Browns Working To Hire Steve Wilks As DC
New Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens appears prepared to make the first major hire to his coaching staff. The team is working on a deal to hire former Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks as the team’s defensive coordinator, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets. 
Just earlier today, it was reported Wilks, who served one season as Arizona’s head coach, was expected to interview for the position. He apparently won over the new Browns head coach, and the two sides are working to finalize an agreement.
Wilks, 49, went 3-13 in his one season with the Cardinals before he was fired late last week. Despite the poor record, the coach had the support of the players, including Larry Fitzgerald, who advocated for his return. Before going to Arizona, Wilks served as Carolina’s defensive coordinator and assistant head coach in 2017, helping the team rank No. 7 in yards allowed (317.1) and tied for 10th in points surrendered (20.4).
The Browns will not have to adjust to a new defensive scheme, as Wilks employs the same 4-3 unit that Cleveland has used for the last two seasons.
Bears To Interview Chuck Pagano For DC
On Thursday, it was reported the Bears had interest in speaking with former Colts head coach Chuck Pagano about their open defensive coordinator role. Those reports were confirmed, as the team was expected to sit down with Pagano on Friday, Brad Biggs and Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune write. 
The Bears are emphasizing finding a replacement for Vic Fangio — who accepted the head coaching gig in Denver — who has experience in operating a 3-4 scheme and Pagano checks that box from his time in Indianapolis and with the Ravens as defensive coordinator.
Chicago is not the only team interested in Pagano. The Browns, Cardinals and Jets have all shown interest in the 58-year-old coach for their defensive coordinator. Before the spots were filled, he also interviewed for head coach with the Packers and Broncos.
Before spending 2012-17 with the Colts as head coach, Pagano found success as defensive coordinator with the 2011 Ravens, which he helped lead to the AFC Championship game. During that season, Baltimore boasted the league’s No. 3-ranked defense both in points and yards allowed.
The Bears are arguably the top landing spot for any defensive coordinator in 2019. In addition to having the top scoring defense with the most takeaways in 2018, the team also possesses a game-breaking talent in Khalil Mack to build around for the next several seasons.
Jay Gruden To Return To Redskins In 2019
The Redskins have decided to retain head coach Jay Gruden for the 2019 season, NBC Sports’ JP Findlay tweets. 
The move was assumed after most teams looking to replace their man in charge have already done so and moved on to interviews with candidates. The Redskins made it official, however, telling the team’s coach for the past five seasons that he will indeed coach a sixth.
Gruden has gone 35-44-1 in his tenure with the club, but was off to a solid start in 2018 before key injuries sunk their playoff chances down the stretch. With starter Alex Smith and backup Colt McCoy lost for the season, the team turned to Mark Sanchez and Josh Johnson in its limp to the finish. Despite the key injuries, the Redskins managed to pull out a respectable-for-the-circumstances 7-9 record.
Though he gave Gruden the benefit of the doubt, team owner Dan Snyder is not known for his patience with the team’s coaching staff. Signed through 2020, Gruden will undoubtedly be coaching for his job in 2019.
Steelers Not Bringing Back LB Coach Joey Porter
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced the team will not be renewing outside linebackers coach Joey Porter‘s contract, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes. 
“I have informed outside linebackers coach Joey Porter that we will not renew his contract,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement. “These are difficult decisions when it comes to someone like Joey who has meant a lot to this organization as both a player and coach. I want to thank Joey for his coaching efforts over the past five years on our defensive staff. We wish him the best in his future coaching career.”
On the surface, the move seems like an odd one, seeing how the Steelers led the league in sacks in each of the past two seasons and finished third in 2015, Porter’s first year on the job. One possible explanation is the move could’ve come from above Mike Tomlin, with an ownership looking to send a message, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
Florio notes that nowhere in Tomlin’s statement does the coach say that he initiated the move and cites Bruce Arians’ retirement in 2012 as precedent for such a move.
However, Porter has been a distraction off the field during his tenure. In 2017, the former Steelers linebacker was arrested for public drunkenness and assault, but the charges were dropped. In the past postseason, he also got into it with cornerback Adam Jones during a game.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/4/19
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
San Francisco 49ers
Dolphins To Explore Trading Ryan Tannehill
It was reported in December the Dolphins were ready to move on from starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Instead of just cutting the sixth-year signal-caller, the team is expected to see what he could, if anything, fetch in a trade, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. 
By cutting or trading the QB, the Dolphins would open up $13.2MM in cap space. Alternatively, they could clear out $18.7MM in savings by making him a post-June 1 cut, but that would come with the downside of another dead money hit in 2020.
While the team would like to recoup anything at all for Tannehill, attempting to find a suitor for him in a trade is tricky according to Jackson. Talking to a veteran NFL general manager, Jackson says a team is likely to ask for Tannehill to renegotiate his contract before offering a mid-round pick. That is something the quarterback and his agent, Pat Dye, are likely to balk at, forcing the Dolphins to cut the quarterback and allowing him to pick his own team at the highest bidder.
“The contract numbers are really high on him,” said the league executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The question is would he renegotiate to facilitate a trade. But why would he renegotiate? A team will ask to renegotiate and I think Pat Dye would say no if it involves a pay cut. And then they would be forced to cut him.”
More than likely, the Dolphins will cut the veteran passer, but teams desperate for an option under center have surprised before.
Titans DC Dean Pees To Return In 2019
Titans defensive coordinator Dean Pees informed the team that he intends to return to the team for the 2019 season, Jim Wyatt of the team’s website writes. 
In November, the 69-year-old coordinator was taken to the hospital for a “medical issue” but returned to the team the following day and didn’t miss a game the rest of the season. At the end of the 2017 season, Pees was expected to retire when he left the Ravens but joined the Titans’ staff a month later as the team’s new defensive coordinator under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel.
In his first season with the team, Pees led the Titans to the No. 3-ranked scoring defense and the unit allowed the eighth-fewest yards. That was the first time Tennessee ranked in the top 10 in both categories since the Jeff Fisher-led squad went 13-3 in 2008. In December, Pees’ unit registered a 17-0 win over the Giants for the team’s first shutout since the 2000 campaign.
A longtime defensive coordinator in New England (2006-09) and Baltimore (2012-17), Pees boasts 46 years of coaching experience and a handful of top-10 units.
Packers To Interview Adam Gase
The Packers are expected to interview former Dolphins head coach Adam Gase for their head coaching vacancy, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein tweets. That interview is expected to come on Sunday, the same day the team interviews Tennessee’s Matt LaFleur, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky hears (Twitter link). 
Gase, who went 23-25 with the Dolphins in three seasons, wrapped up two interviews this week after meeting with the Cardinals and Jets. The 40-year-old Gase is an innovative offensive mind who rose to fame as the orchestrator of Denver’s dynamic offense during Peyton Manning‘s tenure with the team. In three years as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator, the team posted a pair of top-five offenses, including a No. 1-overall ranking in 2013 when Manning set the records for passing yards and touchdowns in a season. That type of offensive mind fits the mold of what the Packers are expected to want in a head coach to pair with Aaron Rodgers.
According to Pro Football Rumors’ head coaching search tracker, Gase will push the Packers’ number of interviews that are scheduled and expected to near double digits. That search includes other offensive minds like Josh McDaniels and Dan Campbell, as well as a host of former head coaches like Jim Caldwell and Chuck Pagano.
Glover Quin Undecided On Playing In 2019
Lions safety Glover Quin does not know yet if he will play in the NFL in 2019, the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett writes. 
When asked by reporters if he would be returning next season, the veteran defender responded by saying, “I don’t know. We’ll see.” Asked if he would consider another place to play besides Detroit, he answered, “I don’t know. Depends on the situation.”
Quin, who turns 33 in January, has started all 15 of the Lions’ games in 2018, but has seen some of his play time eaten into by rookie Tracy Walker in recent weeks. Birkett says there is growing speculation the 10-year veteran will retire or be released before next season. The 2014 Pro Bowl selection is due a $5.25MM base salary with an extra $1MM in bonuses next season.
A fourth-round pick in 2009 by Houston, Quin quickly moved into a starting role as a cornerback before transitioning to safety with the Texans. He hit his stride in Detroit, where he logged a league-leading seven interceptions in 2014. His 2018 season has been a down one, however, as Quin has yet to register an interception. He tallied at least two picks in every season since 2011.
During the 2018 offseason, Quin reportedly contemplated retirement while away from the team in the spring dealing with a family issue. He returned for June minicamp, however, and says he has been locked in since returning to the team.
Vontaze Burfict Sustained Seventh Career Concussion
During Cincinnati’s 26-18 loss to Cleveland on Sundary, linebacker Vontaze Burfict suffered his seventh career concussion which could put his career in jeopardy, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Katherine Terrell (Twitter link). 
The veteran linebacker had just returned to the field after missing the previous two games with a concussion, but couldn’t make it through the game before reentering the concussion protocol.
A Pro Bowl selection in 2013, Burfict played in all 16 games in each of his first two seasons but has failed to see the field for more than 11 contests since. While many of those absences have been suspension related due to illegal hits, the linebacker has still only managed to be on the field for seven games in 2018.
Burfict is signed through the 2020 season at a total of $11.2MM, not including bonuses. If Burfict is on the roster on March 31, 2018, he will receive a $2MM roster bonus.
Obviously, the contract details take a backseat to Burfict needing to seek what is best for his longterm health at this point.