Minor NFL Transactions: 1/9/24
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to one-year extension: T Devin Cochran
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: LB Jerome Baker, LB Cameron Goode, LB Andrew Van Ginkel (story)
Dealing with a gutted edge-rushing corps, the Dolphins signed three veterans on Tuesday. They added Justin Houston, Bruce Irvin and Malik Reed. These three join Emmanuel Ogbah and Melvin Ingram as notable edge rushers healthy for the AFC’s No. 6 seed.
49ers Work Out CB Casey Hayward, Expect Arik Armstead Back For Playoffs
Jason Verrett ran into yet another unfortunate setback last week, suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in practice. The 49ers are looking at adding another veteran cornerback as insurance.
Enter Casey Hayward, whom KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes worked out for the 49ers on Tuesday. Hayward, 34, has not played this season. But the 49ers, as their continued Verrett interest and past in-season additions show, place value on veteran corners in the event of injuries to regulars. They again want a veteran corner on their practice squad, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows.
San Francisco brought in the likes of Jackrabbit Jenkins, Josh Norman, Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard from 2021-22; that group joined Verrett, whom the team continued to prioritize in recent offseasons despite his near-annual injury troubles. Hayward spent last season with the Falcons, but the team cut him early during the 2023 offseason.
The former Packers, Chargers and Raiders cover man played well in 2021, garnering a two-year, $11MM Atlanta agreement in March 2022. But he sustained a shoulder injury that limited him to six games last season. A 118-game starter who played on five straight Gus Bradley-run defenses from 2017-21, Hayward was medically cleared this summer. The 49ers are in fairly good shape at corner, with Charvarius Ward making the Pro Bowl and Deommodore Lenoir, Ambry Thomas and ex-Hayward Falcons teammate Isaiah Oliver in place as sidekicks.
More relevant to the No. 1-seeded team’s Super Bowl chase: Arik Armstead appears set to return from his latest injury trouble. The veteran defensive tackle has missed the past five games due to foot and knee injuries. Armstead will practice this week, and Kyle Shanahan said (via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch) he could have played against the Rams — had the team needed to win its regular-season finale. A ninth-year 49er, Armstead has been pivotal to the team’s Nick Bosa-era D-lines. He is set to team with Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Chase Young upon returning for the divisional round.
The 49ers also designated safety George Odum for return from IR, ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner tweets. Odum, used primarily on special teams during his San Francisco tenure, suffered a biceps injury on Thanksgiving. While that malady was expected to sideline the former All-Pro for the season’s remainder, Odum will be in play to return for the 49ers’ divisional-round game.
The news on safety Tayler Hawkins and defensive end Clelin Ferrell is not as good. Ferrell is likely to miss a few weeks due to a knee injury, Shanahan said. The seventh-year HC did stop short of saying this is a season-ending setback, however. Despite the arrivals of Young and Randy Gregory, Ferrell — who had drifted to healthy-scratch status at points with the Raiders — has started all 17 games this season. Hawkins, a rookie UDFA who made his NFL debut in Sunday’s nonessential Rams tilt, suffered a season-ending wrist injury, the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman notes.
Shanahan added Drake Jackson, who has been on IR since November with a knee injury, is not healthy enough to practice. In the event Odum comes back and Jackson is healthy enough to return, the 49ers are in good shape for injury activations. After using all eight of their IR-return moves during the regular season last year, they have five activations left.
Commanders Request Will McClay Interview; Panthers Interested In Cowboys Exec
Will McClay has been with the Cowboys for over 20 years, coming up through the scouting ranks en route to holding a prominent position in the NFC East franchise’s front office. The veteran exec has been selective about GM interviews, but extensive interest has also eluded him in recent years. That looks to be changing.
In addition to the Chargers’ request to interview the Cowboys’ player personnel VP, the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins notes the Commanders have sent in an interview summons. The Panthers also have McClay on their GM radar, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, though no request has come in yet. That could be telling, considering how many requests Carolina already has out.
Based on McClay’s offseason history and his role in Dallas, it will be difficult to pry him from the Jerry– and Stephen Jones-led front office. McClay has not interviewed for a GM job in the 2020s, and he turned down requests from the Texans and Lions — and potentially other clubs — during the late 2010s. NFL teams have been aware of McClay’s impact for a while, but it looks like it will take a special offer to disrupt his current situation.
The Cowboys promoted McClay, 57, to current post in 2017. He has made an integral impact in Dallas, which has enjoyed great success with first-round picks over the past decade and change. Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb represent the latest such investments to hit big, but the Cowboys are still benefiting from the Tyron Smith (2011) and Zack Martin (2014) selections. Although the Joneses have final say, with Jerry Jones operating as the team’s nominal GM for decades, McClay holds considerable responsibility with the organization.
“I realize what my role and my structure is, what we do here,” McClay said in 2022. “I feel good about what we are doing. That is the job I am happy with now. If an opportunity comes up that makes sense, sure I will look at it. But I am happy where I am now. I am happy with the job, the role and how we do things.”
It will be interesting to see if McClay takes the Los Angeles or Washington meetings. The Commanders have kept GM Martin Mayhew on, along with executive VP Marty Hurney. The team is believed to be looking for a director of football operations-type hire. We heard recently the Commanders’ new ownership was interested in a football ops boss to oversee a GM, making it possible Mayhew and/or Hurney could stay on despite Ron Rivera‘s firing. The interviews for this new position are taking place at Josh Harris‘ home, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala.
Carolina’s situation, with David Tepper‘s reputation taking a slew of hits, would seem unlikely to be the one that pulls McClay out of Dallas. The Panthers also have already reached out to a number of candidates to replace Scott Fitterer.
Kellen Moore, Giff Smith On Chargers’ HC Interview List
2:51pm: The Chargers also announced interim HC Giff Smith received an interview. Interim coaches often receive a chance to keep the job, but no interim tag has been removed since the Jaguars made Doug Marrone their full-time HC in 2017. Smith has been with the Chargers since 2016, mostly as defensive line coach, but is probably not a serious candidate to land the full-time HC gig.
2:09pm: Kellen Moore‘s move from Dallas to Los Angeles did not result in a Chargers uptick on offense, though the young offensive coordinator was not exactly dealt a great hand. Even after a wildly disappointing Bolts season that ended with the firings of Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco, the team is not done with Moore yet.
The Bolts are planning to interview Moore for their vacant HC job, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. This comes shortly after a report indicated Moore, 34, was unlikely to be under consideration for the HC position. But Chargers ownership will give the four-year Cowboys play-caller a chance.
Los Angeles dropped from 13th to 21st in scoring offense from 2022-23, but Justin Herbert‘s injury played a significant role in that. However, Herbert had not consistently shown his superstar-caliber talent under Moore for most of the season. The Chargers played most of the year without Mike Williams and All-Pro center Corey Linsley. Keenan Allen missed the team’s final games, while Austin Ekeler and Josh Palmer missed chunks of the season as well. Injuries are nothing new for the Bolts, and they had not previously ranked outside the top 20 in scoring offense since 2016.
The Chargers fired Joe Lombardi after two seasons, one of them a campaign (2021) in which Herbert was voted the AFC’s Pro Bowl starting QB. Dak Prescott also put together his best season after Moore’s Dallas exit, but the longtime Cowboys passer was productive in 2021 under Moore as well. Prescott’s return from injury that season produced a handful of HC interviews for the former NFL backup QB. Moore did not land any, but the Chargers hired him less than 24 hours after the Cowboys split.
Cooper Rush also kept the car on the road for the Cowboys during a Prescott injury hiatus in 2022, and the Cowboys respectively ranked first and fourth in scoring in 2021 and ’22. Despite an 8-8 season that led to Jason Garrett’s firing, Moore — elevated to the team’s play-caller at just 30 — guided Dallas to a sixth-place offensive finish in 2019. That prompted ownership to insist Mike McCarthy keep Moore. That partnership eventually fizzled, but Moore should still be in the mix for OC jobs — in the likely event he does not land the Chargers’ HC position.
Courtesy of PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, here is how the Chargers look on the HC carousel so far:
- Bill Belichick, head coach (Patriots): Rumored candidate
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
- Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Raiders): Interview requested
- Jim Harbaugh, head coach (Michigan): Mutual interest
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested; mutual interest?
- Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interview requested
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Chargers): To interview
- Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interview requested
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interview requested
- Giff Smith, interim head coach (Chargers): Interviewed 1/9
- Steve Wilks, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interview requested
Raiders To Interview Tom Telesco For GM
Fired by the Chargers last month, Tom Telesco brings 11 years of experience as a GM. At least one team will see what the longtime Chargers executive has to offer.
The Raiders have set up an interview with Telesco, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Although Champ Kelly has served as an interim GM, Telesco is the only candidate in this race who has previously been hired to head up a front office. This marks his first connection to a GM job since the Bolts fired he and Brandon Staley following the Raiders’ 63-21 demolition last month.
Telesco, who came to San Diego from Indianapolis in 2013, featured generally well-regarded rosters in Southern California. The Chargers received considerable hype often during Telesco’s tenure, despite the organization not having a reputation for big spending. The Bolts hired three first-time head coaches (Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn, Staley) during Telesco’s tenure. Each made the playoffs, but overall, the Bolts were just 3-for-11 in playoff berths under Telesco.
That said, Telesco managed to craft a Philip Rivers-to-Justin Herbert quarterback pipeline. Telesco extended Herbert this past offseason, locking down the high-end talent through the 2029 season. That deal has made the Chargers’ HC job quite attractive. Telesco also drafted Pro Bowlers Joey Bosa, Derwin James and Rashawn Slater in the first round while finding perennial Pro Bowler Keenan Allen in the third. Injuries often intervened for the Chargers, who regularly experienced late-game letdowns — the most notorious coming in a 27-point wild-card collapse against the Jaguars.
Telesco, 51, was previously a Bill Polian mainstay. He was with the Hall of Fame exec in Buffalo, Carolina and Indianapolis. He rose from the scouting ranks to the Colts’ director of player personnel under Polian, collecting a Super Bowl ring for Indianapolis’ 2006 season, and spent one season under Ryan Grigson before the Chargers’ hire 11 years ago. Courtesy of PFR’s General Manager Search Tracker, here is how the Raiders’ GM pursuit looks so far:
- Trey Brown, senior personnel executive (Bengals): Interview requested
- Ed Dodds, assistant general manager (Colts): Interview requested
- Terrance Gray, vice president of player personnel (Bills): Expected to interview
- Champ Kelly, interim general manager (Raiders): To interview
- Adam Peters, assistant general manager (49ers): Interview requested
- Tom Telesco, former general manager (Chargers): To Interview
Dolphins To Sign Bruce Irvin, Malik Reed
Down their top three edge rushers due to season-ending injuries, the Dolphins are overhauling their outside linebacker group at an unusual time. Following the Justin Houston addition Tuesday morning, Miami will add two more edge defenders.
Bruce Irvin is signing with the Dolphins, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who adds the team will also bring back Malik Reed. The latter, a former Vic Fangio piece in Denver, had spent time with Miami earlier this year. Irvin will be added to Miami’s 53-man roster; Reed will join the practice squad.
Since Thanksgiving, the Dolphins have lost Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Andrew Van Ginkel. This situation reminds of Fangio’s Broncos tenure, which almost never featured Chubb and Von Miller available together. Those Denver teams never advanced to the playoffs, though. The Dolphins are facing a rare situation as they venture into the wild-card round. On the edge at least, the 11-6 team will roll out a cast of 30-somethings to pressure Patrick Mahomes on Saturday.
This is team No. 7 for Irvin, who resumed his career as a Lions auxiliary pass rusher this season. Irvin, 36, signed with the Lions’ practice squad in November and played in two games. The former Seahawks first-rounder registered a sack while playing as a P-squad elevation. The Lions moved on in December. Like Houston, Irvin cleared waivers and has been waiting for another chance. The Dolphins’ unique quandary will provide it.
Irvin has made a habit of in-season arrivals in the final years of his career. The 12th-year veteran joined the Bears in mid-November 2021 and re-signed with the Seahawks in mid-October 2022. Irvin and Fangio have not previously crossed paths, but the former did play under Fangio disciple Clint Hurtt in Seattle last season. Irvin also has a history of excelling as a rental piece. He totaled 8.5 sacks for the Panthers in 2019 and collected 3.5 in eight Falcons games in 2018. The Dolphins may well need Irvin, as rookie backup Cameron Goode suffered a torn patellar tendon during what became a brutal night for the team in Week 18.
A Fangio charge for three seasons in Denver, Reed reunited with his former coach in March. But the Dolphins released Reed just before cutting their roster to 53 players in August. He spent time with the Raiders this season, playing in four games and starting two. A Miller-Chubb sub in Denver, Reed totaled 13 sacks between the 2020 and ’21 seasons.
Reed, 27, certainly will represent youth on what is now one of the older OLB crews in recent NFL history. Houston and the recently re-signed Melvin Ingram are 34, while Emmanuel Ogbah — whom Fangio benched this season — is 30. While obviously not an ideal setup going into a playoff game against a defending Super Bowl champion, the Dolphins have gotten creative during this time of need.
Jaguars Fire DC Mike Caldwell, Others
JANUARY 9: Changes on the offensive side of the ball have been made as well. Running backs coach Bernie Parmalee and offensive line assistant Todd Washington are out, per a statement from Pederson. The former was fired while the latter did not have his contract renewed, as noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
JANUARY 8: Following their late-season collapse, the Jaguars will make a major move. They are firing Mike Caldwell after his second season as defensive coordinator, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman reports.
Although the Jaguars struggled on both sides of the ball to close out this disappointing season, Caldwell will be the first domino to fall. The Jags hired the former NFL linebacker after he helped the Buccaneers win a Super Bowl as linebackers coach, but it is certainly unsurprising to see Jacksonville move forward with a big change.
As should be expected, the changes will not stop at Caldwell. Jacksonville is firing its defensive staff, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. While DVOA placed the Jaguars’ defense 10th overall, the group slipped down the stretch. Jacksonville allowed at least 28 points in four of its final six games — all losses. After an 8-3 start, the team closed what had looked like a promising season at 9-8.
Among the members of Caldwell’s defensive staff: D-line coach Brentson Buckner, pass-game coordinator Deshea Townsend, inside linebackers coach Tony Gilbert, safeties coach Cody Grimm and senior defensive assistant Bob Sutton. The Jags ranked 26th in pass defense. While the team did not make strides on offense after Doug Pederson handed play-calling reins to OC Press Taylor this season, no changes have emerged on that side of the ball yet. ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco adds that three defensive assistants — assistant D-line coach Rory Segrest, outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey and quality control staffer Patrick Reilly — will be retained.
The Jags splurged on both sides of the ball in 2022, allocating big bucks on free agents in Pederson’s first offseason as HC. They also added Travon Walker with the No. 1 overall pick while following that up with first-round linebacker Devin Lloyd. The Jags signed Foye Oluokun, Foley Fatukasi and Darious Williams in 2022. They extended Roy Robertson-Harris in 2023, largely returning the same cast from a defense that ranked 12th (scoring) and 24th (yardage) last season. Despite Josh Allen‘s contract-year sack surge, the Jags did not improve on that side of the ball as a whole.
DVOA, however, ranked Caldwell’s 2022 defense — additions notwithstanding — 26th. Yet, the Jaguars largely stood pat and ran it back following their AFC South title. The questionable decision burned the team, with Pederson pointing out missed assignments and missed tackles. Derrick Henry submitted a throwback performance Sunday, in what appears to be his Titans finale, by rampaging for 153 yards in a win-and-in game for the Jags. Jacksonville allowed 28 points to a Tennessee team that was previously 0-5 in AFC South play.
This firing means the Jaguars, by the 2024 season, will employ four defensive coordinators in five years. Todd Wash departed after the Doug Marrone firing, while Urban Meyer‘s DC (Joe Cullen) left after the unfit HC’s one-and-done. Caldwell, 52, played 11 NFL seasons and has been an NFL assistant for the past 16 years.
Chargers Request HC Interview With Steve Wilks, Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Todd Monken
The NFL pushed back the HC carousel’s actual interviews this season, the in-person meetings at least. The league will delay onsite HC interviews until after the divisional round, but teams can still begin requesting meetings today. HC-needy clubs have gotten to work.
This now includes the Chargers, who sent an interview request to 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. The Bolts need to hire both a head coach and a GM, so plenty of moving parts — the biggest being Jim Harbaugh — are in place here. But Wilks is back on the HC radar after keeping the 49ers’ defense in high gear.
The Bolts are also interested in speaking with both the Lions’ top coordinators. Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson received requests to meet about the Los Angeles job, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Johnson, who has now collected requests from the Commanders and Panthers, has been on the Bolts’ radar for a bit. Mutual interest is believed to exist. Ravens OC Todd Monken is also on the Chargers’ radar, with Rapoport adding the recent college play-caller received a request about this job as well.
Last year, Wilks went toe-to-toe with Frank Reich for the Panthers’ HC position. After two interviews, David Tepper went with Reich. Tepper had been connected to wanting an offensive-minded coach, sending Wilks out the door after he went 6-6 as Carolina’s interim HC. Reich lasted 11 games, and the Panthers are back on the HC carousel. Tepper is not interested in bringing Wilks back this year, but the Chargers want to see if he makes sense for them. The 49ers, who have seen their past two DCs (Robert Saleh, DeMeco Ryans) become head coaches, rank third in scoring defense and fourth in defensive DVOA.
This represents quite the comeback for Monken, who had spent three years as Georgia’s OC after the 2019 Browns imploded. A one-and-done OC on the ill-fated Freddie Kitchens-centered staff, Monken — a former Buccaneers OC — rebuilt his value in Georgia, helping the Bulldogs to back-to-back national titles. He may have to beat out Harbaugh, whose Wolverines lost to the 2021 Bulldogs in the CFP semifinals, for the gig. Monken, however, has considerable momentum thanks to Lamar Jackson being on the cusp of his second MVP award. The Ravens rank in the top six in scoring and total offense, rebounding after 17th- and 19th-place finishes — albeit in seasons Jackson did not finish — in 2021 and ’22.
Johnson might be this year’s hottest HC candidate. Similar to Arthur Smith‘s stock in 2021, Johnson could end up receiving requests from the full lot of HC-seeking teams. While Smith is not the best name to bring up right now, Johnson joins the ex-Titans OC in being a two-year play-caller as an assistant. The Lions revived their offense after Dan Campbell handed Johnson the reins in 2022. Jared Goff ranked fifth in QBR last season. Although Goff took a step back this year, sitting 14th, the Lions won 12 games for just the second time in franchise history.
Johnson is 2-for-2 in top-five offensive finishes as a coordinator. It would surprise if he did not land a job during this cycle, and multiple offers could come his way. The Panthers loom for the ascending OC, a North Carolina native, but they are not exactly in a good place organizationally — and Johnson turned them down in 2023. The Chargers will have candidates eager to coach Justin Herbert; Harbaugh may well be among them.
Glenn interviewed with the Cardinals and Colts last year, but his unit’s performance does not match the Lions’ offense. The Lions have finished 31st, 28th and 23rd in scoring defense during Glenn’s three-year tenure, and he was rumored to be on the chopping block during the 2022 season. But Detroit crafted a turnaround that has carried over to this year. Glenn has also seen two of his DB pieces (C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Moseley) suffer major injuries. That has not stopped both the Chargers and Commanders from reaching out about their HC vacancies.
Panthers Request GM Interviews With Brandon Brown, Mike Greenberg, Brandt Tilis
Making the anticipated move to fire Scott Fitterer, the Panthers are joining other teams in sending out interview requests. Three have gone out as of Monday afternoon.
The Panthers want to meet with Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown, Buccaneers assistant GM Mike Greenberg and Chiefs VP of football operations Brandt Tilis, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Peter Schrager. While assistant Carolina GM Dan Morgan will have a chance to succeed Fitterer, David Tepper is hoping to bring in a handful of outside candidates.
Tepper’s actions in recent months and his general reputation during his ownership run introduce complications for his latest round of hires. But he remains the NFL’s second-wealthiest owner. That component may be important given the state of the Panthers, who do not have their first-round pick this year or their 2025 second-rounder due to the Bryce Young trade. As is the case for HC positions, there are only 32 GM jobs available. That will at least bring candidates to the table.
Tepper has already met with Tilis, who interviewed for the GM job in 2021. The Panthers conducted an expansive search that year, choosing Fitterer, who had enjoyed a successful run as a Seahawks exec. Fitterer did not have full control until Tepper fired Matt Rhule in October 2022, and the owner has referenced his own willingness to veto moves, pointing to Carolina’s GM having to contend with ownership as well. It is not known how Tepper plans to structure his next staff, in terms of handing power to the GM or head coach. That is among the notable questions Carolina faces this offseason.
As for the candidates, Tilis joins Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi in receiving early interview requests. Both have been with the team throughout its Patrick Mahomes-era rise. Tilis was a central figure in the Chiefs hammering out Mahomes’ outlier 10-year extension back in 2020, researching baseball contracts before the team came to terms with its centerpiece player on that landmark deal. The Chiefs have already needed to adjust that contract, due to the quarterback market accelerating in the years since that July 2020 extension. Tilis even predates Andy Reid in Kansas City, joining the team to start Scott Pioli‘s GM tenure back in 2009. Tilis has been in his current position since 2021.
Greenberg joins Tilis in being in his 14th season with his current employer. The Bucs exec is best known for helping the team navigate its salary cap, something that became pivotal during an all-in push centered around Tom Brady. Tampa Bay completed numerous restructures and became a piece of NFL transaction lore in 2021 by retaining its entire starting lineup plus notable backups in an effort to defend a Super Bowl title. While the Bucs could not complete that effort on the field, Greenberg’s work — which included Brady’s initial agreement, a subsequent extension and a post-retirement restructure — helped considerably. The Bucs promoted Greenberg to assistant GM last year.
The Giants hired Brown to be Joe Schoen‘s right-hand man in 2022, an offseason that featured four Eagles execs become assistant GMs elsewhere. Just 36, Brown spent five years with the Eagles, beginning his run with the team ahead of its Super Bowl LII-winning season. Howie Roseman promoted Brown to player personnel director in 2021, putting him on the radar for top lieutenant roles the following year.
Additionally, the Panthers may have their eye on another NFC South exec. Khai Harley, whom the Saints elevated to assistant GM this past offseason, is believed to be on Carolina’s radar, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. Harley has helped Mickey Loomis as the team annually comes up with creative ways to free up salary cap space, being the NFL’s restructure kingpins.
Dolphins’ Jerome Baker, Andrew Van Ginkel Likely Done For Season
Already down Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb for the season, the Dolphins continue to run into brutal injury luck on their front seven. Injuries to Jerome Baker and Andrew Van Ginkel on Sunday night appear likely to be season-enders.
Just activated from IR ahead of Week 18, Baker sustained a wrist injury for which he has already undergone surgery. The sixth-year linebacker is out for the Chiefs matchup and likely the rest of the playoffs, according to NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. Van Ginkel, who has played a key role since Phillips’ injury, is also likely done for the season due to the foot injury that forced him out of Sunday’s night’s game.
In addition to these adjustments DC Vic Fangio will need to make, Mike McDaniel said the team is not expected to have Xavien Howard back against the Chiefs. Additionally, backup edge rusher Cameron Goode suffered a torn patellar tendon in the loss to the Bills and will miss the season, McDaniel said.
In the event Miami’s defensive personnel turns this into a shootout — a less common occurrence with this Chiefs edition compared to previous Patrick Mahomes-piloted teams — McDaniel said (via Wolfe) Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert are looking more likely to return to action Saturday night. Waddle has missed the past two games with a high ankle sprain, while Mostert — the NFL’s touchdown leader, with 21 — missed Weeks 17 and 18 with knee and ankle trouble.
Still, Fangio’s troops are depleted to a point the defense will look quite different even from the shorthanded crew that took the field against the Bills. Goode’s injury left the Dolphins with Emmanuel Ogbah and Melvin Ingram on the edge. Fangio had benched the former early this season, and the Dolphins only re-signed the latter in December. The team used Ingram as a practice squad elevation in Week 18, doing so not long after cutting Jason Pierre-Paul. It would be interesting if the Dolphins reached out to JPP in this emergency circumstance. Miami still has quality personnel inside, in Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler, but its OLB setup has been gutted.
Van Ginkel has been effective as both a rotational rusher and a starter this season, notching a career-high six sacks along with 19 QB hits. He also posted a pick-six against the Commanders. Baker battled back from an MCL sprain; the Dolphins had used their final IR activation on their middle linebacker last week. A seventh-round pick, Goode played only 76 defensive snaps this season.