Coaching Notes: Shimko, Cowboys, Rams, Giants
The Cowboys continue to refine their offensive coaching staff. ESPN’s Todd Archer reports that the Cowboys will name Steve Shimko as their new quarterbacks coach.
After most recently serving as a Cowboys offensive assistant, Shimko is one of the main holdovers on Brian Schottenheimer‘s new staff. However, Shimko is plenty familiar with his new boss, as the two worked alongside each other in Seattle before reuniting in Dallas last year.
During that Seahawks stint, Shimko worked his way up from an offensive analyst into an assistant QBs coach. He left for Boston College in 2020, where he climbed the ranks from tight ends coach to quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. He only had a one-year stint in that latter role before Bill O’Brien brought on a new staff.
Shimko will be replacing Scott Tolzien, who spent two years coaching Dak Prescott and the Cowboys quarterbacks.
More coaching notes from around the NFL…
- Carlos Polk lost out on the Cowboys ST coordinator gig, but he’ll still land in Dallas as the team’s assistant special teams coach under Nick Sorensen, per Archer. Polk held this same role with the Cowboys in 2019, and he’s since held that title with the Jaguars (2021) and Bears (2022-2024). The former NFL linebacker has also had coaching stints with the Chargers and Buccaneers.
- After losing Nick Caley to Houston, the Rams have found their new tight ends coach. The team has hired Scott Huff to lead the position grouping, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Huff had coaching stints at the University of Washington and Boise State before catching on with the Seahawks, where he spent last season coaching the offensive line. In Los Angeles, the coach will be responsible for a depth chart that’s currently led by Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson.
- The Giants have added Chad Hall to their staff as an assistant quarterbacks coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Hall will reunite with Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen, as the trio worked alongside each other during their stints in Buffalo. A former NFL wide receiver, Hall coached that position with the Bills and Jaguars, but after eight years working up the ranks, he is now pivoting to the quarterbacks room.
- Adam Morris has accepted a job as the Browns assistant defensive line coach, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. This is the coach’s first foray into the NFL, as he previously held jobs at Ball State, Eastern Illinois, and (most recently) the University at Buffalo. In that latter stop, Morris served as the defensive line coach/run game coordinator.
Cowboys To Add Ken Dorsey To Staff
6:00pm: Ken Dorsey is set to be the Cowboys new pass-game specialist, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The veteran coach held a similar role in Buffalo, where he served as the passing game coordinator during the 2021 season. Dorsey’s new gig will provide an extra layer to the Cowboys offensive coaching staff, as head coach Brian Schottenheimer is expected to call plays ahead of OC Klayton Adams.
1:40pm: Another notable addition is set to be made to the Cowboys’ coaching staff. Ken Dorsey is expected to come to Dallas, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. 
The deal is not yet in place, and it remains to be seen what Dorsey’s role will be. Still, he will be able to provide first-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer with an experienced voice on the offensive side of the ball. The 43-year-old spent much of the past three years as an offensive coordinator. All DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr. notes this will not be a quarterbacks coach arrangement. Indeed, Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports Dorsey will be an analyst for the Cowboys.
Dorsey worked as a scout with the Panthers for a pair of seasons before serving as their quarterbacks coach from 2013-17. He was among the staffers who followed head coach Sean McDermott from Carolina to Buffalo in 2017 and worked as the Bills’ QBs coach for three years. Dorsey was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022 after Brian Daboll‘s departure, and his first season at the helm resulted in a No. 2 ranking in total and scoring offense.
Buffalo was still strong in both categories when a regression from the unit resulted in Dorsey’s midseason dismissal. Joe Brady took over with the Bills, but Dorsey did not need to wait long to find his next gig. He was hired last offseason by the Browns to fill their offensive coordinator position. That did not immediately involve play-calling duties, although Dorsey did take over in that regard midway through the season.
With and without Deshaun Watson under center, the Browns did not meet expectations on offense in 2024. As a result, staff changes were expected at the end of the campaign and Dorsey was fired. After he was unable to duplicate his Buffalo success in Cleveland, it seemed unlikely he would be able to secure another OC position during this year’s hiring cycle. Dorsey was, however, on the Cowboys’ radar during their search for Schottenheimer’s replacement.
Dallas ultimately hired Klayton Adams as OC, his first coordinator position at the NFL level. Schottenheimer will call plays on offense for the Cowboys in 2025, but contributions from the remainder of his staff will of course be key in the team’s efforts to rebound from a poor showing this past year. Provided this agreement is finalized, Dorsey will join the list of coaches in a supporting role for Schottenheimer as he looks to rebuild his own coordinator stock for the future.
Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LIX in the books, the 2024 campaign has come to a close. The final first-round order for April’s draft is now set as a result.
All 32 teams currently own a Day 1 selection, leaving the door open to each one adding a prospect in the first round for the first time since expansion in 2002. Any number of trades will no doubt take place between now and the draft, though, and it will be interesting to see how teams maneuver in the lead-in to the event. Of course, Tennessee in particular will be worth watching closely with a move to sell off the No. 1 pick being seen as a distinct possibility.
A weak quarterback class will leave teams like the Titans, Browns, Giants and Raiders with plenty of key offseason decisions. The free agent and trade markets do not offer many short-term alternatives which are seen as surefire additions, and teams which do not make moves in March will rely on the incoming group of rookies as part of their efforts to find a long-term solution under center. The two prospects seen as the clear-cut top options in 2025, however, are two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.
Here is a final look at the first-round order:
- Tennessee Titans (3-14)
- Cleveland Browns (3-14)
- New York Giants (3-14)
- New England Patriots (4-13)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
- Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
- New York Jets (5-12)
- Carolina Panthers (5-12)
- New Orleans Saints (5-12)
- Chicago Bears (5-12)
- San Francisco 49ers (6-11)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
- Miami Dolphins (8-9)
- Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
- Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
- Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
- Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
- Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
- Denver Broncos (10-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
- Green Bay Packers (11-6)
- Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
- Houston Texans (10-7)
- Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
- Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
- Detroit Lions (15-2)
- Washington Commanders (12-5)
- Buffalo Bills (13-4)
- Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
- Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
Cowboys Have Had Internal Discussions About Micah Parsons Trade
Cowboys star edge rusher Micah Parsons, who is entering the fifth-year option season of his rookie deal, has said he is hoping to hammer out an extension with Dallas at some point prior to training camp, but that was before the club elected not to retain head coach Mike McCarthy. As Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com write, Parsons called that decision “devastating,” and the normally candid defender has been quiet since the team promoted Brian Schottenheimer to the HC post.
One would not expect the McCarthy decision to be an insurmountable obstacle to a Parsons-Cowboys re-up, a deal that has been discussed for some time. However, like fellow standout EDGE Myles Garrett, who has requested a trade from the Browns, Parsons may see the Cowboys as a club that could be in something of a transition phase.
In addition, Dallas has both QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb on deals at or near the top of the market for their respective positions, and Parsons is on track to top the highly-lucrative pass rusher market (currently paced by Nick Bosa’s $34.2MM AAV). And, depending on when he signs his deal relative to positional peers like Garrett, T.J. Watt, Maxx Crosby, and Trey Hendrickson – all of whom are older than Parsons and arguably not as talented – Parsons could leave Bosa’s number in the dust.
Cowboys COO Stephen Jones recently said team brass will evaluate the wisdom of having so much money tied up in so few players, though he also indicated he did not envision Parsons playing for any team other than Dallas. However, Pelissero and Rapoport hear that the team has at least had some internal discussions about whether to trade the Penn State product.
If the Cowboys do entertain a trade, the return could be staggering (some league execs and coaches believe Garrett, who is three years Parsons’ senior, could fetch a haul including two Day 1 picks). Parsons, who is entering his age-26 season, has strung together four remarkable years that have him on a surefire Hall of Fame trajectory. Strong against the run and dominant when rushing the passer, Parsons is 4-for-4 in Pro Bowl nods and has two First Team All-Pro bids as well (to go along with several near misses in Defensive Player of the Year voting and even some down-ballot MVP consideration in 2022). Despite missing some time due to injury in 2024, Parsons tallied 12 sacks, bringing his career total to 52.5 (an average of over 13 per year).
It would be easy to see a team ponying up the draft capital and the contract necessary to get a deal done, but it would still be surprising if the Cowboys moved on from a talent like Parsons (especially since the team presumably does not see itself in a transitional posture). Indeed, Clarence Hill Jr. of ALL CITY DLLS unequivocally states that such a trade will not happen, and Joel Corry of CBS Sports expects Dallas and Parsons to come to terms on a new contract over the next few months.
Nonetheless, the possibility creates one more intriguing storyline in a 2025 pass rusher market that is rife with them.
K Brandon Aubrey Eyeing Cowboys Extension
Brandon Aubrey has quickly established himself as one of the NFL’s top kickers, and the 29-year-old is now positioned to cash in on his success. Entering the final season of his three-year contract, Aubrey told Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he’d be open to re-signing with Dallas.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Aubrey said of inking an extension with the Cowboys. “I’m eligible for an extension so it’s up to my agent to go up to the Cowboys and see if there’s any interest in signing it there early. If an extension comes then an extension comes. If not, I’m still making ten times what I was making working code [prior to football], so I’m pretty happy.”
The former soccer player pivoted to football in 2019, and he had a brief stint in the USFL as he worked on his craft. The Cowboys came calling in 2023, and Aubrey immediately made a name for himself. He earned All-Pro honors as a rookie after connecting on 36 of his 38 field goal tries (including going 10-for-10 from 50-plus yards). He was just as impressive in his follow-up performance, connecting on 40 field goals while also converting the league’s longest attempt of the season (65 yards).
As Harris notes, the 2025 campaign will represent a season of change for Aubrey. Besides the changes atop the coaching staff, special teams coordinator John Fassel is now with the Titans, with the Cowboys hiring Nick Sorensen to take his place. While Aubrey acknowledged Fassel’s impact on his career, he also noted that he’s still working with the same kicking coach he’s trained with since 2020.
Aubrey will also enter the 2025 season as an impending free agent. As Harris notes, the kicker has already prepared for the potential pay day by hiring Todd France (who also represents Dak Prescott) as his new agent. Despite his lack of NFL experience, Aubrey is still entering his age-30 season, but that shouldn’t drastically impact his earnings potential. The Cowboys star could be positioned to reset the kicker market, and at the very least, he should surpass the $6MM average annual value that Harrison Butker, Jake Elliott, and Justin Tucker earned on their respective contracts.
Cowboys Making Coaching Hires
The Mike McCarthy-era is over in Dallas, and the time has arrived for Brian Schottenheimer to lead the Cowboys. Despite hiring his new head coach from within, the lack of urgency from owner Jerry Jones allowed for the contracts of all of his assistants to expire along with that of McCarthy. 
Schottenheimer has already made the two most important hires in his first career head coaching gig, bringing on Klayton Adams as offensive coordinator and Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator. Now, both coordinators have begun building their new staffs.
On offense, the team has hired Derrick Foster as their new running backs coach, per Nick Harris of the Star Telegram. Foster first came to the NFL after three years as a running backs coach at Iowa. He began in Los Angeles, where he coached Austin Ekeler through his two best seasons as a Charger, before spending last year in New Orleans coaching Alvin Kamara. He’ll inherit a running backs group that returns Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and Malik Davis, though his position has certainly been bookmarked as one needing improvements in the offseason, potentially through the draft.
We saw the Cowboys interview one of its former running backs, Tashard Choice, for the position, as well. According to Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS, Choice will be staying in his current role with the Longhorns. Though he was also in consideration for roles with the Raiders and Saints, a raise in excess of $800K will keep Choice in Austin.
While Adams brings plenty of offensive line experience to the offense, the Cowboys have brought in Kansas State co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Conor Riley as their new offensive line coach, per Hill. Riley has been an extremely well-respected position coach in the college coaching ranks with his other stop being at North Dakota State. He’ll make his NFL coaching debut in 2025.
Also on offense, we saw wide receivers coach Robert Prince depart for Miami. While his replacement has not yet been hired, Tiquan Underwood will be on hand after getting hired as assistant wide receivers coach, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. He takes over the position after holding the same job with the Patriots last year.
On the defensive side of the ball, ESPN’s Todd Archer reports that a slew of former Bears assistants have followed Eberflus to Dallas. We already saw reports on the arrival of defensive pass-game coordinator Andre Curtis and linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi with Eberflus, but Archer adds that David Overstreet will follow as assistant defensive backs coach and Bryan Bing will join as assistant defensive line coach. Both Overstreet and Bing held those same positions on Eberflus’ defense in Chicago.
There are still some vacant positions on the Cowboys staff to fill out, but Dallas is working quickly to make some big hires after getting a late start to the market. With Schottenheimer’s inexperience as an NFL head coach, the supplemental ability of his coaching staff will be crucial.
NFC West Notes: Rams, Seahawks, Cards
The Rams are hiring former Ravens, Giants, and Patriots defensive assistant Drew Wilkins as their next defensive pass-game coordinator, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Wilkins started out as an intern in Baltimore in 2011 and worked his way up John Harbaugh‘s staff. When Don ‘Wink’ Martindale took over as defensive coordinator in 2018, he promoted Wilkins to outside linebackers coach. The Ravens parted ways with Martindale in 2022, and Wilkins followed his mentor to the Giants, where he continued in the same position. However, Wilkins did not follow Martindale to Michigan in 2024, instead choosing to join Jerod Mayo‘s staff in New England.
Like Martindale, Wilkins is known for his blitz packages that prioritized pressure over sacks. In his seven seasons coaching outside linebackers, only one reached double-digit sacks in a season (Kayvon Thibodeaux in 2023). The Patriots’ pass rush struggled under Wilkins in 2024, but he will have access to a more talented defensive line in Los Angeles. Wilkins will seek to get the most out of the Rams’ young, athletic quartet of Kobie Turner, Jared Verse, Byron Young, and Braden Fiske.
- Fiske left the Rams’ divisional-round loss with a knee injury that will require surgery, per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. However, head coach Sean McVay told media that it would be a “minor procedure” that “won’t affect his ability to be ready for next year.”
- Mike Macdonald made a few hires heading into his second year as the Seahawks‘ head coach. Andrew Janocko will join Seattle as their quarterbacks coach, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. This will be Janocko’s third stint as quarterbacks coach under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. The two first coached together in Minnesota in 2021 and reunited in New Orleans last year, where they were joined by offensive line coach John Benton. Benton is also set to follow Kubiak to Seattle, according to Pelissero, where he will look to improve an offensive line that allowed 54 sacks in 2024, the third-most in the NFL.
- Kubiak will not be bringing in his own wide receivers coach; incumbent Frisman Jackson will be retained, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. After a disappointing rookie year from 2023 first-rounder Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jackson joined the staff coached the former Ohio State star to 100 receptions and 1,130 receiving yards in 2024.
- The Cardinals hired Cowboys assistant defensive backs coach Cristian Garcia to be their next inside linebackers coach, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. Dallas was hoping to retain Garcia, but he opted to take a promotion on Jonathan Gannon‘s staff.
Zack Martin Still Undecided On Future
Cowboys All-Pro right guard Zack Martin was already going to consider retirement this offseason before an ankle injury required surgery that prematurely ended his 2024 season. Now, he’s waiting for his ankle to get healthy before making a decision about his future, per Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS Sports.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, have had a busy offseason, promoting Brian Schottenheimer to head coach and hiring Klayton Adams to replace Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator.
When asked if the staff changes made him more interested in continuing his career, Martin replied, “a little bit,” indicating that he is willing to give the team’s new leadership a chance before retiring.
However, Martin’s desire to return to the NFL isn’t the only factor. The Cowboys are already projected to be over the 2025 salary cap, per OverTheCap, though they have a few options to clear cap space (chiefly, a Micah Parsons extension). Still, Martin commanded an $18.425MM APY on his last contract, and he has remained one of the league’s best guards when healthy.
After 11 years in Dallas, Martin does not seem to have any desire to find a new NFL team for the last few years of his career. If he really wants to retire a Cowboy, he may be willing to take a below-market deal to stay in his longtime home.
If Martin does retire in the coming months, the Cowboys would have to account for the remainder of his signing bonus prorations as dead cap hits. Last year’s restructure will allow them to designate him as a post-June 1 cut, resulting in a $9.4MM dead cap charge in 2025 with $17.01MM pushed back to 2026.
NFC Coaching Notes: Cowboys, Saints, Bucs, Hall, Panthers, 49ers, Cards, Bears
The Cowboys are looking to the college level to fill their running backs coaching position; both candidates have histories in Dallas. The team turned to one of its former running backs — Tashard Choice — as a recent interviewee, All DLLS’ Clarence Hill notes. Choice is the Texas Longhorns’ RBs coach, having held that job for the past three seasons. A Cowboys running back from 2008-11, Choice wrapped his playing career after the 2013 season. He spent the 2016 campaign as a Cowboys intern. The team is also interviewing Oregon RBs coach Ra’Shaad Samples for the job, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris. Staples is a Dallas native who coached in the area while at SMU from 2019-21; his interview went well, per Hill. The one-year Ducks assistant is best known in NFL circles for being the Rams’ RBs coach in 2022; he left for an Arizona State assistant job before that season ended.
Here is the latest from the NFC side of the coaching carousel:
- The Buccaneers are backing up the report they were ready to block Liam Coen from poaching assistants. After blocking O-line coach Kevin Carberry from meeting with the Jaguars, the Bucs are preventing assistant O-line coach Brian Picucci from doing the same, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. This one is a bit more interesting, as Picucci followed Coen from Kentucky to Tampa Bay. NFL rules allow teams to block contracted assistants from moves if they do not involve a promotion to head coach or coordinator. Coen left the Bucs after avoiding contact with high-ranking staffers, and GM Jason Licht is not believed to be too happy with the exit.
- Another Bucs staffer who will remain in place: Larry Foote. The linebackers coach interviewed for the Lions’ DC job, being the team’s only outside candidate before a Kelvin Sheppard promotion, but will not leave for a job anywhere else. Foote told the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud he is staying. The former linebacker has enjoyed a long assistant tenure with the Bucs; this will be his seventh season with the team.
- DeAngelo Hall‘s stint on the Panthers‘ staff is over, per the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye. The team had hired the former Pro Bowl cornerback as assistant DBs coach during Frank Reich‘s months-long HC stint. Hall, however, could land on his feet soon. The 49ers are interviewing him for their DBs coach position, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds. Hall and Kyle Shanahan overlapped for four seasons in Washington during the early 2010s.
- Moving back to the Cowboys, their Klayton Adams OC hire did not surprise the Cardinals. But the NFC West team was monitoring a potential relocation to New Orleans as well. The Cards expected their previous O-line coach to join Brian Schottenheimer or follow Kellen Moore to the Saints, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Moore has not taken the New Orleans job yet, but he is the favorite. Both Moore and Adams are Boise State alums, though their Idaho stays did not overlap.
- Elsewhere on Arizona’s staff, the team has identified new line coaches. Justin Frye is coming aboard as O-line coach, and Winston DeLattiboudere is heading to the desert as D-line coach, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and 247 Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Ryan Burns report. DeLattiboudere comes over from the University of Minnesota and is rising fast; we have a Gen Z coach here, as the two-year Golden Gophers D-line coach is 27. He spent the 2022 season with the Packers as a Bill Walsh diversity coaching fellow. Frye has considerably more experience and is coming off three seasons as Ohio State’s O-line coach. The Bears interviewed Frye for their O-line job. The ex-Chip Kelly assistant is also not following his two-time boss (also at UCLA) to Las Vegas, being set to camp elsewhere in the desert.
- The Bears are still working on filling out Ben Johnson‘s staff. They interviewed Florida assistant Gerald Chatman for the D-line coach position, Zenitz adds. A Bengals defensive assistant from 2019-20, Chatman spent the 2024 season at Florida.
Titans Add Reggie McKenzie To Front Office, Make More Coaching Staff Changes
Brian Callahan‘s first season in Tennessee wasn’t an ideal one. Following a 6-11 season that led to Mike Vrabel‘s dismissal, the Titans went a dismal 3-14 in Callahan’s first year as head coach. Naturally, Callahan and new general manager Mike Borgonzi are opting to make some changes across both the coaching and front office staffs this offseason in an attempt to turn things around, per Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt. 
In the front office, we already reported on Tennessee’s additions of Borgonzi as GM and Dave Ziegler as assistant general manager. In support of these two, the Titans have opted to bring on former Dolphins senior personnel executive Reggie McKenzie as vice president of football advisor.
McKenzie, a former pro linebacker from 1985-92, began his front office career just two years after his playing career came to an end. He began as a pro personnel assistant for the Packers in 1994, elevating to pro personnel director in 1997, and director of football operations in 2008. After 18 years in Green Bay, McKenzie was hired as general manager of the Raiders in 2012, holding the role for seven seasons before getting fired. He rebounded in his most recent role in Miami, which he held for six years before leaving for this new role in Tennessee.
The coaching staff is where many more changes are taking place. First off, tight ends coach Justin Outten, passing game coordinator/cornerbacks coach Chris Harris, and special teams assistant Anthony Levine are not expected to remain on Callahan’s staff in 2025. After they were initially retained in Callahan’s first year at the helm, the contracts of Outten, Harris, and Levine have expired and won’t be extended. Another holdover from the previous staff, Luke Stocker earned a promotion. After serving last year as assistant tight ends coach, he has earned the full role of tight ends coach for 2025.
Replacing Harris as passing game coordinator/cornerbacks coach will be Tony Oden, a former senior defensive assistant/cornerbacks coach with the Jets, where he mentored players like Sauce Gardner. In 19 years of NFL experience, Oden has worked on the staffs of the Texans, Saints, Jaguars, Buccaneers, Lions, Dolphins, and 49ers. He’ll now join his eighth NFL franchise and his third in the AFC South.
We had already reported the addition of John Fassel as the new special teams coordinator. Following Fassel from the Cowboys‘ staff will be Rayna Stewart. A former NFL safety for two franchises currently in the AFC South, Stewart served the past three years as assistant special teams coach under Fassel in Dallas and will take on the same role in Nashville.
Lastly, having their fingers in both the front office and coaching pots, Scott Cohen has accepted the role of director of football strategy, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Cohen served this past year as a consultant for the Titans after nine years in the Ravens front office, most recently as director of football research. In his new role, Cohen will collaborate with Callahan and president of football operations Chad Brinker.