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Texans Place WR Noah Brown On IR

January 15th, 2024 at 1:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Noah Brown‘s first Texans season involved multiple injuries. His latest will shut him down for the rest of the season. After Brown left Saturday’s wild-card game with a shoulder malady, the Texans placed him on IR.

Due to the timing here, Brown will miss the rest of the season. The longtime Cowboys wideout posted a career-high receiving total this season, doing so despite missing seven games due to injury. This is Brown’s second IR stint as a Texan; the team used one of its eight IR activations earlier this season. The Texans having used up their IR activations this season does not matter in this case, as all players who land on IR must miss at least four games.

Brown, 28, joins Tank Dell among Houston wideouts on IR. The Texans have continued to battle setbacks at this position, with Nico Collins also missing time. But Collins has emerged as C.J. Stroud‘s go-to target down the stretch. With Brown also out, Stroud will figure to lean on Collins in the team’s divisional-round matchup. Robert Woods and John Metchie join Collins as key wideouts left standing in Houston.

A six-year Cowboys target who signed a one-year deal to change Texas addresses back in March, Brown played quite well in a bigger role. He posted 567 receiving yards despite the seven absences, averaging 17.2 per catch and scoring two touchdowns. Brown, however, missed time because of back, groin and knee injuries this season. While that makes his 567-yard showing impressive, the former seventh-round pick did not display much durability in his first Texans campaign.

An auxiliary Cowboys pass catcher from 2017-22, Brown started seven games with the Texans. He posted back-to-back 150-plus-yard games in November, helping Stroud become the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite. Brown will again command interest in free agency soon, should the Texans not re-sign him before then.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/12/24

January 12th, 2024 at 7:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Some minor roster moves heading into Super Wild Card Weekend:

Cleveland Browns

It appears that Patterson will be serving kicking duties for Cleveland for the third week in a row. Regular kicker Dustin Hopkins will not be available for the first week of the playoffs as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury.

No practice squad callups for the Texans is a good sign for some of the injuries the team has been dealing with. With wide receivers Robert Woods and Noah Brown coming into the game with questionable designations, signs are pointing to them being available tomorrow.

Titans Request Four HC Interviews; Team Not Targeting Bill Belichick, Jim Harbaugh

January 11th, 2024 at 12:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the dust having settled on Mike Vrabel‘s firing, the Titans are moving quickly in searching for his replacement. The team is casting a wide net, but a pair of high-profile candidates are not included.

Tennessee has submitted head coaching interview requests for Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Colleague Ian Rapoport reports that the Titans are also interested in Texans OC Bobby Slowik, while adding the team is set to speak with Bengals OC Brian Callahan tomorrow. Lastly, Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson has received an interview slip, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.

[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Those names add further to the list of Titans targets, a group which already had five members comprising of coordinators on both sides of the ball as well as Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce. As Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports, however, neither Bill Belichick nor Jim Harbaugh are on the team’s radar. The former has officially parted ways with the Patriots as expected, while the latter has been linked to an NFL return for several months and is well-positioned to do so after winning a national title with Michigan.

Although Ben Johnson has been connected to commanding a high salary — due to his popularity on this latest HC carousel — the Titans staying out of the Belichick and Harbaugh derbies points to both a less expensive coach being targeted, along with a younger option. Belichick has now been ruled out for the Commanders and Titans. The Falcons remain connected to the legendary Patriots leader, while loose connections have formed between Belichick and the Chargers and Raiders. No official Belichick interview request has come out yet. Harbaugh has been connected to both the Falcons and Commanders, but the reigning national champion coach still looks to have the best chance of resurfacing in the NFL via the Chargers or Raiders.

This continues a remarkable rise for Slowik, who worked with Kyle Shanahan in both Washington and San Francisco. The Shanahan tree has proven fruitful since the 49ers’ 2019 turnaround, and Slowik’s play-calling debut — under ex-Shanahan DC DeMeco Ryans — produced the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite in C.J. Stroud. The Texans’ rebound from 3-14 to 10-7 has put Ryans in danger of losing his play-caller early.

Brian Johnson has received two interview requests in two days; this follows the Panthers’ slip. This is not Johnson’s first season calling plays, however, as he was previously the OC at Florida. Ben Johnson’s play-calling efforts over the past two years have seen him draw interest just about everywhere. This makes five HC interview requests for the two-year Lions OC, who has played an integral role in the team’s turnaround. After bowing out early on last year’s HC carousel, Johnson is likely to land a job this year.

Callahan interviewed for the Colts and Cardinals’ jobs last year and has been in place as an OC longer than Slowik and the Johnsons combined (five years). That said, Zac Taylor calls plays in Cincinnati. But Joe Burrow‘s rapid ascent and the competent play of backup Jake Browning this season again led the way to Callahan becoming an HC candidate. In addition to the Titans, Callahan has received requests from the Panthers, Chargers and Falcons.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Falcons Send Out Seven HC Interview Requests

January 11th, 2024 at 11:35am CST by Adam La Rose

11:35am: A seventh name can be added to the Falcons’ growing list of targets. Texans OC Bobby Slowik has received an interview request, per SI’s Albert Breer. Slowik followed DeMeco Ryans from San Francisco to Houston this offseason, and 2023 has marked his first stint as a coordinator. His and the team’s success has landed the 36-year-old on the HC radar this offseason. The Panthers and Commanders have also submitted interview requests for Slowik.

10:13am: The Falcons have been connected to two high-profile coaches in recent days, but the team has yet to line up any interviews with interested candidates. That is set to change soon, as Atlanta has now sent out six interview requests.

[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

The Falcons are looking to speak with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, who adds Atlanta is also interested in Bengals OC Brian Callahan. In addition, Lions DC Aaron Glenn and Ravens defensive line coach/associate head coach Anthony Weaver are on the list of request recipients, colleague Ian Rapoport tweets. 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks has also received a request, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Lastly, Atlanta has requested an interview with Rams DC Raheem Morris, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Johnson, as expected, has been one of the most sought-after candidates so far. In his second season at the helm of Detroit’s offense, the Lions have remained among the league’s most efficient teams on that side of the ball. The 37-year-old has been in the Motor City since 2019 and a coordinator only since 2022, but his relative lack of experience did not stop him from generating interest during last year’s hiring cycle. An aggressive Johnson pursuit is expected from the Panthers, but he is also on the radar of the Chargers and Commanders.

Callahan has likewise been connected to a number of openings this season after receiving interest last year. The Bengals fell short of expectations this season, and the offense struggled in a number of categories. Despite going much of the year without Joe Burrow, though, Cincinnati still managed to go 9-8 while finishing 16th in the league in scoring. Notably, each of the other candidates listed for the Falcons’ vacancy have a background on the defensive side of the ball.

That includes Glenn, whose unit has not matched Johnson’s in terms of effectiveness. Nevertheless, the former has received interest from the Chargers, Titans and Commanders so far. Weaver has served as a position coach during his three-year Ravens tenure, but he has held a coordinator role in the past, doing so with the Texans in 2020. Mentioned less frequently than fellow Baltimore staffers Todd Monken and Mike Macdonald, Weaver has nonetheless received an interview request from the Commanders in addition to today’s summons.

Wilks and Morris both have interim head coaching experience. The former finished off the season with the Panthers last year after Matt Rhule was fired. Wilks received support from several Panthers players to be retained on a full-time basis, but the team instead went in a different direction. That led him to San Francisco, where he has guided the 49ers’ defense to top-10 finishes in both points and yards allowed en route to securing the NFC’s top seed.

Morris, meanwhile, is an interesting name given his Falcons connection. The 47-year-old joined Atlanta in 2020 as an assistant head coach, later taking on the DC title in 2020. Midway through that season, Dan Quinn was fired and Morris finished the campaign as interim head coach. He has not received another opportunity to lead a staff since then, but his three-year coordinator run with the Rams has been well received and it has put him back on the HC radar this offseason.

After making the unsurprising move of dismissing Arthur Smith, the Falcons have been connected to both Jim Harbaugh and Bill Belichick. Links to the latter have continued in the wake of his long-rumored spilt with the Patriots having been confirmed. No Harbaugh or Belichick interviews have been lined up to date, of course, but the team will now have meetings with a host of other options as the Falcons look to take a step forward in 2024 and beyond.

Commanders Request HC Interview With Texans OC Bobby Slowik

January 8th, 2024 at 7:59pm CST by Ben Levine

The Commanders are eyeing a somewhat familiar face in their head coaching search. According to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, the Commanders requested an interview with Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

[RELATED: Commanders Fire Ron Rivera]

Slowik started his coaching career as a defensive assistant in Washington back in 2011. He eventually moved on to the 49ers, working his way up from a defensive quality control coach to offensive passing game coordinator. After one year in that latter role, the 36-year-old was hired as the Texans offensive coordinator last offseason.

Despite his offense featuring a rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud and a number of question marks at the skill positions, the Texans offense was productive in 2023. The offense had the fewest giveaways in the NFL, and the passing offense ranked top-10 in yards. While veteran Devin Singletary eventually had to take over for struggling sophomore Dameon Pierce, Slowik got great production from his wide receivers, with Nico Collins (80 receptions, 1,297 yards, eight touchdowns) and rookie Tank Dell (47 catches, 709 yards, seven touchdowns) led the way.

The offense’s performance has now made Slowik a popular name on the head coaching market. The coordinator has already received an interview request from the Panthers for their head coaching job.

Slowik joins a growing list of candidates to replace Ron Rivera in Washington. That grouping includes Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn (Lions), Anthony Weaver and Mike Macdonald (Ravens), and Raheem Morris (Rams). Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is also expected to receive consideration for the HC post.

Panthers Request HC Interviews With Ben Johnson, Todd Monken, Bobby Slowik

January 8th, 2024 at 6:23pm CST by Ben Levine

The list of Panthers head coaching candidates continues to grow. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Panthers have requested an interview with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for the HC job. Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Panthers have also requested a HC interview with Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. The Panthers have also requested an interview with Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik (per Pelissero) and Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales (via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler).

[RELATED: Panthers Request HC Interview With Bengals OC Brian Callahan]

Johnson is expected to be one of the most popular head coaching candidates this offseason. Since earning a promotion to offensive coordinator in 2022, Johnson has helped guide the Lions to one of the best offenses in the NFL. The Lions ranked top-10 in points in each of the past two campaigns, and after the passing offense took off in 2022, the rushing offense joined them in 2023.

Johnson was already a hot name last offseason, earning interviews with the Panthers, Texans, and Colts. Ultimately, Johnson said the allure of sticking with head coach Dan Campbell and quarterback Jared Goff convinced him to stay in Detroit. Following another successful regular season, it’ll be interesting to see how the offensive coordinator proceeds in 2024, especially if David Tepper is willing to back up the Brink’s truck.

Following underwhelming OC stops in Tampa Bay and Cleveland, Monken caught on with Georgia in 2020. He returned to the NFL in 2023, this time as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator. Monken was credited with helping guide the Ravens to one of the best offenses in the NFL this past season. In 2023, Baltimore ranked first in points scored, first in takeaway/giveaway ratio, and fourth in yards. Despite injuries throughout the depth chart, the Ravens’ rushing attack continued to be the most productive in the NFL, ranking first in yards, third in yards per attempt, and fourth in touchdowns.

After interviewing for the Jets and Packers head coaching jobs in 2019, Monken had been off the head coaching radar over the past few years. He’s quickly rehabilitated his image; besides his interview with the Panthers, Monken has also earned an interview from the Chargers.

Slowik’s stint with the 49ers culminated in him earning offensive passing game coordinator in 2022, and his success in that role earned him the OC job in Houston for the 2023 campaign. Despite rostering one of the least-experienced offenses in the NFL, Slowik squeezed a productive season out of his group, helping guide the Texans to the 12th-best mark in both points and yards.

Canales spent more than a decade in Seattle before earning the Buccaneers offensive coordinator job last offseason. There were plenty of question marks surrounding Tampa Bay’s offense heading into 2023, but Canales got a productive season out of his squad. Baker Mayfield had one of the best seasons of his career under center, and the Buccaneers ended up finishing top-10 in passing touchdowns and interceptions.

We already heard that the Panthers requested a HC interview with Bengals OC Brian Callahan, meaning the five definitive candidates all have offensive backgrounds. Recent reports indicated that Tepper was eyeing more of an offensive-minded coach, although that hasn’t stopped the organization from being connected to (and potentially pursuing) the defensive-minded Bill Belichick.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

January 7th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Week 18 is in the books, meaning the top 18 draft slots are locked in going into the offseason. The Commanders, Patriots, Cardinals and Chargers all lost. Only the Bolts changed positions, by virtue of the Giants’ win over the Eagles. The Giants, however, only dropped one spot through their home win.

The Falcons and Saints’ efforts to upend the Buccaneers in the NFC South did not pan out, with Tampa Bay beating two-win Carolina in its regular-season finale. This will keep Atlanta and New Orleans in much better draft positions. Despite finishing 8-9, Tampa Bay now cannot move past No. 19 without a trade.

While the Bears’ seminal decision — Justin Fields or Caleb Williams, seemingly, with all the trade and contract factors that go along with this forthcoming choice — will headline the leadup to this draft, the Commanders have secured the No. 2 selection and will have their own call to make. New owner Josh Harris showed he will help drive his front office to moves that will load up draft capital, as the Montez Sweat and Chase Young trades showed, and he is all but certain to hire a new regime in the coming weeks.

The draft’s second-best quarterback will be available to Washington, which saw its Sam Howell wire-to-wire season fail to solidify him as the team’s surefire long-term QB. Will Washington become closely connected to Howell’s North Carolina successor (Drake Maye)? The Commanders’ call will help shape how the Patriots proceed, unless New England — which is also all but certain to move on from Bill Belichick and start anew — completes a trade-up effort.

As the postseason determines the bottom 14 draft slots, here is how the top 18 look after the regular season:

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

Exec Rumors: Caserio, Peters, Aponte

January 7th, 2024 at 12:45pm CST by Rory Parks

With Bill Belichick perhaps coaching his last game for the Patriots today, the club could have head coach and general manager vacancies in relatively short order (Belichick, of course, has operated as New England’s de facto GM throughout his tenure). Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post hears that Texans GM Nick Caserio, whose 20-year stint in the Pats’ personnel department earned him the Houston gig, would be open to a return to Foxborough, but Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) says Caserio does not want to leave the Texans.

Russini points out that Caserio, who squeezed an excellent return from the Browns in the 2022 Deshaun Watson trade and who appears to have hit a home run in drafting quarterback C.J. Stroud and hiring head coach DeMeco Ryans last year, has laid the groundwork for sustained success in Houston and wants to see it through. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine Caserio leaving a young and talented HC-QB pairing for the uncertainty that would await him in New England.

Here are a few more rumors relating to league executives:

  • 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters is once again expected to be a hot name in the upcoming hiring cycle, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes in a subscribers-only piece. Peters turned down GM interview requests from the Cardinals and Titans last year, and it has been rumored for some time that he is the heir apparent to current San Francisco GM John Lynch. Per Fowler, it remains possible that the Niners will simply promote Peters to general manager now that Lynch has been given the additional title of president of football operations.
  • Like Peters, Falcons assistant GM Kyle Smith has been viewed as a future general manager, and as Albert Breer of SI.com notes, Atlanta GM Terry Fontenot promoted Smith to his current role this year partly to dissuade rival clubs from trying to poach him (a team can block an assistant GM from interviewing for anything other than a GM job). While the Falcons have yet to find a long-term answer at quarterback since Fontenot and Smith joined the team, they have injected a great deal of talent into the rest of the roster, and Smith appears poised to generate serious GM interest.
  • We recently heard that the Commanders may wish to add a president of football operations to oversee both their head coach and general manager, and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reports that Dawn Aponte‘s name has come up in connection with that role. Aponte, who presently works as the league’s chief administrator of football operations, was mentioned as a potential candidate for the Giants’ GM job in 2022, though she was not interviewed for that post. Aponte has, however, served in high-ranking executive positions for the Jets, Browns, and Dolphins.
  • In another subscribers-only piece, Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com compiled a list of other top candidates for GM jobs, a list that includes Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz, and Browns assistant GM Catherine Raiche. Cunningham was offered the Cardinals’ GM job last year but turned it down, while Hortiz and Raiche have both taken GM interviews in recent years.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/6/24

January 6th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Ely Allen

The last week of pregame transactions and gameday callups for several teams this season:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Placed on IR: T Mike McGlinchey
  • Activated from IR: T Alex Palczewski
  • Signed to active roster: CB Art Green
  • Elevated: S Devon Key

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Placed on IR: TE Hunter Henry
  • Signed to active roster: TE La’Michael Pettway
  • Elevated: TE Matt Sokol, OL Andrew Stueber

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Several teams whose season is set to come to an end tomorrow have elected to move injured players to injured reserve in order to create roster spots for practice squad options, particularly those who have had their three gameday elevations exhausted. In the case of the Broncos, McGlinchey will see his debut campaign in the Mile High City come to a premature end. Signed to a five-year, $87.5MM deal, the 28-year-old was part of a revamped O-line which did not produce the desired rebound on offense. Manning his usual right tackle spot, McGlinchey was charged with eight sacks and 49 pressures allowed by PFF, resulting in an overall grade of 67.5.

While the Giants will have an interesting decision to make with respect to Xavier McKinney‘s future, they will have Pinnock on the books for at least one more season. The latter’s rookie contract is set to expire following the 2024 campaign, one in which he will no doubt remain a vital member of New York’s secondary. Pinnock has recorded 85 tackles, two interceptions (including a 102-yard pick-six), six pass deflections and a pair of forced fumbles while logging over 1,000 defensive snaps this season. A return to health and a continuation of his 2023 level of play will be sorely needed next fall.

Devin Singletary Aiming To Re-Sign With Texans

January 4th, 2024 at 1:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Devin Singletary operated as the primary Bills running back during most of Josh Allen‘s initial years as their quarterback, but the former third-round pick did not receive too much interest on the open market.

A crowded running back free agent class led to a host of low-cost deals, giving the Texans an opportunity to add a proven veteran on a one-year, $2.75MM contract. Singletary has outperformed that deal, though the running back position’s value remains in question despite Jonathan Taylor‘s extension. Taylor’s Saturday counterpart would prefer to avoid another relocation.

Singletary said Thursday he wants to run it back with the Texans, via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, indicating he would embrace a return if the organization expresses interest as well. DeMeco Ryans has viewed Singletary as a vital part in the team’s turnaround, and the 5-foot-7 running back is closing in on a career-high total for single-season rushing yards.

Once again displaying durability, the diminutive back has taken over as Houston’s lead ball carrier. Dameon Pierce led the way as a rookie and spent the first half of this season as the Texans’ starter, but the 2022 fourth-round pick has not offered up a quality follow-up effort. With 835 rushing yards, Singletary more than doubles Pierce’s total (416). Pierce is also averaging just 2.9 yards per carry (to Singletary’s 4.3). Houston’s current RB1 ranks 16th in Next Gen Stats’ rushing yards over expected metric, with 58. Pierce ranks in the bottom five near the end of a disappointing season in Bobby Slowik‘s offense.

While GM Nick Caserio drafted Pierce, the Florida alum was obtained to play in Pep Hamilton‘s offense. Singletary has proven a fit under Slowik, who will certainly be back if he does not land a head coaching job during this year’s cycle. Singletary logged two high-volume college seasons, totaling 714 carries across his career at Florida Atlantic, but has played in at least 16 games in each of the past three seasons.

Having never topped 300 receiving yards in a season, Singletary likely will not carry a substantial price tag for 2024. Another crowded free agent market will affect his next salary. This year’s three franchise-tagged backs — Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard — join the likes of D’Andre Swift, Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry, Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins and ex-Bills teammate Zack Moss as free agents-to-be. But the 26-year-old back has likely upped his market by a bit. Considering Singletary’s importance in the Texans’ new offense, it would be a bit surprising if the team was not interested in a second contract.

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