Coaching Notes: Broncos, Fangio, Jags, Lions
Ten candidates have emerged in the Broncos‘ coaching search. Despite the team going back-to-back with defensive coaches, Dan Quinn is believed to be one of the early frontrunners, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler (ESPN+ link). Despite being fired early in the 2020 season, the ex-Falcons HC has become a hot name in the 2022 interview cycle. The interest in Quinn puts him in position to be picky, as the current Cowboys DC has raised his stock after turning around the NFC East champions’ defense this season. He has yet to interview for the Broncos job yet. Quinn and Denver GM George Paton worked together in Miami under Nick Saban from 2005-06. Quinn, 51, was the Dolphins’ defensive line coach in those seasons. The Broncos have also done extensive work on Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett, Fowler adds. Both Hackett and Green Bay QBs coach Luke Getsy are on Denver’s HC interview list.
Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:
- Bill O’Brien interestingly finds himself in the mix for NFL jobs on two tiers, with the Panthers eyeing him as an offensive coordinator and the Jaguars are set to interview him for their head coach job. O’Brien’s ignominious Texans exit notwithstanding, he has become a candidate to watch for the Jacksonville job, Fowler notes. O’Brien just finished his first season as Alabama’s OC.
- Should O’Brien land the Jags gig, Vic Fangio will be a DC target, per Fowler. Given Fangio’s history of DC success, and the Broncos sporting an above-average unit during his tenure despite major injuries to Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, the recently fired coach will likely have a few options. The Jags are prepared to be patient this time around, with Sports Talk 790’s Aaron Wilson noting this process could last for an additional two weeks (Twitter link). Second interviews are expected here. The Jaguars being thorough should not surprise, given their rash decision to hire Urban Meyer last January.
- The Lions are considering hiring their next OC from within. After parting ways with one-and-done Anthony Lynn, Detroit is examining tight ends coach Ben Johnson for that role, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes. Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties from Lynn midseason, but Johnson’s responsibilities expanded as well. Johnson joined the Lions as a quality control coach in 2019. GM Brad Holmes is also leaving the door open to Campbell remaining the team’s play-caller.
- Seahawks assistant head coach Clint Hurtt is on the University of Miami’s radar, with Fowler tweeting the Hurricanes are eyeing him for their defensive coordinator job. A Miami alum, Hurtt has spent the past five years as Pete Carroll’s defensive line coach.
- Joe Judge‘s Giants staff will likely splinter soon. One of Big Blue’s position coaches, D-line coach Sean Spencer, will land on his feet. Duke is hiring Spencer to be a co-defensive coordinator, USA Today’s Josina Anderson tweets. Spencer was set to leave regardless of Judge’s status. Spencer’s pre-Giants coaching resume unfolded entirely at the college level. The 51-year-old assistant spent six years at Penn State prior to his short Giants stay under Judge.
- Second-year Browns assistant Jeremy Garrett is expected to leave Cleveland and become the Liberty D-line coach, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman tweets.
Latest On Jaguars’ Head Coaching Vacancy
‘Black Monday’ has come and gone in the NFL, putting another three Head Coaches out of work. The Vikings, Bears and Dolphins have joined the Broncos, Raiders and Jaguars as teams with an opening needing to be filled for the 2022 season. While the Jags have already begun the process of interviewing for the position, there is still a possibility interim HC Darrell Bevell could end up getting the job. 
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Bevell will interview with the team on Tuesday. That adds his name to a long list of other candidates who either already have, or will soon interview for the position as well. The 52-year old took over as head coach on an interim basis after the firing of Urban Meyer in December. That was a familiar situation for the man hired to be the team’s offensive coordinator, as he also transitioned from OC to interim HC in Detroit the year before following Matt Patricia’s dismissal. In both instances, Bevell managed to lead his teams to one victory in the closing weeks of the season.
Meanwhile, Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett will be interviewed sometime this week. Since the Packers on a bye as the NFC’s top seed, the interview could be done in person. Hackett is already one of serval names receiving consideration for the Broncos’ job, so Jacksonville could find itself in a competition for the 42-year old. On the other hand, Hackett taking the Jaguars position would represent a coming home of sorts, since he served on the team’s staff from 2015 to 2018, including a stint as offensive coordinator during their run to the AFC Championship game in 2017.
Like all of the current coaching vacancies, the picture will likely become clearer in the coming days and weeks. Stay tuned for the latest updates and interview requests throughout the league.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/10/22
A bunch of teams had their seasons come to an end yesterday, and these front offices are now starting to prepare for the offseason. Today, a number of players were inked to reserve/futures contracts, which allows organizations to retain (mostly) young, practice squad players throughout the offseason. We’ve compiled today’s reserve/futures contracts below:
Baltimore Ravens
- DB Robert Jackson, OT Jaryd Jones-Smith, G/DT Kahlil McKenzie, WR Jaylon Moore, C James Murray, TE Tony Poljan, DB Kevin Toliver, WR Binjimen Victor
Carolina Panthers
- RB Spencer Brown, CB Madre Harper, DL Frank Herron, OL Mike Horton, OL Aaron Monteiro, WR Aaron Parker, FB Giovanni Ricci, WR C.J. Saunders, TE Colin Thompson, QB P.J. Walker
Cleveland Browns
- TE Miller Forristall, G Hjalte Froholdt, TE Nick Guggemos, CB Nate Meadors, G David Moore, FB Johnny Stanton, OT Alex Taylor, DE Curtis Weaver
Denver Broncos
- TE Shaun Beyer, RB Damarea Crockett, WR Travis Fulgham, OT Drew Himmelman, G Zack Johnson, LB Barrington Wade
Detroit Lions
- DE Eric Banks, LB Tavante Beckett, DE Bruce Hector, WR Javon McKinley, QB Steven Montez, CB Parnell Motley, OT Dan Skipper, CB Saivion Smith, TE Shane Zylstra
Houston Texans
- RB Darius Anderson, WR Jalen Camp, G Sam Cooper, DT Michael Dwumfour, OL Jake Eldrenkamp, DB T.J. Green, DE Demone Harris, WR Damon Hazelton, CB Cre’Von LeBlanc, FB Paul Quessenberry, OL Jordan Steckler, LB Connor Strachan, LB Josh Watson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- WR Jeff Cotton, RB Nathan Cottrell, OL Coy Cronk, WR Josh Hammond, OL Jared Hocker, WR Tim Jones, DL Jeremiah Ledbetter, OL Badara Traore
Minnesota Vikings
- LB Tuf Borland, S Myles Dorn, WR Trishton Jackson, WR Myron Mitchell, CB Parry Nickerson, T Timon Parris, RB A.J. Rose, DT T.J. Smith
New Orleans Saints
- WR Kawaan Baker, LB Sharif Finch, OT Jerald Hawkins, DT Braxton Hoyett, DB Dylan Mabin, DB Jordan Miller, DB KeiVarae Russell, WR Easop Winston
New York Giants
- LB Omari Cobb, OT Devery Hamilton, LB Trent Harris, TE Jake Hausmann, DE Niko Lalos, QB Brian Lewerke, DT David Moamat, WR Travis Toivonen
New York Jets
- K Matt Ammendola, WR Tarik Black, TE Brandon Dillon, OL Grant Hermanns, WR D.J. Montgomery, OL Ross Pierschbacher, DL Hamilcar Rashed, OL Dru Samia, DL Tanzel Smart, OL Isaiah Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- DT Myles Adams, WR Matt Cole, LB Aaron Donkor, T Greg Eiland, WR Aaron Fuller, DT Jarrod Hewitt, CB Michael Jackson, WR Cade Johnson, G Pier-Olivier Lestage, DT Niles Scott, WR Cody Thompson, LB Lakiem Williams
Washington Football Team
- G Zack Bailey, C/G Beau Benzschawel, G Deion Calhoun, DT Tyler Clark, WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR Kelvin Harmon, G Nolan Laufenberg, WR Marken Michel
Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order
The NFL’s first ever 17-game regular season is now over, and the 14-team playoff field is set. The end of the year also confirms, of course, the draft order for the top 18 picks, allowing the non-playoff clubs to begin planning for the offseason.
Despite their upset win on Sunday, the Jaguars will have the top selection for the second year in a row; this marks the fifth time a team has had back-to-back No. 1 picks, and the first since the Browns did in 2017-18.
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.
Here is the final draft order (for non-playoff teams) along with the current projected order for the 14 postseason clubs:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
- Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
- Houston Texans: 4-13
- New York Jets: 4-13
- New York Giants: 4-13
- Carolina Panthers: 5-12
- New York Giants(via Bears)
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 7-10
- New York Jets (via Seahawks)
- Washington Football Team: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
- Cleveland Browns: 8-9
- Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
- Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8*
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1*
- New England Patriots: 10-7*
- Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)*
- Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7*
- Arizona Cardinals: 11-6*
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7*
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6*
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5*
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5*
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4*
- Tennessee Titans: 12-5*
- Green Bay Packers: 13-4*
* = Playoffs
Playoff-Clinching Tie
Coming into today, the Sunday Night matchup between the Chargers and Raiders in Las Vegas was being billed as a winner-takes-all game with the winner continuing their season past Week 18. While that is still technically a true statement, it’s not the only path for either team to make the playoffs.
With the Colts’ loss to the Jaguars this afternoon and the Steelers’ win in Baltimore, an amusing possibility has been presented to both squads preparing for tonight. If Sunday night’s game were to end in a tie, both the Chargers and the Raiders would make the playoffs. While there are seeding scenarios at play for the Raiders (a win could put them at the 5th or 6th Seed, potentially, and a tie would clinch the 7th seed), the Chargers have no motivation to play the game if the Raiders were to propose an intentional tie.
While Los Angeles head coach Brandon Staley said earlier this week, “We’re going to do everything we can to go win this game,” that was when the tying scenario was a long shot, as the Colts were heavy favorites to beat Jacksonville today. Staley’s tune might change now that he has a very real opportunity to give his team a week of rest before a grueling playoff schedule.
As far as the rulebook goes, there’s nothing that says two teams can’t intentionally play an entire game for a tie. I’m sure the NFL is doing everything they can to get themselves out of the corner they backed themselves into, but it was a truly strange decision for the NFL to schedule a game with this potential in the final regular season time slot. The NFL certainly likes for the regular season’s final game to hold the highest stakes, and we’ve seen some of the most entertaining games in that time slot. The 2019 regular season finale between the 49ers and Seahawks comes to mind, as San Francisco won with a fourth down stop on their own 1-yard line.
It’s certain the NFL was hoping for similar fireworks tonight, but an implosion by the Colts and the battling of the Steelers brings up what could be one of the most unique season finales in NFL history.
Lions Win; Jaguars To Pick No. 1 Overall 2022 NFL Draft
The Lions held on to beat the Packers 37-30 on Sunday. With the win, the Lions improved to 3-13-1 on the year, ceding the No. 1 overall pick to the Jaguars. 
The Jaguars also managed to close out their year with a win, upsetting the Colts 26-11. They get the best of all worlds, putting their division rival in jeopardy of missing the playoffs and closing the year with a win, all while retaining the top overall selection. They’ve also extended their home winning streak against the Colts, beating Indy in six straight Jacksonville games.
The early slate of Sunday games also saw the Titans clinch the No. 1 seed while the Bengals slipped in the AFC pecking order, potentially putting them on track to face the Patriots.
The Jaguars are in need of offensive line and edge help. Fortunately for them, this year’s class offers several high-profile options in both areas. Alabama tackle Evan Neal, who measures in at 6’7″ and 350 pounds, would go a long way towards protecting Trevor Lawrence. On the other side of the ball, defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (Oregon) are squarely in the conversation.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/8/22
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: TE David Wells, LB Tahir Whitehead
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: WR Austin Trammell
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: S Tony Jefferson, T Jaryd Jones-Smith, Isaiah Mack, Tony Poljan
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: RB Reggie Bonnafon, DT Frank Herron, WR Keith Kirkwood, WR C.J. Saunders, TE Stephen Sullivan, DB Madre Harper
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: WR Dazz Newsome
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: QB Jake Browning, DT Mike Daniels, K Elliott Fry, S Trayvon Henderson, DE Noah Spence, G Keaton Sutherland, WR Trent Taylor, DT Renell Wren
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: CB Brian Allen, S Adrian Colbert, G Hjalte Froholdt, CB Herb Miller, DE Curtis Weaver
- Waived: LB Willie Harvey Jr.
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: TE Blake Jarwin (story)
- Promoted: S Tyler Coyle, RB JaQuan Hardy, RB Ito Smith
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: LB Tavante Beckett, T Dan Skipper
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: C Josh Myers (story)
- Promoted: DL Abdullah Anderson, LB La’Darius Hamilton
Houston Texans
- Promoted: WR Jalen Camp, DL Michael Dwumfour, LB Connor Strachan
Indianapolis Colts
- Activated from IR: WR Parris Campbell
- Promoted: DB Anthony Chesley, DB Will Redmond, DT Chris Williams
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: P Joseph Charlton, RB Nathan Cottrell, QB Danny Etling, WR Josh Hammond, OL Badara Traore, OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from IR: TE Derek Carrier
- Promoted: OL Lester Cotton, WR Tyron Johnson, DT Damion Square
- Waived: TE Daniel Helm
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from IR: LB Kyler Fackrell
- Waived: CB Essang Bassey
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: DB Jake Gervase, DB Grant Haley
- Waived: S JuJu Hughes
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from IR: TE Ben Ellefson
- Promoted: LB Tuf Borland, TE Zach Davidson, S Myles Dorn, DT T.Y. McGill, CB Bryan Mills, CB Parry Nickerson, CB Tye Smith, DE Kenny Willekes
New England Patriots
- Promoted: DB Sean Davis, DL Daniel Ekuale, DB D’Angelo Ross
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: C Will Clapp, DL Malcolm Roach, DB KeiVarae Russell
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR Alex Bachman, QB Brian Lewerke, WR David Sills
New York Jets
- Promoted: WR Tarik Black, DE Ronald Blair
- Waived: S Sharrod Neasman, DE Shaq Lawson (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: T Kayode Awosika, LB Christian Elliss, RB Jason Huntley, DB Jared Mayden, DB Mac McCain, TE Richard Rodgers, TE Noah Togiai, T Casey Tucker, DT Raequan Williams, DT Marvin Wilson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted: G Rashaad Coward
- Waived: DE Isaiah Buggs
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: CB Emmanuel Moseley
- Promoted: LB Mark Nzeocha, LB Curtis Robinson
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: WR Aaron Fuller, DB Michael Jackson, DB Josh Jones, WR Cody Thompson
- Placed on IR: T Brandon Shell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: G Aaron Stinnie
- Promoted: RB Kenjon Barner, TE Darren Fells, WR Cyril Grayson
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DE Kevin Strong, RB Jordan Wilkins, DE Da’Shawn Hand
- Waived: RB Jeremy McNichols
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: FB Alex Armah, DE William Bradley-King, TE Temarrick Hemingway, S Jeremy Reaves
- Placed on IR: TE Ricky Seals-Jones
Jaguars To Interview Kellen Moore Tonight
The Jaguars will conduct a virtual interview with Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore on Friday night (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News). Moore, who won’t turn 33 until this summer, has been on the Jaguars’ radar for several weeks. 
[RELATED: Jags To Interview Bill O’Brien]
Moore inked a three-year extension with the Cowboys towards the close of the 2020 season, but he’s remained a hot name in coaching circles. The rival Eagles requested an interview with him in January of 2021 before ultimately going with Nick Sirianni.
At the time, he had an opportunity to lead Boise State as their head coach, but chose to stay in Dallas with a pay bump. The ink has barely dried on that re-up, but Moore could still explore other opportunities in the NFL.
Moore’s offensive mind could be enough to offset his lack of HC experience. It’s also possible that he could lure a few of the Cowboys’ top free agents to Florida. Guard Connor Williams, tight end Dalton Schultz, and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson are all scheduled to reach the open market in March.
Jaguars To Interview Bill O’Brien
The Jaguars are set to interview former Texans head coach and current Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien for their head coaching vacancy. The interview, slated for sometime after Alabama’s National Championship game on Monday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport), comes as a surprise.
O’Brien led the Texans to four playoff berths in six full seasons, including 2015 and ’16 when he had the likes of Brian Hoyer and Brock Osweiler under center. Still, the Texans went just 9-7 in each season and came up short in the playoffs, despite having with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. All in all, Houston won two playoff games under O’Brien before his 2020 ouster.
Of course, O’Brien also took considerable heat for his work as the Texans’ GM. He didn’t leave Houston on good terms either as he clashed with some of the team’s most prominent stars at practice.
“Bill is one of the brightest offensive minds in football, an outstanding teacher and excellent recruiter,” Saban said upon hiring O’Brien last year. “He will strengthen our coaching staff and give our players the best possible chance to be successful.”
There are now nine known candidates for the Jaguars job. That list includes Bucs offensive coordinator Bryon Leftwich, who is interviewing with team brass today.
Jaguars To Interview Byron Leftwich On Friday
The Jaguars are set to interview Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich for their head coaching vacancy today, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). He’ll be the fourth candidate to meet with team brass, following Doug Pederson, Jim Caldwell, and Bucs DC Todd Bowles. 
As a quarterback, Leftwich entered the league as a 2003 first-round pick of the Jaguars and spent four years under center in Jacksonville. Beyond the franchise ties, Leftwich has proven himself as an offensive mind. With one week left in the regular season, his Bucs lead the league in yards per game (405.8) and rank second in points per contest (29.4).
Bucs head coach Bruce Arians, who has had Leftwich on staff since his Arizona days, firmly believes that Leftwich is ready to guide his own team. Leftwich, meanwhile, only wants to focus on the task at hand — a second straight Super Bowl ring.
“Obviously, as a coach anytime your name is thrown around, I guess it is what it is, but it really means nothing at this point,” Leftwich said last weekend when asked about the Jags job (via the New York Post). “It really means nothing at this point and I kind of think it’s disrespectful to the guys that you really work with every day.”
After Leftwich, the Jaguars are expected to interview Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett sometime next week. So far, the Jaguars have eight known candidates on the radar, though they could cast a wider net in the coming weeks.