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Jaguars Meet With Grant Udinski; Team Requests OL Interview With Austin Gund

January 31st, 2025 at 9:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Three more of the league’s offensive coordinator vacancies were filled on Friday. The Jaguars are among the teams who have yet to fill their OC position, though, and their search process is ongoing. So far, their search has been less than exhaustive, with the team only interviewing two candidates, Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard and Rams pass game specialist Nate Scheelhaase, to replace Press Taylor.

A third interview took place today, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, as the Jaguars hosted Vikings assistant offensive coordinator and assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski. At only 29 years old, Udinski has been on a meteoric rise through the coaching ranks.

After going undrafted in 2019 as a defensive end out of Towson, Udinski traveled to Waco, TX, where he served for a year as a graduate assistant under then-Baylor head coach Matt Rhule. The next year, Udinski followed Rhule to Carolina as a coaching assistant for the Panthers, where he remained for two years.

Under the advice of Vikings passing game coordinator and tight ends coach Brian Angelichio, who had worked with Udinski for two years in Carolina, Minnesota hired Udinski on as assistant to the head coach/special projects in 2022. After a year in that role, Udinski was promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach, and this season, he added assistant offensive coordinator to his title, as well.

It’s not uncommon to see young coaches quickly rise through the ranks on offensive coaching staffs, but those phenoms are usually former quarterbacks with a high understanding of offensive schemes and philosophies. It’s strange to see so much offensive responsibility handed to a man who only seven years ago was playing defense at Towson as a walk-on. It probably doesn’t hurt that he was a CoSIDA academic first-team all-American with high marks at both the undergraduate and master’s levels of his education.

The Jaguars are not alone in their interest in Udinski, either. Today’s interview was Udinski’s fifth for an offensive coordinator role this offseason. A popular name, Udinski first interviewed twice with the Seahawks (a job that went to Klint Kubiak), then interviewed with the Patriots (a job that went to Josh McDaniels) before interviewing with the Buccaneers (a job that went to Josh Grizzard) and the Texans. While there’s a chance that the Houston and Jacksonville jobs may, too, fall out of his reach, it seems clear that Udinski’s trajectory is not slowing. The young coach is likely to find a home as a coordinator soon.

Despite having not hired an offensive coordinator yet, the Jaguars are reportedly actively looking to fill one of their position coaching jobs on the offensive side of the ball. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Jacksonville requested permission to interview Bills offensive/offensive line assistant Austin Gund for what he called “their open offensive line coaching position,” which seems to indicate that incumbent offensive line coach Phil Rauscher will not be returning to the role. Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports adds that the team has requested to interview 49ers assistant offensive line coach Cameron Clemmons for the job, as well.

Here’s a breakdown of the Jaguars’ search to fill the offensive coordinator position:

  • Chip Kelly, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Ohio State): Team has interest
  • Tavita Pritchard, quarterbacks coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/29
  • Nate Scheelhaase, pass game specialist (Rams): Interviewed 1/29
  • Grant Udinski, assistant quarterbacks coach (Vikings): Interviewed 1/31

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Bills Don’t Regret Amari Cooper Trade, Would Consider Re-Signing WR

January 30th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Amari Cooper‘s half-season stint in Buffalo didn’t necessarily go as planned. After being shipped from the Browns to the Bills in October, the veteran wideout was limited to only 20 receptions and a career-worst 37.1 yards per game. Despite the disappointing results, it sounds like Bills GM Brandon Beane would make the move again.

Speaking to reporters today, Beane said he does “not regret the move” and believes Cooper helped the Bills despite the lack of counting stats (per ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). The GM also hinted that the wideout’s wrist injury may have contributed to his underwhelming production. Beane told reporters that Cooper’s wrist injury could have required surgery, with one doctor actually recommending that route. However, the wideout decided to play through the injury (per Getzenberg).

Cooper is now set to hit free agency, and there’s a chance the two sides look to continue their partnership. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bills have been happy with Cooper’s presence in the locker room, and they’re “intrigued” by the idea of giving the receiver a full offseason to click with Josh Allen.

The 30-year-old WR may not have a robust market following a disappointing 2024 campaign. In 14 games with the Browns and Bills, Cooper was limited to only 44 catches for 547 yards and four touchdowns. Still, Cooper is only a year removed from a 2023 campaign where he hauled in a career-high 1,250 receiving yards, so there could be plenty of teams that are willing to look past the recent drop in production.

While the Bills will continue to evaluate their wide receiver options heading into the offseason, the front office will also be focused on keeping their franchise QB in Buffalo for the long haul. While Allen is still under contract through the 2028 campaign, Beane didn’t completely rule out extending his franchise star.

“I’m not saying it will happen, I’m not saying it won’t happen — I don’t really want to go into that,” Beane said of a potential extension (h/t Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com). “And I really can’t tell you at this point. We haven’t even approached that. It’s just, season-ending loss, he doesn’t even want to talk about it. … He was dejected, like all of us. There will be a time and place. And not saying we will, but not ruling it out either.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/29/25

January 29th, 2025 at 8:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

Wednesday’s lone minor move in the NFL:

Buffalo Bills

Buechele was on track to be a restricted free agent this offseason, but instead he has landed a new one-year Bills commitment. The former undrafted free agent began his career with the Chiefs, but he landed on Buffalo’s practice squad shortly before the 2023 campaign began. He signed a futures contract with the Bills after the season, although he missed all of this past year due to injury. Buechele, 27, has yet to make a regular season appearance in his career.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/28/25

January 28th, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s reserve/futures contracts:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Washington Commanders

Bills Extend T Ryan Van Demark, Sign Seven To Reserve/Futures Deals

January 27th, 2025 at 7:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although ill-timed secondary injuries again bit the Bills in a Chiefs playoff matchup, the team has enjoyed good health along its offensive line over the past two seasons. This has kept swing tackle Ryan Van Demark mostly on the bench.

But the Bills still have plans for the backup lineman. Van Demark signed an extension Monday, allowing him to bypass exclusive rights free agency. This is a formality, as the Bills could have tendered Van Demark as an ERFA and retained him without any outside competition. Nevertheless, the young blocker is under contract for 2025.

Van Demark beat out David Quessenberry for the Bills’ swing job in 2023 and held a key backup role again this season. The 26-year-old former UDFA made his first two starts this season. While one of those came in a Week 18 after the Bills had wrapped up the AFC’s No. 2 seed, Van Demark also filled in for Spencer Brown at right tackle against the Chiefs in Week 11. He played 199 offensive snaps this season.

The Bills initially added Van Demark on a practice squad deal in September 2022; the Colts had included the UConn alum in their UDFA class that year but did not carry him onto their 53-man roster. Buffalo is still in good shape at tackle, having extended both Brown and Dion Dawkins in 2024.

In addition to Van Demark, the Bills conducted standard postseason business by handing out reserve/futures contracts. Running back Frank Gore Jr., who joined one of his father’s former teams by signing as a UDFA last May, is among the seven sticking around with the team into the 2025 offseason. Here is that contingent:

Bills S Micah Hyde To Retire

January 27th, 2025 at 5:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Micah Hyde flirted with retirement in 2024, eventually confirming he would only return to the Bills if he opted to continue his career. Buffalo kept the door open and eventually called on Hyde as insurance. Though, the team did not opt to turn to that insurance policy when a significant safety injury occurred.

The Bills did not elevate Hyde from their practice squad for the AFC championship game; Sean McDermott confirmed the team would not do so despite Taylor Rapp‘s hip injury in the divisional round. With Hyde spending his final season in Buffalo on the practice squad, he confirmed (via the Buffalo News’ Jay Skurski) he will retire.

Hyde said as much upon rejoining the Bills in early December. The Bills had split up one of the longest-tenured safety tandems of the free agency era in March, cutting Jordan Poyer and not re-signing Hyde. Poyer joined the Dolphins, but Hyde remained in Buffalo as a backup plan. Although the Bills centered their 2024 safety setup around Rapp and Damar Hamlin, they added Hyde to their P-squad for the stretch run. Hyde effectively replaced the seldom-used Mike Edwards — released midseason — but did not log any appearances in his 12th season.

This season obviously does not best encapsulate Hyde’s run in Buffalo. The former Packers draftee played a central role in the team’s McDermott-era rise. Signed to midlevel deals in McDermott’s first offseason in charge, weeks before Brandon Beane came aboard as GM, Hyde and Poyer started together for seven seasons (a 2022 Hyde injury did interfere during that stretch).

Each Buffalo safety earned at least one All-Pro honor, giving the Bills reliable back-line deterrence. The Bills made the playoffs six times during the Hyde-Poyer pair’s seasons together. Although the perennial AFC East champions have run into a rough trend of seeing their top cornerbacks unavailable for Chiefs matchups in the playoffs, the team was regularly able to count on its Hyde-Poyer duo for years.

Hyde, who turned 34 in December, made 95 starts with the Bills. Among Buffalo safeties, that ranks behind only Poyer (107), 1990s bastion Henry Jones (129) and all-time leader Steve Freeman (134). The Iowa alum earned two second-team All-Pro nods — in 2017 and 2021. Each season featured five Hyde interceptions. He added another pick in a 2021 wild-card rout of the Patriots.

A fifth-round Packers pick, Hyde yo-yoed as a starter in Green Bay. The Bills gave him a five-year, $30.5MM deal in March 2017 and later extended him in 2021 (two years, $19.25MM). While Hyde never became a top-market safety, he did well for himself as a pro by crossing the $50MM mark in career earnings during the 2023 season. Overall, Hyde has earned more than $53MM as a pro.

Hyde came back from a season-ending neck injury, one that gave Hamlin his first batch of starts before the latter’s terrifying injury in Cincinnati, to start alongside Poyer in the 2023 season. But the Bills drafted Cole Bishop in the 2024 second round; the Utah product became their No. 3 safety this season. Rapp’s new deal locks him down through the 2026 season, while Bishop could be in line to replace Hamlin as a starter — should the free agent-to-be leave Buffalo in March.

Bills OC Joe Brady Opts To Stay In Buffalo, Pulls Out Of Saints’ HC Search

January 25th, 2025 at 11:20pm CST by Ely Allen

The only remaining franchise with an open head coaching position is in New Orleans, and it seems to not be a very attractive job at the moment. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, one remaining candidate for the position, Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, has opted to remain in Buffalo and pull out of the race for the Saints‘ head coaching job.

The reason for Brady’s decision is likely two-fold. An obvious observation is that Brady enjoys his role in Buffalo. The Bills have created a powerhouse duo with Brady and quarterback Josh Allen, and the team will play this weekend for a chance to earn the first Super Bowl berth for the franchise since they lost four straight Super Bowls from 1990-93. Brady took over a Bills offense last year (following Ken Dorsey‘s dismissal) that finished sixth in scoring and fourth in total yards, and in his first full year at the helm, the team finished second in scoring and 10th in total yards.

The other reason seems to be that the head coaching job in New Orleans doesn’t appear to be a very attractive one at the moment. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football said as much, pointing out that the team also whiffed on Aaron Glenn who chose a New York franchise that has not been absent of controversy in recent years. Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News commends the decision from Brady, stating his views that the Saints are “perpetually in cap hell and don’t have a clear path to a franchise quarterback” at the moment.

Skurski’s not totally off base on his first attack. According to OvertheCap.com, New Orleans is last in the league in cap space for 2025. The website shows that they are currently $52.32MM over the cap, necessitating a number of cap casualties over the offseason. While the situation is projected to improve in 2026, their projected $60.09MM of cap space would only rank 26th in the league.

Returning to Buffalo for another season, barring something unforeseen, Brady is likely to return as a top head coaching candidate next year, as well. Perhaps a lack of team success or a complete change in the protocol for interviewing head coaches during the postseason will allow him a better opportunity to explore all the available jobs before they all close up while he’s still coaching a playoff team, as happened this year.

As for the Saints, we were already made aware that the team hoped to conduct a second interview with another offensive coordinator who’s still participating in the postseason, Eagles OC Kellen Moore. We also are aware that a third playoff OC, the Commanders’ Kliff Kingsbury, had plans to interview following the conclusion of his postseason, but Underhill reports that Kingsbury is currently undecided on whether or not he’ll interview in New Orleans, as he won’t begin evaluating his options until he’s done coaching for the year.

The main contenders for the position appear to be Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, both of whom have completed second interviews with the team recently. Other candidates include interim head coach Darren Rizzi, who interviewed over a week ago, former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, who has been reported as an upcoming interview, and Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who has been mentioned as a candidate.

NFL Injury Notes: Hurts, Rapp, Elliss, Flowers

January 25th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jalen Hurts‘ knee has been a talking point during the week after it was injured during the Eagles’ divisional round victory. The team will have its franchise quarterback in place tomorrow, although his mobility will remain something to monitor.

Hurts made progress in practice over the past few days, and he was listed as a full participant. He does not carry a designation heading into Sunday, confirmation that he will be in the lineup for the NFC title game. The two-time Pro Bowler did say, however, that he anticipates he will wear a knee brace tomorrow (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).

Philadelphia’s offense has continued to rely heavily on running back Saquon Barkley through the first two rounds of the playoffs. He has racked up 355 scrimmage yards to date in the postseason, and he will no doubt be a focal point against the Commanders tomorrow. Nevertheless, Hurts’ mobility will important to watch given his capabilities as a rusher and his significance to the ‘Philly Shove’ in short yardage and goal line situations.

Here are some other injury notes from around the NFL:

  • Regarding tomorrow’s other conference title game, the Bills will be shorthanded in the secondary. Safety Taylor Rapp exited last week’s win over the Ravens with a hip injury, and he has not practiced since. Head coach Sean McDermott ruled Rapp out yesterday. As a result, second-round rookie Cole Bishop – who handled a part-time role on defense during the regular season – is in line to start.
  • The Broncos were the first team to be eliminated from the postseason by the Bills, and their defense was dealt an injury blow in the process. Rookie edge rusher Jonah Elliss suffered a fractured scapula bone in his right shoulder during the loss to Buffalo, as detailed by Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. Elliss, the Broncos’ third-rounder in last year’s draft, had an impressive debut campaign with five sacks despite only logging a 38% defensive snap share. Tomasson writes he is expected to be fully recovered in time for offseason workouts in April, so a clean bill of health for the 2025 campaign should come to pass.
  • Zay Flowers suffered a knee sprain in Week 18, and it kept him out of the wild-card and divisional rounds. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said after Baltimore’s season-ending defeat (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec) the second-year wideout could have been in play for this week had the team advanced to the AFC title game (subscription required). More notably, Harbaugh added surgery may be required during the offseason on the affected knee. After an encouraging rookie season, Flowers topped 1,000 receiving yards and earned a Pro Bowl nod. His health for 2025 will of course be of great importance to the Ravens.
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