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2021 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

By | at January 15, 2021 1:24 pm

Exiting the regular season, six teams are searching for new head coaches. That number is up from last season but not quite as high as 2019, though there may well be more vacancies that emerge during the playoffs.

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:

Updated 1-27-21 (7:05pm CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

18 comments Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Cincinnati Bengals Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles San Francisco 49ers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans

Jaguars Hire Urban Meyer As Head Coach

By | at January 14, 2021 5:50 pm

After a several-day waiting period, the Jaguars-Urban Meyer deal is finalized. The former national championship-winning Florida and Ohio State coach agreed to terms with Jacksonville.

Long the frontrunner for this position, Meyer spent the past few days closely connected to his first-ever NFL foray. He ultimately decided to accept the Jaguars’ offer. The team has announced the hire.

“I’m ready to coach the Jacksonville Jaguars,” Meyer said. “Jacksonville has an enthusiastic fanbase, and the fans deserve a winning team. With upcoming opportunities in the NFL Draft, and strong support from ownership, the Jaguars are well-positioned to become competitive.

“I’ve analyzed this decision from every angle — the time is right in Jacksonville, and the time is right for me to return to coaching. I’m excited about the future of this organization and our long term prospect for success.”

Meyer, 56, won three national championships while in Gainesville and Columbus — in 2006, 2008 and 2014 — and helped develop Alex Smith into a No. 1 overall pick while at Utah. Meyer was a college coach from 1986-2018, coaching briefly at the high school level in the mid-’80s. This will be a new challenge for the well-regarded coach, who has appeared on the NFL radar during past hiring periods.

Factoring in his previous stops at Utah and Bowling Green, Meyer has a lifetime 187-32 record in the college ranks. With Ohio State alone, he went 83-9 across seven seasons. He will almost certainly have the chance to coach Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence to start his NFL run. Working as a Fox analyst since stepping down as Ohio State’s HC, Meyer rated Lawrence as his No. 1 quarterback — over Buckeye passer Justin Fields — entering this season (video link). Lawrence has been expected to go No. 1 overall for a long time now, and the Jaguars’ 1-15 season locked them into the 2021 top slot.

Conflicting reports emerged about Meyer’s salary demands, with one putting them in the $12MM range. Given the Jags’ interest in Meyer, it is likely he will be one of the NFL’s highest-paid head coaches. The lengthy delay between the Jaguars’ interview with their preferred candidate and his acceptance, however, did reportedly frustrate the team. Meyer has stepped away from coaching on multiple occasions, doing so more than once at Florida, so it will be interesting to see how long he will stick around in Jacksonville.

It will also be interesting to see how Meyer and owner Shad Khan coexist. Khan took on a greater say in personnel matters last year and confirmed he will remain heavily involved in roster decisions going forward. Considering the franchise’s strong interest in Meyer, he will almost certainly have a significant say in personnel matters as well. The Jaguars have yet to hire a GM, but the to-be-determined executive will now walk into a situation featuring two high-profile power brokers.

Meyer has been linked to multiple assistants already, including former Texas HC Charlie Strong and Texans DC Anthony Weaver, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo and Fox 26’s Mark Berman (Twitter links).

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Jaguars, Urban Meyer Finalizing Deal

By | at January 14, 2021 9:32 am

It’s not a done deal yet. But it’s close. The Jaguars are closing in on a contract to make Urban Meyer their new head coach, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 

[RELATED: Chargers Interested In Urban Meyer]

Meyer would become the sixth full-time head coach in franchise history. Of course, the Jaguars aren’t going to bank on that until he signs on the bottom line. Meyer was reportedly on the fence about the job as recently as this week. The Chargers — a team that might be better equipped to win in 2021 — have also contacted him.

The former University of Florida and Ohio State coach has a long track record of success. That includes National Championships in 2006, 2008, and 2014. Factoring in his previous stops at Utah and Bowling Green, Meyer has a lifetime 187-32 record in the college ranks. With Ohio State alone, he went 83-9 across seven seasons.

For Meyer, it’s an opportunity to return to the sidelines after a two-year layoff. He’ll also have the opportunity to groom the No. 1 overall pick — probably Clemson star Trevor Lawrence, but possibly Ohio State standout Justin Fields.

Here’s the full look at the Jaguars search, to date, via PFR’s tracker:

16 comments Jacksonville Jaguars Newsstand

Chargers Interested In Urban Meyer

By | at January 13, 2021 10:46 am

The Chargers are exploring Urban Meyer as a candidate, according to sources who spoke with Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Meyer has been non-committal in talks with the Jaguars, and that’s partially due to the Bolts’ interest.

Meyer hasn’t had a formal interview with the Chargers yet, but that conversation could be just around the corner. So far, the Chargers’ search has been mostly focused on candidates with NFL experience, as shown in PFR’s 2021 Head Coaching Search Tracker:

The Jaguars have the No. 1 overall pick, but the Chargers may be a more attractive destination for Meyer. They already have a promising young quarterback in Justin Herbert, plus a ton of talent on the other side of the ball. In L.A., Meyer could have safety Derwin James, defensive tackle Linval Joseph, cornerbacks Casey Hayward and Chris Harris, and edge rushers Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa at edge rusher.

17 comments Jacksonville Jaguars Los Angeles Chargers

Jaguars Frustrated With Urban Meyer?

By | at January 13, 2021 8:52 am

The Jaguars are said to be infatuated with Urban Meyer. Those feelings aren’t exactly being reciprocated. Though Meyer is interested in the Jags, he is still on the fence about coaching in 2020 and making the leap to the pros, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Jaguars have also met with Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy, Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris, Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Meyer — likely pricier than your average college coach — would make the biggest splash of the bunch. The Jaguars also had interest in Ryan Day, Ohio State’s current head coach, but he’s not ready to turn pro.

For Meyer, the Jaguars would represent a brand new challenge and an opportunity to coach this year’s No. 1 overall pick. Still, it would mean less time with his family, and there may also be health considerations involved.

 

Rapoport hears that some folks in the Jaguars’ front office are growing frustrated with Meyer’s indecisiveness. The former UF and Ohio State coach has flirted with the NFL in the past, only to rebuff inquiries. This time around, Meyer’s camp was proactive in generating buzz and scaring up opportunities. Yet, Meyer still isn’t sure about what he wants to do.

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2021 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

By | at January 12, 2021 8:02 pm

This year’s NFL GM carousel figures to be more active than usual. The Falcons, Lions, Panthers, Texans, and Jaguars are all on the hunt for a new front office leader. And that’s only the official list. The real tally shows six clubs looking for a GM, since the Washington Football Team is expected to install a GM to work alongside head coach Ron Rivera. By mid-January, we could easily see a couple more jobs opening up — that’d put ~25% of the NFL on the market.

We’ll keep track of the GM candidates for each club here, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make general manager changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here’s the current breakdown:

Updated 1-19-21 (7:02pm CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers 

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Washington Football Team

23 comments Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/11/21

By | at January 11, 2021 4:36 pm

Today’s minor transactions:

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

0 comments Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers Transactions Washington Commanders

2021 NFL Draft Order

By | at January 11, 2021 8:54 am

Wild Card weekend is in the books and 75% of the NFL’s 2021 Draft order has been set. Here’s the rundown, thus far:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins (via Texans)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. San Francisco 49ers
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (via Seahawks)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers

24 comments 2021 NFL Draft Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New York Giants New York Jets Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans

Jaguars To Meet With Urban Meyer

By | at January 8, 2021 9:43 am

The Jaguars are set to meet with Urban Meyer on Friday, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Meyer has long been regarded as the frontrunner for the job, but the Jaguars are planning to conduct a thorough search before making their pick. 

The Jaguars have already interviewed Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy and Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris. Then, on Saturday, they’ll chat with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Meyer — who may or may not be seeking $12MM/year in order to jump to the pros — would be an immediate hit in Northern Florida. The former UF and Ohio State coach has a long track record of success, including National Championships in 2006, 2008, and 2014.

For Meyer, it’s an opportunity to return to the sidelines after a two-year layoff. He’ll also have the opportunity to groom the No. 1 overall pick — likely to be Clemson phenom Trevor Lawrence, but possibly Ohio State standout Justin Fields. That process will play out in concert with the Jaguars’ next GM, plus input from owner Shad Khan.

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Jaguars’ Shad Khan To Control Roster, No. 1 Pick

By | at January 7, 2021 8:48 am

The Jaguars’ next GM will have a tremendous opportunity to help rebuild the franchise. However, owner Shad Khan says that he will continue to have final say over the roster, draft, and all personnel matters.

“I kept the roster control and…the general manager candidates, I’ve been talking to them, that for the immediate future I’m going to keep the roster control,” Khan said (via Michael Lombardi of The Athletic). “And I want the coach to know that also. What’s evaded the history of the Jags, really, has been a franchise quarterback. We have the ability now to make a choice, and it’s going to define the franchise moving forward.”

Of course, Khan probably won’t have to think too hard about the No. 1 overall pick. The Jaguars are almost certain to select Clemson superstar Trevor Lawrence, who may be the best draft-eligible quarterback since Andrew Luck. Lawrence, to the surprise of no one, officially declared earlier this week.

Khan may keep control, but he’s not expected to be an all-out babysitter of his next GM. So far, their candidate pool includes former Browns general manager Ray Farmer, Saints assistant GM Terry Fontenot, former Giants GM Jerry Reese, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, and former Texans general manager Rick Smith. For the latest on the Jags and other GM-less teams, check out our 2021 NFL GM Search Tracker.

43 comments 2021 NFL Draft Jacksonville Jaguars
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