Coaching Rumors: Panthers, Rhule, McDaniels
The latest from around the NFL:
- Saints assistant Mike Nolan is a name to watch as new Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy searches for his next defensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears.
- The Panthers‘ interview with Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski will take place in Minneapolis on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) reports. The Browns could also schedule a chat with Stefanski for that same day. During Stefanski’s first full season at the helm, the Vikings ranked as a top-10 offense in points. With Stefanski on the sidelines, the Vikings also managed a 26-20 win over the Saints on Sunday to advance to the divisional round.
- The Giants‘ interview with Baylor head coach Matt Rhule has been scheduled for Tuesday, Schefter hears. After that, they’ll meet with Patriots OC Josh McDaniels on Wednesday. Both interviews will take place in New Jersey.
- At least 4 NFL teams have expressed interest in former Giants head coach Pat Shurmur as an offensive coordinator, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears. Shurmur has also heard from “a college team or two.” Shurmur was fired by the Giants after amassing a 9-23 record over the course of two disappointing seasons.
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)
Browns Notes: GM Search, DePodesta, McCarthy, Saleh, Daboll
While the primary focus in Cleveland remains on their search for a new head coach, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Browns could have their eyes on a pair of front-office employees with the Seahawks for their general managerial opening. Via Garafolo’s report, Seattle’s co-directors of player personnel, Trent Kirchner and Scott Fitterer, are two well-respected executives that could emerge as leading candidates.
Here’s more notes from the Browns organization:
- NFL.com’s Ian Rapaport noted that two head coaching candidates in the Browns search that align with Kirchner and Fitterer are former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. McCarthy’s connection to the two Seattle executives is unclear, but Saleh started his coaching career in Seattle and has built his defensive scheme upon the Seahawks 4-3 at the peak of the “Legion of Boom.”
- The Browns pushed back their interview with Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for Cleveland’s head coaching position, according to Ian Rapaport of NFL.com. Daboll remains a candidate, but since the Bills were eliminated from the playoffs in Saturday’s overtime loss to the Texans, the team decided to delay his interview to this week so he could meet more of the team’s current front office staff.
- Browns chief strategist Paul DePodesta has been the center of a lot of coverage surrounding the power struggle in Cleveland. The onetime assistant general manager of the Oakland Athletics is spearheading the Browns head coach search, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, but is not under contract with the team beyond next week. With that said, DePodesta is still wanted in Cleveland and the team may want to extend the executive at the same time of the team’s general manager and head coaching hires to put the organization on the same page.
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.
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.
Browns To Interview Eric Bieniemy
Eric Bieniemy turned down the Cardinals, but he’s open to joining the Browns. The Chiefs offensive coordinator will sit down with Cleveland brass on Friday afternoon, per a club announcement.
Bieniemy will be the third candidate to meet with the Browns regarding their HC vacancy. On Thursday, the club chatted with former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
He won’t be the last to chat with the team, either. Per PFR’s 2020 Head Coaching Search Tracker, there are upwards of ten candidates on the Browns’ radar:
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): To interview on 1/3
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): To interview on 1/5
- Mike LaFleur, pass-game coordinator (49ers): Expected to interview
- Mike McCarthy, former head coach (Packers): Interviewed on 1/2
- Mike McDaniel, run-game coordinator (49ers): Expected to interview
- Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator (Patriots): Expected to interview
- 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): To interview on 1/4
- Kevin Stefanski, offensive coordinator (Vikings): Expected to interview
Browns’ Next GM Will Come From Outside Organization
The Browns are planning to retain chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta, and Eliot Wolf remains in place as assistant GM. But the franchise plans to look outside its current power structure to find its next GM.
Jimmy Haslam indicated Thursday that John Dorsey‘s replacement will be an outside hire, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The Browns plan to first hire their head coach, which will determine where they go with the GM role, Haslam added (via ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter). However, the Browns’ new head coach will not have final say over which GM candidate is hired, Cabot notes.
Cleveland’s new HC and GM will each report to Haslam, which was the setup when Hue Jackson and Sashi Brown were in power. Haslam added that the GM will oversee the 53-man roster, which flies in the face of rumors that the new Browns HC would obtain more power. The Browns’ new HC must be more analytically inclined, with Haslam indicating (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal) a “tremendous opportunity” exists for the Browns to be better than they were in this area under Dorsey and Freddie Kitchens.
Wolf will remain in his assistant GM role, per Haslam. This poses an interesting setup, given a new regime’s imminent arrival. The longtime Packers exec joined former Green Bay coworker Dorsey last year and has been a GM candidate in the past. DePodesta will run the coaching search, but the former MLB GM-turned-fifth-year Browns exec will not rise in the team’s front office hierarchy.
“Paul’s’ job will stay exactly the same as it is now,” Haslam said, via Ulrich. “He is in charge of strategy. He reports to ownership. Nothing will change. … We think Paul is really good at this type of position [in the searches]. If you think about it, all he has done his whole adult life is gather data to help make good decisions, so we think he is ideally suited to lead this process.”
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
Josh McDaniels To Meet With Browns
The Browns have secured a Josh McDaniels meeting. Having set much of their itinerary for the first round of coaching interviews, the Browns will meet with McDaniels, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
A Cleveland-area native, McDaniels is believed to be the Browns’ top choice. He joins 49ers DC Robert Saleh, Ravens OC Greg Roman and Bills OC Brian Daboll as those set to interview. Roman and Mike McCarthy are in Cleveland today. McDaniels’ interview will likely occur Jan. 10, Cabot adds.
Jimmy Haslam said earlier Thursday the organization will hire a head coach with NFL experience, ruling out Urban Meyer. But McDaniels’ Ohio ties run deeper. The Barberton, Ohio, native previously interviewed with the Browns in 2014 but took himself out of the running for a job that eventually went to Mike Pettine. Haslam was intrigued by McDaniels during the previous interview, and that interest does not appear to have cooled. This time, the longtime Patriots OC is believed to be intrigued by the opportunity — one that will likely come with some personnel control.
McDaniels, 43, is also on the Giants’ and Panthers’ wish lists, so the Browns may need to make an attractive offer. The franchise being GM-less would seemingly appeal to McDaniels, who may want to bring longtime Patriots executive (and fellow northeast Ohio native) Nick Caserio to Cleveland. Caserio’s contract expires after this season. Defections of McDaniels and Caserio would represent a major blow to New England’s infrastructure.
While the three-time Super Bowl champion OC’s play-calling acumen cannot be dismissed, he will have much to prove from a personnel and leadership standpoint. The Broncos gave the then-33-year-old coach personnel control in 2009, and McDaniels’ controversial moves — and 2010 videotaping scandal — led to a quick firing. His spurning of the Colts eight years later was believed to damage his rebuilt stock, but the widespread interest in the veteran coordinator over the past several days has shown the league has effectively overlooked that decision.
Daboll is set to interview with Browns brass Sunday in Buffalo, Cabot adds. Neither he nor McDaniels can take an interview until next week, due to the AFC East teams being in wild-card games. Daboll spent two years as the Browns’ OC, under Eric Mangini, from 2009-10.
Browns To Interview Greg Roman
The Browns will interview Greg Roman on Thursday night, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Ravens offensive coordinator is one of the hottest coaching candidates out there and would be a logical fit for the playing style of quarterback Baker Mayfield. 
[RELATED: Browns To Interview Mike McCarthy]
Under Roman’s tutelage in 2019, Lamar Jackson threw for 3,127 yards and a league-leading 36 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He also rushed for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns – all inside of just 15 games.
The Ravens dominated the AFC North in 2019 even though many expected this to be a breakthrough year for the Browns. That didn’t come to fruition, thanks in large part to their dysfunctional offense. Mayfield’s production fell off of a cliff under Freddie Kitchens – he completed just 59.4% of this throws with 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.
The Browns have made a point to utilize Mayfield more as a pocket passer than a runner, but Roman could flip the script, somewhat. Even though he has never served as a head coach at any level, he could be an appealing option for Cleveland. He’ll be the second candidate to interview for the HC post, following Mike McCarthy.