Dolphins Mulling John Harbaugh Trade
The Dolphins are mulling a trade for Ravens coach John Harbaugh, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, the source adds that the Dolphins will only call the Ravens if they know in advance that the asking price will not be too high. 
Some in league circles believe the Ravens will ask for two first-round picks, Florio hears. Others think the asking price will be lower, though a trade would still presumably still require a forfeiture of draft capital.
Florio speculates that the Dolphins’ move to reassign Mike Tannenbaum and install Chris Grier as the top football operations guy may have been done to attract Harbaugh to Miami. At minimum, it’s a structure that could hold appeal for the 56-year-old coach since Grier has a reputation for putting ego aside and acting in the best interests of the team.
The Broncos could possibly have interest in swinging a trade for Harbaugh as well, but for now, Harbaugh’s focus will be on the field. His Ravens will face the Chargers on Sunday in a Wild Card showdown.
Steelers Say Antonio Brown Hasn’t Requested Trade
On Tuesday, we received conflicting word on whether Antonio Brown has requested a trade from the Steelers. For what it’s worth, head coach Mike Tomlin says that Brown has not requested a trade. 
Of course, if Brown did request a trade, it wouldn’t behoove the Steelers to confirm that’s the case. What is clear, however, is that Tomlin is angry with his star receiver. Tomlin explained that Brown was benched on Sunday against the Bengals after failing to report to the team on Saturday. When asked if he thought Brown quit on the Steelers, Tomlin said, “You can call it what you want to call it,” (via ESPN.com).
“The bottom line is we were playing a significant game and he didn’t do a good enough job of communicating or being available in the hours leading up to that performance,” Tomlin said. “Obviously, there are some things within that you can infer.”
Brown signed a four-year, $68MM extension with the Steelers in 2017 and has been playing at a Hall of Fame level for several years. This year, JuJu Smith-Schuster took a giant leap forward and the two players formed a top-tier tandem. With three seasons to go on Brown’s deal, the Steelers are probably not inclined to trade him, and the wide receiver could very well cool off in the coming weeks.
Even Tomlin, who is clearly annoyed, wants to get things worked out.
“There’s disappointment, there’s no denying that,” said Tomlin about his history with Brown. “On a personal level, man, I’ve just learned over the course of time, forget my personal feelings. Or the challenges that come with the position. I don’t spend a lot of time focused on that. I better not.”
Brown, 31 in July, had 104 catches for 1,297 yards plus a career-high 15 touchdowns. Those numbers put him in the Pro Bowl, but they’re actually a step back from his finest work, which includes 1,500+ yards in 2017 and 1,800+ yards in 2015. Brown was an All-Pro every year from 2014-2017, but was unable to make the cut this year.
Bengals To Interview Hue Jackson For Head Coaching Job
Could Hue Jackson return to the head coaching ranks? The Bengals are at least interested in hearing him out and could interview him as early as Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
The Bengals have a long history with Jackson and quickly scooped him up after he was fired by the Browns in 2018. Jackson has the support of longtime former head coach Marvin Lewis, which likely helped him secure a head coaching interview with the Bengals.
The Bengals have already interviewed in-house candidates Darrin Simmons and Bill Lazor for the gig, so they’re doing their homework internally before casting a wide net elsewhere. Old friend Vance Joseph will have a two-day chat with the Bengals this week and a meeting with Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is on tap for Friday. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Rams assistant Zac Taylor are also among the names in the mix.
Giants Commit To OBJ; Won’t Commit To Eli Manning
At a Wednesday press conference, Giants GM Dave Gettleman reaffirmed that Odell Beckham Jr. remains in the team’s plans. However, he declined to commit to a future with longtime franchise quarterback Eli Manning. 
“We didn’t sign him to trade him,” Gettleman said when asked about the temperamental wide receiver (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY).
When pressed further about OBJ, Gettleman told reporters, “You heard what I said.” However, it’s a different situation when it comes to Manning.
Gettleman said he had a “very extensive” and “no-holds barred” conversation with Manning on Monday, suggesting that Manning could be on his way out.
“We will do what’s in the best interests of the New York Giants. We’re trying to build sustained success. That takes brutal honesty and some tough decisions,” Gettleman said (Twitter link via Vacchiano).
Early in the 2018 season, it seemed certain that Manning wouldn’t be the Giants’ quarterback in 2019. The Giants were 1-7 and the season was circling the drain again, with Manning struggling heavily in his first year in Pat Shurmur’s offense. But, the Giants managed to turn things around by winning four of five games and had a near upset win over the Colts.
Manning, ultimately, finished out with his best statistical season in years, and his yards per attempt was his best posting since 2011. Before the Giants’ home finale, we heard that Manning was still more likely to return as the team’s QB than not. Now, however, that’s very much in question.
Oklahoma’s Cody Ford To Enter NFL Draft
Oklahoma junior offensive lineman Cody Ford announced that he will forego his final year on campus in order to enter the NFL draft. Ford ranks as one of the best guards in this year’s class and may wind up as a first round pick. 
[RELATED: Lincoln Riley Signs Extension To Stay At Oklahoma]
Ford was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2018 and helped Oklahoma win Joe Moore Award, given to the country’s best offensive line. Clearly, Ford has a chance to lock in NFL riches, and coach Lincoln Riley recently explained that he understood the desire of Ford and other top OU prospects who wanted to jumpstart their pro careers.
“I mean, you see guys do it different ways,” Riley said. “I would never agree with somebody going to be a free agent. I mean, that’s [foolish]. But some guys do, and so I think the best thing we can do is we be proactive. We don’t make it like the elephant in the room that nobody talks about. We try to be proactive with them, talk about them, educate them and their families. We have a lot of talks with NFL GM’s, NFL coaches, the people that are [in the know].”
Ford played at left guard in 2016 and 2017 but shifted to right tackle this past season. At the pro level, the 6’4″, 337-pound Ford is projected to play on the interior, but his versatility will work to his advantage.
Packers To Interview Joe Philbin
The Packers will give interim head coach Joe Philbin a chance at removing the interim tag. The two sides will have their official interview on Thursday or Friday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Philbin is in the mix, but he’ll have to outshine a number of impressive candidates to walk away with the job. Already, the Packers have scheduled sit-downs with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell, and Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur. After meeting with Philbin, Packers brass will hit the road to meet with each of their coaches. Campbell and McDaniels, of course, will be taking time from their playoff preparations to speak with Green Bay.
Philbin took over as the Packers’ interim head coach following Mike McCarthy‘s dismissal in early December. the Packers went 2-2 in Philbin’s final games, wrapping up an immensely disappointing season. Between his four games as the Packers’ interim leader and three years plus as the Dolphins’ head coach (2012-2015), Philbin owns a career 26-30 record.
Eric Bieniemy Declines Cardinals Interview
Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy declined an opportunity to interview with the Cardinals, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’s set to interview with the Jets and Buccaneers on Wednesday, the Dolphins on Thursday, and the Bengals on Friday, so he has a full plate as he also gets set for the Chiefs’ Divisional Round game on Jan. 12. 
Bieniemy has been a popular candidate early in this cycle and it seems awful likely that he’ll land a job behind the strength of the Chiefs’ offense and Andy Reid‘s strong recommendation.
In 2017, the Chiefs ranked fifth in total offense under Matt Nagy’s command. Bieniemy had big shoes to fill as he took over for him but Patrick Mahomes & Co. exceeded all expectations. The Chiefs finished first in total offense in 2018 by averaging an eye-popping 425.6 yards per game.
Bieniemy, who enjoyed a nine-year playing career before entering the coaching ranks, has been with Kansas City since 2013. Prior to that, the 45-year-old served as the offensive coordinator at Colorado, so he has call-playing experience despite the fact that Reid is hands-on with his team.
Packers To Meet With Matt LaFleur
The Packers and Matt LaFleur have set a date for their interview. Green Bay will meet with the Titans offensive coordinator on Sunday, according to Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com. 
As of this writing, LaFleur is one of seven known candidates for the position. Jim Caldwell and Chuck Pagano have already interviewed while Josh McDaniels, Brian Flores, Mike Munchak, and Dan Campbell are on deck.
LaFleur spent the 2017 season as McVay’s OC, though McVay called the Rams’ plays. LaFleur, though, made the move to play-caller in 2018 with Tennessee. He joins Rams QBs coach Zac Taylor and tight ends coach Shane Waldron as current or recent McVay assistants to receive meeting requests. McVay may be in his early 30s, but he may soon wind up with an impressive coaching tree of his own.
LaFleur, 39, called plays for a Titans team that had trouble keeping Marcus Mariota healthy. The Titans struggled without their starting QB at 100% and finished the year ranked 27th in points and 25th in total yards. Plagued by an elbow issue, Mariota threw just 11 touchdown passes in 2018.
Broncos To Interview Chuck Pagano
The Broncos are expected to interview former Colts coach Chuck Pagano on Wednesday for their head coaching position and the interview could also stretch into Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Pagano has been rumored to be on the Broncos’ radar for some time and he’ll get an early opportunity to make his case. 
In June, Pagano, 58, told reporters that he was hoping to return to the sidelines soon after being fired from Indianapolis following a 4-12 season in 2017.
“I’ve got a couple years left in me,” Pagano said. “I’ve got unfinished business. I’d love to have another opportunity, I just love being around the guys, being on grass and competing.”
In his first three seasons with the Colts, Pagano led his squad to back-to-back-to-back 11-5 seasons in Andrew Luck’s first years in the league. He then authored consecutive 8-8 campaigns before finishing 4-12 while Luck missed the entire season with an injury. All in all, Pagano owns a career 53-43 regular season record as an NFL head coach. Before the Luck-less ’17 season, Pagano was 49-31 over five years.
Vance Joseph To Have Two Day Interview With Bengals
Vance Joseph‘s head coaching interview with the Bengals will take place over the course of Thursday and Friday, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s perhaps an indication that Joseph is high on the Bengals’ list as they get their search underway.
Joseph had a rough two years as the head coach of the Broncos, and nearly lost his job in Denver after one season, but he has history with the bengals. Joseph served as the club’s defensive backs coach in 2014 and 2015, guiding his unit to an NFL-leading 41 interceptions during that time.
Joseph was expected to be a top defensive coordinator candidate in this cycle, but the Bengals apparently believe that he can thrive as a head coach in the right environment. If this doesn’t shake out, however, it’s hard to see Joseph being a top head coaching candidate elsewhere after the Broncos took a nosedive in 2017 and 2018.
The Bengals have also reached out to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and Rams offensive staffers Zac Taylor and Shane Waldron. There are also in-house candidates in the mix such as Bengals OC Bill Lazor and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons.