Jaguars Interview Trey Brown For GM
The Jaguars have completed an interview with Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown for their general manager vacancy, per a team announcement.
Brown has been one of the league’s hottest GM candidates over the last two cycles. He received interest from the Raiders and the Patriots in 2024 and interviewed with the Jets twice this year. Now, he finds himself on Jacksonville’s radar after they fired Trent Baalke to secure the services of new head coach Liam Coen.
Brown began his front office career as a scout with the Patriots (2010-2012) and the Eagles (2013-2014). He rose up the ranks in Philadelphia to become the director of college scouting in 2016, a position he held for three years before joining the AAF’s Birmingham Iron as executive vice president of football operations in 2019. Brown then moved to the XFL as the St. Louis Battlehawks’ director of player personnel in 2020 before returning to the NFL in 2021.
Brown spent one year as a scout in Cincinnati before his promotion to senior personnel executive. During his tenure, the Bengals added Orlando Brown in free agency and signed Joe Burrow to a long-term extension. However, their 2024 season was marred by poor defense and a struggling rushing attack, though Burrow still led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns.
Brown has no direct connections with Coen, though Bengals head coach Zac Taylor worked closely with Coen in Los Angeles in 2018. If hired, he would seek to provide Trevor Lawrence with additional pass-catching options outside of rookie receiving leader Brian Thomas while upgrading one of the league’s worst defenses heading into 2025.
Here are the rest of the Jaguars’ candidates for the job:
- Chad Alexander, assistant general manager (Chargers): Interview requested
- Brandon Brown, assistant general manager (Giants): Interview requested
- Trey Brown, senior personnel executive (Bengals): Interviewed 1/12
- Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): Interview requested
- James Gladstone, scouting director (Rams): Interview requested
- Terrance Gray, vice president of player personnel (Bills): To interview 2/12
- Mike Greenberg, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Declined interview
- Jon Robinson, former general manager (Titans): One of top candidates?
- Josh Williams, director of scouting and football operations (49ers): Interviewed 2/11
Ohio State To Hire Matt Patricia As DC
The Ohio State University Buckeyes are expected to hire former Lions head coach Matt Patricia as their next defensive coordinator, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Patricia was in Columbus on Monday to discuss the job, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. He will replace Jim Knowles, who left the Buckeyes in January to take the defensive coordinator job at Penn State.
Patricia was a longtime assistant under Bill Belichick in New England. He worked his way up to defensive coordinator in 2012, a post he held until 2018, when he was hired as the Lions’ head coach. Patricia’s time in Detroit was disastrous on and off the field, marked by a 13-29-1 record and several instances of conflict with players. He was fired 11 games into the 2020 season after a 4-7 start and quickly found himself back on Belichick’s staff in New England in 2021. Patricia served as a senior advisor for the next two seasons, which included a stint as offensive play-caller in 2022.
In 2023, the Eagles hired Patricia as a senior defensive assistant. He took over as defensive play-caller by the end of the season, but he was not retained after a lack of improvement from Philadelphia’s defense.
Like his mentor Belichick, Patricia spent the 2024 season away from coaching before taking a job in the college ranks. He will join the Buckeyes as they attempt to weather the loss of several starting defenders – including defensive linemen Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau, and Tyleik Williams – and defend their national championship title.
Browns Hire Christian Jones As TEs Coach
The Browns are hiring Christian Jones as their next tight ends coach, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Jones spent the 2024 season as the Giants assistant quarterbacks coach and will now reunite with Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland. The two overlapped in Minnesota in 2019 when Stefanski was the Vikings’ offensive coordinator and Jones was in his first NFL job as an offensive quality control coach. He moved up to assistant wide receivers coach in 2020 and 2021, coaching Justin Jefferson to an NFL-record 3,016 receiving yards over his first two seasons.
Jones then joined the staff of Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka in 2022 as the Giants’ assistant quarterbacks coach. New York has struggled with inconsistent quarterback play over the last few years, but Jones pulled a few impressive performances out of undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito in 2023.
Jones attracted interest from multiple NFL teams during this year’s hiring cycle. He interviewed for the quarterbacks coach job in Seattle that ultimately went to Andrew Janocko, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Instead, he will coach tight ends in Cleveland where David Njoku will be looking to rebound after finishing 2024 on injured reserve.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/6/25
Here is today’s lone reserve/futures deal:
Washington Commanders
NFC West Notes: Rams, Seahawks, Cards
The Rams are hiring former Ravens, Giants, and Patriots defensive assistant Drew Wilkins as their next defensive pass-game coordinator, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Wilkins started out as an intern in Baltimore in 2011 and worked his way up John Harbaugh‘s staff. When Don ‘Wink’ Martindale took over as defensive coordinator in 2018, he promoted Wilkins to outside linebackers coach. The Ravens parted ways with Martindale in 2022, and Wilkins followed his mentor to the Giants, where he continued in the same position. However, Wilkins did not follow Martindale to Michigan in 2024, instead choosing to join Jerod Mayo‘s staff in New England.
Like Martindale, Wilkins is known for his blitz packages that prioritized pressure over sacks. In his seven seasons coaching outside linebackers, only one reached double-digit sacks in a season (Kayvon Thibodeaux in 2023). The Patriots’ pass rush struggled under Wilkins in 2024, but he will have access to a more talented defensive line in Los Angeles. Wilkins will seek to get the most out of the Rams’ young, athletic quartet of Kobie Turner, Jared Verse, Byron Young, and Braden Fiske.
- Fiske left the Rams’ divisional-round loss with a knee injury that will require surgery, per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. However, head coach Sean McVay told media that it would be a “minor procedure” that “won’t affect his ability to be ready for next year.”
- Mike Macdonald made a few hires heading into his second year as the Seahawks‘ head coach. Andrew Janocko will join Seattle as their quarterbacks coach, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. This will be Janocko’s third stint as quarterbacks coach under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. The two first coached together in Minnesota in 2021 and reunited in New Orleans last year, where they were joined by offensive line coach John Benton. Benton is also set to follow Kubiak to Seattle, according to Pelissero, where he will look to improve an offensive line that allowed 54 sacks in 2024, the third-most in the NFL.
- Kubiak will not be bringing in his own wide receivers coach; incumbent Frisman Jackson will be retained, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. After a disappointing rookie year from 2023 first-rounder Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jackson joined the staff coached the former Ohio State star to 100 receptions and 1,130 receiving yards in 2024.
- The Cardinals hired Cowboys assistant defensive backs coach Cristian Garcia to be their next inside linebackers coach, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. Dallas was hoping to retain Garcia, but he opted to take a promotion on Jonathan Gannon‘s staff.
NFC North Notes: Lions, Bears, Pack, Vikes
The Lions are hiring former NFL quarterback Bruce Gradkowski as an offensive assistant, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Originally a Buccaneers sixth-round pick in 2006, Gradkowski bounced between six different teams in his career, finishing with 37 total appearances and 20 starts. He briefly coached at the high school level before joining the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks as offensive coordinator in 2022.
The Battlehawks’ passing offense have generally been successful under Gradkowski. Ex-Alabama star A.J. McCarron ranked first in passing yards and second in touchdowns in 2023. After the XFL’s merger with the USFL, former Iowa State receiver Hakeem Butler led the newly formed UFL in receiving yards on his way to Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Given his playing and coaching history, Gradkowski’s role in Detroit will likely focus on their passing offense as the Lions attempt to reload their staff after it was pilfered by other NFL teams during this year’s hiring cycle.
- The Lions will also be working to retain their pending free agents, including defensive linemen Levi Onwuzurike and Marcus Davenport. The team has discussed returns with both players, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, with Davenport saying after the season that he wanted to stay in Detroit. Onwuzarike has already engaged in discussions about a deal, with Birkett adding the sides talked about a second contract previously. Davenport has missed most of the past two seasons, and his loss hurt a Lions defense that played without Aidan Hutchinson for much the season as well.
- Lions general manager Brad Holmes is not planning to have the same aggressive approach as his former boss, Rams GM Les Snead. Holmes does not believe the Lions have an expiring Super Bowl window and said that he will “stay committed to the process,” according to Birkett.
- The Bears made a trio of hires to Ben Johnson’s coaching staff this week. Dan Roushar will be the team’s new offensive line coach after holding the same position at Tulane for the past two seasons, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Former Colts linebackers coach Richard Smith and ex-Jaguars defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett will join the Bears in the same roles, per Biggs and Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
- The Packers will promote Sean Duggan to linebackers coach to replace new Jaguars DC Anthony Campanile, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Duggan has spent the last five seasons under Packers DC Jeff Hafley, four at Boston College as linebackers coach and one in Green Bay as a defensive assistant.
- Vikings wide reciver Jordan Addison pled not guilty to two misdemeanor DUI charges dating back to a July 2024 arrest in Los Angeles, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Addison did not receive any punishment from the NFL for the incident, but could face a fine or suspension after legal proceedings conclude.
Raiders Add Joe Woods, Chris Beatty To Coaching Staff
The Raiders are hiring veteran coach Joe Woods to serve as defensive pass-game coordinator on Pete Carroll’s staff, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Woods has 33 years of coaching experience – 11 in college and 22 in the NFL – including stints as defensive coordinator for the Broncos (2017-2018) and the Browns (2020-2022). He served as the Saints’ defensive coordinator for the last two seasons, but was not expected to return amid New Orleans’ coaching overhaul this offseason. Instead, Woods will reunite with the Raiders after spending the 2014 season as the team’s defensive backs coach when they were located in Oakland.
Woods is widely respected around the NFL for his experience as a defensive backs coach. Of his seven seasons as DC, his defense ranked in the top 10 against the pass on four different occasions.
The Raiders also hired Chris Beatty as wide receivers coach, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. He began his coaching career at the high school level and then spent 15 years in the college ranks in a variety of offensive roles. Beatty broke into the NFL in 2021 as the Chargers’ wide receivers coach, but was not retained on Jim Harbaugh‘s staff in 2024.
He then moved to Chicago, where he began the season as wide receivers coach before a promotion to interim offensive coordinator after Matt Eberflus was fired. Offensive play-calling duties remained with interim head coach Thomas Brown, though neither coach was retained under new HC Ben Johnson.
Beatty got career-best production out of Keenan Allen in 2023, but the rest of Los Angeles’ receivers group struggled in his tenure. In Las Vegas, he will take over a unit that lacks proven talent outside of Jakobi Meyers, who put up career-highs in 2024 despite the Raiders’ carousel at quarterback.
Baker Mayfield Contract Floated As Range For Sam Darnold Deal
The Vikings are facing a crucial offseason decision with Sam Darnold, who played like a top-five quarterback for most of the regular season before collapsing against the Lions and the Rams to end the year.
After proving himself on a one-year, $10MM deal in 2024, Darnold will be looking to cash in with a strong long-term contract, in Minnesota or elsewhere. The Vikings, meanwhile, are expecting 2024 No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy to recover from his torn meniscus in time for training camp.
Darnold’s flashes of high-level play mixed with late-season struggles under pressure create a complex situation for the Vikings. They clearly see the younger, cheaper McCarthy as their long-term quarterback, but his injury cost him a crucial year of development, while Darnold proved he can play well enough to make the postseason in his stead.
Minnesota has yet to decide on Darnold’s future, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but they are open to re-signing him after a successful debut season under Kevin O’Connell. The Vikings have just over $58MM in 2025 cap space, but Darnold isn’t their only concern. Several starters, including left tackle Cam Robinson, cornerback Byron Murphy, and running back Aaron Jones are set to hit free agency. However, none of those players are expected to merit the franchise or transition tag, which remains in play for Darnold.
Darnold’s value will be a subject of debate leading up to the new league year. Unsurprisingly, agents and team executives disagree on his worth. The former group believes Darnold shouldn’t accept anything less than the four-year, $160MM contract Daniel Jones received from the Giants, while the latter has compared his situation to Baker Mayfield and his three-year, $100MM deal with the Buccaneers.
If Darnold is pushing for a contract similar to Jones’, the Vikings may be best served by a year-to-year approach. The franchise tag, projected by OverTheCap to be $41.3MM, may be too expensive, but the $35.3MM transition tag might be an appropriate middle ground. Darnold could test his market, while the Vikings would retain the ability to match another team’s offer. The Raiders and the Giants have already been mentioned as potential fits for Darnold, per Fowler, given their need at quarterback and available cap space.
NFLPA Pushes Back On Prospect Of 18-Game Season
As expected, Roger Goodell‘s comments about an 18-game regular season have already drawn pushback from the NFL Players Association.
“The length of the season is a CBA negotiated matter, so any commentary outside of negotiation is just commentary,” said NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell (via The Athletic’s Mike Jones). “No one wants to play an 18th game. No one. 17 games to many of the guys is still too long.”
That sentiment was echoed by NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin (via Mark Maske of The Pat McAfee Show):“I don’t think anyone was really in favor of going to 17 [games].”
Howell confirmed that neither the league nor the NFLPA have addressed the 18-game proposal in negotiations, per Maske. If and when formal talks begin, the players will have to consider several factors, including economic benefits, bye weeks, international travel, and roster size, before agreeing to another schedule expansion, according to Jones
Their fundamental objection will be the increased physical and mental burden of lengthening the already-grueling regular season. Despite Goodell’s promotion of the NFL’s healthy and safety measures, Howell argued that the league has not made enough progress in that arena to warrant an 18th game, per Jones.
However, the NFL seems determined to press on in its quest for an 18-game season, setting it up as a crucial issue for the 2030 CBA. Though, this issue is likely to be headed for true negotiations before that point. This will allow the NFLPA to seek important concessions in exchange for greenlighting a second schedule change in a decade.
Rams Willing To Eat Money In Kupp Trade
In their search for a Cooper Kupp trade partner, the Rams are willing to eat some of the money remaining on the star wide receiver’s contract, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Kupp is set to earn $20MM in 2025, made up of $12.5MM in base salary and a $7.5MM 90-man roster bonus due on March 17, per OverTheCap. $5MM of that roster bonus became fully guaranteed in 2024.
A pre-June 1 trade would already require the Rams to absorb the remaining prorations of Kupp’s signing bonus as a $17.26MM dead cap hit in 2025. That would allow them to pursue other needs in free agency with additional capital in this year’s draft.
Waiting until after June 1 would allow the Rams to push $7.48MM of dead money to 2026, but they would then also be responsible for Kupp’s 2025 roster bonus, essentially making the deferment a wash. The delay would also cost them 2025 draft capital in addition to the opportunity to sign top free agents in March.
Accordingly, the Rams would rather get a trade done before the new league year starts, explaining their willingness to absorb even more of Kupp’s contract. In the past, the Rams have paid a roster bonus early as a way of eating money to facilitate a trade, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. That would help firm up a market for Kupp, who is expected to have suitors due to his pedigree as a tough, savvy, and versatile playmaker. If the Rams can alleviate the financial burden of acquiring the 31-year-old, his age and recent injuries would be his only remaining concerns. Despite those concerns, Kupp is expected to have suitors, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required).
Kupp’s skillset would make him a fit in almost any NFL offense, but certain teams will make more sense than others. Among them, according to Fowler, are the Steelers, the Commanders, and the Patriots. Pittsburgh were interested at the 2024 trade deadline, while Washington and New England both have plenty of cap space and young passers that would benefit from an experienced, quarterback-friendly receiver like Kupp. The Lions also have enough cap room to absorb his contract as well as Kupp’s former teammate, Jared Goff, under center.