Falcons Prefer Kirk Cousins To Justin Fields?
The team most closely tied to a veteran QB upgrade going into free agency, the Falcons appear readier to come out of this offseason with a more experienced passer than Justin Fields.
Although a recent odds update placed the Falcons atop the list for Fields, some around the league believe the Rams-influenced scheme OC Zac Robinson will implement in Atlanta will lead the team toward pass-first options like Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield. If the Vikings or Buccaneers cannot keep their starters off the market, the Falcons appear poised to make a run.
Connected already to being interested in both passers, the Falcons indeed have done work on the veterans. The Vikings are “loosely bracing” for Cousins to remain unsigned by the March 11 legal tampering period and test the market, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicates. This would open the door for the Falcons to talk to the free agent-to-be, with Fowler adding the team has done plenty of work on Cousins, Fields and Mayfield.
Mayfield has some ties to the new Falcons staff, with Robinson being his position coach during his brief Rams stint and Raheem Morris in place as Los Angeles’ DC at that point. The team has some degree of interest here. Fields is a Georgia native, and while the Falcons passed on the Ohio State product in 2021, some buzz has pointed the Bears QB to his home-state team. As it stands, the Falcons appear in good position to come away with one of these QBs this offseason, per Fowler.
Cousins may be the team’s top target. A Saturday report indicated the Falcons would compete for Cousins, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano takes it a step further by adding the team should be expected to make a strong pursuit of the six-year Vikings starter if he is unsigned by the tampering period. The Vikings and Cousins are still talking, but no Minnesota offer has satisfied the 35-year-old QB yet. The Vikings and Cousins have come to terms on three contracts — in 2018, 2020 and 2022 — but could not agree on a fourth deal last year. Guarantees stood as the sticking point there, and the Vikings are in crunch time with the rehabbing passer now.
Minnesota failing to reach an agreement with Cousins by the start of the 2024 league year (March 13) would bring $28.5MM in dead money onto its 2024 cap. Void years added as part of last year’s restructure will lead to that outcome. The Vikings ate some void years-driven dead money for losing Dalvin Tomlinson last year, but the Cousins figure would obviously bring more trouble by comparison.
Fields may well be taking a backseat to Cousins for Atlanta, per Graziano. This would be a pricier proposition for the Falcons, as Cousins — he of $231MM-plus in career earnings — is quite adept at maximizing his value. Fields also can be kept on a rookie salary this season, as his fifth-year option number — a decision due in May — would affect 2025. But Cousins has certainly been the more dependable passer. Though, if alternate invites are excluded, the ex-Washington draftee has one career Pro Bowl nod. Fields is 11 years younger, at 24, but has not shown himself to be a stable option as a passer just yet.
The Falcons are eager to upgrade on Desmond Ridder, and two years after widely believed to have finished second for Deshaun Watson, the team appears prepared to spend to acquire such help. One of the above-referenced trio should probably be expected to become Atlanta’s starter next season. Which one will end up in Georgia?
Latest On Texans, TE Dalton Schultz
Dalton Schultz‘s free agent market underwhelmed last year. After being franchise-tagged by the Cowboys in 2022, the veteran starter settled for a one-year, $6.5MM Texans accord. It seems likely he will fare better this year.
The Texans are interested in retaining Schultz, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating the tight end still wants to stay in Houston. Naturally, it will come down to terms. The Cowboys prevented Schultz from testing the market two years ago, and teams had cooled on the former Jason Witten successor by 2023. After another solid showing as a pass catcher, Schultz should have a chance to make up for lost time if he hits the open market.
[RELATED: Jonathan Greenard’s FA Price Rising]
Although neither of the tight ends who played 2022 on the tag did well as free agents in 2023 — Mike Gesicki scored just $4.5MM in base value from the Patriots — ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes many teams expect Schultz to command a deal north of $10MM per year.
Evan Engram and Cole Kmet became the latest tight ends to cross the eight-figure-per-year threshold, doing so in 2023; 11 TEs are there presently. This market has not shown substantial growth, but Schultz’s production should warrant a commitment in this range. He ranks in the top 10 in receptions, yards and touchdowns among tight ends since taking the reins in Dallas in 2020. The 6-foot-5 pass catcher has topped 575 yards in each season, reaching 808 in 2021 and totaling 635 and five TDs in Houston last season.
The Patriots could potentially be in play for Schultz, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler writes. They have Hunter Henry‘s three-year deal coming off the books soon. That said, the Pats’ 2021 tight end splurge — for Henry and Jonnu Smith — offered middling results. Henry did produce at points, however, and the Patriots have carved out considerable cap space ahead of Jerod Mayo‘s first offseason in charge. As of Sunday morning, New England leads the league with $101MM in cap room. The Texans carry a hefty amount, too, holding just more than $70MM.
Barring 11th-hour re-ups, this year’s TE free agent crop is set to include Schultz, Smith, Henry, Gesicki, Noah Fant and Gerald Everett. Fant is a player who figures to join Schultz as a coveted free agent, Fowler adds. Included in the Russell Wilson trade, Fant did not see his numbers spike in Seattle. After back-to-back seasons north of 650 yards in Denver, Fant did not clear 500 in either Seattle slate. But the Iowa product carries a first-round pedigree and is going into his age-26 season.
Teams Inquiring On Commanders’ No. 2 Overall Pick
Holding the No. 2 overall pick for a second time in five years, Washington has an opportunity it passed on in 2020. A quarterback should be expected to head to D.C. with that draft slot, but other teams are making early efforts to see if the Commanders are interested in moving the pick.
Multiple clubs have inquired about Washington’s interest in trading down from No. 2, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. Some moving parts exist at quarterback, with some teams that lack top-three draft real estate needing to consider veteran options. But a couple of those teams figure to still need starter solutions — in the long term, at least — exiting free agency. That would naturally make the Commanders’ pick attractive, as this draft holds multiple non-Caleb Williams QB prospects expected to go early.
Heisman winner Jayden Daniels‘ stock is up, with Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest ESPN.com mock draft sending the LSU prospect to Washington. Drake Maye had stood as this class’ top non-Williams option for months, and while the ex-Sam Howell North Carolina teammate’s stock may not have definitively dropped to the point he is a threat to fall out of the top three, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has moved him down on his latest big board. Jeremiah places Maye at No. 5 and Daniels at 6, though QB demand figures to see both going off the board earlier.
The Commanders, of course, have hired Williams’ most recent position coach — Kliff Kingsbury — as OC. Some around the league believe Kingsbury brings strong Williams support, per Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, though that would not exactly matter barring a seeming Bears course change. For weeks, it is believed Chicago would need to receive a historic offer to part with the No. 1 pick for a second straight year. With all signs pointing to the team trading Justin Fields and going with Williams, Kingsbury’s interest in a reunion would be a moot subject.
None of the quarterbacks Washington chose in the first round in its modern history — Heath Shuler, Robert Griffin III and Dwayne Haskins — panned out, but it would still surprise to see a new regime pass on filling its QB need at No. 2. New football ops president Adam Peters is indeed likely to authorize a quarterback choice at 2, Vacchiano adds.
The team could collect a haul for that draft slot, as teams like the Giants, Vikings, Broncos and Raiders — mentioned as being interested in Daniels — being among those who would stand to be interested in coming up for a passer. Though, it would be rather astounding if the Commanders did business with the Giants involving a pick this high. By trading down with anyone, the Commanders would be passing on a clear window to upgrade at the game’s premier position if they took the trade route. Early on, the 2025 class does not appear to be a QB-rich group. Even with Peters playing a role in the 49ers’ Trey Lance trade-up, the ensuing Brock Purdy flier probably should not be taken as an indication the new boss believes a quarterback can be a later-round addition.
As for the Commanders’ 17-game starter from last season, Vacchiano adds Howell will likely draw trade interest from several teams if Washington made him available. Peters spoke highly of Howell this week, and the 2022 fifth-rounder’s age (23) and contract status (two rookie-deal years remaining) would naturally make him appealing — even as a host of bridge- or backup-level QBs are set to be available soon. For now, Howell appears positioned to be the Commanders’ backup in 2024 — or at best likely to lose his job once the No. 2 overall pick is ready to play.
Washington passed on drafting a QB in 2020 due to having chosen Haskins 15th overall the year prior. The team left Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert on the board that year, choosing eventual Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young. It does not seem likely the NFC East franchise would make a similar move with the second overall choice this time.
49ers Showed Interest In Steve Spagnuolo
Representing a significant reason the Chiefs prevailed in Super Bowl LVIII, Steve Spagnuolo remains off the head coaching radar. The veteran DC’s woeful Rams HC stint has kept him out of searches for top jobs, though he remains interested. But the Chiefs look to have seen competition emerge for their DC’s services.
The five-year Chiefs DC has a new contract in place, but The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports the 49ers were interested in poaching him for their defensive play-calling post (subscription required). Spagnuolo coached last season on an expiring contract. The 49ers look to be going with a two-pronged approach to replace Steve Wilks, promoting Nick Sorensen to DC and adding Brandon Staley to their staff as well.
Spagnuolo has successfully rebounded from his rough St. Louis stay, helping Kansas City collect three Super Bowl wins over the past five years. The Chiefs, who had seen a basement-level defense do well to keep them out of Super Bowl LIII in Patrick Mahomes‘ first starter season, hired Spagnuolo — an ex-Andy Reid Eagles assistant — and saw that move play the lead role in their third Mahomes-era title. Despite the superstar quarterback being in his prime, the Chiefs were unable to string together a consistent offense this past season. But their No. 2-ranked defense led the way. The 49ers scored two regulation touchdowns to the Chiefs’ one, but Spagnuolo’s defense keeping San Francisco out of the end zone in overtime set up the dramatic second-possession finish.
The Chiefs moved to extend Spagnuolo the same day the 49ers fired Wilks, with the deal coming to pass hours before the San Francisco DC change surfaced. That adds some intrigue to this timeline, with ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano also indicating the team explored a Spagnuolo addition. The NFC champions appear to have sent out feelers here, but the Chiefs have made their intentions known regarding their top assistant.
Spagnuolo, 64, is set to earn around $5MM per year on his new Chiefs contract, Graziano adds. That places the four-time Super Bowl-winning DC on the top tier among coordinators. The Dolphins placed Vic Fangio on that tier last year, though that union lasted only one season. Given his age and poor showing in three seasons with the Rams, Spagnuolo is unlikely to earn another HC opportunity. But he will be in place to help the Chiefs pursue the Super Bowl era’s first threepeat.
Sorensen, 45, has been with the 49ers since 2022. He is three years removed from serving as the Jaguars’ special teams coordinator under Urban Mayer, making this an interesting appointment. Sorensen also worked alongside Robert Saleh on Pete Carroll‘s Seahawks staff, shuttling between ST and defensive roles. He and Staley, whose last run as a DC produced a No. 1-ranked unit (the 2020 Rams), will go about leading the 49ers’ effort to secure a title under Kyle Shanahan.
Commanders Release TE Logan Thomas
Continuing to move on from veteran contracts, the Commanders will be without Logan Thomas in 2024. Washington is releasing the experienced tight end, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports. The move is now official, per a team announcement.
Already entering Friday positioned in the top three in cap space, the Commanders are freeing up more room. Absent any post-June 1 maneuvers, the team will pick up nearly $14MM between the Thomas and Charles Leno cuts. Thomas was due to make $5.34MM in his contract year.
[RELATED: Commanders To Cut C Nick Gates]
Thomas, 32, completed a unique comeback in Washington. Ron Rivera gave the former quarterback a chance to vie for the starting tight end job. A Virginia native who played quarterback at Virginia Tech, Thomas saw QB time for the Cardinals as a rookie in 2014. After years off the radar, he eventually completed the task of shifting to tight end, producing a career-best season in 2020. That eventually keyed a significant raise. Thomas signed a three-year, $24MM extension during the 2021 offseason. Injuries intervened on this contract, which had one season remaining. Tight end can be added to the Commanders’ need areas going into Adam Peters‘ first free agency in charge.
In 2020, Thomas caught 72 passes for 670 yards and six touchdowns. Each mark remains a career high, with a major injury — an ACL tear sustained in December of that year — impacting him going forward. While Chase Young was unable to begin the 2022 season on time, Thomas did. But he struggled to show the same form. The former QB was better last season, totaling 55 receptions for 496 yards. As a new regime comes in, however, more Rivera-era parts will be stripped.
Set to turn 33 in July, Thomas was due a $500K roster bonus on March 17, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan tweets. That is not a significant amount, but with Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury coming in, keeping an aging tight end on an $8.29MM cap number seemed like a tough ask.
Among Washington tight ends, John Bates caught the second-most passes (19) last season. But it is safe to expect Peters to target a new starter. After all, the team will have upwards of $80MM in cap space to find one. Dalton Schultz represents a name to watch here, considering his Cowboys tenure overlapped with Quinn’s. Hunter Henry, Noah Fant, Mike Gesicki, ex-Kingsbury pupil Zach Ertz and the recently released Jonnu Smith are other notable names available.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Patriots Interested In Baker Mayfield
The expectation remains the Patriots will address their quarterback need by selecting a passer with the No. 3 overall pick. But Jerod Mayo‘s first roster needs help in many places. Trading down could potentially be an option.
If the Patriots are considering moving down, it would put them in play for one of the top free agent arms. They are indeed believed to be monitoring Baker Mayfield, with the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed indicating the Buccaneers QB has some supporters within the organization. A number of connections exist.
In addition to the Patriots being connected to Mayfield interest back in 2018, a few staffers from the team that did draft him are working in Foxborough now. That includes de facto GM Eliot Wolf, who was with the Browns when they pulled the trigger on taking Mayfield first overall six years ago. OC Alex Van Pelt coached Mayfield for two seasons in Cleveland. So was QBs coach T.C. McCartney. Additionally, assistant Ben McAdoo and front office staffer Pat Stewart were with the Panthers during Mayfield’s woeful stay in Charlotte.
Outside interest in Mayfield will only stand to drive up the QB’s price in Buccaneers negotiations, which have begun. Tampa Bay has expressed interest in re-signing Mayfield for a bit now, but the cost is expected to skyrocket after his bounce-back season. Mayfield, 28, showed considerable improvement after an injury-plagued 2021 slate and a brutal 2022 showing in Carolina. The former Heisman winner showed flashes with the Rams and is coming off setting career-high marks in TD passes (28) and passing yards (4,044). He also mixed in a career-low 10 INTs.
The Bucs gave Mayfield input in their OC search, which ended with ex-Rams OC Liam Coen. They could use the franchise tag to keep the starting QB off the market, but with that number coming in beyond $38MM, such a move is not anticipated. Tampa Bay is expected to tag Antoine Winfield Jr., giving the team until March 11 to hammer out a deal with Mayfield and prevent him from exploring the open market. Mayfield is also interested in staying with the Bucs, but other teams are naturally curious about a potential agreement. The Falcons are believed to be among them, though they are squarely in the Justin Fields mix.
While the Patriots may have Mayfield on their radar, Kyed adds they are not believed to be interested in Kirk Cousins. The latter is seven years older than Mayfield and coming off a torn Achilles. Cousins’ steadier track record is also likely to make him a more expensive free agent. Cousins also would not seemingly align with Mayo’s first Patriots roster, which needs help across the board on offense.
Mayfield would better align here, but it would still be surprising if the Pats went in this direction. The team may be interested in pairing a free agent with a QB at No. 3 overall, putting Mac Jones in limbo. Mayfield would certainly be leery of a team considering a first-round pick, though given what it will cost to acquire the veteran QB, it would be highly unlikely a team would sign him and then draft a passer in the first round. Several bridge-level options will be available in free agency, and it is more likely the Patriots pursue one of them instead of ponying up big bucks for Mayfield.
Packers Aiming To Reduce Aaron Jones’ Cap Number, Not Expected To Re-Sign AJ Dillon
Just more than a year ago, the Packers helped lay the groundwork for a rough running back year. They reached a pay-cut agreement with Aaron Jones, ensuring he would stay for the 2023 season. That pact paid off, with Jones helping drive the team to the divisional round.
GM Brian Gutekunst said earlier this offseason the team planned to retain Jones, who is going into his age-29 season. But the Packers are interested in lowering Jones’ $17MM 2024 cap number. With this being the final year of the talented running back’s contract, such a reduction is a trickier matter.
Packers brass and Jones’ agent met Friday about making the change, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein. It is unclear how the sides plan to accomplish this goal. Also unclear: how motivated Green Bay is to make the move. An all-or-nothing effort on this front would naturally put Jones’ roster spot in jeopardy. An extension would help here, as going deeper into the void years well would increase dead money associated with the contract-year RB.
Jones accepted a $5MM reduction in exchange for an $8.52MM signing bonus last February. The void years from that adjustment run through 2027. Were Jones to depart as a free agent next year, the Pack would be hit with $6.6MM in dead money. Should Green Bay release the productive back now, a post-June 1 designation would probably be necessary. That would only leave the team with $5.7MM in 2024 dead money, while bringing more than $11MM in cap savings. That said, Jones remains a valuable piece and the only veteran presence among the team’s skill-position corps.
A four-year Packer contributor, AJ Dillon is on track for free agency. The between-the-tackles bulldozer is not expected to be re-signed, Silverstein adds. Although Jones battled hamstring and knee injuries in 2023, he returned and ripped off a borderline-dominant stretch to help the Packers make a late-season charge that ended with the team putting a scare into the eventual NFC champion 49ers in Round 2. Jones put together for five consecutive 100-plus-yard rushing games to close the season. Dillon did not fare as well in a contract year.
The former second-round pick averaged a career-low 3.4 yards per carry, scoring just two touchdowns. The Packers leaned on their experienced RBs last season, deploying a WR-TE contingent consisting entirely of first- or second-year players. Dillon totaled 1,573 rushing yards and 12 TDs between the 2021 and ’22 seasons, becoming a popular presence in Green Bay despite a limited pass-game skillset.
Jones is one of the game’s best dual-threat backs, and the Packers would certainly miss the former fifth-round pick if he was jettisoned. That said, a host of options will be available to RB-needy teams in free agency. That spells trouble for Dillon, who joins Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, D’Andre Swift and Gus Edwards as notable backs set to hit the market. The Bengals may add Joe Mixon to this list soon as well. This would help the team with Jones, who is due an $11.1MM base salary next season. Though, it is unclear if the Packers are planning another pay-cut ultimatum.
The Packers recently created some cap space by restructuring the contracts of Preston Smith and Rashan Gary, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. The moves created more than $7MM in cap space together. Green Bay, which is also likely to release David Bakhtiari, currently holds just more than $14MM in cap room.
Commanders To Cut C Nick Gates
Another Commanders offensive starter will be moved off the team’s roster Friday. Following the releases of Charles Leno and Logan Thomas, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports Nick Gates will join the duo in being cut.
This may be a post-June 1 designation. Gates signed a three-year, $16.5MM deal in 2023, and Schefter adds Washington will not release the veteran interior lineman until the new league year begins. A post-June 1 cut would make more sense here, with a Gates move not moving the needle much financially otherwise.
A post-June 1 Gates release will create $2MM in cap space for the team this year, though it will keep that contract on the books through 2025. If Washington does not use the post-June 1 designation, it will only save $333K and be tagged with more dead money. Rather than pay Gates’ $2.89MM base salary next season, the Commanders will be hit with — in the event of a post-June 1 move — $3.7MM in dead money.
Rehabbing a broken leg sustained in September 2021 during a Giants game in Washington, Gates returned in 2022 to re-establish his value. The Commanders signed both he and Andrew Wylie in free agency, attempting to provide their O-line with more midlevel solutions. With Leno gone as well, Washington is cleaning out the veteran branch. Wylie’s contract remains on the books, however. After Eric Bieniemy‘s exit, Wylie’s status will be worth monitoring.
The Gates decision was not too hard to forecast. The Commanders benched the ex-Giants starter midway through the season, moving Tyler Larsen back into the lineup. A Larsen injury, however, led Gates back into the fray. He started the final three games for the team last season. With Larsen also a free agent, the Commanders have some holes to fill up front. They will have the necessary funds to do so.
Gates, 28, was once a Giants extension recipient, re-signing with New York after early success at center. The 2021 injury threw that contract off course, as Big Blue’s center carousel spun. Gates made it back midway through the 2022 season, working as a guard and helping the Giants to a surprise playoff run. He started eight games that season, but it did not lead to a sustained role in Washington.
Unlike Leno and Thomas, Gates will not have a chance to shop around for another destination immediately. Due to the likelihood this is a post-June 1 cut, Gates will have to wait until the March 13 start of the 2024 league year before entering free agency. It will be interesting if the Giants, who are in need at guard once again, give thought to a reunion. They wanted to re-sign Gates in 2022 but passed and moved to other options.
Patriots Release CB J.C. Jackson
Seeing the Chargers foot most of their J.C. Jackson bill, the Patriots will again separate from the veteran cornerback. They announced Jackson’s release Friday.
Due to the nature of last season’s trade, the Pats will pick up considerable cap room via this transaction. No guarantees remained on Jackson’s deal. Thus, no dead money is on tap; New England will gain $14.38MM in cap space.
Considering the Patriots already led the league in cap space, this will be a notable move. It stands to push their available funds past $100MM. Jackson was due $2MM on March 15, per the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin.
Given Jackson’s rocky 2023 season and the arrangement between the Bolts and Pats, it is unsurprising the AFC East team is moving on. Jackson will head back to free agency, but his stock has tanked two years after signing a top-10 cornerback pact. The Chargers gave Jackson a five-year, $82.5MM deal in 2022. They gave the former UDFA $40MM guaranteed; via the 2023 trade, that will turn into $20.8MM in dead money on the Bolts’ 2024 books.
Bill Belichick did move Jackson back into his starting lineup — weeks after Christian Gonzalez‘s season-ending injury. Although Jackson started six games back in New England, his hurdle-filled 2023 continued. The Pats did not take Jackson to Germany for their Colts matchup, with a curfew violation behind that. They also shut down Jackson early to close the season, citing mental health as the reasoning behind the latter decision.
Jackson did spend much of 2023 rehabbing the ruptured patellar tendon he sustained midway through the 2022 slate in Los Angeles. Jackson’s L.A. debut was not going well, however, and Brandon Staley demoted the high-priced corner early last season. Being a healthy scratch for an early-season Vikings matchup, Jackson was soon traded. He did add one interception to his impressive career total, which now sits at 26, but the 28-year-old defender’s career is at a crossroads.
Showing considerable promise during his first Patriots stint, Jackson went from UDFA — after a turbulent college career that involved some off-field trouble — to regular on the 2018 Patriots’ Super Bowl-winning team. Jackson then totaled 17 interceptions between the 2020 and ’21 seasons. Regularly letting corners walk for bigger paydays elsewhere during Belichick’s tenure, the Pats both passed on a franchise tag and a second contract in 2022. After circling back to Jackson in a borderline emergency circumstance last year, New England is moving on once again.
49ers Interview Raiders’ Gerald Alexander For DC
A fifth candidate for the 49ers’ defensive coordinator job has emerged. After identifying Chiefs DBs coach David Merritt as an option, the NFC champions are eyeing another AFC West assistant.
The 49ers met with Raiders safeties coach Gerald Alexander on Friday, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. Alexander has been an NFL DBs coach since 2020, spending time in Miami, Pittsburgh and Las Vegas. Alexander took the job in Las Vegas this offseason; he was with the Steelers in 2023.
The Raiders just announced Alexander as part of their finalized coaching staff last week, bringing him aboard to work under retained DC Patrick Graham. This is not Alexander’s first shot at a DC job, however. He interviewed for the Jaguars’ post in 2022.
Alexander, 39, spent the past two years as the Steelers’ assistant defensive backs coach. An ex-Dolphins assistant under Brian Flores, Alexander followed his former boss to Pittsburgh in 2022. Flores stopped through Pennsylvania as linebackers coach that year, coming over after filing a discrimination lawsuit. Flores moved on and became the Vikings’ DC, but Alexander stayed on Mike Tomlin‘s staff. Unless the 49ers hire him, Alexander will work under Graham in Vegas.
A former NFL DB who started for the Lions and Jaguars, Alexander spent the 2010s coaching in the college ranks. That period ended with a three-year stay in the Bay Area, when he served as Cal’s DBs coach. Via PFR’s Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker, here is how the 49ers’ pursuit of a Steve Wilks replacement looks:
- Gerald Alexander, safeties coach (Raiders): Interviewed 3/1
- Daniel Bullocks, defensive backs coach (49ers): Interviewed 2/28
- David Merritt, defensive backs coach (Chiefs): To interview
- Nick Sorensen, defensive passing game specialist (49ers): Interviewed
- Brandon Staley, former head coach (Chargers): Interviewed