Eagles Interested In Lincoln Riley
The Eagles contacted University of Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley hours after firing Doug Pederson, according to Geoff Mosher of Inside The Birds. We’ve heard Riley’s name come up in recent years, but the Eagles are the first team in this cycle to reach out to him directly. 
[RELATED: Eagles Fire Doug Pederson]
Riley has amassed a 45-8 record since taking over for Bob Stoops in 2017. Though the Sooners came up short in the postseason, Riley’s work with No. 1 overall picks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray has put him squarely on the pro radar. Riley also coached Eagles starting QB Jalen Hurts, making him a logical candidate for Philly.
“In terms of the characteristics, I’d rather not specify, but I can tell you no matter who we have, it needs to be a leader of coaches, a leader of players and someone who represents the organization in a great leadership way,” owner Jeffrey Lurie said on Monday. “I think there’s a couple ways to skin that cat. You can hire somebody really steeped in offense or you’ve seen great offenses coached by head coaches coming from the defensive side.
“I don’t think there’s any predilection for one over the other, but I do think somebody that is constantly curious of where the league is headed and what you need to do to have really good units and again, without a really good elite offense, I tend to err on that side. But not that side of the ball for head coach. Doesn’t matter.”
The Eagles may also consider Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka for the vacancy. Kafka, like Pederson, comes from the Andy Reid coaching tree. The Eagles even wanted to hire him as their offensive coordinator a year ago, but Reid blocked the move.
Jets Meet Robert Saleh For Second Interview
Robert Saleh has advanced to the next round. The Jets are flying 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh in for a second interview, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo (Twitter link). 
Saleh — who is also in the mix for the Falcons, Lions, Jaguars, and Chargers — appears to be one of the hottest candidates in this cycle. He’s got ties to several of those teams. Before going to SF, he spent 2014-2016 as Jacksonville’s linebackers coach. He’s also been heavily connected to the Lions job, which makes sense since he’s a Michigan native who spent time with the Spartans.
The Jets were a mess on both sides of the ball and they might be inclined to go for a defensive specialist. The 41-year-old Saleh led a healthier 49ers defense to the NFL’s second-best DVOA in 2019 and managed to keep this year’s injury-ravaged unit towards the top.
Saleh, meanwhile, has no shortage of options, and the Jets might not be the belle of the ball. The Chargers might be especially appealing for Saleh, allowing him to stay in the same state and manage one of the league’s most talented units.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/11/21
We’ll keep track of the latest practice squad moves here:
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from COVID-19 list: C Javon Patterson
- Released: DT Joey Ivie
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LS John Denney
Browns “All Clear” After COVID-19 Testing
More good news for the Browns. After winning their first playoff game in ages, the team got an “all clear” on their latest round of COVID-19 testing, according to a source who spoke with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 
After jumping out to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter, the Browns held on for their first postseason victory since 1994. They did it without their head coach on the sidelines, too. Browns special-teams coordinator and Cleveland native Mike Priefer led the way, as Kevin Stefanski kept his distance. Stefanski is expected to be cleared in time for this weekend, when the Browns look to upset the Chiefs.
“I want to congratulate our fans — I grew up one of them,” said Priefer (via ESPN.com). “I know what this means.”
The Browns will also hope to have Joel Bitonio back in action. The Pro Bowl guard was held out against the Steelers after testing for COVID-19 — ditto for wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge and two offensive assistants.
Mitchell Trubisky “Can See” Bears Return
Reigning NVP Mitchell Trubisky is slated for free agency. However, the quarterback says he “can see” a scenario in which he returns to the Bears (via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com).
“I think I can definitely see myself back here next year,” Trubisky said. “Obviously, a lot of that is out of my control, but it feels like home and it feels like we have unfinished business. Right now, I’m just bummed about this season being over and how the game went. So, a lot of emotions going on right now, but I can see that. We’ll see. There are a lot of things that have to happen and a lot of decisions that have to be made and that’s out of my control, but I can see that.”
Trubisky, a hit with the ages 6-12 demo, lost his starting job to Nick Foles early in the season. He returned to the starting lineup in Week 12 and helped the Bears to wins over the Texans, Vikings, and Jaguars. However, it was all downhill after that, and Sunday’s loss to the Saints could mark his final game with Chicago.
Despite it all, Trubisky remains confident in his abilities.
“I feel like I got better [after the benching],” Trubisky said. “I feel like I got better this year. I feel like when I was put back in the starting lineup that the offense was better and I gave my team a chance to win, and we did win games, and that is why we were able to get back into the playoffs. It wasn’t just me, but it was the whole unit coming together and the whole team making plays and really getting through that adversity together. But I feel like I was a big part of that.
“So there are some good things that we did toward the end of the season that helped put us in position to be able to play here tonight, but that’s now how we want to finish…I think we have some pieces, but there is a lot more that we need to do better, and we need to figure that out.”
Lions To Interview Dan Campbell
The Lions are set to interview Saints assistant Dan Campbell in the coming days, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The club has also formally scheduled an interview with Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. 
Campbell moved up the coaching ranks soon after retiring in 2021. Starting as a coaching intern with the Dolphins in 2010, he advanced to Miami’s interim head coach in 2015. After impressing in that brief run, he hooked on with the Saints. A few years later, the Dolphins requested an interview, but he had no interest in a South Beach reunion. He did, however, say yes to the Browns, Cardinals, and Packers.
Bowles, who had just 24 wins across four seasons as the Jets’ head coach, reported to be on the Lions’ list a few days ago. Here’s the current list, via PFR’s 2021 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker:
- Darrell Bevell, Lions interim head coach: Interviewed on 1/5
- Eric Bieniemy, Chiefs offensive coordinator: Interviewed on 1/4
- Todd Bowles, Buccaneers defensive coordinator: To be interviewed
- Dan Campbell, Saints assistant head coach: To be interviewed
- Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern head coach: Rumored candidate
- Marvin Lewis, Arizona State co-defensive coordinator/former Bengals head coach: Interviewed
- Urban Meyer, former Ohio State head coach: Rumored candidate
- Robert Saleh, 49ers defensive coordinator: Interviewed on 1/7
- Arthur Smith, Titans offensive coordinator: To be interviewed
2021 NFL Draft Order
Wild Card weekend is in the books and 75% of the NFL’s 2021 Draft order has been set. Here’s the rundown, thus far:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins (via Texans)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. San Francisco 49ers
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (via Seahawks)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
Cowboys Meet With Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn interviewed for the Cowboys defensive coordinator job over the weekend, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Quinn is the third known candidate to discuss the job with Dallas, following Falcons secondary coach Joe Whitt and Panthers defensive passing game coordinator Jason Simmons.
[RELATED: Cowboys Fire Mike Nolan]
The Falcons fired Quinn after his team’s 0-5 start, but he’s been building momentum lately as a DC candidate. Quinn, of course, led the Falcons to the Super Bowl just a few years ago. Before that, he made his name as the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator during the ‘Legion of Boom’ era. Winning Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks was the highlight of his career. His Falcons defenses, on the other hand, didn’t impress.
The Cowboys fired Mike Nolan last week, but head coach Mike McCarthy is staying put. If McCarthy wants to go back to a 4-3 base, Quinn would be a sensible choice.
The Cowboys could certainly use a fresh look. Last year, their D ranked 28th in scoring, 23rd in DVOA, and 31st against the run. In total, they surrendered 473 points — the highest total in the franchise’s 61-year history.
Giants Waive Devonta Freeman
The Giants have officially waived running back Devonta Freeman from injured reserve. The move is more of a formality than anything, since Freeman’s contract is set to expire. 
[RELATED: Giants Extend Patrick Graham]
Freeman inked a one-year deal with the G-Men in September, after Saquon Barkley was lost for the year. The one-time star would play in just five games before spending time on IR and the COVID-19 list. Freeman leaves New Jersey with 171 yards off of 54 carries, resulting in a 3.2 yards per carry average, plus one rushing touchdown. He didn’t do much in the passing game either, finishing with seven catches for 58 yards.
It was a far cry from Freeman’s best work with the Falcons. With Atlanta, Freeman managed two 1,000-yard seasons with 1,500+ scrimmage yards. Freeman won’t turn 29 until March, but his salad days are a distant memory at this point.
Freeman will be free to sign with any club in the spring, but teams won’t be lining up for him. If the Drew Rosenhaus client continues to play, he’ll likely put pen to paper sometime closer to the start of the season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/8/21
Today’s practice squad moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Release: T Jordan Mills
Denver Broncos
- Release: C Jon Halapio
Houston Texans
- Release: OL Greg Mancz