Cowboys Could Keep Kellen Moore
New Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is a fan of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (on Twitter). McCarthy hasn’t made any firm decisions on his staff, but it seems like McCarthy is more than open to keeping Moore in his current role. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Hire Mike McCarthy]
Moore, 31 this summer, took over for Scott Linehan prior to the 2019 season. The Cowboys’ offense lacked consistency throughout the year, but McCarthy isn’t necessarily placing the blame at Moore’s feet.
Marvin Lewis – the other only known candidate for the Cowboys head coaching vacancy – was reportedly eyeing Hue Jackson as his OC. The hiring of McCarthy means that Moore will have a chance to stay in Dallas, despite the departure of Jason Garrett.
Speaking of McCarthy – Rapoport hears that he has landed a five-year pact with the Cowboys. The financial terms of the deal are not yet known.
Vikings’ Mackensie Alexander May Need Surgery
On Sunday, the Vikings got past the Saints without Mackensie Alexander. They might not have him for the rest of the postseason, either. 
Alexander is meeting with doctors to determine whether he needs surgery on his injured knee, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Alexander is dealing with a small tear to his lateral meniscus, so it could go either way. A final decision is expected to come by the end of business on Tuesday, which will give the Vikings some time to formulate a game plan in advance of Saturday’s showdown with the 49ers.
The Vikings are already without Mike Hughes, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Friday. Without Alexander or Hughes, the Vikings deployed Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes, and Holton Hill at cornerback in their overtime victory.
Alexander, the No. 54 overall pick in the 2016 draft, is scheduled to reach free agency in March. Whether or not he returns to the Vikings, he’ll see a major pay bump from his four-year, $4.316MM rookie deal.
Rams To Move On From DC Wade Phillips
Wade Phillips won’t return as the Rams’ defensive coordinator in 2020. On Monday, Phillips announced that he’s leaving Los Angeles. 
“I have been informed by the Rams that my contract will not be renewed,” Phillips wrote. “I want to thank them for the opportunity to be a part of their success the last three years. Most of all I want to thank the players who I loved workings with. I still want to coach and feel I can contribute.”
Phillips, 72, was a part of head coach Sean McVay’s inaugural staff. He’s been in the NFL since 1976 and even though he has done it all and captured a Super Bowl ring, he has no desire to retire. Given his resume, there’s little doubt that Phillips will be able to hook on elsewhere as a defensive coordinator, even though things did not go according to plan for his Rams defense in 2019.
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. Still, he didn’t get as much help from the offense as he would have liked – McVay’s much-ballyhooed offense put up just 24.6 points per contest.
Chargers To Keep OC Shane Steichen
The Chargers are expected to retain Shane Steichen as their offensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). They’ll first have to negotiate a new deal with him, however, as his contract is set to expire.
Steichen was elevated from quarterbacks coach to offensive play caller after the firing of Ken Whisenhunt in October. The Chargers’ offense improved somewhat under Stiechen’s guidance and the ground game went from pitiful to decent. Still, they went just 2-6 in the second half versus 3-5 in the first half of the season.
The Chargers believe that Steichen can do better this time around. The front office will have upwards of $55MM to spend in March and the No. 6 overall pick in April as they look to fortify the offense.
Meanwhile, the Chargers say they’ll stay the course with quarterback Philip Rivers, who GM Tom Telesco still views as a “top-starter level” player. Anthony Lynn, of course, will return as the team’s head coach.
Saints’ Kiko Alonso Suffers ACL Tear
Saints linebacker Kiko Alonso suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). The early belief is that he’ll recover in time for the start of the 2020 season, but it’ll be a tough offseason for the linebacker as he approaches his 30th birthday in August. 
This marks the third ACL injury of Alonso’s career. The veteran missed the entire 2014 season with the same injury and suffered a setback in that same knee in 2015.
Alonso is slated to earn $6.375MM in base compensation next year, the final year of his contract. The Saints, in theory, could save $7.85MM against the cap by releasing him, with just $850K left in dead money.
The Saints traded for Alonso in September by shipping Vince Biegel to the Dolphins. In 13 games this year, Alonso recorded 31 tackles and started in just four games.
Tua Tagovailoa Enters NFL Draft
Tua Tagovailoa is going pro. On Monday, Alabama’s star quarterback announced that he will enter the 2020 NFL Draft. 
[RELATED: Updated 2020 NFL Draft Order]
Tagovailoa was long expected to enter the draft this year, but his brutal hip injury and subsequent surgery threw those plans into flux. Before the injury, Tagovailoa was projected to be the No. 1 overall pick. Now, between that and the emergence of Heisman Award winner Joe Burrow, no one is quite sure where he’ll land.
After the injury, doctors told the QB that he’ll be able to play football again at 100%. Even then, Tagovailoa conceded that he’ll have some barriers to overcome.
“I don’t think I’d be the same again because there’s, like metal in here, you know?” he said. “I lose some rotation inward, so I won’t be able to twist as much inward and whatnot. I wouldn’t need that as much. When you’re running, you’re almost always opening up your hip. From the doctors say, they expect a full recovery and I’ll be able to go out there and play football again at 100 percent, it’s just I won’t be able to rotate it internally the same way.”
Tagovailoa could have positioned himself as the top prospect in the 2021 draft by returning to school and turning in another strong season, but that would have come with significant risk. Instead of gambling, he’ll cash in his chips now and, in all likelihood, wind up as a first-round selection.
If tests and workouts show that Tagovailoa is truly 100% healthy – or close to it – he could still land somewhere in the top 10. The Lions could theoretically use the No. 4 pick to select Matthew Stafford‘s successor, though they have other pressing needs to fill. The Dolphins could also consider Tagovailoa at No. 5 and ease him into things with Ryan Fitzpatrick serving as their Week 1 starter.
Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins “Won’t Be Back On The Same Deal”
If the Eagles want Malcolm Jenkins to return for a seventh season in Philadelphia, it’ll cost ’em. On Monday, Jenkins told reporters that he is seeking a sizable pay bump on his next contract. 
“I won’t be back on the same deal,” Jenkins said, via Zach Berman of The Athletic (on Twitter). “That won’t happen. The market is good for safeties now. I consider myself in the top tier.”
Jenkins, 32, has emerged as a defensive leader and a proven playmaker. The three-time Pro Bowler still has one year to go on his current deal, but he’s been pushing for a raise for a while now. In June, he said that he has “outplayed” his contact. Months later, the veteran is still eyeing a substantial extension.
In 2019, Jenkins tallied 80 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and eight passes defensed, though he finished without an interception for the first time since 2011.
Jenkins is set to enter the final season of his four-year, $35MM deal. That pact calls for a $10.887MM cap hit with $7.6MM in base pay. A new deal could allow the Eagles to reduce the hit in 2020, though they’ll may be wary about giving significant guarantees to a player who will turn 33 before the end of the upcoming campaign.
A “top-tier” deal for Jenkins would equate to a $10MM+ average annual salary.
Former Chiefs S Ron Parker Retires
Former Chiefs safety Ron Parker has formally announced his retirement from the NFL. Parker did not play in 2019, so the news doesn’t come as a huge surprise. 
Parker first entered the league as a UDFA out of Division II Newbury College with the Seahawks in 2011. After stops with the Raiders and Panthers, he hooked on with the Chiefs in 2013, where he eventually cracked the starting lineup.
Parker went on to appear in 95 games for KC, including 78 starts. His best work came in 2015, when he notched five sacks and three interceptions as the Chiefs’ starting strong safety. All in all, Parker logged 104 games, 397 tackles, 11 interceptions, and eight sacks.
We here at PFR wish Parker the best in retirement.
Cowboys Hire Mike McCarthy
The Cowboys have hired Mike McCarthy as their new head coach, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter). A formal announcement and press conference will come later this week. 
The Cowboys dragged their feet on letting Jason Garrett go, but, at long last, they finalized his dismissal over the weekend. They also kicked off their head coaching search by interviewing McCarthy and former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. It didn’t take long for them to find their man.
As our head coaching tracker shows, McCarthy was one of the more popular names on the interview circuit. Before meeting with the Cowboys, McCarthy also interviewed for the Panthers, Browns, and Giants vacancies. The longtime Packers HC was out of the NFL for the entire 2019 campaign, but he spent the season studying film and designing plays in preparation for his next opportunity. That’s a plus, since McCarthy has been criticized for his play calling in the past.
McCarthy was fired by the Packers in December 2018, ending a 13-year run with the franchise. Over the years, he amassed a 135-85-2 record, including a 10-8 mark in the playoffs. Most notably, he led the Packers to the Super Bowl XLV title.
In the Cowboys’ last external head coaching search, they cast a wide net before settling on Wade Phillips. This time around, they quickly locked in on a short list of candidates before hiring McCarthy. This search also included a sleepover at JJ’s place, according t ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
“Once you stay at Jerrry’s house, he doesn’t lose his guy,” the source told Schefter.
McCarthy is expected to install a totally new offensive scheme in Dallas. Since 2007, the offense has been anchored by Garrett and the aid of three different play-callers. It remains to be seen whether current OC Kellen Moore will return under McCarthy’s staff, even though he’s still under contract. On the other side of the ball, DC Rod Marinelli is out of contract, along with passing game coordinator Kris Richard.
The Cowboys believe that McCarthy – who helped groom Aaron Rodgers into one of the league’s top quarterbacks – will pair well with star Dak Prescott. Even though the Cowboys finished .500 this year, Prescott had a strong individual season on the whole as he set new career-highs in passing yards (4,902) and touchdowns (30) with eleven interceptions.
Panthers Sign Efe Obada To Extension
The Panthers have signed defensive end Efe Obada to a new one-year deal, per a club announcement. Obada was set to be an exclusive rights free agent, so he wouldn’t have been able to sign with another club anyway.
The Panthers are still searching for their next head coach, so it’s unlikely that the new pact includes significant guarantees. After all, their next HC might not be as high on Obada as current GM Marty Hurney.
Obada was born in Nigeria and did not play football at the collegiate level. In 2014, he hooked on with the London Warriors of the British American Football Association and wound up joining the Cowboys’ practice squad in 2015 as a part of the international pathway program. Finally, in 2018, he became the first international pathway program player to crack a 53-man roster when he was activated by the Panthers.
In 2019, Obada registered 24 total tackles and one pass defensed while appearing in all 16 games.