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.
Updated 2020 NFL Draft Order
After a weekend full of drama and upsets, four more spots have been determined in this year’s NFL Draft order. Most notably – the Patriots will pick No. 23 overall, their highest original pick since 2006.
Here’s the updated rundown, from Nos. 1-24:
1. Bengals (2-14)
2. Redskins (3-13)
3. Lions (3-12-1)
4. Giants (4-12)
5. Dolphins (5-11)
6. Chargers (5-11)
7. Panthers (5-11)
8. Cardinals (5-10-1)
9. Jaguars (6-10)
10. Browns (6-10)
11. Jets (7-9)
12. Raiders (7-9)
13. Colts (7-9)
14. Buccaneers (7-9)
15. Broncos (7-9)
16. Falcons (7-9)
17. Cowboys (8-8)
18. Dolphins (via Steelers 8-8)
19. Raiders (via Bears 8-8)
20. Jaguars (via Rams 9-7)
21. Eagles (9-7)
22. Bills (10-6)
23. Patriots (12-4)
24. Saints (13-3)
Latest On Josh McDaniels’ Plans
Josh McDaniels will honor each of his interview requests in this hiring period. In addition to meeting with the Browns, the Patriots offensive coordinator will sit down with the Giants and Panthers this week.
Prior to the Pats’ playoff loss to the Titans on Saturday night, those interviews were expected to take place Friday, January 10, in Foxborough, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). But now that New England has been bounced from the postseason, the three interested clubs will get to hear from McDaniels starting on Monday, January 6, as Michael Lombardi of The Athletic tweets. The Panthers, though, will meet with McDaniels on January 10 as planned, given that they are busy with other interviews (via David Newton of ESPN.com).
Veteran NFL reporter Ed Werder also believes the Cowboys, who have not been formally connected to McDaniels just yet, to have interest in him (Twitter link).
While the Browns met with McDaniels back in 2014, the Giants have also interviewed him previously. They did so two years ago for a job that went to the recently fired Pat Shurmur.
McDaniels, however, may have a clearer path to the Cleveland or Carolina jobs. Skepticism exists on the New York front. Some around the league have doubted the 43-year-old assistant is as interested in the Giants as they are in him, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, who adds that Dave Gettleman‘s role may pose a problem for McDaniels. Gettleman being in place as Big Blue’s GM would not necessarily be a deal-breaker, but McDaniels’ potential demand for more say in personnel matters does not appear to be what Giants ownership prefers.
Despite McDaniels’ previous run with personnel power going poorly (with the Broncos in 2009-10, the Browns will likely be willing to give the Ohio native such a role. They plan to hire a coach before adding a GM, and McDaniels is believed to be the frontrunner for the Cleveland position. The Panthers have GM Marty Hurney in place, but with the two-stint Carolina executive being hired before David Tepper bought the team, that situation is fluid. Gettleman has said he would cede some power if it would help the Giants, Vacchiano adds the team is not likely to offer its next coach such an opportunity.
McDaniels will want a personnel staffer he trusts to accompany him to New York, per Vacchiano. But John Mara said whomever the Giants hire will not determine Gettleman’s role, so a McDaniels-Nick Caserio partnership in New York seems unlikely to commence. Regardless, McDaniels’ stock has returned to where it was before he spurned the Colts in 2018.
Matt Rhule To Meet With Panthers, Giants
The Matt Rhule-to-NFL path may be close to forming. The Baylor head coach has scheduled two interviews. He will meet with the Panthers on Monday and the Giants shortly after, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
A New York native, Rhule is believed to be the frontrunner for the Giants job. He spent 2012 as their assistant offensive line coach, working with the franchise during Dave Gettleman‘s final season during his first Giants stint. Rhule’s Giants meeting is expected to take place Tuesday.
As a college coach, Rhule is 47-43 in seven seasons at Temple and Baylor. But it’s the Bears’ quick turnaround from the Art Briles tenure that has likely sparked interest among NFL teams. Baylor completed the transition from 1-11 in Rhule’s first season in 2017 to ending its 2019 campaign in the Sugar Bowl. While Baylor did not fare well against Georgia, Rhule was already an NFL candidate before guiding the Big 12 program to an 11-win season. And prior to Rhule’s Baylor stay, he led Temple to back-to-back 10-win seasons — the first such stretch in the program’s 90-year history.
The Panthers have already interviewed Mike McCarthy (twice) and Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy. They are tentatively scheduled to meet with Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski late next week. The Giants are interviewing Bieniemy and Ravens DC Don “Wink” Martindale on Saturday and have already spoken with McCarthy and Cowboys secondary coach Kris Richard. Both teams are also interested in Josh McDaniels, who has previously been a Giants target.
Rhule turned down an opportunity to interview for the Browns job, doing so a year after agreeing to return to Baylor despite Jets interest. Rhule interviewed for the job that went to Adam Gase and has said he would leave for the NFL if the right opportunity presented itself. The latest NFL hiring period will put the 44-year-old coach to the test.
Panthers To Interview Kevin Stefanski
Add another name to the list. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports (via Twitter) that Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski is scheduled to interview for the Panthers head coaching vacancy next week. The interview is tentatively set for Thursday, although that could change if Minnesota tops New Orleans tomorrow.
Stefanski has served in a variety of roles for the Vikings since joining the organization back in 2006, including stints as the tight ends coach, running backs coach, and quarterbacks coach. The 37-year-old was named interim offensive coordinator following the firing of John DeFilippo during the 2018 season, and he earned the full-time gig prior to the 2019 campaign.
During Stefanski’s first full season at the helm, the Vikings ranked as a top-10 offense in points. The coach led the trio of Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison, and Mike Boone to top-six rankings in rushing yards and touchdowns, and he also helped quarterback Kirk Cousins have one of the best seasons of his career.
We previously heard that Stefanski was set to interview for the Browns head coaching gig, and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero passes along (via Twitter) that the coach will indeed interview with Cleveland this week. Stefanski was a finalist for the Browns job last year.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports (via Twitter) that Panther interim head coach Perry Fewell is scheduled to meet with the team on Wednesday. As our head coaching tracker shows, Stefanski and Fewell are two of five coaches who will interview for the gig, a grouping that also includes Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, and former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. Baylor head coach Matt Rhule has also been mentioned as a potential candidate, but no interview has been scheduled.
Redskins To Interview Scott Turner
Panthers offensive coordinator Scott Turner will interview with the Redskins for their OC vacancy, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Incumbent Kevin O’Connell remains the frontrunner for the job, but Rapoport hears that Turner could wind up as the team’s quarterbacks coach if he doesn’t land the OC post. 
The Redskins wasted little time in hiring new head coach Ron Rivera and, in turn, Rivera started building out his staff immediately. On New Year’s Day, Rivera tapped Jack Del Rio as his new defensive coordinator.
Rivera is already familiar with Turner’s skillset – Turner served as Rivera’s QB coach in Carolina, up until Rivera’s dismissal. After Rivera was ousted, Turner was bumped up to OC as his father, Norv Turner, was transitioned to a different role.
The Turner family, of course, also has history with the Redskins. Norv served as the Redskins’ head coach from 1994-2000.
2020 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker
Not as many head coaching vacancies have emerged this year, compared to a fourth of the league hiring new HCs in 2019. But there are a few teams going through the process presently (and another taking its time in getting started).
Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here’s the current breakdown:
Updated 1/11/20, 2:43pm CT
Carolina Panthers
- Matt Rhule, head coach (Baylor): Hired
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed on 1/2
- Perry Fewell, interim head coach (Panthers): Expected to interview
- Mike McCarthy, former head coach (Packers): Twice interviewed
- Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator (Patriots): To interview on 1/7
- Kevin Stefanski, offensive coordinator (Vikings): Expected to interview on 1/9
Cleveland Browns
- Kevin Stefanski, offensive coordinator (Vikings): Hired
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed on 1/3
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed on 1/6
- Mike LaFleur, pass-game coordinator (49ers): Mentioned as candidate
- Mike McCarthy, former head coach (Packers): Interviewed on 1/2
- Mike McDaniel, run-game coordinator (49ers): Mentioned as candidate
- Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator (Patriots): Interviewed on 1/10
- Urban Meyer, former head coach (Ohio State): Mentioned as candidate; team denied interest
- Matt Rhule, head coach (Baylor): Turned down interview opportunity
- Greg Roman, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed on 1/2
- Robert Saleh, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interviewed on 1/4
- Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Eagles): Interviewed on 1/8
Dallas Cowboys
- Mike McCarthy, former head coach (Packers): Hired
- Marvin Lewis, former head coach (Bengals): Interviewed 1/4
- Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator (Patriots): Cowboys interested?
New York Giants
- Joe Judge, special teams coordinator/wide receivers coach (Patriots): Hired
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): To interview on 1/4
- Jason Garrett, former head coach (Cowboys): Interview requested
- Don “Wink” Martindale, defensive coordinator (Ravens): To interview on 1/4
- Mike McCarthy, former head coach (Packers): Interviewed on 1/3
- Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator (Patriots): To interview on 1/8
- Matt Rhule, head coach (Baylor): Interview cancelled
- Kris Richard, secondary coach (Cowboys): Interviewed on 1/2
Washington Redskins
- Ron Rivera, former head coach (Panthers): Hired
Patriots Grant Giants Permission To Interview Josh McDaniels, Joe Judge
The Patriots have granted the Giants permission to interview assistants Josh McDaniels and Joe Judge for their head coaching vacancy, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe. They’ve also given their blessing to the Browns and Panthers to speak with McDaniels, McBride hears. 
Both men will have to wait until next week to interview as candidates coaching in Wild Card games are not permitted to interview next week. But, after the Patriots face the Titans on Saturday night, they’ll have a busy schedule ahead of them.
McDaniels, the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, famously left the Colts at the altar following the 2017 season. Two years later, teams are still intrigued by what he can bring to the table, though they may be concerned about a potential flip-flop. For his part, McDaniels believes that teams will still be willing to consider him for HC positions.
As the Broncos’ head coach in 2009 and (most of ) 2010, McDaniels coached Denver to an 11-17 mark. Judge, the Patriots’ special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach, joined the Pats in 2012 after a three-year stint at Alabama.
Eric Bieniemy To Meet With Giants, Panthers
Another Andy Reid offensive coordinator is drawing significant interest on the coaching market. After receiving interview requests from the Browns, Giants and Panthers, Eric Bieniemy has set his itinerary.
The Chiefs’ offensive coordinator will meet with the Panthers on Thursday and Giants on Saturday, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). It is not known if Bieniemy will take a Browns interview.
Bieniemy was part of the 2019 interview cycle, with the Buccaneers, Bengals and Dolphins requesting summits with the Kansas City OC. Should Bieniemy be hired, he would follow Chiefs OC predecessors Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy in landing HC gigs. The former led the Eagles to the Super Bowl LII championship; the latter was last season’s coach of the year. Reid’s coaching tree has proven to generate good hires.
Although the Chiefs fared well under Pederson and Nagy, they’ve certainly hit another gear during Bieniemy’s tenure. While the Reid-Patrick Mahomes partnership receives most of the credit for the Chiefs morphing into one of the league’s most explosive offenses, Bieniemy has served as K.C.’s OC during each of Mahomes’ two years as starting quarterback. Reid serves as Kansas City’s primary play-caller, but his seventh-year assistant has played a role in elevating the Chiefs to two straight playoff byes.
The Giants will also meet with Mike McCarthy and Cowboys secondary coach Kris Richard for their latest HC vacancy. They are interested in Baylor’s Matt Rhule as well. They have also requested interviews with Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge and Ravens defensive boss Don “Wink” Martindale. The Panthers have met with McCarthy, requested an interview with Josh McDaniels and are also interested in Rhule.
NFC South Notes: JPP, Panthers, Falcons
Bruce Arians has understandably asserted Shaquil Barrett‘s all-time contract year will keep him with the Buccaneers but added the team wants to keep its other high-profile front-seven starters as well. Both Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh‘s contracts are up, but Arians said keeping both will be a top priority (Twitter link via Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com). The veteran HC may have indicated JPP resides slightly higher on the priority list as well, per Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter). Pierre-Paul returned from another scary injury this season and has registered 8.5 sacks in 10 games, giving him 21 in two Bucs seasons. The Bucs hold a great deal of cap space, at $88.9MM, but will likely need to devote a chunk of that amount to Jameis Winston.
Here is the latest from the AFC South:
- If Greg Olsen opts to put off his broadcasting career for another year, he will likely need to relocate. The veteran tight end indicated recently he did not want to take part in a potential Panthers rebuild. While the franchise has not committed to charting that path, Joe Person of The Athletic expects Olsen to be elsewhere in 2020. “I just think sometimes the writing’s on the wall,” Olsen said, via Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required). “There hasn’t been anything officially. But I wanted to make sure if that was my last time that I made sure I told the people that I needed to how much they meant on my career.” One year (at a $6.6MM base salary) remains on the 34-year-old tight end’s contract. Carolina would save $8.1MM by cutting Olsen, its top tight end for the past nine years.
- Moving to a younger NFC South tight end, Austin Hooper acknowledged the Falcons have not yet made him an offer to stay, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Hooper, however, would like to return, and Thomas Dimitroff appeared to indicate the breakout tight end will be a priority (Twitter link via Ledbetter). We heard this earlier this season as well.
- A Hooper return may lead De’Vondre Campbell elsewhere. The Falcons already gave a top-market contract to Deion Jones and are up against the salary cap. While noting he wants to stay in Atlanta, the Falcons’ top 2019 tackler acknowledged (via ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure) he may need to change teams. Although the Falcons will consider re-signing Campbell and Vic Beasley, Dimitroff did not commit to either’s return (via McClure, on Twitter).
- Despite Breshad Perriman‘s end-of-season stretch potentially raising his free agency price, the Buccaneers‘ No. 3 wideout would like to stay in this high-octane offense. Perriman signed a one-year, $4MM deal with Tampa Bay, doing so after backing out of a Cleveland commitment following the Odell Beckham Jr. trade. The Bucs have Mike Evans on a high-end deal and will see Chris Godwin enter a contract year in 2020, perhaps pushing Perriman to another team.
- A player the Panthers do not want on another team: James Bradberry. Carolina’s top cornerback met with GM Marty Hurney, and David Newton of ESPN.com notes the fourth-year corner received a “be patient” message from this summit. The Panthers want Bradberry back, Newton adds, but the former Round 2 pick would obviously prefer an upper-echelon deal to stay.