Eagles Expected To Request OC Interview With Mike Kafka
The Eagles are still on the lookout for a new offensive coordinator after firing Mike Groh earlier this month, and their search could lead them to a familiar face. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Philadelphia is expected to request an interview with Chiefs QB coach Mike Kafka.
The Eagles drafted Kafka in the fourth round of the 2010 draft, and the Northwestern product spent his first two seasons in the league as Philly’s backup/third-string signal-caller. He got looks with a number of clubs after he was cut by the Eagles in the summer of 2012, but he chose to end his playing career and try his hand at coaching in 2016, returning to his alma mater as an offensive graduate assistant.
His football IQ was always considered perhaps his best trait, and he has risen quickly through the coaching ranks. After serving as the Chiefs’ offensive quality control coach in 2017, he was elevated to QB coach in 2018, the same year Patrick Mahomes took the league by storm. We heard back in October that Kafka was considered a future NFL head coach, and he may have been promoted to Kansas City OC if Eric Bieniemy had gotten a head coaching job this year.
But because Eagles head coach Doug Pederson calls offensive plays, Rapoport says Chiefs head coach Andy Reid may block the interview request and give Kafka a promotion on KC’s staff.
The Eagles are also reportedly interested in Ravens QB coach James Urban and USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell.
Browns Hire Chad O’Shea As WR Coach; Latest On OC/DC Search
The Browns have hired former Dolphins OC Chad O’Shea as their new WR coach and passing game coordinator, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. O’Shea lasted one year in Miami and drew some criticism for installing an overly complex offense, and he was recently fired in favor of spread offense guru Chan Gailey.
But despite the talent limitations on Miami’s offense, the team did perform reasonably well down the stretch and actually ranked in the top-10 in passing offense and top-15 in scoring offense after Ryan Fitzpatrick reentered the starting lineup in Week 7. As such, O’Shea’s dismissal came as something of a surprise, though recent reports indicated that, while he is an excellent receivers coach, he is not a great coordinator.
O’Shea spent 10 years as the Patriots’ WR coach, so he comes to Cleveland with plenty of experience. He will also have a great deal of talent to work with, and he will be tasked with continuing to get the most out of Jarvis Landry while also helping Odell Beckham Jr. return to prominence. As passing game coordinator, he will also help develop game plans for Baker Mayfield, who struggled in his sophomore campaign but who still has plenty of potential.
As for the Browns’ vacant offensive coordinator post, Rapoport says the team has interest in 49ers passing game coordinator Mike LaFleur and run game coordinator Mike McDaniel. Cleveland had some interest in both men for their head coaching post but never requested interviews with them. The Browns may not request OC interviews either, because San Francisco is unlikely to grant such requests. The Browns may also go without an official OC given new head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s offensive prowess.
Unlike LaFleur and McDaniel, 49ers passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Joe Woods is not under contract through 2020, so he can join the Browns if he so chooses. We recently heard that Cleveland had narrowed its defensive coordinator search to Woods and incumbent Steve Wilks, though Rapoport says Wade Phillips remains a possibility as well.
Tom Brady Unlikely To Re-Sign With Pats Before Free Agency
If the Patriots are going to re-sign Tom Brady, they would like to do it before March 17. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reminds us, Brady’s present contract voids on that day, meaning that his $6.75MM cap hits for 2020 and 2021 will accelerate onto New England’s 2020 cap. The same will be true even if the Pats and Brady re-up for one season, but if they agree to a two-year pact, the team could at least spread the dead money hit of $13.5MM over the next two seasons.
However, sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports that it would be “extremely surprising” if Brady were to agree to a new deal with the Pats before March 17, and Brady is preparing to discuss a future with other teams. A reunion with New England is not out of the question, but it is far from a certainty at this point.
La Canfora says Brady, who will turn 43 prior to the start of next season, will “do his due diligence to assess all realistic possibilities,” and he is anxious to embrace free agency for the first time in his career.
Neither Volin nor La Canfora offered any speculation as to which teams could be interested in Brady, but the Chargers have frequently been mentioned as a possibility, and the Colts and Raiders also make sense to some degree. One way or another, the Pats legend wants to serve as a mentor to a young QB and leave whatever franchise he ends up with in good shape when he does decide to retire.
Jaguars To Interview Jay Gruden For OC
The Jaguars are being thorough in their search for a new offensive coordinator. In addition to Ben McAdoo and Scott Linehan, Jacksonville will interview former Redskins head coach Jay Gruden for its OC vacancy, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets.
Gruden, of course, was the first head coach fired this season, with Washington handing him his walking papers in early October. In 5+ seasons with the Redskins, Gruden compiled a 35-50-1 record and led the club to just one playoff appearance, but it was his prior work as the Bengals’ OC that got him the Washington gig in the first place.
Gruden, who was a successful quarterback at Louisville and in the Arena Football League, served as Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator from 2011-13. Although his offenses were in the middle of the pack in terms of overall efficiency during that time, the Bengals did improve in points-per-game over each of those three seasons, and in 2013, the team was in the top-10 in points scored and yards-per-game. Quarterback Andy Dalton also set career-highs in passing TDs and passing yards that season, which ended with an AFC North title.
The Jags recently fired John DeFilippo after one season as OC, and his replacement will be tasked with improving an offense that ranked 26th in points scored in 2019. The new OC will also be a major factor in developing quarterback Gardner Minshew.
There were rumors that Gruden may be headed to Las Vegas to join his brother Jon on the Raiders’ staff, and that may still be in play. But one away or another, he wants to be back in the NFL in 2020, as he told Garafolo’s NFL Network colleague, Ian Rapoport, that he is “itching to do something” and would “like to have an office to go to.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/13/20
The only minor transactions today (not including reserve/futures deals) belong to the Falcons:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived off reserve/injured list: TE Alex Gray, DT Ra’Shede Hageman
Hageman, whom the Falcons selected in the second round of the 2014 draft, hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since 2016. He signed a one-year pact with Atlanta in April, but he was slapped with a two-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and he was waived/injured off of the reserve/suspended list in September.
From 2014-16, Hageman accumulated four sacks and 62 total tackles.
Extra Points: Okung, Trubisky, Bucs
Chargers left tackle Russell Okung intends to run for NFLPA president, sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. This development is notable because, while CBA negotiations between the owners and the union have been progressing smoothly thus far, Okung is said to be vehemently opposed to a 17-game schedule and is open to a work stoppage in order to get the best possible deal for the league’s players.
The 17-game schedule may be the last major sticking point holding up a new CBA, but if a new agreement is not in place by the time current union president Eric Winston’s term expires in March, and if Okung were to be elected, negotiations could stall. Winston cannot be re-elected because he hasn’t played for the past two seasons.
A recent NFLPA investigation revealed that Okung gathered and disseminated confidential information in violation of the union’s constitutions and by-laws, but Okung denies those allegations.
Now for more news and notes from around the league:
- On Monday, the Fritz Pollard Alliance issued what Florio calls the strongest statement it has made since the Rooney Rule was promulgated. The statement reads in part, “[w]e were painfully reminded through this past hiring cycle that attaining diverse leadership in the NFL can only happen through the willful actions of the team owners and decision makers. The abysmal record of hiring people of color in high ranking levels of NFL management is a reminder of the dark periods of civil rights history. The League has only one African-American General Manager. There are no African-American club presidents.” The Redskins hired a minority when they tabbed Ron Rivera as their new head coach, but the Fritz Pollard Alliance believes worthy minority candidates like Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy continue to get overlooked.
- Mike Sando of The Athletic takes a look into the upcoming fifth-year option decisions that teams will have to make on their 2017 first-rounders. The entire piece is worth a read, and it’s notable that most of Sando’s sources believe the Bears will exercise the $25MM option on QB Mitchell Trubisky.
- The Buccaneers worked out cornerback Tre Roberson, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Roberson, who played quarterback in college and who was last with an NFL team in September 2017, recorded seven interceptions for the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders this year. Recent reports suggested that Roberson would be back in the NFL in 2020 and that over 10 teams were interested in the converted signal-caller.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/13/20
Here are today’s reserve/futures deals:
Houston Texans
- LB Davin Bellamy, DB Anthony Chesley, LB Nate Hall, WR Chad Hansen, RB Karan Higdon Jr., T Rick Leonard, S Shalom Luani, QB Alex McGough, T Kyle Murphy, S Jonathan Owens
Minnesota Vikings
Latest On Jadeveon Clowney
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney will be one of the most sought-after free agents this year, if the Seahawks let him get away. Seattle traded for the former Texans star in August, and the team wants him back. “He’s a terrific football player and he had a big impact on us,” head coach Pete Carroll said. “We would love to have him back.”
Carroll also revealed that Clowney will require core-muscle surgery, which is expected to take place in the next week or so. The core injury limited Clowney down the stretch of the 2019 season, though he was able to suit up for the Seahawks’ regular season finale and their two playoff contests. His injury history, though not insignificant, will likely not stop him from landing a massive deal, whether that’s from Seattle or someone else.
For his part, Clowney wants to play for a contender. The former No. 1 overall pick told reporters, including Brady Henderson of ESPN.com, “I just want to win. I ain’t looking to get on no sorry team for no money. That ain’t going to fly. I ain’t gonna put my body through all of that just to lose no 16 games, go home with my check.”
Clowney posted just three sacks in 2019, though that belies the impact he had on opposing passers and in the running game. One of the most complete defenders in football, the three-time Pro Bowler cannot be slapped with the franchise or transition tag pursuant to the terms of the Texans-Seahawks trade.
If Clowney ends up signing elsewhere, the Seahawks would likely be in line to recoup a third-round compensatory draft choice in 2021. But Seattle is presently projected to have over $60MM of cap space in 2020, so a re-up could be in the cards.
While plenty of teams would love to have Clowney, the clubs that will be prioritizing an edge rusher and also profile as contenders include the Ravens, Titans, and (possibly) Falcons.
Eagles Deny Panthers’ Request To Interview Andrew Berry
Eagles vice president of football operations Andrew Berry is a popular man these days. The Browns are interested in Berry for their GM vacancy, and the Panthers also requested an interview with Berry, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (via Twitter). Adam Schefter says Carolina wanted to interview Berry for its executive vice president position (Twitter link), but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that the Eagles denied the request (Twitter link).
Because the Panthers wanted to hire Berry for a role that doesn’t include final roster authority, Philadelphia has the right to block the interview. The Panthers already have Marty Hurney in place as GM, and recent reports indicated that Hurney and new head coach Matt Rhule would collaborate in finding an assistant GM. But Panthers owner David Tepper wants to add multiple people to his front office, and Berry’s significant personnel experience intrigued him.
A Harvard graduate, Berry first entered the NFL in 2009 as a scouting assistant in the Colts’ front office. He was eventually promoted through a number of roles, and he ultimately served as Indianapolis’ pro scouting coordinator from 2012-15 before leaving for Cleveland, where he spent the 2016-18 campaigns as vice president of player personnel.
Though his three years in Cleveland did not go particularly well, Berry is currently considered the favorite for the Browns’ GM job, where he would work with new head coach Kevin Stefanski and chief strategist Paul DePodesta.
Redskins Promote Kyle Smith To VP Of Player Personnel
The Redskins continue to shake up their front office. Washington has promoted Kyle Smith to vice president of player personnel, per a team announcement.
Smith, who served as the Redskins’ director of college personnel for the past three seasons, will assume the role that Doug Williams held before his recent reassignment to a non-personnel position. When new Washington head coach Ron Rivera spoke to reporters at his introductory press conference, he spoke highly of the club’s last three draft classes, which Smith oversaw.
Smith, 35, has spent 10 seasons with Washington and has long been mentioned as a future GM candidate. In his new role, he will oversee both the college and pro personnel aspects of the front office.
Recent reports have indicated that the Redskins will seek a new GM after the draft, though JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington suggests that, if Smith performs well over the next few months, Washington may forego such a hire and move forward with its present structure.
Smith, the son of former Chargers GM A.J. Smith, has received high praise from Rivera — who worked with the elder Smith during his time with the Bolts — and Redskins owner Dan Snyder.
“Kyle Smith has put in the work over the last 10 seasons and has proven to be a skilled talent evaluator,” Snyder said. Rivera added, “I have been impressed with Kyle’s track record and player evaluation process, and I’m confident in the vision we share for the future of the Washington Redskins.”