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Vikings Hire Matt Daniels As ST Coordinator

By | at February 21, 2022 11:50 am

Kevin O’Connell‘s staff has another addition. The Vikings have hired Matt Daniels as their new special teams coordinator, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).

Daniels, 32, had a four-year playing career in the NFL, split between the Rams, Jaguars and Chargers. Undrafted out of Duke, he was almost exclusively used on special teams while bouncing on and off of practice squads. Three years after his playing days were over, he began coaching in 2018.

Daniels’ first location on the sidelines was the same as his first home on the field. He worked as an assistant special teams coach with the Rams for two seasons. That led him to the Cowboys, where he held the same title for an additional two campaigns. This will be his first time leading a ST unit at the college or NFL level.

In 2021, the Vikings ranked 13th in the league in DVOA on special teams. That was actually a slightly higher ranking than their offensive and defensive units, but still a middle-of-the-pack performance indicative of the team as a whole. Daniels represents a young, comparatively inexperienced coach to lead the unit – not unlike the selection of Wes Phillips as offensive coordinator. With those two, along with O’Connell himself serving as an NFL head coach for the first time, there will be a steep learning curve as the team looks to return to NFC contention.

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Micah Parsons Played 2021 Season With Knee Injury

By | at February 20, 2022 8:10 am

The Cowboys’ original plan with the No. 10 pick of the 2021 draft was to select either South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn or Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Of course, both of those players were off the board by the time Dallas was on the clock, so the club traded down and ultimately landed Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, despite its existing LB depth.

All Parsons did was put together a remarkable rookie campaign in which he posted 13 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and 30 quarterback hits while playing both linebacker and defensive end (just one game into the season, the Cowboys were forced to move Parsons to DE due to a DeMarcus Lawrence injury and Randy Gregory‘s placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list). His efforts earned him NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, and he became the first player to ever win that award by unanimous vote. He also finished second to Steelers edge defender T.J. Watt in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting.

On top of all that, Parsons hyperextended his knee during a joint practice with the Rams in August, and he played the entire 2021 season while suffering the effects of that injury. “It was at a point where I was like, ‘I’m in a position battle,'” Parsons said. “‘I’m going against Jaylon (Smith). The first game is coming up soon.’ I was like, ‘This is the worst time for this to happen'” (via Jon Machota of The Athletic (subscription required)).

Parsons added, “[i]t’s something that just kept lingering. When you hyperextend something, it needs rest. But I was like, ‘I can’t take no rest.’ The whole season I kept rehabbing, rehabbing, rehabbing so that way I could play in the games.” The 22-year-old also noted that while medication helped, he was in significant pain after games.

A fully-healthy 2022 campaign, along with natural progression and development, might allow Parsons to secure a DPOY nod next year; he will certainly be on the shortlist of favorites heading into the season. But the Cowboys will need to supplement their LB corps just the same. That above-referenced depth at the position is no longer a reality, with Leighton Vander Esch and Keanu Neal set for free agency and with Smith having been released in October.

Fellow LB Jabril Cox, a 2021 fourth-rounder, appeared in seven games last season — primarily in a special teams role — before suffering a torn ACL, which could put the start of his 2022 season in jeopardy.

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Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order

By | at February 14, 2022 8:57 am

With Super Bowl LVI finished, the final two places in the 2022 Draft have been finalized. The Bengals’ top pick is locked into 31st, while the Rams will not have a selection until the third round. For the rest of the league, the focus has already shifted to free agency and the draft, of course, so now all eyes will be on the offseason maneuvering teams do to reshape their rosters.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.

Pending trades, here is the final first round order of the 2022 Draft:

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
  2. Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
  3. Houston Texans: 4-13
  4. New York Jets: 4-13
  5. New York Giants: 4-13
  6. Carolina Panthers: 5-12
  7. New York Giants(via Bears)
  8. Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
  9. Denver Broncos: 7-10
  10. New York Jets (via Seahawks)
  11. Washington Football Team: 7-10
  12. Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
  13. Cleveland Browns: 8-9
  14. Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
  15. Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
  16. Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
  17. Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
  18. New Orleans Saints: 9-8
  19. Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1
  21. New England Patriots: 10-7
  22. Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
  23. Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
  24. Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
  25. Buffalo Bills: 11-6
  26. Tennessee Titans: 12-5
  27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4
  28. Green Bay Packers: 13-4
  29. Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
  30. Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5
  31. Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7
  32. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
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Saints To Interview Robert Prince For OC Job

By | at February 10, 2022 6:06 pm

The Saints have already revamped their offensive coaching staff, and it sounds like they’ll consider adding an offensive coordinator to a grouping that includes Pete Carmichael and Doug Marrone. Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter), the Saints will interview Cowboys wide receivers coach Robert Prince for their OC job.

[RELATED: Saints To Hire Doug Marrone; Pete Carmichael Ticketed For Non-OC Role]

Prince literally finalized his contract with the Cowboys yesterday, and he could already be on the move. The 56-year-old has been coaching since the 1980s, with his first NFL gig coming with the Falcons in 2004. He served as Boise State’s offensive coordinator between 2012 and 2013 before a long stint with the Lions.

Prince served as the Lions WRs coach for seven seasons, and he had a one-game stint as acting head coach in 2020. The veteran coach moved on to Houston in 2021, serving as the Texans wide receivers coach.

Carmichael was the Saints offensive coordinator for the past 13 years, and he is on track to stay on the staff under Dennis Allen. The veteran coach will serve in a different role, however, with Carmichael requesting the change. The team also added Marrone in an unknown role yesterday, and there were rumblings that they were eyeing ex-Jets OC John Morton.

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Position Coaching Notes: Giants, Broncos, Jaguars

By | at February 10, 2022 11:53 am

As the days go by, more and more position coaches are finalizing jobs with new teams. One of the busiest clubs remains the Giants. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team is hiring former Vikings assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson as its defensive line coach (Twitter link). The 61-year-old has a wealth of coaching experience at the NCAA and NFL ranks. While he has a defensive background, Patterson also served as a head coach at two stops along the way to the pro level.

His first NFL coaching gig came in 1997 with the Patriots. After stints with the Vikings, Cowboys, Browns and Broncos, he returned to the college ranks. Following seven additional seasons, six of which were spread across three colleges, he came back to Minnesota in 2014. He remained there until now, serving as the team’s d-line coach, but also holding the co-DC title for the past two campaigns.

Here are some other updates to Brian Daboll‘s new staff, along with those of the Broncos and Jaguars:

  • According to Jonathan Alexander of The Observer, Tony Sparano Jr. is making a lateral move from the Panthers to the Giants as their new assistant offensive line coach (Twitter link). The 35-year old already has a decade of coaching experience in the NFL spent with five different teams.
  • One hire the Giants won’t be making is that of Adam Henry for the role of wide receivers coach. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that the team will be heading “in another direction” after they interviewed Henry earlier. The 49-year old coached the position at LSU for three years, then at the NFL level with the 49ers, Giants, Browns and Cowboys. Many felt a reunion in East Rutherford was likely, but that won’t be the case.
  • As for the Broncos, they will be adding to their defensive staff from the college ranks. ESPN’s Pete Thamel tweets that Ola Adams is coming aboard as an assistant secondary coach. Adams spent spent seven seasons at Villanova, and his success there earned him a promotion to co-defensive coordinator at Temple recently. Now, he will be on the move again, but this time up to the NFL level.
  • Finally, the Jaguars are hiring Brentson Buckner as their d-line coach (Twitter link via Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson). It had been reported earlier this week that the 50-year-old was a candidate for the position, so the move is not a surprising one. Buckner has coached the position with three NFL teams previously, dating back to 2013.

 

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Cowboys Change WR Coaches

By | at February 8, 2022 10:42 pm

  • Cowboys wide receivers coach Adam Henry is interviewing with the Giants. He will do so after turning down a new Cowboys contract, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Robert Prince is set to replace him, per ESPN’s Todd Archer and Field Yates (on Twitter). Prince and Cowboys OC Kellen Moore have an interesting history. Prince, 56, was a Boise State staffer during Moore’s final season (2011). He later joined the Lions’ staff during Moore’s QB tenure there. Prince spent seven seasons in Detroit as the team’s wideouts coach.
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2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

By | at February 6, 2022 10:15 pm

Last year, seven NFL teams opted to make a head coaching change. Sean Payton stepping away from the Saints created nine full-time vacancies available this year.

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 is the current breakdown:

Updated 2-7-22 (1:45pm CT)

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

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Dolphins Hire Mike McDaniel As Head Coach

By | at February 6, 2022 5:10 pm

The Dolphins have announced that they’ve agreed to terms to make 49ers’ offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel their next head coach (Twitter).

McDaniel recently had his second interview with Miami on Friday. Fox Sports Writer Peter Schrager reported that the interview lasted for 10 hours.
McDaniel was one of two candidates to receive a second interview with the Dolphins as Cowboys’ offensive coordinator Kellen Moore interviewed yesterday. With Moore not getting the job, it looks like Dallas will keep both coordinators as Moore has not been mentioned as a contender for the Saints’ or Texans’ jobs and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has informed teams that he is remaining in Dallas.

McDaniel is a longtime Kyle Shanahan-staffer, following Shanahan from Atlanta to San Francisco. Following Mike LaFleur‘s departure to join Robert Saleh on the Jets, McDaniel was promoted to offensive coordinator.

The 2021 NFL season was McDaniel’s first and only year as an offensive coordinator at any level. He first entered the NFL as an intern for the Broncos in 2004. He spent three years as an offensive assistant in Houston before taking the position of running backs coach for Sacramento’s short-lived UFL team. McDaniel re-entered the NFL ranks an an offensive assistant in Washington for two years before getting promoted to wide receivers coach. He spent one season in that position in Washington followed by a season holding the same position in Cleveland before heading to Atlanta to become an offensive assistant under Shanahan.

The 38-year-old’s rise has been meteoric since joining Shanahan. After two years in Atlanta, McDaniel became Shanahan’s run game coordinator in San Francisco for four seasons before finally getting his shot last year at offensive coordinator. McDaniel didn’t call plays for the 49ers, but he did draw up the running plays and coordinate a running game that ranked in the top-10 despite losing Raheem Mostert in Week 1 and missing Elijah Mitchell for 6 games this year.

With Brian Flores‘ lawsuit against the NFL, Dolphins, Giants, and Broncos alleging racial discrimination, much attention will likely be paid to the fact that McDaniel identifies as multiracial, making him the first minority coaching candidate to be hired in this year’s cycle. The 49ers will receive two third-round compensatory picks as a result of the hire.

With Miami securing their man, there are now only two teams remaining who are without a head coach: the Texans and Saints. Keep up with the last remaining coaching searches on our 2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.

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Surgery Updates For Cowboys’ Gregory, Gallup

By | at February 3, 2022 10:45 am

Big decisions are looming for the Cowboys this offseason, as they try to maintain one of the league’s most talented rosters. Two key pieces to the team – who both happen to be pending free agents coming off of significant injuries – are defensive end Randy Gregory and wide receiver Michael Gallup. 

The former has already undergone knee surgery, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. While the issue bothered him throughout the season, it didn’t cost him any time (unlike one missed game because of COVID-19, and a calf strain that landed him on IR). Overall, the 12 games Gregory was able to play in was tied for the second most in his career, mainly as a result of multiple suspensions.

The 29-year-old is set to hit free agency for the first time in his career. The Cowboys signed him to an extension in September of 2020, keeping him in the fold through this past year. He responded with six sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception, as he was a key member of Dallas’ impressive defensive unit. According to David Helman of Cowboys.com, owner and general manager Jerry Jones recently expressed optimism in being able to bring Gregory back: “Knowing our time together and some of the pluses and some of the times that we’ve had to work through and some of the not-so-fun things, that will serve us well”, he said.

Meanwhile, Gallup is scheduled to have knee surgery next week, writes Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News. The 25-year-old tore his ACL at the beginning of the month, ending his season. He ended up with the lowest receiving yards of his four-year career, but his 2019 season (66 catches for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns) alone should earn him plenty of suitors if he hits the market. With a great deal of money already committed to Amari Cooper, and CeeDee Lamb eligible for an extension as early as next season, the Cowboys may very well have to keep only one of Gallup or breakout tight end Dalton Schultz, who is also a pending UFA.

Both players are expected to make full recoveries, and be available for the start of the 2022 season. Whether or not they will playing in Dallas by that point remains to be seen.

 

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