Lions OC Ben Johnson Won’t “Chase” HC Interviews
Ben Johnson will once again be one of the most popular names on the coaching market this offseason. However, unlike past hiring cycles, the Lions offensive coordinator will be a bit more methodical with the process.
According to Albert Breer of TheMMQB, Johnson is taking a “different approach” this offseason. Specifically, the OC doesn’t intend to “chase interviews,” and he’ll only talk with teams that he’s genuinely interested in joining. We heard a similar sentiment last month, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter noting that Johnson intends to be “highly selective” with his next gig.
Further, Johnson is seeking “organizational alignment” between the head coach and general manager. Considering HC-needy teams will mostly be seated towards the bottom of the standings, the coach is also seeking “recognition” from organizations about their shortcomings. This would require interested teams to explain where things have gone wrong and how they intend to fix the issues.
As the Lions have climbed into a Super Bowl-contending position, Johnson has become a hot name on the coaching market for each of the past two offseasons. He was viewed as the leader for the Panthers’ HC job in 2023, and he was in pole position to replace Ron Rivera in Washington this past offseason. Both times, Johnson decided to stick in Detroit, and after receiving a raise several years ago, his current Lions deal runs through 2025. The Lions would surely pony up if Johnson wants to stay with the organization, but it seems like the coach is finally set to lead his own staff. The Bears have already been mentioned as a potential suitor, and other teams will surely emerge as the season comes to an end.
On the other side of the ball, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is also expected to be a popular name as the coaching market heats up. Breer points to two squads that already have a connection to the coach: the Jets (where Glenn spent the first eight seasons of his playing career) and the Saints (where Glenn coached for five years prior to his stint in Detroit).
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/6/24
Here are Friday’s practice squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DT Michael Dwumfour, DT T.Y. McGill
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Loren Strickland
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Coy Cronk
- Placed on practice squad injured list: G Henry Byrd
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Jonathan Ward
- Released: DT Domenique Davis
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: P Ty Zentner
- Placed on practice squad injured list: OL Jason Peters
Peters has not seen any game action this season, keeping him from an official 21st NFL slate. Peters, 42, would make NFL history by becoming the first O-lineman to be on an active roster in a 21st season. After seeing action in eight games last season in Seattle, making two starts, Peters has not climbed to the team’s 53-man roster yet this year. Despite Abraham Lucas coming back, George Fant is back on IR. And Peters remains on the team’s practice squad. Though, he is running out of time to turn his insurance role into in-game duties.
McGill is not quite on the Josh Johnson journeyman tier, but the 10th-year defensive lineman has been with 10 teams. The Browns are not a new one, as he previously stopped through Cleveland during the 2017 season. McGill, 32, played in one game for the 49ers this season. He had spent three years in San Francisco but is now roster depth back in Cleveland, where he played three games in 2017.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/5/24
Here are the latest practice squad transactions from around the NFL:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Loren Strickland
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Laviska Shenault
- Released: WR Dez Fitzpatrick
The Seahawks waived Shenault on Monday after being a non-factor on offense all year. He played just 45 offensive snaps across 11 games, but carved out a role on special teams with 168 snaps between returns and coverage. Shenault was Seattle’s primary kick returner for much of the year with an average of 28.7 yards per return. His 97-yard touchdown in Week 6 was one of the league’s six kickoff return scores this season.
However, the Seahawks had to make room for Uchenna Nwosu‘s activation from injured reserve. He will get another chance in Los Angeles where he could quickly factor into the special teams picture.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/24
Here are the latest moves from around the league, including game day elevations for Thursday Night football:
Arizona Cardinals
- Designated to return from injured reserve: CB Elijah Jones
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: WR Maurice Alexander
- Elevated to the active roster from the practice squad: S Jamal Adams, OLB Mitchell Agude
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated to the active roster from the practice squad: CB Kalen King
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve/suspended list: LB Azeez Al-Shaair
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from injured reserve: CB Cory Trice
Seattle Seahawks
- Awarded via waivers: WR Jaelon Darden
- Waived: CB Dee Williams
The Lions signed Adams to their practice squad on Sunday after a slew of injuries on Thanksgiving. The onetime All-Pro played 20 snaps across three games for the Titans this year before he landed on the Non-Football injury list and requested his release. Though he’s still listed as a defensive back, Adams is likely to play in the box after Malcolm Rodriguez joined three other Lions linebacker on injured reserve.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/4/24
Today’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: OT Andrew Stueber
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: WR Jaelon Darden
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated for return: CB Amani Oruwariye
Detroit Lions
- Waived: S Loren Strickland
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: K Matthew Wright
- Placed on IR: K Spencer Shrader
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: OT Jackson Carman
- Designated for return: LS Blake Ferguson
- Placed on IR: CB Cam Smith
New Orleans Saints
- Suspended: S Roderic Teamer
New York Giants
- Designated for return: LB Dyontae Johnson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed to active roster: TE C.J. Uzomah
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: DT Kevin Givens
- Signed to active roster: RB Patrick Taylor
Tennessee Titans
- Designated for return: OT Jaelyn Duncan
Spencer Shrader‘s hamstring injury will knock him out for the next four weeks, and with Harrison Butker eventually set to return, the fill-in kicker’s stint with the Chiefs has likely come to an end. Temporarily, the team will turn to their third kicker in Matthew Wright. The veteran filled in for Shrader this past weekend, connecting on four of his five field goal tries.
Former Dolphins second-round pick Cam Smith landed on IR today, likely ending his disappointing sophomore campaign. The cornerback did get more run in 2024 vs. his rookie season, but he was still limited to only 16 tackles in six games thanks to a pair of IR stints. This time, it’s a shoulder issue that will put the South Carolina product on the shelf.
Saints safety Roderic Teamer was hit with a three-game ban today for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football notes that Teamer’s unpaid ban is “the conclusion of his DUI arrest” in 2023 (when he was with the Raiders). Teamer was limited to only a pair of appearances this season, with all of his snaps coming on special teams.
Titans lineman Jaelyn Duncan returned to practice today after missing the past six games while nursing a hamstring injury. The former sixth-round pick could actually see a significant role upon his return, with Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com noting that the second-year player could get a look at right tackle once he’s fully healthy.
Aaron Glenn Back On Saints’ HC Radar
A popular name on this year’s head coaching carousel, Aaron Glenn will almost definitely reprise that role in 2025. The Lions have fared much better defensively this season, remaining on course despite losing early Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Aidan Hutchinson. How the unit performs after more injuries have occurred will further shape Glenn’s candidacy.
One team that is expected to be in on Glenn next year will be the one that launched him onto the coordinator radar. The Saints are not expected to move on from GM Mickey Loomis, and that would strengthen the chances of Glenn receiving extensive consideration to return to New Orleans. The Saints are indeed expected to show interest in Glenn, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. He was on the radar for the team back in 2022 as well.
Glenn, 52, worked as the Saints’ defensive backs coach from 2016-2020. This period coincided with New Orleans changing course on defense, rocketing from one of the league’s worst units to helping Drew Brees during his final seasons. The Saints made four straight playoff berths from 2017-20, with Glenn overseeing the development of Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams. The Lions took note, with ex-Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell bringing him to Detroit.
Glenn’s Lions defenses have been a mixed bag. Detroit ran into consistent struggles on this side of the ball during its rebuild, with Glenn coming up as a coordinator on the hot seat early in 2022. Last season brought a collapse in the NFC championship game, as Detroit’s pass defense struggled down the stretch. The Lions ranked 23rd in scoring defense last season. This year, however, Glenn’s unit sits second despite the losses of Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport. The team has continued to play well despite losing linebacker regular Derrick Barnes, though recent injuries piling up at linebacker will test the unit ahead of a tough schedule sector.
The 2025 HC interview cycle could be crucial for Glenn, who has been a regular candidate for the past two offseasons. Glenn interviewed for four HC jobs last year, meeting with the Commanders twice. Though, Washington was widely believed to covet Glenn coworker Ben Johnson, who bowed out of the running late. He met with two teams about their vacancies in 2023 and two others in 2022. The 2022 cycle proves most relevant here, as the Saints conducted an interview ahead of their Dennis Allen promotion. Glenn worked under Allen throughout the latter’s run as New Orleans’ DC.
Considering Allen’s shortcomings, it would be interesting to see if the Saints again showed significant interest in another of Sean Payton‘s former lieutenants. This organization, however, has prioritized familiarity more than most this century. Holding his job for 23 years, Loomis is the NFL’s longest-tenured active GM — among non-owners who hold de facto GM titles — but the team is heading toward its fourth season missing the playoffs. It would stand to reason a reset of some sort would be strongly considered, but with Loomis on track to stay, Glenn appears firmly in play to come back.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/3/24
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Elijah Dotson
- Released: LB Tyreek Maddox-Williams, K Riley Patterson
Buffalo Bills
- Released: WR Deon Cain
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Emani Bailey, TE Dominique Dafney, LB Thomas Incoom, WR T.J. Luther
- Released: S Alex Cook, WR Sam Pinckney
- Placed on IR: RB Dillon Johnson, TE Stephen Sullivan
Chicago Bears
- Signed: RB Demetric Felton, G Austen Pleasants
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Maurice Alexander
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Liam Anderson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LS Tucker Addington, P Matt Haack, QB John Wolford
- Released: OL Jerome Carvin, DE Joe Gaziano, CB Tyler Hall
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB John Kelly
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DT Jack Heflin, NT Kevin Strong, DB Charles Woods
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: RB Myles Gaskin
New England Patriots
- Signed: DE Truman Jones
- Released: G Michael Jordan
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: S Millard Bradford, C Sincere Haynesworth
- Released: RB Jacob Kibodi
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: FB Khari Blasingame
- Released: WR John Ross
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Ronnie Bell, RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: NT Quinton Bohanna, C Mike Novitsky
- Released: TE N’Keal Harry
With Trevor Lawrence currently in concussion protocol, the Jaguars have added some QB depth to the organization. John Wolford brings four games of starting experience to Jacksonville, all coming with the Rams between 2020 and 2022. The Wake Forest product went 2-2 in those appearances, tossing one touchdown vs. five interceptions. He’ll slide in behind Mac Jones and C.J. Beathard in the franchise’s QB pecking order.
The Eagles added a veteran fullback to their roster in Khari Blasingame. The 28-year-old has appeared in 66 games since entering the league in 2019, collecting 131 yards from scrimmage on 24 carries. The Eagles recently lost part-time fullback Ben VanSumeren for the season, opening a role for a handful of blocking snaps per game.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/3/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: DE Ronnie Perkins
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: RB Sincere McCormick
- Placed on IR: WR DJ Turner
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: LS Jake McQuaide
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed off waivers (from Jets): RB Israel Abanikanda
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed to active roster (from Lions practice squad): S Kaevon Merriweather
Tennessee Titans
- Suspended: S Julius Wood
Sincere McCormick has seen a larger role in recent weeks as a practice squad elevation, and now the running back will be secured to the Raiders active roster. After spending the past few years hanging around the organization, the former UDFA finally made his NFL debut earlier this season. With the Raiders dealing with a depleted RB room in recent weeks, McCormick has seen an uptick in snaps, culminating in him collecting 65 yards from scrimmage on Black Friday.
Julius Wood has been hit with a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The safety will now be sidelined for the rest of the 2024 campaign and one game in 2025. The undrafted rookie has appeared in nine games this season, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.
NFC Injury Updates: Warner, Wright, Paschal
49ers linebacker Fred Warner is having an outstanding season, grading out as the best linebacker in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The veteran’s impressive display is happening despite an apparent injury.
According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN, Warner recently reported that he’s been dealing with a fractured bone in his ankle. The injury reportedly occurred in a matchup with the Patriots, which took place all the way back on September 29. This means that Warner has been playing through the injury for eight weeks with only the bye week as respite.
Warner doesn’t expect to miss anytime, planning to continue to play through the injury. “Anytime you fracture a bone, if you just continue to play on it, the bone is usually not going to be able to heal itself. So (I) just (have) got to continue to just fight through.”
Here are a few other updates on injuries across the NFC:
- The Bears were dealt a number of blows during Thursday’s Thanksgiving game. The most concerning of these blows was a knee injury that saw right tackle Darnell Wright carted off the field, per Gene Chamberlain of Sports Illustrated. Luckily, the mid-week game gives Chicago ten days to rest and recover, but the location of the injury is troublesome as Wright’s only missed time this year (three weeks ago) came as a result of a knee injury. It will be something to watch for in early injury reports when the team attends practice this week under new interim head coach Thomas Brown.
- The Lions cannot afford to lose any more bodies on the defensive line. There was initially some concern that defensive end Josh Paschal might be in trouble after suffering a non-contact knee injury on Thursday, but things are looking up. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, “Paschal’s knee injury is not believed to be serious.” He will likely require some physical rehabilitation, but the injury will not be a season-ending one, as was initially feared.
Lions’ Ray Agnew Expected To Receive GM Interviews
As the 2024 season has shown, Lions general manager Brad Holmes has enjoyed a successful run in charge of the franchise. One of his top assistants might soon receive opportunities to lead a front office of his own, however.
[RELATED: OC Ben Johnson Open To Remaining With Lions In 2025]
Ray Agnew – who has served as an assistant GM under Holmes since 2021 – is expected to be on the interview radar of interested teams during the 2025 cycle, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports. Agnew followed Holmes from the Rams to the Lions. He has remained a key front office figure ever since.
Agnew’s playing career lasted from 1990-2000, and it included time with the Rams for their Super Bowl XXXIV-winning team. He first worked with the Jets on the personnel side before spending time with the Rams from 2017-20. He held the title of pro personnel director during that span, and his success in that role made him a logical candidate to take on increased responsibilities under Holmes in Detroit.
The Lions have built one of the league’s top rosters over recent years, with one of the key moves in that regard of course being the Matthew Stafford–Jared Goff swap. Detroit has a number of other foundational players on both sides of the ball, many of whom received extensions during the offseason (or during the year, in the case of running back David Montgomery). Defenders like Aidan Hutchinson and Brian Branch have been added through the draft, and they represent future extension priorities. Replacing Agnew’s contributions during the Holmes era would represent a notable challenge for the Lions if he were to depart.
One general manager vacancy is in place for now, with the Jets having moved on from Joe Douglas. New York has brought in Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman to assist with the process of finding his replacement. It will be interesting to see if the team looks into first-year GM candidates, something which could leave Agnew as an option. If not, the 56-year-old could still be a name to watch for other openings this winter.