, and the Broncos moved Baron Browning to outside linebacker after he played his entire rookie season on the inside. That trio will all be under contract until at least 2025, while Reed is in a contract year. This doesn’t necessarily spell doom for the former undrafted free agent, who has done a lot to earn his spot. But, with only one roster spot likely to be available at the position, Reed will potentially be duking it out with 2021 seventh-round pick Jonathon Cooper for the final OLB roster spot.
Rams’ Thomas Brown Next Out Of McVay’s Coaching Tree?
In mid-January, as the head coaching interviews were reaching their peak, a new name emerged in the head coaching market. In their search to replace former head coach Brian Flores, the Dolphins requested an interview with Thomas Brown, who was in the role of running backs coach/assistant head coach of the Rams at the time. This was really the first time Brown’s name had surfaced in any NFL coaching circles, which is no surprise considering he’d only been coaching in the NFL for two years. Now, though, Brown is shouldering a bit more responsibility in Los Angeles as “his name gains momentum in hiring circles across the league,” according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic (subscription required). 
Brown had a short career in the NFL after being taken in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. As a young running back, Brown saw his rookie season end before it could even get going when a horse collar tackle landed him on injured reserve. After the injury, he never found his way back onto the field.
Not one to sit dormant, Brown went back to his alma mater and became a strength and conditioning coach for the Georgia Bulldogs. He broke into coaching after accepting the role of running backs coach at UT Chattanooga. He progressed through several jobs from there accepting coaching roles at Marshall, Wisconsin, Georgia, Miami (FL), and South Carolina, even rising to the rank of offensive coordinator in Coral Gables, although play-calling duties remained with then head coach Mark Richt. During his time at the collegiate level, Brown mentored many future NFL players such as Melvin Gordon, Corey Clement, Dare Ogunbowale, and Derek Watt at Wisconsin, Sony Michel and Nick Chubb at Georgia, Gus Edwards, Travis Homer, and DeeJay Dallas at Miami, and Tavien Feaster at South Carolina. In his lone season with Gordon, Gordon finished 42 yards short of breaking Barry Sanders’ single-season college rushing record.
According to Brown, that was where his plan ended. “Becoming an offensive coordinator, a head coach, those were never my goals when I first started coaching,” Brown told Rodrigue. He only planned to coach his old position for awhile before he would “retire and disappear with his family into the countryside.” Those plans changed when he discovered that Rams head coach Sean McVay had taken an interest in him. McVay hired Brown as running backs coach shortly after the 2019 NFL season. After only one season on staff, Brown was granted the additional title of assistant head coach.
Brown is known for developing a trust with his players, who would run through walls for him. He’s an advocate for the men he coaches and he takes responsibility for their development outside the game as much as in it, as was displayed in a clip from HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” in which he spoke to his position group about the racial issues plaguing the nation.
After only two years in the NFL, Brown interviewed for the Dolphins’ head coaching vacancy and the Vikings’ offensive coordinator job. Although the job eventually went to former Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Brown was considered for the Rams’ offensive coordinator vacancy, as well, after Kevin O’Connell left to become the Vikings’ head coach. Brown may not have ended up with any of those positions, but the 36-year-old heading into his third season of NFL coaching has certainly not heard the last of the interview requests.
After it was determined that he would stay in Los Angeles, Brown was given more responsibility in the offense. He was asked to transition to tight ends coach/assistant head coach and was tasked with the assignment of hiring his replacement to coach running backs.
McVay has already amassed quite a coaching tree during his five-year tenure as an NFL head coach. So far, four of McVay’s former coordinators and assistants have become head coaches. Not only is Brown the natural next staffer to take the step up to a head coaching position and expand McVay’s coaching tree even further, but he’s also an obvious candidate for a league that is struggling heavily with diversity amongst the top ranks of it’s coaching staffs.
Brown’s NFL coaching career has just begun and has been rising meteorically. The dynamic, young leader of men is bound to make an impact on this league much sooner rather than later.
Extension Candidate: Rashad Fenton
The Chiefs made some outside moves to address their secondary this offseason, but they may not want to overlook the players they have in the building. An underrated move the Chiefs should be looking at this summer is an early extension of cornerback Rashad Fenton. 
Kansas City was forced to make some moves after losing cornerbacks Mike Hughes and Charvarius Ward in free agency. The Chiefs used three of their draft picks this year on cornerbacks, including a first-round pick on the University of Washington’s Trent McDuffie, and even traded away a 2023 seventh-round pick for former-Texans cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. McDuffie is slotted to start opposite third-year cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who started all 15 games he appeared in last season. Fenton is likely the third cornerback on the depth chart with DeAndre Baker, who was drafted 171 picks before Fenton in the 2019 NFL Draft, slotting in at fourth.
Even though Fenton isn’t expected to start on a weekly basis for Kansas City next season, there is a good amount of evidence to suggest that extending him before his contract year would be extremely beneficial for the Chiefs. Not only has Fenton shouldered more and more responsibility with playing time over each of his three seasons, earning more starts and defensive snaps each year, but he’s also moved around the field over the years.
As a rookie, Fenton played mostly in the slot, earning one pick and four passes defensed, as well as a forced fumble and a quarterback hit. In his second season, Fenton split his time between the slot and the outside while making three starts. He totaled one interception, seven passes defensed, and added a tackle for loss, as well. Last season, he played 80% of his snaps on the outside during his eight starts, according to Pro Football Focus, leading to seven more passes defensed, one forced fumble, and a career-high 49 total tackles.
Not only has he displayed the ability to handle the increased responsibility of playing time, but his movement around the secondary provides an extremely valuable versatility, showing he can play in any cornerback role that he’s asked to play in. Another factor that could benefit Kansas City is Fenton’s draft position in the sixth round. According to a data study done by Zach Drapkin at Pro Football Focus (subscription required), late-round draft picks are historically underpaid on their second contracts. Not that the Chiefs would intentionally short their players, but utilizing precedent could help the Chiefs extend Fenton at a bargain-price.
When trying to gauge the range of what an extension might look like for Fenton, there are a few examples that we can look at. Eagles cornerback Avonte Maddox has been an intermittent starter in Philadelphia over the years in the slot and recently signed a three-year, $22.5MM contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $7.5MM. Patriots nickel cornerback Jonathan Jones signed a three-year, $21MM contract in 2019. Neither Maddox nor Jones were drafted highly with Maddox being a fourth-round pick and Jones signing with New England as an undrafted free agent, initially.
Another fourth-round pick that recently signed a new extension was Bills cornerback Taron Johnson, who signed a three-year, $24MM deal last October. I like this comparison because, like Fenton, Johnson’s role on the field increased incrementally each year until last year he served as a full-time starter. It wouldn’t be the Chiefs’ ideal scenario, but, if McDuffie isn’t quite ready to start Week 1 for whatever reason, I believe they’d be fully confident in trotting Fenton out there to start opposite Sneed.
Essentially, most of the deals on these later-round draft picks are for three years and they’ve risen over the last few years from an AAV of $7MM to $8MM per year. Based on the constant inflation of NFL salaries and depending on how much loyalty the Chiefs want to show Fenton, I would predict that an extension for Fenton might have an AAV of anywhere from $8MM-$9MM. A three-year, $26MM contract would be a more-than-generous offer that would still land Kansas City an affordable, dependable, and versatile young cornerback. With Sneed and McDuffie on rookie deals, this would extend the time frame of having the three young cornerbacks on relatively affordable contracts at least through the 2023 season.