Teams Expect Ravens QB Lamar Jackson To Be Available
Following a prolonged injury absence (and a curious no-show during Baltimore’s playoff loss), many have questioned if Lamar Jackson has played his final snap for the Ravens. Many NFL GMs are asking the same question, and some executives have surmised that the quarterback is indeed available. “Rival teams perceive Jackson to be available,” executives told Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post. Some of these possible suitors have already started identifying assets that they could give up in a potential trade.
[RELATED: Ravens Still “All In” On Lamar Jackson Extension]
There are a handful of wrinkles when it comes to a potential Jackson trade. Besides preferring to send Jackson out of the AFC, the Ravens would also be eyeing a deal that nets them both draft picks and young talent. Further, Jackson would have a say in where he’s sent, as no team would sacrifice valuable future assets without an assurance that the quarterback would sign a long-term deal. Plus, assuming Baltimore hits Jackson with an exclusive franchise tag, he would have a de facto no-trade clause until he signs the tender.
Still, there will surely be some teams that are willing to make the blockbuster move. Executives pointed to the Panthers and Falcons as potential suitors, with both teams having made strong runs in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes. For Carolina, La Canfora tosses out an idea of a package based around Jaycee Horn, the No. 9 pick, a future first-round pick, and a future second-round pick, and an NFL GM suggested that’s the kind of trade haul it will take.
“You’ve got to find an owner who hasn’t been able to find his guy [at quarterback] and won’t be scared off by the price tag,” one GM told La Canfora. “And it’s probably a team that is going into next year on the brink. It’s kind of a make-or-break year for the coach or the GM.”
On the flip side, Joel Corry of CBS Sports believes the Ravens won’t trade Jackson in 2023, with the former agent describing 2024 as the “year of reckoning.” A second franchise tag would have the QB eyeing a whopping $54MM haul for the 2024 campaign, and Jackson would still have the ability to finally hit the open market in 2025. Corry opines that the Ravens don’t have to rush a trade right now (especially when they’re in a position to compete), but they’ll be eyeing a significant decision in 2024. If Baltimore doesn’t trade Jackson next offseason, then they’d be running the risk of committing more than $100MM to him for 2023 and 2024 and then being left with just a compensatory pick when he signs elsewhere as a 2025 free agent.
There’s even a chance that Jackson re-signs with the Ravens. It was just last week that we heard the Ravens were still “all-in” on an extension for their franchise player, even with the “powers-that-be” having become “frustrated to the point of exasperated” with the player’s absence. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic cautions that any new deal between the two sides surely won’t be agreed to by the March 7 franchise-tag deadline.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/18/23
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
- DB Myles Dorn
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
Philadelphia Eagles
- DB Tristin McCollum
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- OT Michael Niese, LB J.J. Russell
According to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter), there was a bit of competition for offensive lineman Kyle Hinton’s services. The 2020 seventh-round pick spent much of the season on the Vikings practice squad, and they looked to sign him to a reserve/futures contract. However, he ended up opting for the Falcons, who gave him an $100K signing bonus.
Broncos, Texans Remain In Play For Sean Payton; Panthers Preparing Big Offer?
Sean Payton has gone through with two of his scheduled interviews, meeting with the Texans on Monday and the Broncos on Tuesday. As of Wednesday afternoon, both teams remain in play for the costly coaching candidate.
The Broncos may still be in the lead, though Payton has not committed to returning to coaching this year. Denver remains in “very strong position” to be able to lure Payton away from his FOX sabbatical, Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets. We heard previously Payton was willing to work with Russell Wilson, the QB’s shockingly mediocre season aside, and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes the money the Broncos will be willing to pay will be a factor in these sweepstakes.
Rob Walton‘s ownership group will be able to comfortably out-offer other teams, should the Broncos view Payton as a bank-breaking HC candidate. The team did just see its 1-B candidate, Jim Harbaugh, decide to stay at Michigan. That could increase a Broncos offer. However, the Panthers look to be willing to pay up in terms of money and power. David Tepper is prepared to give Payton “just about anything he wants,” Maske adds (on Twitter). The prospect of Payton wanting to join the Panthers, who would need to give the Saints valuable draft compensation for his rights, remains uncertain.
Payton is expected to meet with Tepper and Co. this week, he said during an interview with Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd (video link). That meeting is expected to take place in New York. Tepper chasing a prime commodity is not exactly new. He shelled out a seven-year contract for Matt Rhule in 2020 — a deal the Panthers were able to escape after three years, thanks to Rhule’s Nebraska accord — and pursued Deshaun Watson for two years. Thus far, however, the NFL’s second-wealthiest owner has struck out. It will be interesting to see how the Panthers’ NFC South proximity affects a deal, should Payton be interested. Intra-divisional coach trades — both involving the Patriots and Jets — occurred in 1996 and 2000, deals that sent Bill Parcells‘ rights to the Jets and Bill Belichick‘s to the Pats.
In terms of trade compensation, Payton expects the Saints to ask for a mid- to late-first-round pick and reminded Cowherd the Broncos do, in fact, hold a first-round pick (the 49ers’ choice via the Bradley Chubb trade) despite sending their own to the Seahawks for Wilson. Payton and Saints GM Mickey Loomis have discussed the situation, per NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan, who expects a 2023 first-rounder or a future first to anchor this trade package. Payton adds a future No. 1 choice could potentially complete a deal.
Payton said recently ownership and the front office are the most important factors here, and the 16-year New Orleans HC is believed to be intrigued by Denver’s new owners. As far as how personnel power would go with Payton and George Paton, it would be difficult to envision the Broncos’ current GM — who was hired before this ownership group arrived — fielding final-say power over a coach with Payton’s pedigree. Payton, who did confirm teams’ quarterback situations will factor into his decision, has also been rumored to want to bring personnel staffers with him to his next coaching destination.
While the Texans are well behind the Broncos in terms of achievements and have not won more than four games in a season since 2019, they do again have — thanks to the Watson trade — four picks in the first two rounds. This includes the No. 2 overall selection this year. Payton confirmed the Texans are in the running, citing some familiarity with the Cal McNair-fronted ownership group — through years of Saints joint practices with the Texans — along with the team’s draft capital and potentially favorable division. As far as the Cardinals go, Duncan would be “stunned” if Payton became their next head coach (Twitter link). The Saints have granted permission for the Cards to interview Payton, though no confirmed meeting time has surfaced.
Lions OC Ben Johnson In Lead For Panthers HC Job?
It sounds like Ben Johnson is now the favorite to land the Panthers’ head coaching gig. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports (Twitter link), the Lions offensive coordinator “has the lead” for the position. Joseph Person of The Athletic shares a similar sentiment, noting that “it still feels like there’s momentum” for a Johnson hiring.
[RELATED: Patriots’ Jerod Mayo Declines Panthers HC Interview]
After serving on Matt Patricia’s staff in Detroit, Johnson was kept around following Dan Campbell’s hiring. Johnson ended up impressing the new coach enough to earn a promotion from tight ends coach to offensive coordinator. During Johnson’s first season at the helm, the Lions ended up finishing 9-8 despite sporting the NFL’s worst scoring defense. Jared Goff finished the year with 29 passing touchdowns (his highest total since 2018), while running back Jamaal Williams broke Barry Sanders‘ franchise record for rushing touchdowns in a season with 17.
Thanks to the Lions’ resurgence, Johnson has turned into a popular name on the head coaching circuit. Besides the position in Carolina, Johnson has also been connected to head coaching jobs with the Texans and Colts. Even if Johnson doesn’t get the job with the Panthers, he could still be a target for the organization, with Person suggesting pairing the offensive mind with an experienced head coach candidate like Sean Payton.
Elsewhere on the coaching front, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the Panthers have requested permission to interview Saints defensive backs coach Kris Richard for “a possible” defensive coordinator job. The Panthers will probably provide their new head coach with some say in a defensive coordinator hire, although Rapoport notes that the organization is conducting interviews for both gigs concurrently.
Richard made a name for himself in Seattle, where he played an important role in the formation of the Legion of Boom. The coach was relieved of his duty as defensive coordinator in 2017 and later caught on with the Cowboys. He joined the Saints as their defensive backs coach in 2021 before earning a promotion to co-defensive coordinator (with Ryan Nielsen) in 2022. Thanks in part to New Orleans’ performance this past season, Richards “likely will get offers” for full DC opportunities, per Rapoport.
Panthers Interview Vic Fangio For DC Position
The Panthers are in the midst of a head coaching search, but they are spending time meeting with potential defensive coordinators as well. Their most recent action on that front involved a prominent name. 
Carolina conducted an interview with Vic Fangio for their DC position, per Joe Person of The Athletic (Twitter link). That news comes not long after the team was granted permission by the Saints to interview Sean Payton for their head coaching vacancy, an interesting development given the fact that a trade sending him to Charlotte would represent a rare intra-divisional swap.
Payton and Fangio were linked in the build-up to this year’s cycle, so it comes as little surprise that the Panthers are showing interest in both. The latter served as Carolina’s first ever defensive coordinator, holding the role for four seasons in the 1990s. He went on to serve in the same capacity for the Colts, Texans, 49ers and Bears in the following years, during which time he established himself as a highly successful defensive mind.
The 64-year-old followed that up with a three-year stint as head coach of the Broncos, his only time as a bench boss at any coaching level. His 19-30 record in Denver left him unemployed in 2022, and he has made it clear any return to the sidelines in the NFL would likely come in the form of another DC post. His success in that role would be welcomed by a Panthers team which relied on its performance on that side of the ball to stay in contention in the NFC South late into the campaign.
Carolina is expected to target an offensive-minded bench boss as their full-time Matt Rhule replacement, something which is generally reflected by their list of candidates generated so far. While Payton would constitute a significant add on that side of the ball, a number of younger options could be available; should one of them ultimately become the team’s hire, Fangio would bring a wealth of experience to their new-look staff.
Of course, interim HC Steve Wilks has already interviewed for the permanent position, one for which he has the backing of the team’s players. Carolina sticking with the ex-Cardinals HC could allow Al Holcomb to remain in place at the helm of the team’s defense. The Panthers are also interested in meeting with Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel for the DC role, so their response to Fangio’s interview (especially relative to their level of desire in acquiring Payton) will be worth watching in the coming days.
Falcons Request DC Interviews With Brian Flores, Al Holcomb
The list of potential candidates to fill the Falcons’ defensive coordinator vacancy continues to grow. Atlanta has requested interviews with Steelers linebackers coach Brian Flores and Panthers DC Al Holcomb (Twitter links via Josina Anderson of CBS Sports and ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 
Flores has received interest in multiple coaching opportunities this offseason, including a recent interview with the Browns for their DC position. A move to Cleveland would represent a step up in title relative to his current arrangement in Pittsburgh, though the 41-year-old played a more sizeable role on Mike Tomlin‘s staff than an average position coach, of course.
The Cardinals have also reached out to Flores seeking an interview for their head coaching vacancy. If he were to land that job, it would mark a quick turnaround from his firing by the Dolphins last offseason. That move ended his three-year tenure in Miami, one which has been followed by his ongoing racial discrimination suit against the NFL in general and several teams in particular. The controversy surrounding his exit – and its subsequent effect on the 2022 coaching cycle, among other things – was a key storyline around the league.
Holcomb, 50, has been an NFL staffer since 2009. His lone season as a full-time defensive coordinator came with the Cardinals in 2018, under head coach Steve Wilks. The pair were reunited in Carolina, and Holcomb spent the 2020 and ’21 campaigns serving as the Panthers’ defensive run game coordinator. Following the firing of Matt Rhule – and the subsequent departures of multiple members of his staff, coupled with Wilks taking over – Holcomb was promoted to the role of interim DC to finish the season.
This news comes after it was reported earlier today that the Panthers put in an interview request for Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. That meeting is likely to concern Carolina’s DC position, so Holcomb’s future will be worth monitoring as the coaching (and coordinator) cycles take shape in the coming days. He and Flores join the Packers’ Jerry Gray and the Saints’ Ryan Nielsen as targets for Atlanta to replace Dean Pees following his retirement.
Panthers Granted Permission To Interview Sean Payton
Another team has entered the fray for this year’s most talked-about head coaching candidate. The Panthers have requested and received permission to interview Sean Payton, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).
Payton has, as expected, drawn considerable interest from HC-needy teams this offseason as he contemplates a return to the sidelines, something which is not guaranteed to take place during this year’s cycle. He is still under contract to the Saints, however, which led to an expectation that the division-rival Panthers would not be a realistic contender to acquire him via trade.
Deals sending head coaches from one team to another in the same division are rare, but not entirely unprecedented. Payton’s level of interest in the Panthers’ vacancy – one brought on by the firing of Matt Rhule after his highly underwhelming two-plus year tenure with the team failed to show sufficient signs of a turnaround for the franchise – will be worth watching relative to his desire to head elsewhere.
The Super Bowl winner has his first interview lined up with the Broncos this week, the earliest point at which he is allowed by rule to meet with interested teams. Denver reportedly has a general understanding of the trade compensation which will be needed to acquire him from New Orleans; a first-round pick is widely thought to be included in the package the Saints will be asking for.
In addition, both the Texans and Cardinals have been granted permission to interview Payton, giving him plenty of options to consider. The Panthers put themselves in contention to win the NFC South with their improved play under interim HC Steve Wilks, who has already interviewed for the full-time role a number of Carolina’s players have publicly campaigned for him to be granted. The Panthers are widely expected to pursue an experienced, offensive-minded HC, and Payton would certainly fit into both of those categories.
Here is the updated look at the Panthers’ search:
- Jim Caldwell, former head coach (Lions): Interviewed
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Interview requested
- Ken Dorsey, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interview requested
- Jim Harbaugh, head coach (Michigan): No longer on radar
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
- Mike Kafka, offensive coordinator (Giants): Interview requested
- Jerod Mayo, inside linebackers coach (Patriots): Interview declined
- Sean Payton, former head coach (Saints): Granted permission to interview
- Frank Reich, former head coach (Colts): Interview expected
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interview postponed
- Shane Steichen, offensive coordinator (Eagles): To interview 1/14
- Steve Wilks, interim head coach (Panthers): Interviewed 1/10
Panthers Request Permission To Interview Marquand Manuel For Coordinator Position
The Panthers have requested permission to interview Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel for “a coordinator position,” per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Presumably, Carolina is interested in installing Manuel as its defensive coordinator.
Manuel, 43, enjoyed an eight-year playing career in the NFL from 2002-09 and joined the coaching ranks as an assistant special teams coach with the Seahawks in 2012. He worked as the Falcons’ defensive coordinator from 2017-18, but Atlanta finished in the bottom-five in total defense in 2018 after boasting a top-10 unit the year before, and the team parted ways with Manuel at the conclusion of the campaign.
After one year as a DBs coach with the Eagles in 2020, Manuel joined Robert Saleh‘s first Jets staff in 2021 and has served as Gang Green’s safeties coach over the past two seasons. The Jets allowed the fourth-fewest yards per game and the third-fewest passing yards per game in 2022, which is certainly a feather in Manuel’s cap (though this is the first time we have heard of outside interest in his services in the current coaching cycle).
Of particular interest here is what the interview request could mean for Steve Wilks‘ candidacy as the Panthers’ head coach. Wilks, who stepped in as interim HC upon Matt Rhule‘s ouster in October, guided the club to a surprising 6-6 finish to the season, and he nearly captured a division title in the process. He also appears to have the full support of his locker room.
Nonetheless, as David Newton of ESPN.com tweets, Al Holcomb is Wilks’ defensive coordinator. So if the team is going in a different direction at DC, it could mean that it is, by extension, planning on going in a different direction at head coach.
While two of Carolina’s HC candidates, Jerod Mayo and Jim Harbaugh, are no longer in the running, there are nine other options (including Wilks) as of the time of his writing. The full list is as follows, and the majority of the remaining candidates have an offensive background, which Wilks does not have but which may be a priority for team ownership:
- Jim Caldwell, former head coach (Lions): Interviewed
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Interview requested
- Ken Dorsey, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interview requested
- Jim Harbaugh, head coach (Michigan): No longer on radar
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
- Mike Kafka, offensive coordinator (Giants): Interview requested
- Jerod Mayo, inside linebackers coach (Patriots): Interview declined
- Frank Reich, former head coach (Colts): Interview expected
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interview postponed
- Shane Steichen, offensive coordinator (Eagles): To interview 1/14
- Steve Wilks, interim head coach (Panthers): Interviewed 1/10
Panthers Request HC Interview With Ejiro Evero
Ejiro Evero continues to generate interest in coaching circles around the league. The Broncos defensive coordinator is the source of Carolina’s latest head coaching interview request (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). 
[RELATED: Broncos To Block Falcons’ Evero DC Interview]
Evero has been one of the most sought-after assistants in the early stages of the 2023 cycle. His stock rose considerably this season after he helped Denver’s defense perform at a respectable level during his first season in charge of the unit. The Broncos finished middle of the pack in scoring, and fielded the league’s seventh-best total defense – figures which are especially impressive given the team’s major inefficiencies on the other side of the ball.
The 42-year-old was offered the interim head coach title after Denver fired Nathaniel Hackett, but his preference was to close out the campaign in his DC role. He was among the first candidates interviewed by the Broncos to replace Hackett, though a number of other high-profile names (including Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh) have also frequently been connected to Denver.
Evero has caught the eye of Houston and Indianapolis as well, so he could have options available to him outside of the Mile High City depending on the Broncos’ plans. That will be true to an even greater extent if he accepts the Panthers’ request and impresses the NFC South outfit during their search process. The Broncos’ intention of blocking a lateral move to another team underscores Evero’s importance not only to them, but also the demand he is likely to be in now and in the future.
This news comes hours after Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo declined Carolina’s HC interview request. Mayo, like Evero, has established himself as one of the top defensive staffers on the market for teams looking at hires on that side of the ball. Their scheduled meeting with 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans, meanwhile, has at least temporarily been put on hold.
With Evero now on the list of Carolina’s HC targets, here is the updated breakdown of their search:
- Jim Caldwell, former head coach (Lions): Interviewed
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Interview requested
- Ken Dorsey, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interview requested
- Jim Harbaugh, head coach (Michigan): No longer on radar
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
- Mike Kafka, offensive coordinator (Giants): Interview requested
- Jerod Mayo, inside linebackers coach (Patriots): Interview declined
- Frank Reich, former head coach (Colts): Interview expected
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interview postponed
- Shane Steichen, offensive coordinator (Eagles): To interview 1/14
- Steve Wilks, interim head coach (Panthers): Interviewed 1/10
Patriots’ Jerod Mayo Declines Panthers HC Interview
We can cross one candidate off the list of Panthers head coaching options. According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (via Twitter), Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo will not be interviewing for the job. Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston was first with the news (on Twitter).
A few days after we learned that the Panthers had requested an interview with Mayo, the Patriots revealed that they were working on a new contract with the coach that would keep him in New England for the foreseeable future. Mayo later backed out of his defensive coordinator interview with the Browns, a development that wasn’t particularly surprising since Mayo effectively has the same role in New England. However, it’s telling that Mayo is also rejecting head coaching opportunities, an indication that he could emerge from the Patriots negotiations with a new job title.
Elsewhere on the OC front, the Panthers have scheduled an interview with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for Wednesday (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Twitter). However, there are some question marks surrounding the interview status of 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. We heard yesterday that an interview still hadn’t been scheduled due to logistical reasons, and while the organization still hopes to interview the coach, Joe Person of The Athletic tweets that an interview may not happen depending on the length of the 49ers’ playoff run and the progress of the Panthers’ coaching search. Person adds that the organization still needs to conduct an in-person interview with another minority candidate to comply with the Rooney rule.
With Mayo off the board (and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh no longer on the radar), the current list of candidates includes:
- Jim Caldwell, former head coach (Lions): Interviewed
- Ken Dorsey, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interview requested
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
- Mike Kafka, offensive coordinator (Giants): Interview requested
- Frank Reich, former head coach (Colts): Interview expected
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interview postponed
- Shane Steichen, offensive coordinator (Eagles): To interview 1/14
- Steve Wilks, interim head coach (Panthers): To interview 1/10