HEADLINES

Author: Zachary Links

Panthers Eyeing Jay Gruden, Bill O’Brien For OC

January 9th, 2022 at 1:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have Bill O’Brien and Jay Gruden on the radar as they search for their next offensive coordinator, according to sources who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Schefter also hears that Carolina is expected to reach out to Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell about the vacancy.

[RELATED: Panthers Plan To Keep Matt Rhule]

Washington fired Gruden midway through his sixth season after winless start to the 2019 season. He clashed with ownership and team brass throughout his tenure, though he was far from alone in that regard. Dwayne Haskins aside, he offers a solid track record of grooming young quarterbacks, dating back to his early days with the Bengals and QB Andy Dalton. Gruden re-emerged in 2020 as the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator but didn’t make the transition to the short-lived Urban Meyer era.

O’Brien, meanwhile, took the Texans to the playoffs four times, including 2015 and ’16 when he had the likes of Brian Hoyer and Brock Osweiler under center. Still, the Texans came up short in the postseason, despite the presence of Deshaun Watson. His work as a GM left much to be desired, but O’Brien is still in demand — in addition to the Panthers OC job, the Jaguars are eyeing him as a head coaching candidate. His interviews will have to wait at least a couple more days, however, as he guides the Alabama offense through the National Championship game.

After firing previous OC Joe Brady, head coach Matt Rhule is expected to stay put for the 2022 season.

Cowboys Activate Blake Jarwin From IR

January 8th, 2022 at 2:59pm CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY: Jarwin will make his return against the Eagles. The Cowboys activated the veteran tight end off IR. Jarwin has not played since Week 8.

TUESDAY: The Cowboys designated Blake Jarwin for return from the injured reserve list (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). With that, the tight end will return to practice today with an eye on returning for the playoffs. 

Thanks to a nagging hip injury, Jarwin hasn’t played since Halloween. Before that, he ranked among the better run-blocking tight ends, per Pro Football Focus. The Cowboys have been getting by with ex-Washington cog Jeremy Sprinkle and second-year UDFA Sean McKeon, but Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard will be glad to have Jarwin back in the fold.

The Cowboys re-upped Jarwin on a three-year, $24.25MM extension in March of 2020, so he remains under contract through 2023. Now, the Cowboys are just hoping that he can stay healthy and reprise his career 2019. That year, he reeled in 31 catches for 365 yards (both career bests) plus three receiving touchdowns.

There’s no word on Jarwin’s availability for Week 18, but it’s unlikely that they’ll rush him on to the field for the season finale. At 11-5, the Cowboys have already sealed their playoff berth and clinched the NFC East.

Jaguars To Interview Kellen Moore Tonight

January 7th, 2022 at 12:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars will conduct a virtual interview with Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore on Friday night (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News). Moore, who won’t turn 33 until this summer, has been on the Jaguars’ radar for several weeks. 

[RELATED: Jags To Interview Bill O’Brien]

Moore inked a three-year extension with the Cowboys towards the close of the 2020 season, but he’s remained a hot name in coaching circles. The rival Eagles requested an interview with him in January of 2021 before ultimately going with Nick Sirianni.

At the time, he had an opportunity to lead Boise State as their head coach, but chose to stay in Dallas with a pay bump. The ink has barely dried on that re-up, but Moore could still explore other opportunities in the NFL.

Moore’s offensive mind could be enough to offset his lack of HC experience. It’s also possible that he could lure a few of the Cowboys’ top free agents to Florida. Guard Connor Williams, tight end Dalton Schultz, and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson are all scheduled to reach the open market in March.

Ravens Rule Out Lamar Jackson

January 7th, 2022 at 12:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Tyler Huntley will serve as the Ravens’ starting quarterback on Sunday, head coach John Harbaugh announced. This marks yet another missed week for Lamar Jackson, as the Ravens head into the regular season finale against the Steelers.

The Ravens’ 20-19 loss to the Rams was a costly one. They still have a chance — albeit a slim one — of making it to the playoffs, but they’ll need a whole lot to work in their favor this weekend. To qualify for an AFC Wild Card spot, the Ravens need a win, plus losses from the Chargers, Colts, and the Dolphins. The Ravens would also qualify with a win, losses from the Chargers and Colts, plus a Dolphins tie.

Huntley, a former UDFA, has had his moments, but nothing like Jackson when he’s at his best. Of course, this hasn’t been a banner year for the former MVP, but he’s still managed a 64.4% completion rate for 2,882 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions across a dozen starts. He’s also added 767 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Jaguars To Interview Bill O’Brien

January 7th, 2022 at 11:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars are set to interview former Texans head coach and current Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien for their head coaching vacancy. The interview, slated for sometime after Alabama’s National Championship game on Monday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport), comes as a surprise.

O’Brien led the Texans to four playoff berths in six full seasons, including 2015 and ’16 when he had the likes of Brian Hoyer and Brock Osweiler under center. Still, the Texans went just 9-7 in each season and came up short in the playoffs, despite having with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. All in all, Houston won two playoff games under O’Brien before his 2020 ouster.

Of course, O’Brien also took considerable heat for his work as the Texans’ GM. He didn’t leave Houston on good terms either as he clashed with some of the team’s most prominent stars at practice.

“Bill is one of the brightest offensive minds in football, an outstanding teacher and excellent recruiter,” Saban said upon hiring O’Brien last year. “He will strengthen our coaching staff and give our players the best possible chance to be successful.”

There are now nine known candidates for the Jaguars job. That list includes Bucs offensive coordinator Bryon Leftwich, who is interviewing with team brass today.

Cardinals Designate J.J. Watt For Return

January 7th, 2022 at 10:03am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have designated J.J. Watt for return from the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. With that, Watt can begin practicing with the team as soon as today and rejoin the 53-man roster at any time over the next three weeks. 

Watt may or may not be trotted out in Week 18 against the Seahawks, a game that could decide the NFC West. But, beyond that, it appears that Watt could suit up for the playoffs. That’s phenomenal news, especially since doctors told him that his surgically-repaired shoulder would keep him sidelined all year long.

“They tell me I’m done, I have to get surgery and it’s going to take four to six months,” Watt said a few weeks ago (via AZCardinals.com). “I’m sitting there and I can easily pout and easily say, ‘Woe is me, four to six months, I’ll do what I have to do.’ But instead I said, ‘Nah, I’m not going to accept that.’”

Watt’s defied doctors in the past, having returned from a pectoral tear to play in the Texans’ two playoff games in 2019. And, when healthy, he’s still playing at a high level. In a limited sample of 341 defensive snaps this year, Pro Football Focus had him ranked as a top-10 interior defensive lineman.

D.K. Metcalf Wants To Stay With Seahawks

January 7th, 2022 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

Beyond the big questions, the Seahawks have lots on their to-do list this offseason. That includes a potential extension for D.K. Metcalf, whose rookie deal expires after the 2022 season. For his part, the wide receiver says he wants to stay with the Seahawks for the long haul. 

[RELATED: Latest On Seahawks’ Wilson, Carroll]

“Of course,” Metcalf said when asked if he wants to sign a new deal with Seattle (via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times). “I’m not trying to leave, but we’ve got the Cardinals to focus on right now. You can hit me up later in the offseason if you need that question answered.”

Metcalf’s offseason may also include foot surgery, though no decision has been made on that front. Despite playing through serious pain this year, Metcalf has still managed 70 catches for 909 yards and 12 touchdowns across 16 games. In 2020, a healthier campaign, Metcalf went off for 83 grabs, 1,303 receiving yards, and ten TDs en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.

For now, the Seahawks have him under contract for one more year at a paltry $1.12MM cap hit. His next deal should take him north of $15MM/year, slotting him somewhere in the top ten at WR. No matter what the future holds for the team’s other stars, there’s no doubt that the Seahawks want Metcalf to be a part of it.

Jaguars To Interview Byron Leftwich On Friday

January 7th, 2022 at 9:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars are set to interview Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich for their head coaching vacancy today, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). He’ll be the fourth candidate to meet with team brass, following Doug Pederson, Jim Caldwell, and Bucs DC Todd Bowles. 

As a quarterback, Leftwich entered the league as a 2003 first-round pick of the Jaguars and spent four years under center in Jacksonville. Beyond the franchise ties, Leftwich has proven himself as an offensive mind. With one week left in the regular season, his Bucs lead the league in yards per game (405.8) and rank second in points per contest (29.4).

Bucs head coach Bruce Arians, who has had Leftwich on staff since his Arizona days, firmly believes that Leftwich is ready to guide his own team. Leftwich, meanwhile, only wants to focus on the task at hand — a second straight Super Bowl ring.

“Obviously, as a coach anytime your name is thrown around, I guess it is what it is, but it really means nothing at this point,” Leftwich said last weekend when asked about the Jags job (via the New York Post). “It really means nothing at this point and I kind of think it’s disrespectful to the guys that you really work with every day.”

After Leftwich, the Jaguars are expected to interview Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett sometime next week. So far, the Jaguars have eight known candidates on the radar, though they could cast a wider net in the coming weeks.

Raiders Re-Sign LB Will Compton

January 7th, 2022 at 8:34am CST by Zachary Links

He wasn’t gone for long. The Raiders have re-signed Will Compton, according to the linebacker himself (Twitter link). 

Las Vegas brought in Compton, a former starter for the 2019 Oakland Raiders, when they were severely short-staffed last month. Compton saw time in one game — Week 14 against the Chiefs — before being released on Wednesday.

“I gave [head coach Rich] Bisaccia a huge hug and thanked him for absolutely everything,” Compton said (via the Las Vegas Review-Journal). “I would do anything for that man. Coach Bisaccia is the best. Everybody in that building has been so good to me these last few weeks as everything has unfolded for me personally.”

Now, with a potential playoff berth at stake, there could be plenty more hugs to go around. With a win over the Chargers this weekend, the Raiders will punch their ticket to the playoffs.

Compton, once a starter for Washington, has nine seasons of experience to his credit, spending the last four with the Titans and Raiders. So far this year, he has just 15 special teams snaps under his belt, all from that single game against the Chiefs.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/7/22

January 7th, 2022 at 8:28am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Denver Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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