Buccaneers’ Mike Greenberg Withdraws From Jaguars’ GM Pursuit
The first name to come up as a Jaguars GM candidate, Mike Greenberg is out of that mix. Tampa Bay will retain its assistant GM, as Greenberg has informed Jacksonville he is out of the running, the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reports.
Greenberg has been with the Bucs for 15 years, becoming a crucial cog — particularly with regards to the club’s cap management — for a team that has lost two key staffers this offseason. In addition to Liam Coen‘s exit to become the Jaguars’ HC, fellow Bucs assistant GM John Spytek is now the Raiders’ GM. Despite a Jags interview request to potentially follow Coen north, Greenberg will help the Bucs ensure some staff continuity.
[RELATED: Where Does Jaguars’ GM Search Stand?]
It was interesting that Coen wanted to keep working with Greenberg, as the two only overlapped for one season in Tampa. Greenberg also was part of Coen’s messy exit. When Coen was secretly negotiating with the Jags, after having informed the Bucs he intended to stay and sign a lucrative coordinator extension, Greenberg was among the high-ranking staffers who attempted to contact him. Greenberg wanted to reach Coen regarding an offensive staffer, but his call went unreturned. Still, Coen subsequently wanted to see about working with the longtime Tampa Bay front office mainstay.
A report out of Jacksonville late last month indicated Coen was “pushing hard” to bring Greenberg with him. Greenberg’s decision to pass centers around his loyalty to the Bucs rather than any hard feelings toward Coen, Stroud adds, as the Tampa Bay AGM was honored to be considered. He will continue working with Jason Licht, as the Bucs attempt to construct a fifth straight NFC South champion.
Promoted to assistant GM in 2023, Greenberg interviewed for the Panthers and Jets’ GM jobs over the past two years. This Jags decision being categorized as Bucs loyalty is obviously worth noting, but Greenberg’s decision to take those interviews while passing on the Jags job certainly signals some trepidation with the position. The Jags fired their previous GM (Trent Baalke) midway through their coaching search, with the ouster appearing to be the key driver for Coen to move forward and accept their HC offer. The gig came with Coen being free to pick a GM and reside atop the team’s personnel pyramid, Tony Boselli‘s arrival as executive VP notwithstanding.
A Monday report indicated the next Jags GM will not answer to Boselli, but the Hall of Fame tackle will still have a key organizational voice. Boselli will report to ownership, joining Coen in that regard. Boselli’s new presence, along with Coen’s power, would stand to reduce this GM role’s responsibility. That may well have impacted Greenberg’s decision. The Bucs have also blocked Coen from poaching O-line coach Kevin Carberry and assistant OL coach Brian Picucci. Tuesday’s Greenberg news marks another successful Bucs retention effort.
Hired years before Licht’s arrival, Greenberg has been an integral part of the Bucs’ 2020s success. Ending a 12-year playoff drought, Greenberg helped the Bucs build their Super Bowl LV roster and was one of the key drivers in crafting a strategy that helped the team bring back every core player for the 2021 season. After Tom Brady‘s retirement left the franchise with a $35MM dead money bill, Licht, Greenberg and Spytek weathered the storm and still had the team in the divisional round. This past offseason, the Bucs found room to pay Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr. Licht will have Greenberg by his side for at least one more offseason.
Jaguars Name Tony Boselli VP Of Football Operations, Continue Staff Changes
Shad Khan said last month he hoped to beef up the Jaguars’ front office. Although the owner’s plan changed significantly thanks to the Trent Baalke firing during their HC search, the Jags are making a notable adjustment that will impact their next GM.
Tony Boselli was set to be part of the next Jags front office arrangement, and the team confirmed the move will come with an important title. The Jaguars announced Monday they are naming the Hall of Fame tackle their new executive VP of football operations. The team announcement indicates both Boselli and new HC Liam Coen will report to Khan, giving the new FO figure considerable power.
“Few people have better relationships throughout the NFL, know the game, and understand the value of strong team identity and culture as well as Tony Boselli,” Khan said. “Tony has a wealth of football acumen that we respect and need, and his counsel will be tremendously valuable to me and our football leadership team during this current rebirth and for many seasons to come.”
[RELATED: General Manager Search Tracker]
Boselli is obviously best known for his playing career. The No. 2 overall pick in 1995, Boselli moved from being the first draft choice in Jaguars history to the Hall of Fame. It took a belated bush, reminding of Terrell Davis‘ arc, for Boselli to land in Canton due to having his career cut short by shoulder injuries. Boselli, who earned three first-team All-Pro nods during a golden era for left tackles, also suffered an ACL tear late in the 1999 season.
Boselli, 52. has been with the franchise in the years since, most notably as a radio broadcaster, and has held multiple roles in the health industry. He will now be part of what still appears a Coen-led operation.
“My job is not to be out front; my job is to help Liam Coen, his staff and the new GM to have success,” Boselli said. “That’s all I want to do. That’s all I care about. It’s focused on Liam. I’m going to make sure Liam and that staff he has and the players he brings in have the ultimate success.”
Despite minimal experience compared to most coaches who have the chance to shape a GM search, Coen still looks set hold final-say power as the Jags form a triumvirate of sorts. This differs from how Khan constructed his front office during Tom Coughlin‘s time as executive VP, when he presided over GM Dave Caldwell and HC Doug Marrone. Coughlin’s second Jags stint ended with a dismissal, as player grievances mounted, two-plus years into his tenure.
In addition to Boselli, the Jags are making more moves to fill out Coen’s coaching staff. They are adding Matt Edwards and Anthony Perkins as D-line and DBs coaches, respectively, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. The Jags are also retaining Richard Anguolo as tight ends coach. The Lions inquired about the Doug Pederson holdover staffer, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, but the Jags stepped in and gave Angulo a multiyear extension.
Edwards comes over after a stint as Bills assistant D-line coach; he had spent two seasons with the Raiders and four with the Titans previously. A Packers staffer in 2024, Perkins will jump from the quality control level to take on his first role as an NFL position coach. He was previously coaching Oregon State cornerbacks before joining Matt LaFleur‘s staff. Angulo has been Jacksonville’s TEs coach since 2022; he previously spent eight seasons in Baltimore, coaching that position and working as an assistant O-line coach.
Coen has run into trouble staffing his O-line coach role, seeing the Buccaneers — not fans of the way he left town — block interviews with their O-line coach (Kevin Carberry) and assistant OL coach (Brian Picucci). Despite Picucci following Coen from Kentucky last year, he is staying in Tampa. As such, the Jags are interviewing Zak Kromer for the job, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Kromer has been with the Rams throughout Sean McVay‘s tenure, overlapping with both Coen L.A. stints. The son of Bills O-line coach Aaron Kromer, Zak is currently the Rams’ assistant O-line coach.
Goodell: No Overseas Super Bowl Coming Until NFL Adds Foreign Market
The NFL has stood at 32 teams since the Texans’ 2002 entrance. That expansion effort realigned the divisions and schedule, and the league has expressed satisfaction with the symmetry created. No expansion is likely in the near future, but how the league next expands will eventually become a more important topic.
If the NFL is to balloon beyond 32 teams, SI.com’s Albert Breer believes a foreign market would come before another American city lands a team. Rumors of a London team have dissipated over the past several years, though Roger Goodell has continued to pay lip service to what would be a historic (and challenging) development. More of that emerged Monday, with the veteran commissioner’s wording bringing this situation back into play.
The subject of an overseas Super Bowl surfaced months ago, as Goodell suggested such a move was possible. When asked about it today, Goodell said no overseas Super Bowl will be considered while the league is still a USA-only operation. However, Goodell added (via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones) that it would be on the table “if and when” the NFL places a team in a foreign country.
Logistical issues have loomed as a deterrent for a full-time team in London, but the NFL has both more international inroads and changed its calendar despite these in recent years. An anonymous owner also described a future in which an international division emerges as probable, though we still appear a long way off.
The 2021 season introduced a Monday-night wild-card game, and this season — after the 2020 and ’21 seasons brought COVID-19-driven reschedulings to provide a roadmap of sorts — debuted Wednesday games. The NFL is also aiming for play eight international games in 2025, with Spain guaranteed a game. Australia is also on-deck here. While London would make more sense as a franchise location, the NFL has done plenty to indicate it is serious about continuing to grow the game beyond U.S. borders.
Additional expansion would create issues regarding schedule balance, and unless the league would want a repeat of the strange setup it concocted when it added only Browns 2.0 in 1999, more than one team would need to be added in an expansion scenario. When the NFL awarded Cleveland its current franchise, an odd team count existed from 1999-2001. The 31-team period meant every week required at least one team to be on a bye. This introduced the strange setups in which Week 1 was a bye for a team and so on.
The Texans’ debut solved that issue, and the NFL navigated the extra regular-season game by alternating seasons in terms of which conference holds the extra home game. Within the near future, a plan for 16 international games — something Goodell reiterated today — could cover the conference tasked with playing nine road contests that year. While the league remains a ways off from playing this many overseas games in a season, Goodell continuing to bring up placing a team in a foreign market effectively entrenches this matter on the back burner once again.
Aggressive Browns Offseason Would Not Change Myles Garrett’s Trade Aim
One of the NFL’s defining offseason storylines looks to have taken shape today. Myles Garrett has requested a trade, and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports the team has known about the reigning Defensive Player of the Year’s aim for a while.
As could be expected, the Browns are not in a rush to accommodate the impact defender. Browns GM Andrew Berry has said multiple times this offseason Garrett would not be dealt, with his most recent offering insisting no trade would occur even if two first-round picks were proposed. The team is not budging in light of this request becoming public, but Garrett may be dug in as well.
Trade requests are a common play amid contract talks, but this appears to be a true desire on Garrett’s part to leave town. Garrett wants to be dealt to a team in better position to contend for a Super Bowl, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds that this is not a contract play. It could also naturally be assumed the Browns would have time to show Garrett they are serious about a route back to immediate contention, Fowler adds that the eight-year veteran would not change his mind and wants to move on.
Garrett debuted for a Browns team that went 0-16, doing so after a 1-15 season moved the team into position to draft the Texas A&M standout. Although the Browns snapped a 17-season playoff drought when Kevin Stefanski earned the first of his Coach of the Year honors by overseeing a Baker Mayfield rebound in 2020, the team’s attempt to go bigger has backfired in historic fashion. Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson acquisition, when the fully guaranteed contract is factored in, may be the worst trade in NFL history. No veteran QB had cost three first-round picks since 1976, and Watson never came close to justifying it. It has dragged down Berry’s attempts to fortify the roster around a two-time Coach of the Year.
With Watson now in play to miss all of 2025 due to a second Achilles tear, it is fairly clear the Browns need a new plan. Garrett said in December he would turn to a trade request if he felt the organization’s recovery blueprint was insufficient, and he has turned his key. That said, the Browns are still somewhat protected here thanks to the DE’s contract situation and the franchise tag’s presence. The Browns could tag Garrett in 2027, and while this process should be resolved by then, the tag’s presence arms the team with more leverage. Garrett staging a true holdout would be his only countermeasure, and as the Haason Reddick situation showed this past season, it is an expensive play.
Berry said last week the Browns are open to a second Garrett extension, despite two seasons remaining on his current deal — a five-year, $125MM pact. Nick Bosa is tied to a deal worth $9MM more per year than Garrett, and star rushers T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson are in contract years. The cost of doing business will rise for the Browns as a result. They appear OK with paying Garrett once again, which makes this trade request more interesting than the usual contract-driven asks.
It should be expected Garrett, 29, will pass on attending Browns offseason activities. Minicamp holdouts have been more common in recent years, as the fine for skipping the June workouts is roughly $100K. Training camp would be the battleground for Garrett, unless the Browns switch up and make a deal to recoup significant draft capital before this year’s draft.
The Browns hold the No. 2 overall pick, and a Garrett trade would arm them further to crawl out of the 3-14 mess the Watson decision largely created. As of now, Berry and Co. are prepared to wait out their top player.
NFC Coaching Notes: Cowboys, Saints, Bucs, Hall, Panthers, 49ers, Cards, Bears
The Cowboys are looking to the college level to fill their running backs coaching position; both candidates have histories in Dallas. The team turned to one of its former running backs — Tashard Choice — as a recent interviewee, All DLLS’ Clarence Hill notes. Choice is the Texas Longhorns’ RBs coach, having held that job for the past three seasons. A Cowboys running back from 2008-11, Choice wrapped his playing career after the 2013 season. He spent the 2016 campaign as a Cowboys intern. The team is also interviewing Oregon RBs coach Ra’Shaad Samples for the job, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris. Staples is a Dallas native who coached in the area while at SMU from 2019-21; his interview went well, per Hill. The one-year Ducks assistant is best known in NFL circles for being the Rams’ RBs coach in 2022; he left for an Arizona State assistant job before that season ended.
Here is the latest from the NFC side of the coaching carousel:
- The Buccaneers are backing up the report they were ready to block Liam Coen from poaching assistants. After blocking O-line coach Kevin Carberry from meeting with the Jaguars, the Bucs are preventing assistant O-line coach Brian Picucci from doing the same, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. This one is a bit more interesting, as Picucci followed Coen from Kentucky to Tampa Bay. NFL rules allow teams to block contracted assistants from moves if they do not involve a promotion to head coach or coordinator. Coen left the Bucs after avoiding contact with high-ranking staffers, and GM Jason Licht is not believed to be too happy with the exit.
- Another Bucs staffer who will remain in place: Larry Foote. The linebackers coach interviewed for the Lions’ DC job, being the team’s only outside candidate before a Kelvin Sheppard promotion, but will not leave for a job anywhere else. Foote told the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud he is staying. The former linebacker has enjoyed a long assistant tenure with the Bucs; this will be his seventh season with the team.
- DeAngelo Hall‘s stint on the Panthers‘ staff is over, per the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye. The team had hired the former Pro Bowl cornerback as assistant DBs coach during Frank Reich‘s months-long HC stint. Hall, however, could land on his feet soon. The 49ers are interviewing him for their DBs coach position, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds. Hall and Kyle Shanahan overlapped for four seasons in Washington during the early 2010s.
- Moving back to the Cowboys, their Klayton Adams OC hire did not surprise the Cardinals. But the NFC West team was monitoring a potential relocation to New Orleans as well. The Cards expected their previous O-line coach to join Brian Schottenheimer or follow Kellen Moore to the Saints, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Moore has not taken the New Orleans job yet, but he is the favorite. Both Moore and Adams are Boise State alums, though their Idaho stays did not overlap.
- Elsewhere on Arizona’s staff, the team has identified new line coaches. Justin Frye is coming aboard as O-line coach, and Winston DeLattiboudere is heading to the desert as D-line coach, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and 247 Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Ryan Burns report. DeLattiboudere comes over from the University of Minnesota and is rising fast; we have a Gen Z coach here, as the two-year Golden Gophers D-line coach is 27. He spent the 2022 season with the Packers as a Bill Walsh diversity coaching fellow. Frye has considerably more experience and is coming off three seasons as Ohio State’s O-line coach. The Bears interviewed Frye for their O-line job. The ex-Chip Kelly assistant is also not following his two-time boss (also at UCLA) to Las Vegas, being set to camp elsewhere in the desert.
- The Bears are still working on filling out Ben Johnson‘s staff. They interviewed Florida assistant Gerald Chatman for the D-line coach position, Zenitz adds. A Bengals defensive assistant from 2019-20, Chatman spent the 2024 season at Florida.
Commanders Block Jets From David Blough Interview; New York Adds Scott Turner, Eric Washington To Staff
Former coordinators and those on the coordinator interview circuit will line Aaron Glenn‘s first Jets coaching staff. The team has now added two ex-coordinators to Glenn’s staff, with three other additions having received interest on the coordinator level.
Scott Turner is joining the Jets as their pass-game coordinator, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Turner closed the season as the Raiders’ interim OC and had previously called plays for the Panthers and Commanders. Glenn is also bringing 2024 Bears DC Eric Washington on as his defensive line coach, CBS Sports Jonathan Jones adds. The Bears moved on from Washington last month.
The Jets are also following through with the rumored Glenn-Chris Harris partnership, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter noting the veteran assistant is heading to New York as Gang Green’s defensive pass-game coordinator and DBs coach. Harris had spent the past two seasons with the Titans. Charles London is also moving from Seahawks QBs coach to the same position with the Jets, Pelissero adds. London worked with Harris on the 2023 Titans staff. A recent report indicated the Titans and Harris were expected to separate.
London is heading to New York after the Jets did not receive permission to meet with David Blough. They had reached out to the Commanders about interviewing their assistant QBs coach, but Pelissero indicates the NFC East club blocked the meeting. Clubs are allowed to block contracted assistants, so long as the interview does not pertain to move up to a coordinator or HC post. Blough, who only ended his playing career after the 2023 season, overlapped with Glenn and new Lions OC Tanner Engstrand in Detroit. The Bears and Jaguars also expressed interest in meeting with him, but the Commanders are prepared to keep him for the 2025 season.
Staying on the subject of blocked interviews, the Jets made such a move as well. They are keeping wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, SNY’s Connor Hughes adds, pointing out the team blocked other clubs from meetings. A former NFL wideout, Jefferson has enjoyed two tours of duty with the Jets (under Adam Gase from 2019-20 and again last season). He also was a Glenn divisional opponent from 1996-99, as the two would match up as members of the Jets and Patriots. Twice a Super Bowl starter, Jefferson has been a wideouts coach since 2007.
Glenn and Turner have not overlapped, but the latter will be a veteran voice in Engstrand’s first OC season. Turner had come up about possibly joining Bill Belichick‘s North Carolina staff but later emerged on Gang Green’s radar. The second-generation NFL coach will stay in the league as part of the Jets’ staff. Turner served as interim Panthers OC in 2019 and then spent three seasons as Washington’s OC. Ron Rivera fired Turner in 2023, leading the latter to the Raiders as pass-game coordinator. Antonio Pierce bumped him to OC after firing Luke Getsy midseason. Turner has yet to oversee a top-16 offense, but he has 13 years’ experience in the pros.
Washington will return to the AFC East, after his Bears stopover; he previously spent four seasons as Sean McDermott’s D-line coach in Buffalo. Washington did not shift to the play-caller in Chicago until after Matt Eberflus‘ Black Friday firing. The Bears did rank 13th in scoring defense this past season, and Washington also helmed the Panthers’ defense under Rivera from 2018-19. Washington and new Jets DC Steve Wilks were longtime staffers under Rivera with Carolina.
A running backs coach from 2014-20, London transitioned to QBs with the Falcons and has since overseen the position with the Titans and Seahawks. London interviewed with the Commanders to replace Turner in 2023, also meeting with the Titans that year, and met about the Browns’ vacancy last month. He spoke with the Rams about their OC job in 2022. Harris worked with Turner under Rivera for three seasons in Washington but moved to Tennessee in 2023. He has come up for a few DC openings, including the Jets’ this year.
Closing out this sizable Jets staff update, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets they are adding Aaron Curry as their linebackers coach. A former top-five pick, Curry did not pan out as a player. But he has been rising up the assistant ranks in recent years. After a Seahawks stint, the ex-Seattle draftee spent the past two seasons as the Steelers’ inside linebackers coach.
Ravens’ Justin Tucker Accused Of Sexual Misconduct By Several Massage Therapists; Kicker Denies Allegations
SATURDAY, 10:45am: Tucker is facing allegations from three new massage therapists, per Justin Fenton of Baltimore Banner. These allegations come from three women who worked at the same Baltimore men’s spa. One woman produced an internal report regarding her interactions with the player from 2015.
In response to the latest allegations, Tucker’s lawyers told Baltimore Banner to refer to Tucker’s statement that referred to accusations as “unequivocally false.”
THURSDAY, 2:00pm: Six massage therapists have accused Ravens kicker Justin Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior during treatments that occurred between 2012-16, the Baltimore Banner’s Julie Scharper, Brenna Smith and Justin Fenton report.
The alleged inappropriate conduct took place at four high-end Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers. Tucker is accused of “exposing his genitals,” touching two of the therapists with his erect penis and leaving “what they believed to be ejaculate” on massages tables after three of the sessions. Two spas banned the decorated Baltimore kicker, according to the Banner, while several of the therapists either ended sessions early or refused to work with him again.
Attorneys representing Tucker deny any wrongdoing, including any bans taking place. In a statement posted to X, Tucker said the massage therapists’ allegations are “unequivocally false.” Tucker said he has never been accused of any inappropriate behavior by a massage therapist and accuses the Baltimore Banner of “misconstruing events as nefarious and relying on third party speculation.”
The women who are accusing Tucker of misconduct during sessions are unnamed. Tucker’s lawyers, per the Banner, mentioned more than a dozen therapists who had worked with Tucker. Four of them responded to questions, after the kicker’s representation insisted inquiries go through the Ravens, with positive accounts of interactions with Tucker.
The Banner, however, details the alleged instances of sexual misconduct. And it will cause issues for the future Hall of Fame specialist. An NFL statement (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport) indicates the league had not been apprised of these allegations until recently. A league investigation is on tap. Tucker has not been charged with a crime, and the Thursday report does not mention any civil suits having been filed. Tucker could still be subject to an NFL suspension under the personal conduct policy.
Tucker, 35, has been the Ravens’ kicker since 2012. In that time, he has built one of the greatest resumes in the history of the position. The eight-time All-Pro is regarded by many to be the best kicker in NFL history. Tucker is coming off a down season, having missed a career-most eight field goal attempts. Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said after the team’s divisional-round loss the franchise expects Tucker to bounce back and remain one of the game’s best. He is under contract through the 2027 season.
Bengals Want To Re-Sign Tee Higgins At ‘Right Number’
Duke Tobin has made definitive proclamations on Tee Higgins during each of the past two winters. The de facto Bengals GM declared his No. 2 wide receiver unavailable in trades at the 2023 Combine and then franchise-tagged him last year. Barring a second franchise tag, Higgins is poised to hit the market.
Higgins would vault to the top tier of this year’s free agent crop if not re-tagged, and although Joe Burrow has stumped for the Bengals to keep the high-end Ja’Marr Chase sidekick, Tobin’s latest comments do not point to that being the likely scenario. The veteran personnel exec said the Bengals want to retain Higgins; as could be expected, however, Tobin acknowledged the challenges this effort will bring.
[RELATED: Early Expectations Point To Higgins Exit]
“It’s going to be hard,” Tobin told the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway on the subject of a Higgins re-signing. “We feel like we have the resources to do it, but it all depends on how the negotiation goes and whether they’re willing to accept wanting to come back at a number that makes sense for everybody. And you know what we do with Tee going forward, I’ve always been very upfront in my desire to have Tee Higgins on our team.
“I’ve never not been upfront about that, and that desire continues, but we have to be able to come together with his representation on what that means and what the right number is for his experience, for his play time, for his production.”
Considering where the wide receiver market has gone and the price hike Chase’s first-team All-Pro season likely will bring, the Bengals will have their work cut out for them regarding any effort to convince Higgins to take a discount. The team already denied the five-year veteran a chance to capitalize on his value in free agency last year, via the tag.
Higgins has changed agents and could certainly sign a deal north of $25MM per year on the open market. Where the cap settles will help shape Higgins’ price, but a two-time 1,000-yard pass catcher becoming available ahead of his age-26 season will ignite a bidding war. The Patriots are among the teams expected to be involved.
The last time true negotiations between the Bengals and Higgins transpired, the team submitted a below-market offer believed to be well south of even $20MM per year. The team has not conducted serious negotiations with Higgins since the first half of 2023; Higgins was the only tagged player last year not subsequently extended. Cincinnati is again free to do so, with the season having ended, and holds exclusive negotiating rights until March 10. But it would take a monster proposal for the Bengals to keep Higgins from testing free agency. Based on Tobin’s comments, it does not appear that should be expected.
“Let’s find something that works for everybody, because he is a guy that we want to have here, and hopefully that can come together, but we have other guys who are trying to take big bites of the apple in other areas, and we’re going to have to balance those as we go forward,” Tobin said.
Tobin did tell Conway he meets with Burrow to start each offseason, effectively keeping the superstar passer in the loop, but the exploding WR market — one that will be set to include a market-setting Chase extension before too long — may talk louder here. Although D.J. Moore is a more accomplished player, his $27.5MM-per-year Bears accord did not involve multiple suitors. Brandon Aiyuk‘s market did, to a degree, as the 49ers let him gauge the market in a complex process. That produced a $30MM-per-year deal with $76MM in total guarantees. That could be the price range for Higgins, as the market’s top five consists of first-team All-Pros. Higgins has yet to make a Pro Bowl.
Some execs are quite skeptical the Bengals, with the $55MM-AAV Burrow deal on their books, will pay Higgins market value, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds. With Chase almost definitely set to ask for more than Justin Jefferson‘s Vikings payday ($35MM per to go with $110MM guaranteed), it seems doubtful a Bengals franchise not known for lavish spending will pony up what is necessary.
A second tag would cost Cincinnati $26.2MM. While not too much has come out suggesting that is realistic, it would be a way for the Bengals to either reassess their options — after the team underachieved in 2024 — or obtain value in a trade. Projected to hold more than $46MM in cap space, the Bengals will have until March 4 to apply a second Higgins tag. Otherwise, the team could lose a core player for a mere 2026 compensatory pick.
Lions To Add David Shaw To Staff
The Lions added their new offensive coordinator — John Morton — from the Broncos’ staff. They will now bring in some more coaching help from Denver’s front office.
After David Shaw spent a year as a Broncos personnel executive, he will return to coaching. The Lions are adding the former Stanford HC as their pass-game coordinator, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. This hire comes shortly after ex-Lions OC Ben Johnson met with him about the Bears’ OC role — one that went to ex-Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle.
In addition to being with the Broncos last year, both Morton and Shaw overlapped with the Raiders as assistants during Jon Gruden‘s first run with the team. This will be Shaw’s first NFL coaching role since he served as the Ravens’ wide receivers coach in 2005.
That job in Baltimore concluded a nearly decade-long stint in the NFL. Shaw served as an offensive quality control coach with both the Eagles and Raiders before earning a promotion to Oakland’s QBs coach in 2001. He parlayed that job into a position with the Ravens, where he held the titles of quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach during his four seasons with the organization.
Shaw moved back to the college ranks in 2006 when he became San Diego’s passing game coordinator, but that stop only lasted one year before he was named Stanford’s offensive coordinator in 2007. He spent four years running the Cardinal offense before replacing Jim Harbaugh in 2011. Shaw ended up lasting more than a decade as Stanford’s head coach, guiding his squad to a 96-54 record. That stint included three conference titles and five bowl wins, with Stanford peaking at No. 3 in the AP poll in 2015.
Shaw resigned from Stanford in 2022 following a pair of 3-9 showings. He caught on with Denver’s front office ahead of the 2024 campaign, and after a year in an executive role, Shaw is now returning to the sideline.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Coaching Rumors: Moore, Saints, Rizzi, Cowboys, Bears, Jets, Panthers, Hill, Raiders
With Mike McCarthy following Joe Brady and Kliff Kingsbury out of the Saints HC pursuit, Kellen Moore looms as the presumptive favorite. While SI.com’s Albert Breer agrees with that classification, he does not view Darren Rizzi as being out of the running. Rizzi interviewed for the position, though Mike Kafka and Anthony Weaver have conducted two interviews. Seeing the Saints lose some bigger names could influence them to revisit Rizzi as a viable candidate. While this would be an unorthodox move — both due to Rizzi’s interim status and background in special teams — it is fairly clear the New Orleans job is not viewed as particularly attractive right now.
If Rizzi does not land the job, a reunion with Sean Payton in Denver may await. Here is the latest out of the coaching ranks:
- The Jets hired Steve Wilks over Chris Harris for their DC post, but CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes that the latter should not be discounted from coming to New York as well. Harris has been a regular on the DC carousel in recent years, Harris stayed with the Titans despite the team firing Mike Vrabel. A role similar to what he holds in Tennessee, that of pass-game coordinator, could await in New York.
- Former Chargers DC Renaldo Hill is signing on with the Panthers, according to The Athletic’s Joe Person. This will mark a return to the league after a year off for the former NFL safety; he had previously worked as the Dolphins’ defensive pass-game coordinator under Vic Fangio. Although Person notes the Panthers have a safeties job available, Hill’s title is not known. Carolina is also adding Rams assistant AC Carter as their OLBs coach, the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye adds. Carter has been the Rams’ assistant D-line coach for the past two years. He made his NFL debut as a Broncos quality control staffer under Ejiro Evero in 2022.
- The Bears spoke with Lunda Wells about a job recently, but the Cowboys are keeping him. Dallas has reached an extension to retain its tight ends coach, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. We heard earlier this week Brian Schottenheimer would likely keep Wells, who came over along with McCarthy in 2020.
- Elsewhere on the Chicago staff, the team interviewed Ohio State assistant Justin Frye for its O-line coach position, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Frye has only worked at the college level, topping out as UCLA’s OC under Chip Kelly. The former Bruins HC rejoined his ex-assistant at Ohio State last year; Frye has been coaching Buckeyes blockers since 2022, collecting a national championship ring this past season. Tulane O-line coach Dan Roushar is also expected to interview, Biggs adds. Roushar spent 10 seasons with the Saints (2013-22), before making an in-state move back to the college level.
- On the defensive side, the Bears are also making a move. Ben Johnson is adding Birmingham Stallions assistant Bill Johnson as his D-line coach, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Johnson, 69, served as both an O-line and D-line coach with the USFL-then-UFL franchise. He has been out of the NFL since 2018, when he served as Rams D-line coach. He was on LSU’s national championship-winning staff in the same role a year later. Bill Johnson’s longest NFL stay came with New Orleans (2009-16), but he has nearly 20 years’ experience in the league.
- The Raiders made news Wednesday night by agreeing to keep Patrick Graham as DC; Pete Carroll will be Graham’s third HC in Las Vegas. More continuity is coming for a new regime still, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adding the team is retaining special teams coordinator Tom McMahon. In coaching for more than 30 years, McMahon has served as ST coordinator for the Rams, Chiefs, Colts, Broncos and Raiders; he has been in Vegas since 2022.
- Northern Illinois HC Thomas Hammock is generating some looks from the NFL. At least three teams have reached out about a potential position coach role, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Hammock has been the Northern Illinois leader since 2019 but previously enjoyed a stint as Ravens RBs coach. The Huskies picked up a signature win last season by upsetting Notre Dame.