USC OC Graham Harrell Won’t Leave For Eagles
USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell won’t leave the school to take on the same role with the Eagles, Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports (on Twitter) hears. It’s not clear whether Harrell would have gotten the job in Philly, but he was among the coaches on their radar.
The Eagles bounced Mike Groh earlier this month, shortly after head coach Doug Pederson inadvertently told reporters that he’d be staying on board. Since then, they’ve seen Ravens quarterbacks coach James Urban decline their request for an interview and ex-Redskins OC Kevin O’Connell accept the same job with the Rams.
It’s not clear where the Eagles will go from here. They’ve been connected to Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka, but they’ve yet to schedule an interview.
Harrell became USC’s OC last year after Kliff Kingsbury left for the Cardinals. In 2019, USC ranked 20th last season with 454 yards per game, improving significantly from its 382.6 average in 2018.
Panthers Hire Phil Snow As DC
The Panthers announced that they have hired Phil Snow as their new defensive coordinator. Snow has spent the last seven years as Rhule’s DC and they’ll continue their partnership in Charlotte.
[RELATED: Panthers Eyeing No. 1 Pick?]
Snow spent four years as Rhule’s DC at Temple before following him to Baylor, where they’ve spent the last three years together. Rhule, meanwhile, has always made it known that he wanted to put together his own staff at the pro level. Last year, he rejected the Jets’ offer when the club insisted on picking out his assistants for him given his lack of previous NFL experience. He held firm, stayed at Baylor for another year, and wound up with full autonomy (and a deal that could pay up to $70MM) with the Panthers.
Snow comes with some NFL experience, having served as the Lions’ linebackers coach from 2005 to 2008. At the collegiate level, he’s delivered impressive results. In 2019, Baylor ranked 41st in the nation in total defense, and finished second in takeaways (30), third in interceptions (17), eighth in sacks per game (3.31), and fifth in turnover margin (1.08). During Snow’s final year with the Bears, Baylor defensive tackle James Lynch finished fifth in the nation in sacks (13.5) while cornerback Grayland Arnold ranked fifth in interceptions (6).
Browns To Hire George Paton?
The Browns could hire George Paton to be their new GM early this week, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com hears. Though nothing has been finalized, it sounds like the Vikings assistant general manager will be the club’s hire and make his long-awaited move up the ladder. 
Paton has been very picky with interviews in recent years and he was reportedly waffling on whether to even interview for the Browns’ vacancy. On Saturday, he met with team brass and things are apparently moving in a positive direction.
The Browns also interviewed Eagles VP of football operations Andrew Berry and Patriots director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort on Friday. Berry was thought to be the favorite for weeks, due to his familiarity with the organization. Instead, Paton is now expected to take over for John Dorsey and guide the Browns through a critical offseason.
Paton may be a natural fit for a team that just hired longtime Vikings assistant Kevin Stefanski as its head coach. The two men overlapped in Minnesota for 13 years, so they should be well-aligned.
Texans Hire Anthony Weaver As DC
The Texans are making a change at defensive coordinator. Anthony Weaver has been promoted from defensive line coach to take over for Romeo Crennel, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
Crennel was said to be considering retirement. It’s not immediately clear whether the 72-year-old will walk away from the game or return to the team in some sort of advisory capacity. The former Browns and Chiefs head coach served as defensive coordinator from 2014-16 and returned to that role in 2018, after Mike Vrabel became the Titans’ HC. All in all, he’s spent 38 years as an NFL coach.
The Texans ranked 19th in defensive DVOA in 2019 and just fired outside linebackers coach John Pagano. Crennel’s defense is coming off a brutal divisional-round showing, when the Chiefs erased a 24-point deficit by halftime in a 51-31 rout.
Weaver, 39, played with the Texans for three seasons in the 2000s and has coached in Houston for the past four years.
Chargers’ Philip Rivers Moves To Florida
Chargers star quarterback Philip Rivers has moved “permanently” from San Diego to Florida, Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com hear. It’s yet another signal that the Bolts and their longtime QB could be moving in separate directions this offseason.
“What this means football-wise is to be determined but it was time for us to move back closer to home,” Rivers said in a text message.
After the Chargers’ season finale, Rivers confirmed that he wants to continue playing. The 38-year-old also acknowledged that he might have played his final game with the only franchise he’s ever known.
The Chargers could slide Tyrod Taylor into the starting quarterback role and put their cap dollars elsewhere. Meanwhile, Rivers could join an intriguing QB free agent crop alongside Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ryan Tannehill, Teddy Bridgewater, Jameis Winston, and Marcus Mariota.
Rivers threw for 4,615 yards in 2019 with just 23 touchdowns, his lowest total since 2007. Meanwhile, he threw 20 interceptions as the Chargers went 5-11.
Over the years, Rivers has tallied eight Pro Bowl selections and nearly 400 touchdowns through the air.
Latest On Reuben Foster
Reuben Foster is hoping to return to the field after suffering a torn ACL, LCL, and MCL. But, in addition to those injuries, the Redskins linebacker was also dealing with nerve damage that left him without feeling in his toes for the last several months, agent Malki Kawa tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. On the plus side – there have been signs of improvement. 
“He’s got feeling in his toes, the underside of his foot, the side of his foot,” Kawa said. “The nerve is starting to fire again.”
Kawa is hopeful that Foster can participate in training camp this summer, but there’s no set timetable for his return. In the meantime, Foster is hoping that stem cell treatment and sessions in hyperbaric chambers will help him return to his old form. The road to recovery won’t be easy, but Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith also came back from the dreaded “drop foot,” so it wouldn’t be unprecedented.
“He’s regaining feeling and power,” said Kawa. “It shows the nerve is firing. When he moves his leg upward, he can feel around the ankle and the top part of the foot. That’s a new thing. The next 60 days are going to be big as far as getting back to normal.”
If the controversial linebacker can retake the field this year, it’ll be a major lift for the Redskins’ front seven under new head coach Ron Rivera.
Browns To Hire Joe Woods?
49ers defensive backs coach Joe Woods is on track to become the Browns’ next defensive coordinator, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). All that remains, Schefter hears, is figuring out a contract. 
The Browns, reportedly, were down to Woods and incumbent Steve Wilks as of last week. Today, the Browns told Wilks that he’s out, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets. Barring something unexpected, Woods will get the job.
Woods, 49, has history with new Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski – Woods was a Vikes assistant between 2006-2013. All in all, Woods comes with 16 years of NFL coaching experience for five different teams. Before he hooked on as the Niners’ LBs coach, he spent four years with the Broncos, including two as their DC.
While Woods’ two Broncos defenses were solid, the 49ers’ rise from 23rd to second in pass-defense DVOA has obviously been key to the NFC No. 1 seed’s success. The 49ers’ Richard Sherman-led secondary has become a much better unit compared to last season, when Sherman did not play at a Pro Bowl level. Woods also oversaw the Broncos’ dominant No-Fly Zone secondary that helped the team to a championship in 2015, working under Wade Phillips.
Ravens HC: Will Be Hard To Keep Matt Judon
The Ravens want to keep Matt Judon, but head coach John Harbaugh admits that it’ll be “pretty hard” to retain the in-demand pass rusher. 
“We’re going to try to get as many of these guys re-signed as we can. Matt [Judon] is probably right at the top of the list, for sure,” Harbaugh told reporters on Friday. “Our goal will be to have Matt back.”
Judon, 28 in August, is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in March. After notching a career-high 9.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in his first season as a full-time starter, Judon could fetch big bucks on the open market.
There’s some question as to whether the Ravens can afford to re-sign him to a lucrative long-term deal, but they can ill afford to lose him, either. Judon stepped up after the Ravens’ front seven lost Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith to free agency. Now, there’s no one behind the fourth-year player that could replace his production.
The Ravens will have to balance their desire to keep Judon with other pending free agents, including cornerback Jimmy Smith, defensive tackle Michael Pierce, and linebacker Patrick Onwuasor. They’re also likely to exercise defensive back Brandon Carr‘s option, which would carry a $7MM cap figure.
As it stands, the Ravens are projected to have nearly $34MM in cap space for the offseason.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Jeffery
New head coach Mike McCarthy has plenty of changes in the works for the Cowboys, but they won’t be straying from their 4-3 defense. When speaking with reporters, McCarthy confirmed that the team’s base will continue to be four down linemen, though they’ll mix things up with their playbook (Twitter link via Jon Machota of The Athletic).
The defense will be run by Mike Nolan, who joined McCarthy in Dallas earlier this month. On the other side of the ball, Kellen Moore will stay as the OC and be in charge of play calling.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- The Eagles’ need for help at wide receiver is glaring, but the contracts of Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson will limit their flexibility, as Zach Berman of The Athletic writes. Releasing Jeffery, who is coming off of an injury-riddled and subpar season, would saddle the Eagles with $26.1MM in dead money and zero cap savings. A trade would result in $16.2MM in dead money – a slightly less painful hit – but they’d likely have to sweeten the pot with a draft pick, a la the Brock Osweiler deal. Jeffery reportedly clashed with teammates last year, but the Eagles are probably stuck with him. If Jeffery isn’t on the roster, Berman writes, it’ll show just how badly the relationship soured.
- Regarding Jackson, Berman believes his place on the roster is more of a given. Cutting DJax after he missed much of the season with an abdomenal injury might be a stronger consideration if it wouldn’t cost the Eagles $12.54MM with zero cap relief. Instead, you can expect DJax to fly with the Birds yet again in 2020. The Eagles will hope that the 33-year-old can stay healthy and resume his place as one of the league’s most dangerous deep threats.
- In more positive cap news, the Eagles are projected to have $46.9MM to spend this offseason. Eagles GM Howie Roseman could push that number even higher by trading safety Malcolm Jenkins or linebacker Nigel Bradham, as Eliot Shorr-Parks of WIP writes. Jenkins is adamant that he won’t play for the Eagles “on the same deal” in 2020, so a trade seems likely if the two sides cannot come to an accord on an extension.
LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson Enters Draft
Another big name is on the board. On Friday, just before the deadline for underclassmen to declare, LSU linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson announced he’s going pro. 
[RELATED: LSU’s Lloyd Cushenberry, Jacob Phillips Declare For Draft]
Chaisson is the latest in a line of LSU stars to declare early entry. Quarterback Joe Burrow (the expected No. 1 overall pick), center Lloyd Cushenberry III, linebacker Jacob Phillips, and safety Grant Delpit are among the eight pros that decided to skip their remaining eligibility in order to kickstart their NFL careers.
Chaisson may be one of several Tigers called in the first round. The imposing edge rusher finished out his final collegiate season with 60 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. It was a big year and one that erased any questions about the 2018 season which was mostly loss due to a torn ACL.
Chaisson stands at 6’4″ and weighs in at 250 pounds, but he’s tremendously athletic for a player of his size. Some evaluators might have him slotted behind the likes of Alabama’s Terrell Lewis or Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him shoot up the boards after the February combine.
Ohio State’s Chase Young is the undisputed gem of this edge rushing class (and, perhaps, the entire draft class). Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa also seems likely to come off the board early.