Joe Barry To Interview For Rams’ DC Job
Rams linebackers coach/ assistant head coach Joe Barry will speak with Sean McVay on Thursday about the team’s defensive coordinator vacancy, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (on Twitter). If he doesn’t get the promotion, Barry could likely pivot to USC, where he likely has an opportunity to become their defensive coordinator. 
Barry served as the Redskins’ defensive coordinator in 2015 and 2016, overlapping with McVay in D.C. In 2017, he joined up with McVay in Los Angeles and served under Wade Phillips. The Rams parted ways with Phillips after the season, leaving that job vacant.
The Rams are also looking into offensive coordinators, a search that could lead them to Redskins coach Kevin O’Connell. They’ll also need to hire a new special teams coordinator after John Fassel left for the Cowboys.
In 2019, the Rams allowed 22.8 points per game and 339.6 yards per contest, putting them in the middle of the pack in both categories.
Latest On Andrew Luck
The Colts aren’t totally committed to Jacoby Brissett as their quarterback for 2020. Regardless of how that shakes out, it doesn’t sound like Andrew Luck will be walking through that door. 
[RELATED: Colts GM: “Jury Still Out” On Brissett]
“He’s doing fine,” said Andrew’s dad and XFL commissioner Oliver Luck in an interview with Dan Patrick. “My wife and I spent some time with him and his growing family. He just got his first child about six weeks ago. We were with him over Christmas. He’s doing great. I have not noticed any desires to come back and play, but he’s doing very well.”
Colts GM Chris Ballard has gotten a similar impression from the former No. 1 overall pick.
“Andrew’s retired,” Ballard said recently. “Do I talk to Andrew? Yes, I do. Haven’t talked to him in a few weeks, I’m sure he’s been busy being a father. But Andrew’s retired, and I think we all need to accept that. That’s where he’s at. He’s retired.”
With that, the Colts probably won’t be able to talk the former No. 1 overall pick into returning in 2020. On the plus side, they have the No. 13 overall pick in the draft and upwards of $90MM in projected cap space to work with.
Giants To Consider Freddie Kitchens?
Freddie Kitchens was one-and-done as the Browns’ head coach, but he could land on his feet in New Jersey. New Giants head coach Joe Judge is expected to speak with Kitchens about a spot on his offensive staff, a source tells ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Latest On Giants’ Draft Plans]
Kitchens and Judge worked together at Mississippi State, so the two coaches have history together. Kitchens’ stock has obviously cooled over the last year, but he was largely credited for the Browns’ progress on offense in 2018 and the development of quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Judge could view Kitchens as a quality mentor for his own young QB, Daniel Jones. It’s not clear whether Kitchens would be considered for the offensive coordinator role, however, or a different job on that side of the ball.
Kitchens ascended from associate head coach/running backs coach to the Browns’ OC job midway through the 2018 season. Last year, the Browns went 6-10 with Kitchens as their head coach.
NFL Draft Rumors: Lions, Giants, Dolphins
Here’s the latest NFL Draft buzz from Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller:
- Miller would be positively stunned if the Bengals don’t draft LSU quarterback Joe Burrow No. 1 overall and the Redskins don’t grab Ohio State defensive end Chase Young with the No. 2 pick.
- With that in mind, Miller feels the draft truly starts at No. 3 overall, where the Lions pick. Sources tell Miller that they’ll look heavily at Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah and Auburn defensive lineman Derrick Brown. Then again, it’s a prime trade-back spot – teams like the Dolphins, Chargers, and Panthers could move up to land a QB.
- Unless new head coach Joe Judge sways him in a different direction, Giants GM Dave Gettleman is expected to look at edge-rushers, left tackles, and wide receivers with the No. 4 pick. “He can’t help himself with linemen, so slot your top-rated offensive tackle there,” one scout who previously worked with Gettleman said. Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr. and Georgia’s Andrew Thomas rank among the top tackles in this year’s crop.
- No team has done more work on Oregon’s Justin Herbert than the Dolphins, who own the No. 5 pick and two more selections later on, Miller writes. The Dolphins will almost certainly go QB here, then shift their attention to offensive tackle, edge-rusher, and running back help.
- The same source who tipped Miller off to the Cardinals‘ love of Kyler Murray last year says they’re wild about Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. But, internally, they also feel that the offensive line need is too big to overlook.
- The Raiders, with two picks in the first round, are looking to go defense and wide receiver, Miller hears.
- The Bills are already nervous about other teams leapfrogging them for wide receivers, Miller hears. The Bills own the No. 22 overall pick and nine total selections in the draft.
- The Patriots are impossible to read, but none of Miller’s sources believe that they’ll draft a quarterback early on. Tom Brady has vowed to continue playing, but he’ll also explore his options in free agency.
Giants Hire Joe Judge As Head Coach
Jan. 8: The hiring is official, per a team announcement.
Jan. 7: The Giants are finalizing a deal to hire Patriots wide receivers/special teams coach Joe Judge as their new head coach, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) reports. This news comes moments after the Panthers hired Matt Rhule, who was believed to be the Giants’ top target. 
Interestingly, Schefter hears that the deal was in the works on Monday night, before Rhule shook hands with Carolina brass. That was “another reason” why Rhule accepted the Panthers’ offer, according to Schefter, which indicates that the Baylor head coach might not have been the Giants’ first choice after all.
Before agreeing to a seven-year deal with the Panthers that could be worth up to $70MM, Rhule called the Giants and gave them an opportunity to match the offer, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. When the Giants declined, Rhule 86’d his scheduled interview with the G-Men, and the Giants shifted their focus to Judge.
The Giants considered a whole host of candidates for their head coaching vacancy, as shown in PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker. Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, and Cowboys assistant Kris Richard were also on the radar, and the Giants were reportedly seeking an interview with ex-Cowboys HC Jason Garrett. Garrett, apparently, won’t be interviewing for the top job, however – Judge has been tapped as the Giants’ next head coach.
Judge, 38, was being groomed by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for an even larger role down the line. He also had an opportunity to return to his alma mater, Mississippi State, as their head coach. Ultimately, he chose to become the new head coach of the Giants, replacing the recently-dismissed Pat Shurmur.
Judge joined the Pats in 2012 after a three-year stint as a special teams assistant at Alabama. In 2015, he was elevated to ST coordinator and, in 2019, he was also given the WRs coach title. Although he doesn’t have the star power of the Giants’ other reported candidates, the club believes that he has the right temperament and energy to handle the pressure that comes with the New York market.
Judge becomes the latest Belichick protege to join the head coaching ranks. In the past few years, Mike Vrabel (Titans), Matt Patricia (Lions), and Brian Flores (Dolphins) have all left the nest and climbed the ladder.
The Redskins, Cowboys, Panthers, and Giants have all filled their head coaching vacancies, leaving the Browns as the lone team in search of a new leader. The Browns saw a few of their targets go elsewhere, but, on the plus side, they can now afford to take their time in the search.
Patriots’ Tom Brady Won’t Retire
Tom Brady‘s season is over, but his career will continue. On Wednesday, Brady took to social media to declare that he will continue playing in 2020.
[RELATED: Tom Brady, Robert Kraft Discuss Future]
“You don’t always win. You can, however, learn from that failure, pick yourself up with great enthusiasm, and place yourself in the arena again. And that’s right where you will find me,” Brady wrote. “Because I know I still have more to prove.”
Not everyone would agree that Brady still has more to prove, even after the Patriots’ surprising ouster at the hands of the Titans. Brady, who will turn 43 before the start of the 2020 season, is a six-time Super Bowl champ, three-time MVP, 14-time Pro Bowler, and, undeniably, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Meanwhile, Brady is on course to reach free agency for the first time in his career. The Patriots are reportedly willing to allow Brady to explore his options, even though they do not have any other viable options at the position.
For his part, owner Robert Kraft doesn’t want to see Brady in another uniform.
“Before the season started it was very important to Tom that he be free to do whatever he wanted at the end of the year. You know what I said to myself? That any person who plays 20 years for this team and helps us get to nine Super Bowls, and been really selfless, has earned that right,” Kraft said recently. “And you know, my hope and prayer is No. 1, he play for the Patriots. Or No. 2, he retires. … But I just hope and pray we fit into his plans.”
Matt Rhule Preferred Giants To Panthers?
On Tuesday, Matt Rhule signed on as the new coach of the Panthers. However, the former Baylor head coach preferred the Giants job, according to a source who spoke with Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. 
After receiving a whopping seven-year, $62MM offer from the Panthers – a deal that could reach $70MM, through incentives – Rhule called the Giants to see if they would be willing to match. The Giants asked Rhule to meet with them in person, but Rhule pressed for a more definitive answer. When the Giants informed him that they would not match on the money or length of the deal, Rhule cancelled his Giants interview and accepted the Panthers offer, out of fear that owner David Tepper would pivot to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
In the weeks leading up to the hire of Joe Judge, Rhule was the Giants’ top target in their search. However, the Giants insist that they preferred the Patriots assistant, even when putting finances aside. Judge floored the Giants in his interview and Vacchiano hears that he came with a sterling recommendation from Bill Belichick.
“It doesn’t matter how we got here,” one team source told Vacchiano. “We feel we got the right guy. And I think everyone will be happy in the end.”
Ron Rivera was also linked to the Giants job by many, due to his history with GM Dave Gettleman. The Giants had interest in the 58-year-old, but Vacchiano hears that he was not considered a priority, even before he was hired by the rival Redskins.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/7/20
The latest reserve/futures signings from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- K/P Kaare Vedvik
Detroit Lions
- RB Tra Carson
New England Patriots
- OLB Tashawn Bower
Oakland Raiders
- RB Mark Thompson, LB Nick Usher
Pittsburgh Steelers
- RB Darrin Hall
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- DE Quinton Bell, S Deiondre’ Hall, T Brad Seaton, RB Aca’Cedric Ware
Latest On Giants, Jason Garrett
3:11pm: Hold the phone. The Giants have not requested permission to speak to Garrett about their OC job, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (on Twitter) hears. Their request was for their head coaching job, before they agreed to hire Joe Judge.
As the HC, Judge will get to pick his own staff. It’s not clear whether he would consider Garrett for the OC job, or if the ex-Cowboys head coach would be interested in the position.
10:50am: The Giants’ head coaching job is spoken for, but the team still wants to meet with former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. The Giants are interested in Garrett as a candidate for the offensive coordinator role on Joe Judge‘s staff, Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. 
Judge, 38, lacks head coaching experience, and Garrett could provide some helpful counsel to him. Garrett, of course, spent a decade as the Cowboys’ HC.
It’s not clear whether Garrett is willing to consider coordinator positions, though the Giants job would have some obvious upside. Garrett could groom quarterback Daniel Jones, who showed promise as a rookie despite still being green. The Giants OC job would also give him a chance to face his old friends twice per season.
Rams, Browns To Consider O’Connell?
Kevin O’Connell, in all likelihood, will be out of a job soon. The Redskins are poised to hire Scott Turner as their new offensive coordinator and O’Connell has been granted permission to speak with other teams about OC opportunities. Once the dust settles, O’Connell could land with the Rams or Browns, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com and Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter links). 
O’Connell has been referred to as “the next Sean McVay” by many in years past – he’s a young and highly-respected offensive guru who took on McVay’s one-time role in 2019. The two could unite on the same staff in Los Angeles, where McVay is also seeking a new coordinator on the other side of the ball.
Meanwhile, O’Connell could wind up as the Browns’ OC, if Josh McDaniels is hired. As a rookie quarterback for the Patriots in 2008, O’Connell was coached by McDaniels, who was then the team’s QBs coach. After that, O’Connell bounced around the league until 2012 and, eventually, transitioned to the sidelines.