Texans Place WR Noah Brown On IR
Noah Brown‘s first Texans season involved multiple injuries. His latest will shut him down for the rest of the season. After Brown left Saturday’s wild-card game with a shoulder malady, the Texans placed him on IR.
Due to the timing here, Brown will miss the rest of the season. The longtime Cowboys wideout posted a career-high receiving total this season, doing so despite missing seven games due to injury. This is Brown’s second IR stint as a Texan; the team used one of its eight IR activations earlier this season. The Texans having used up their IR activations this season does not matter in this case, as all players who land on IR must miss at least four games.
Brown, 28, joins Tank Dell among Houston wideouts on IR. The Texans have continued to battle setbacks at this position, with Nico Collins also missing time. But Collins has emerged as C.J. Stroud‘s go-to target down the stretch. With Brown also out, Stroud will figure to lean on Collins in the team’s divisional-round matchup. Robert Woods and John Metchie join Collins as key wideouts left standing in Houston.
A six-year Cowboys target who signed a one-year deal to change Texas addresses back in March, Brown played quite well in a bigger role. He posted 567 receiving yards despite the seven absences, averaging 17.2 per catch and scoring two touchdowns. Brown, however, missed time because of back, groin and knee injuries this season. While that makes his 567-yard showing impressive, the former seventh-round pick did not display much durability in his first Texans campaign.
An auxiliary Cowboys pass catcher from 2017-22, Brown started seven games with the Texans. He posted back-to-back 150-plus-yard games in November, helping Stroud become the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite. Brown will again command interest in free agency soon, should the Texans not re-sign him before then.
Giants Request DC Interviews With Derrick Ansley, Anthony Campanile
Derrick Ansley‘s season in charge of the Chargers’ defense changed following Brandon Staley‘s late-season ouster, giving the veteran assistant some play-calling experience. Shortly after, he is drawing attention elsewhere.
The Giants requested permission to meet with Ansley about their DC job Monday, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Although Ansley secured the Bolts’ DC gig last year, this profiles as his first outside interview request for a coordinator role.
Ansley and Brian Daboll coached on the Alabama staff together in 2017. Ansley also coached Giants safety Xavier McKinney in college. Although McKinney is due for free agency, the Giants will discuss a second contract.
Ansley joins fellow Giants DC candidate as an incumbent coordinator in a likely transition. Following Mike Vrabel‘s firing, Titans DC Shane Bowen is also on the Giants’ radar. Like Bowen, it is unlikely Ansley will be asked back by his current team. The Giants are seeking a replacement for Don Martindale, whose two-year Giants tenure ended in explosive fashion last week. Considering the friction that developed between Daboll and Martindale, it would not surprise if the two-year Giants HC went with familiarity this time around. Ansley would supply that.
The Bolts promoted Ansley to replace two-year DC Renaldo Hill, who left to rejoin Vic Fangio in Miami during the 2023 coaching carousel. This left the team with two new coordinators, Ansley and Kellen Moore. While Moore received a chance to interview for Staley’s old job, the Chargers have not interviewed Ansley. The Chargers ranked 24th defensively but 17th against the pass last season. Under Ansley’s guidance, Derwin James bounced back from two major injuries to book Pro Bowl nods from 2021-22.
Prior to his ascent to the DC chair in Los Angeles, Ansley spent two seasons as the Chargers’ DBs coach. Ansley, 42, coached the Raiders’ DBs in 2018 but spent the 2019 and ’20 seasons as the Tennessee Volunteers’ DC. Also collecting multiple national championship rings while at Alabama — most notably as the Crimson Tide’s DBs coach from 2016-17, the latter season coming with Daboll in place as Nick Saban’s OC — Ansley has 15 years’ experience in the college ranks.
Additionally, Big Blue is hoping to meet with Dolphins linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Campanile has been Miami’s LBs coach since 2020, with Fangio keeping the Josh Boyer holdover on staff. Campanile’s previous work came exclusively at the college level.
Campanile, 41, spent the 2019 season on Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan staff, as linebackers coach, after rising to the role of co-defensive coordinator at Boston College in 2018. Campanile also coached defensive backs, tight ends and wide receivers as a college assistant, spending time at Rutgers before moving to Boston. Due to their Bills past, Daboll and Joe Schoen have a degree of familiarity with Campanile.
Campanile joins three others as Giants DC interview hopefuls. Here is how the Giants’ DC search is shaping up:
- Derrick Ansley, defensive coordinator (Chargers): Interview requested
- Shane Bowen, defensive coordinator (Titans): To interview
- Anthony Campanile, linebackers coach (Dolphins): Interview requested
- Dennard Wilson, defensive backs coach (Ravens): To interview
Patriots To Interview Panthers’ Tem Lukabu For DC Job
Tem Lukabu joins Ejiro Evero in receiving outside attention for a promotion in the wake of a dismal Panthers season. The one-year Carolina assistant is on the radar for a defensive coordinator job.
As Jerod Mayo goes to work assembling his first coaching staff as Patriots HC, Lukabu is on his radar. The Patriots are preparing to interview the Panthers’ outside linebackers coach for their DC gig, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
Lukabu, 42, has been an NFL coach for four seasons while also accumulating more than 10 years of experience at the college level. While Lukabu has logged time on the 49ers and Bengals’ staffs as well, he has not spent consecutive years with one NFL team since serving as a San Francisco quality control coach from 2016-17. Prior to this season, Lukabu spent three years as Boston College’s DC. This is believed to be Lukabu’s first request to interview for an NFL DC post.
Carolina’s defense did not come under fire like the team’s offense, the catalyst for the team’s descent to the NFL’s basement. But it did not exactly stand out, either. The Panthers ranked 29th in points allowed, and while they were fourth in total defense — a number likely spurring the Evero interest and this Lukabu meeting — DVOA slotted Carolina’s defense 25th. Top Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns also failed to match his numbers from last season, finishing with eight sacks and 18 QB hits (down from 12.5 and 22 in 2022).
The Falcons requested an Evero HC interview, joining the Panthers in that regard, while Carolina blocked Jacksonville from meeting with its one-year DC. The Panthers cannot block Lukabu from this meeting, as it is for a promotion.
The Patriots have not used a traditional defensive coordinator title since Matt Patricia left for the Lions’ HC job following the 2017 season. Brian Flores and Mayo, however, have parlayed the role of Bill Belichick‘s right-hand man on defense into HC gigs. Mayo could become the Pats’ play-caller on that side of the ball, but he appears to be planning to employ a traditional DC in his first year.
Lukabu worked as the Bengals’ linebackers coach in Zac Taylor‘s first year, 2019, and has coached linebackers at Rutgers and Mississippi State, along with defensive linemen at Florida International. Mayo would satisfy the Rooney Rule coordinator guidelines by interviewing Lukabu, who is Black, but it should probably be expected the new New England HC meets with others for the post as well.
Eagles Not Expected To Fire Nick Sirianni
Given how the Eagles closed out the regular season, tonight’s Buccaneers matchup doubles as one of the more fascinating playoff openers in years. The defending NFC champions run the risk of becoming a central figure when the subject of Super Bowl-losing hangovers comes up.
Staff changes are believed to be on the table for the Eagles, and it should be considered likely they will have three defensive coordinators in three years soon. But the top domino in this equation still does not appear poised to fall. Nick Sirianni is not believed to be on the hot seat, according to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer.
This would be the case even if the Eagles lose to the No. 4-seeded Bucs, who are 9-8 and only secured a home game due to the NFC South’s status as one of the worst divisions in NFL history over the past two years. The Eagles, however, are 11-6 after dropping five of their past six. Sirianni, who is closing out his third season on the job, has presided over one of the more memorable late-season swoons in recent NFL history.
Although Philadelphia’s defensive issues have come under fire, Jalen Hurts — Brotherly Shove touchdowns notwithstanding — has not followed up his breakthrough campaign with another step forward. Playing through injury this season, Hurts has seen his numbers drop across the board. Interceptions represent the figure that has skyrocketed, with the fourth-year QB’s 15 picks matching his past two seasons combined. The recently extended quarterback did not earn a Pro Bowl invite, and ESPN.com’s Tim McManus notes a disconnect between Hurts and the offensive staff has emerged.
The Eagles replaced two-year play-caller Shane Steichen with Hurts’ position coach, Brian Johnson, who has known the dual-threat QB for most of his life. While Johnson has received multiple requests for HC interviews, the Eagles are limping into the playoffs. Hurts has grown frustrated with an Eagles overreliance on vertical routes that require A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to win one-on-one matchups, per McManus, who adds just 5.2% of Hurts’ pass attempts came on between-the-hashes throws this season — lowest among qualified QBs. Brown is set to miss tonight’s game with the injury he sustained in Week 18, ratcheting up the pressure on Hurts.
Others, however, attribute this Hurts-staff disconnect to the Steichen-to-Johnson OC change, with McManus also indicating Johnson has attempted to fit his concepts into Sirianni’s scheme. That reminds of the Panthers’ situation, which crumbled in part because of the team attempting to pair OC Thomas Brown‘s philosophy with Frank Reich‘s scheme. While the Eagles are a few tiers north of what happened in Charlotte this year, their fall from 10-1 to the No. 5 seed has been puzzling.
Sirianni’s decision to demote Sean Desai and give much of his responsibilities to Matt Patricia has not produced an improvement, though McManus adds the switch initially provided relief to some defensive players. Locker-room tension helped produce the defensive switch, but McManus, citing finger-pointing on both sides of the ball, adds multiple players-only meetings have taken place.
This paints a grim picture for the Eagles’ chances of defending their NFC title, but Sirianni did both lead the Eagles on a surprise playoff journey in 2021 — after the final Doug Pederson–Carson Wentz season brought a freefall — and move the team to being within a disputed defensive holding penalty from having a chance to win Super Bowl LVII.
It would be shocking if the Eagles moved on so soon, even with the team having fired Pederson three years after his Super Bowl LII conquest and canning Andy Reid in the past. Should the Eagles follow the 2022 Cowboys’ lead and topple the Bucs in Round 1, Sirianni would seem safer. Barring a remarkable turnaround, though, the team’s December and January issues are likely to define the upcoming offseason.
Falcons To Carry Strong Interest In Bill Belichick?; Team Not Yet In On Jim Harbaugh
JANUARY 12: In an update which may point further in Belichick’s direction, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes the Falcons are likely to favor coaching experience more this year than in past hires. While Harbaugh is certainly among the candidates to have spent time in charge of an NFL sideline, making his omission from Atlanta’s list of targets notable, it thus comes as little surprise the team is heavily interested in Belichick. The latter can join the Falcons or any other suitor at any time, whereas coaches employed by playoff teams must follow the league’s interview schedule.
JANUARY 11: Bill Belichick will not be a fit for every team with an HC vacancy. The six-time Super Bowl-winning leader will turn 72 in April; no team has hired a head coach older than 66. A rebuild effort would not seemingly be a fit, as Belichick is intent on breaking Don Shula‘s career wins record.
Now officially separated from the Patriots after 24 years, Belichick is a coaching free agent. While several teams have been tied to the all-time great, Falcons noise is growing louder. After previous connections emerged, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes the Falcons are expected to have strong interest in Belichick.
Although Arthur Blank inherited Dan Reeves upon buying the Falcons in 2002, each of his head coach hires (Jim Mora Jr., Bobby Petrino, Mike Smith, Dan Quinn, Arthur Smith) had never been an NFL HC. Belichick laps 2024’s candidate field in accomplishments and NFL experience, having debuted in the league with the Baltimore Colts in the mid-1970s. The 29-year HC (five in Cleveland) would stand to appeal to Blank, who is 81 and has seen his franchise drift off the contender map since Belichick’s Patriots erased a 28-3 deficit in Super Bowl LI.
This position could certainly appeal to Belichick as well. The Falcons used back-to-back-to-back top-10 picks on skill-position players, and Pro Football Focus ranked Atlanta’s offensive line — one spearheaded by Chris Lindstrom and Jake Matthews — fourth overall. After some free agency dollars went to defense in 2023, the Falcons finished 11th in total defense and 18th in points allowed. The Saints’ 48-point finish dinged the latter placement, and DVOA was not as bullish, slotting the Falcons 24th. But the unit is improved from 2022.
Granted, Belichick going from one team without a quarterback answer to another would be a lot to ask — especially if the Chargers are legitimately interested — but the Falcons are expected to take a bigger QB swing after standing down and going with Desmond Ridder last year. Some close to Belichick view this as a good fit for the veteran coach, Graziano adds. The team looks to be planning to keep Terry Fontentot as GM, though it seems it is flexible regarding his power going into his fourth year on the job. That said, the Falcons value Fontenot, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, making it hard to believe they will push him out at this point.
Another NFC South all-in push would be fascinating, considering the blueprint the Buccaneers established upon signing Tom Brady in 2020. Granted, Belichick has not been known — in most offseasons, at least — for wild spending to fortify his roster, but his vision may change if a short-term plan is in place. He is 14 wins shy of Shula’s all-time record. In terms of cap space, the Falcons — who again hold the No. 8 overall pick after a 7-10 season — reside in the middle of the pack, being projected to carry more than $21MM.
While it does seem like a Belichick-Falcons interview will take place, the team has sent out eight requests to other staffers Thursday. Jim Harbaugh has not yet received a slip from the Falcons, and Fowler adds the team does not look to have launched a pursuit of Michigan’s national championship-winning HC just yet. Harbaugh figures to have options out west, but the Belichick-to-Georgia storyline is obviously one to monitor going forward.
Titans Considered Firing Mike Vrabel In 2023; HC Sought Full Roster Control
Mike Vrabel interview requests have not come in yet, but they almost certainly will soon. The well-regarded HC is done after six Titans seasons, with Tennessee’s 2023 offseason laying the groundwork for Tuesday’s firing.
Confirming a previous report of Vrabel preferring Titans interim GM Ryan Cowden over Ran Carthon for the full-time post, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Jon Rexrode report Vrabel suggested to Amy Adams Strunk the team make Carthon the assistant GM due to not viewing former the ex-49ers No. 3 exec — behind John Lynch and Adam Peters — as ready for the GM role (subscription required). With Strunk not taking kindly to that suggestion, it does not appear she and Vrabel’s relationship bounced back.
Despite the report of a rift between Vrabel and Carthon, the latter was not involved in the firing, according to Russini and Rexrode. Carthon came to Tennessee after six years in San Francisco, being hired Jan. 17, 2023, and the former 49ers director of pro personnel interviewed for the Cardinals’ GM vacancy last year. Peters declined both Arizona and Tennessee’s requests; he is now a finalist for Washington’s director of football operations post.
The Titans began to tear down their previous power structure by firing Jon Robinson in December 2022, doing so 10 months after extending the GM through 2027. While Vrabel is not connected to pushing Robinson out, the six-year HC subsequently made his case for full roster control, according to The Athletic, believing he had done enough to earn it. Strunk did not want to give a head coach such power, citing issues with Jeff Fisher having control during the latter part of his Tennessee tenure.
This request and Vrabel’s stance on Carthon appears to have damaged his relationship with ownership, with Russini and Rexrode adding Strunk did not view the head coach as showing sufficient faith in her. This did not lead to Vrabel wanting out, however, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler noting the defense-oriented HC wanted to give the Titans another year — trade rumors notwithstanding — and that Strunk orchestrated this decision.
Strunk considered firing Vrabel last year, Russini and Rexrode note, but still believed in him as a head coach. Her goal was to start fresh at that point, though she had previously authorized a through-2025 extension for the former linebacker. Additionally, the Titans’ next draft will be the first one Carthon runs. Cowden is believed to have managed the Titans’ 2023 draft board for continuity purposes. Teams often move on from scouts and executives after the draft in order to not shake up things before big-picture investments are made, but it is a bit unusual another strong candidate for GM to wield such control. The Titans fired Cowden soon after the draft; he is now with the Giants.
The Titans’ 2023 draft looms large regarding their long-term future. The team was involved in trade talks with the Cardinals in Round 1, with the pre-draft target being C.J. Stroud, and did move up for Will Levis the following night. Carthon said Tuesday the team will hire a head coach that is interested in developing Levis and also alluded to first-round pick Peter Skoronski being an option (via Titans.com’s Jim Wyatt) to become the team’s long-term left tackle. The Titans kept Skoronski at guard during his rookie season, though the Northwestern standout played only tackle in college.
Fall developments also played a role in Vrabel’s ouster. Strunk had planned to keep Vrabel as recently as November, but it appears the last straw was the Titans’ 19-16 overtime loss to the Texans in Week 15. That is viewed as the point Strunk was ready to move on, Vrabel’s three straight playoff appearances (from 2019-21) notwithstanding. Strunk was also not thrilled about Vrabel’s trip to Foxborough during the Titans’ bye week, according to The Athletic. The Patriots inducted Vrabel into their Hall of Fame that week, and he was seen sitting with Robert Kraft during the ensuing Buffalo-New England game in October.
Strunk’s firing record, which includes canning Mike Mularkey after a divisional-round appearance, has led to an impulsive reputation. The Vrabel move, despite the Titans’ sub-.500 record over the past two years, will not help on that front. A number of teams are likely interested in Vrabel as a head coach option, and Bill Belichick‘s exit would put the Patriots — who have viewed Vrabel as a potential “home run” hire — atop that list. The Commanders, Chargers and Raiders could also have interest, Russini and Rexrode add. It will be interesting to see if Vrabel seeks major personnel input with his next team.
Chargers Block Giants From Interviewing ST Coordinator; New York Hires O-Line Coach
A few teams have blocked assistants from interviewing contracted staffers this week. The Chargers are now one of them. Despite firing head coach Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco, the Bolts are not giving all their assistants permission to explore opportunities.
The Giants sought an interview with Bolts special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken, but NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes the AFC West team prevented that meeting from taking place. The Giants fired longtime ST coordinator Thomas McGaughey earlier this week.
Ficken worked as the Chargers’ ST coordinator for the past two seasons. With this block taking place, he would be under contract — and likely in consideration to stay in Los Angeles under the next HC. Ficken, 43, has been an NFL staffer since 2007. Not a special teams lifer, Ficken spent 15 years with the Vikings coaching several positions. Though, he has concentrated on special teams for the past 11 years.
Additionally, the Giants have hired their next offensive line coach. Former Raiders O-line coach Carmen Bricillo will take over. The Giants moved fast to replace Bobby Johnson, whose unit allowed a staggering number of sacks this season. Collectively, Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito (along with wideout Parris Campbell) took 85 sacks. Only the 1986 Eagles (104) have allowed more in a season.
Bricillo most recently followed Josh McDaniels to Las Vegas. While the 47-year-old assistant coached on the Patriots’ staff, he did not overlap with Brian Daboll. Bricillo coached on Bill Belichick‘s staff from 2019-21, working as the team’s O-line coach over the final two seasons. Prior to Bricillo’s New England stay, he spent over a decade in the college ranks, much of it at Division I-FCS Youngstown State.
While the Raiders fired McDaniels and Dave Ziegler this season, an O-line that featured unremarkable pieces powered Josh Jacobs to a rushing title in 2022. With the Raiders moving on from their brief Patriot Way experiment, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes Bricillo was unlikely to return.
Bears GM: CB Jaylon Johnson Not Going Anywhere
Trumaine Johnson‘s standing as the most recent cornerback to be franchise-tagged (in 2017) may change soon. Jaylon Johnson continues to look unlikely to reach free agency.
After a monster contract year that included a first-time Pro Bowl nod, Jaylon Johnson expressed a desire to stay in Chicago. Ryan Poles did not mince words upon sharing the same sentiment; the third-year Bears GM said the four-year veteran “is not going to go anywhere.” The Bears would have until March 5 to apply the franchise tag on Johnson.
Poles relayed confidence (via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley) about retaining Johnson, indicating the sides will work to reach an agreement. This continues both parties’ effort to reform this partnership, one tested when the Bears let Johnson seek a trade hours before the October deadline.
The Bills and 49ers were among the teams to discuss a swap, but the Bears held onto their top cover man. While a tag would keep the door open for offer sheets, that is an unrealistic scenario due to the two first-round draft picks that would change hands in the event of the Bears not matching the terms. The Bears could use the transition tag, but they would not be entitled to any compensation in the event of an unmatched offer sheet. Chicago is the most recent team to place any tag on a corner, transition-tagging Kyle Fuller in 2018, and it matched Green Bay’s offer sheet to retain him.
Fuller’s career arc resembles Johnson’s. The Bears declined Fuller’s fifth-year option in 2017 and watched him submit a quality contract year. Fuller built on that late-emerging form in 2018, earning first-team All-Pro honors. Johnson intercepted four passes and rated as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 overall cornerback this season. By his own account, the Utah alum made some money in his contract year.
With the salary cap expected to check in around $240MM (up from $224.8MM), the corner tag is on track to come in around $18MM. That is a steep tag, but the Bears used a $17.88MM tag on Allen Robinson in 2021. Johnson’s age (24) makes him a more appealing player to keep, and despite the Bears prioritizing an extension for Montez Sweat shortly after they let Johnson seek a trade, it certainly appears Poles views both players as defensive pillars.
As the team prepares to make its pivotal quarterback decision — seemingly picking up Justin Fields‘ fully guaranteed fifth-year option or trading him and drafting Caleb Williams at No. 1 — a rookie-QB contract would support three top-market deals on defense (counting Tremaine Edmunds‘ $18MM-AAV deal). Three corners (Jaire Alexander, Denzel Ward, Jalen Ramsey) are on pacts at or north of $20MM per year; three more (Marlon Humphrey, Trevon Diggs, Marshon Lattimore) are signed for at least $19MM per year. Johnson’s camp will assuredly target this range for his second contract.
Giants To Add QB; Team Eyeing First-Round Investment?
This Giants regime is suddenly in a difficult spot at quarterback. Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll gave a starter they did not draft a $40MM-per-year extension that drew extensive criticism, and Daniel Jones subsequently suffered an ACL tear. Jones will spend the next several months rehabbing, creating uncertainty.
Following Jones’ knee injury, Schoen said the team would be in the market for a quarterback to at least round out the depth chart. While it is still not known if the Giants would legitimately consider adding competition for a player they worked to re-sign last year, they do have the No. 6 overall pick — Jones’ slot back in 2019. People close to the Giants have informed Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline the team will make its QB move this offseason.
“Ultimately, we have to do something,” Schoen said this week. “Whether it’s the draft or a free agent, just because Tyrod [Taylor’s] contract is up. We have Tommy [DeVito], who’s under contract, and then Daniel’s injury — the return to play and the uncertainty there. When free agency starts, the draft. Whichever avenue we decide to take, we will address the position.”
Schoen hopes Jones can make it back by Week 1; the five-year veteran said recently he is aiming for a return by training camp. With training camp more than nine months from Jones’ early-November injury, that recovery timetable would be in range. Week 1 would be more realistic, but the bigger question for the Giants — who are tied to Jones due to guarantees through at least the 2024 season — is if they want to add a veteran backup type or make a push to draft a replacement. A report suggesting a true Jones replacement will be targeted emerged in the fall, though the Giants were then projected to hold a higher draft choice than No. 6.
Jones again faces questions about his long-term viability. Eli Manning‘s successor has run into multiple neck injuries and now the ACL tear, but he was not remotely viewed as a $40MM-AAV player when the Schoen-Daboll regime declined his fifth-year option. Jones is the first quarterback in the option era (2014-present) to see his option declined and then re-sign with that team. His $82MM guaranteed makes a 2024 cut untenable, but a 2025 release — especially if it is the post-June 1 variety — would cost the team only $11.1MM in dead money. Considering Dave Gettleman drafted Jones, this Giants offseason could become the point the Schoen-led regime makes plans to move on.
That would, of course, be a bit odd due to the $160MM contract to which Jones is attached. But the Duke product was not playing particularly well, albeit behind an injury-ravaged O-line, before his injury this season. Jones struggled from 2020-21 as well, though his 2022 ascent also came with the Giants fielding a bottom-tier pass-catching group. Variables exist here, and Jones will only be going into his age-27 season this year.
Pauline mocks Heisman-winning QB Jayden Daniels to New York at No. 6. Barring a trade-up maneuver, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are almost definitely out of reach for Big Blue, and Daniels — given the QB supply-and-demand issue — may also require a trade-up come April. Field Yates’ ESPN.com big board places Daniels one spot in front of Maye, however, with no other QB in the top 25. The race for the second- and third-best 2024 arms could be fascinating, assuming the Bears take Williams first overall.
The Giants have a better in-house option, assuming Jones is recovered, than most of the other teams in the market for a passer. But if Daboll and Schoen become enamored with one of the prospects, it is certainly reasonable they will effectively put an expiration date on the Gettleman-era QB draftee.
Falcons Request HC Meeting With Ejiro Evero, Block Assistants From Interviews
Last year, the Falcons attempted to interview Ejiro Evero for their defensive coordinator position. The Broncos blocked the move. Atlanta is taking similar actions this year.
Evero is again on Atlanta’s interview list, but with teams unable to block HC interview opportunities, it appears Evero will finally meet with the Falcons. The Panthers’ defensive coordinator received an interview request from the Falcons on Thursday, The Athletic’s Joe Person tweets. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, that interview will take place on January 14.
[RELATED: Falcons Request Seven HC Interviews]
The Falcons eventually hired Ryan Nielsen as their DC, but with Arthur Smith now out of a job, uncertainty exists on the team’s staff. On that front, the Falcons are not letting their assistants under contract walk just yet. They are believed to be blocking assistants from interviewing elsewhere, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
This is not too uncommon, as the Panthers have shown this week, blocking Evero from a Jaguars DC interview. But some teams in coaching transitions have also allowed assistants to look elsewhere. The Seahawks have let Pete Carroll‘s assistants explore jobs, giving the next HC full autonomy to assemble a staff. The Rams did so while Sean McVay deliberated on returning or leaving last year. It is unlikely most of Smith’s Falcons assistants will be back. Thus, blocking interviews — a practice allowed for lateral moves, including any coordinator moves not involving a play-calling role — would impede Falcons assistants. That said, it is still early, as eight teams are now looking for head coaches, who are unable to conduct in-person interviews until after the divisional round.
Evero has become one of the more interesting HC candidates in recent years. This marks his second straight offseason as a sought-after candidate despite being tied to a team coming off a woeful season. The Broncos finished 5-12 in 2022, but Evero still interviewed — after Denver’s defense performed well — for all five vacant HC positions last year. Evero’s stock has dipped a bit, as the Falcons are his second HC interview request in this cycle (after the Panthers), but he remains on the HC/coordinator radar despite Carolina’s 2-15 season.
Carolina still views Evero as a potential coordinator under its next head coach, and until that is sorted out, the team could keep blocking its defensive play-caller from interviewing for DC jobs. But Evero will soon explore a Falcons opportunity.