Browns Part Ways With Ryan Grigson
The Browns have parted ways with executive Ryan Grigson, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (on Twitter) hears. Meanwhile, Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta, andVP/player personnel Andrew Berry will continue in their present roles with the team, according to ESPN.com’s Tony Grossi (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Browns Hire Eliot Wolf As Assistant GM]
New GM John Dorsey has set out to shake things up in the Browns’ front office. Soon after taking the job, Dorsey plucked Alonzo Highsmith (now the team’s Vice President of Football Operations) and Eliot Wolf (newly appointed assistant GM) from the Packers. The former Colts GM, however, will not be a part of the revamped group.
It’s somewhat surprising to hear that DePodesta and Berry will keep their jobs, particularly after Dorsey ripped former head honcho Sashi Brown and “the guys” who were a part of “that system.” Dorsey has used analytics in the past, but he a traditional football man at heart, so DePodesta may not have much impact in what goes down this offseason.
Latest On Jets, OC John Morton
Offensive coordinator John Morton is not a lock to return to the Jets in 2018, as Manish Mehta of the Daily News details. The Jets will not stand in the way if Morton is offered an opportunity to join up with the Raiders. Meanwhile, some within the organization would like to see quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates elevated to OC.
Morton is well-regarded in New Jersey, but the results have been underwhelming. This past season, the Jets finished 28th in total yards, 29th in first downs, 24th in passing yards, and 19th in rushing yards. Granted, he wasn’t exactly working with the most talented personnel out there.
If the Jets do nudge Morton out the door, it’s not a given that Bates will want to ascend to OC. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, Bates indicated that he is not interested in taking the job. Given Todd Bowles‘ desire for consistency, the team’s best bet may be to stick with Morton if Bates is unwilling to move up the ranks.
“It’s always good to have consistency and continuity, but in the NFL things change all the time,” Bowles said recently. “You have to be ready. If we keep the same scheme, that’s great. If we have to change for whatever reason, we’ll go from there.”
Chargers Retain OC Ken Whisenhunt
The Chargers will keep offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt for the 2018 season, a team source tells Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. The Bolts made it a priority to keep him after the offense led the league in passing yards and Melvin Gordon broke out for 1,105 rushing yards. 
[RELATED: Chargers Retain DC Gus Bradley]
Los Angeles has managed to maintain continuity on the staff, despite Whisenhunt’s improved stock and widespread outside interest in defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. On Tuesday, L.A. inked a three-year deal with Bradley, keeping him from the Packers and other teams with DC vacancies.
Whisenhunt is in the midst of his second stint as the Chargers’ OC. His first run came in 2013, under then-head coach Mike McCoy. Whisenhunt left to become the Titans’ head coach for one-and-a-half seasons before returning in 2016. Although McCoy was ousted after the ’16 season, head coach Anthony Lynn kept him on staff.
Chargers Sign Roberto Aguayo
Roberto Aguayo is getting another chance in the NFL. The kicker has signed a reserve/futures deal with the Chargers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Aguayo was exceptional while at FSU, though perhaps not exceptional enough to warrant being drafted in the second round of the 2016 draft. His stint with Tampa Bay lasted just one year as the Bucs cut him in the summer of 2017. After that, he signed deals with the Bears and Panthers, but did not see live action for either team.
Nick Rose was the last kicker on the Chargers’ carousel last year, but the Bolts are looking into other options after he went 1-3 on field goals and missed one of his six extra point attempts. Although NFL success has eluded Aguayo thus far, there is little risk in bringing him in on a futures deal. If he can mentally adjust to the pro game, he could be a real option for the Bolts in 2018.
Packers Hire Joe Philbin As OC
The Packers have appointed Joe Philbin as their new offensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Philbin was brought back into the fold last week, but his exact role was not immediately known. 
The deal marks the start of Philbin’s second stint as Packers OC. Philbin coached with the Packers from 2003-11 and was the Green Bay OC from 2007-11.
Philbin used the Packers OC gig as a launching pad into head coaching. Unfortunately, his stint with the Dolphins did not go as planned and he was dismissed early on in the 2015 season with a 24-28 combined record. For the last two years, he has worked as Colts’ offensive line coach.
The Packers are making major changes on the coaching staff. While Mike McCarthy is staying as head coach, Mike Pettine has been hired as the new defensive coordinator, replacing Dom Capers. Philbin now replaces Edgar Bennett as the team’s play-caller and the team will also have to find someone new to take the spot of quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt.
Falcons Won’t Allow Steve Sarkisian To Take Seahawks OC Job
In the wake of Darrell Bevell‘s firing, many have speculated that Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian could be the man to replace him. That won’t be the case. Atlanta coach Dan Quinn told reporters on Wednesday that there is “zero chance” of Sarkisian becoming the new OC in Seattle (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). 
[RELATED: Seahawks To Part Ways With DC Kris Richard?]
Sarkisian goes way back with Carroll, dating back to his USC days. While he would be a natural fit, Quinn is not about to gift his OC to his former boss.
The Falcons and Sarkisian have plenty on their plate already with a big divisional round matchup against the Eagles on the horizon. The winner of Saturday’s contest will face the victor of Sunday’s Saints-Vikings matchup in the NFC Championship Game.
Seahawks To Part Ways With Kris Richard?
Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard would be allowed out of his contract for another opportunity, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s not immediately clear what that other opportunity might be or whether Richard is definitely leaving the team. 
[RELATED: Seahawks Fire OC Darrell Bevell]
Rapoport indicates that Pete Carroll is of the belief that Richard might be better off developing as a coach elsewhere. So far, Carroll’s system has been all that Richard has really known. Richard has spent the last eleven seasons with the Seahawks when counting his eight years as a coach and three years as a cornerback. He played his college ball at USC under Carroll, who later brought him on board as an assistant and promoted him to DC following the departure of Dan Quinn in 2015.
Richard is a candidate for the Colts’ head coaching vacancy and could pop up as a HC or DC candidate elsewhere.
This will be an offseason of major change in Seattle. On Wednesday morning, the team canned offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.
Browns Hire Exec Eliot Wolf
The Browns are hiring Packers executive Eliot Wolf, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Browns confirmed that Wolf will be hired as the second-in-command under GM John Dorsey with the title of assistant GM. 
Wolf was in the running for the Packers’ GM job following Ted Thompson‘s retirement, but the team opted to promote co-worker Brian Gutekunst instead. After Wolf was passed over, he found himself with three options – remain with the Packers (possibly with an improved title), join up with Jon Gruden‘s Raiders, or head to Cleveland to work under Dorsey. He ultimately chose the Browns – a team with just one win in the last two seasons, but tons of cap flexibility and draft capital to work with. Dorsey’s close relationship with Wolf’s father, Ron Wolf, also helped matters.
It’s a four-year deal for Wolf and the Browns, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). There’s no word yet on whether he’ll have the flexibility to leave if a GM position presents itself, but I would imagine that it does. Wolf was blocked from GM consideration by the Packers on multiple occasions and the 35-year-old does not want to get stonewalled again.
Cowboys’ McClay Turns Down Texans Interview
Another Texans GM candidate bites the dust. On Wednesday morning, Cowboys exec Will McClay confirmed that he has turned down an opportunity to interview for the Texans’ GM vacancy (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer).
The Cowboys did right by McClay and granted him permission to speak with Houston. However, he is choosing to remain with Dallas as the leader of the personnel department. McClay has held the position since 2014 and built a reputation as one of the league’s best scouting talents.
So far, the Texans have been denied permission to interview the Eagles’ Joe Douglas and Nick Caserio and Monti Ossenfort of the Patriots. They were hoping to sit down with Brian Gutekunst, but the Packers took him off of the board by giving him their own GM job.
For a full rundown of Houston’s GM search (and a recap of Green Bay’s), check out PFR’s 2018 General Manger Search Tracker.
Seahawks Fire OC Darrell Bevell
The Seahawks have fired offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, a source tells Curtis Crabtree of PFT (on Twitter). Bevell was set to return for his eighth season with the team in 2018. 
Bevell finds himself out of work after the Seahawks went 9-7 and failed to reach the postseason for the first time since 2011. All things considered, the offense wasn’t terrible – the Seahawks placed 15th in total offense (330.4 yards per game), 14th in DVOA, and eleventh in scoring. However, things stalled in some key late season games such as Week 15’s embarrassing 42-7 loss to the Rams.
The running game also suffered this season. Despite the presence of Thomas Rawls and free agent pickup Eddie Lacy, it was quarterback Russell Wilson who finished out the year as the team’s leading scorer. The Seahawks placed 23rd in rushing and it would have been a lot lower if not for Wilson’s 586 yards on the ground.
Bevell was on the sidelines for some of Seattle’s best seasons in franchise history, including the Super Bowl after the 2013 season. In the following year, his call for the Seahawks to pass from the 1-yard line spoiled a would-be victory in Super Bowl XLIX. Bevell managed to hang on for three more years after that, but he was never able to salvage his reputation with fans.