A handful of reserve/futures deals to pass along:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- TE Shawn Bowman, CB Christian Braswell, WR Joshua Cephus, OL Dennis Daley, OL Dieter Eiselen, CB Zech McPhearson, WR Austin Trammell
Washington Commanders
- CB Bobby Price
A handful of reserve/futures deals to pass along:
Jacksonville Jaguars
Washington Commanders
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:
The time has come for Liam Coen to finally lead an NFL staff as a head coach. The 39-year-old has been an extremely fast riser after getting his first NFL assistant position in 2018. His first NFL coordinator role came in 2022, and three years later, he’s a head coach. The Jaguars announced yesterday that he’s now completed the building of his first NFL staff in Jacksonville.
He started with the hirings of offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. Since then, we’ve been informed of the hiring of quarterbacks coach Spencer Whipple, passing game coordinator Shane Waldron, passing game specialist John Van Dam, defensive line coach Matt Edwards, defensive backs coach Anthony Perkins, and linebackers coach Tem Lukabu, as well as the retention of special teams coordinator Heath Farwell. Their new announcement clears up the rest of the open positions.
On offense, we recently saw Vikings assistant offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett interview for the offensive line coaching job in Jacksonville, and his interview was a successful one. After one year in Chicago, Chad Morton joins the Jaguars as running backs coach. Before holding the same role with the Bears, Morton coached running backs in Seattle for seven years. It was announced earlier this week that Edgar Bennett would not be returning as wide receivers coach for the Raiders in 2025. Well, he has bounced back quickly, getting hired to the same position in Jacksonville.
Two familiar faces will remain on the offense with the Jaguars. Tight ends coach Richard Angulo and assistant wide receivers coach Tyler Tettleton will be retaining their roles with the team in 2025. Angulo has coached tight ends in Duval since 2022, while Tettleton has held his role for two seasons. Tettleton will add the title of passing game specialist to his role, as well.
On defense, we see Derrick LeBlanc join the staff as assistant defensive line coach. It was announced nearly two weeks ago that LeBlanc would not be returning as defensive line coach in Arizona, so he’ll take a step back in 2025 in an assistant role with the Jaguars. Kevin Wilkins has been hired as assistant linebackers coach. After being fired by the Giants last year, Wilkins spent 2024 as a defensive assistant for the University of Michigan. We saw earlier that Colts defensive backs coach Ron Milus would not be returning in 2025. He’ll stay in the AFC South, though, as the new secondary coach in Jacksonville.
Drew Lascari will make his debut as an NFL coach in 2025 as the team’s new assistant defensive backs coach. He’s spent the past seven years at Rutgers, coaching safeties in their last three seasons. One familiar face will be sticking around in Jacksonville on defense. Mario Jeberaeel was hired last year as assistant outside linebackers coach. He’s been retained in 2025, but will serve this year as a defensive assistant.
On special teams, being retained alongside Farwell will be assistant special teams coach Luke Thompson. Thompson will enter his fourth year in that role. Jay Kaiser has joined the staff as assistant to the head coach. It’s his first year with the Jaguars coming from the University of Illinois as director of college personnel and NFL liaison. Joining Kaiser in the role of assistant to the head coach will be ElizaBeth Harrison, who has held that role in Jacksonville for the past 16 years.
Thus concludes the hiring of the main positions of Coen’s first staff in Jacksonville. Some ancillary positions and other assistant roles remain to be filled out, but the main bones of the staff are now solidified.
Liam Coen‘s initial Jaguars staff continues to take shape. Grant Udinski was hired as offensive coordinator yesterday, and more additions are coming on that side of the ball.
Jacksonville plans to hire Shane Waldron, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. His role will be passing game coordinator and will mark a reunion between Waldron and Coen. The two previously worked together on Sean McVay‘s Rams staff.
Waldron parlayed his time in Los Angeles into an offensive coordinator gig with the Seahawks, one he held for three seasons. The arrival of new head coach Mike Macdonald last offseason brought about sweeping changes to Seattle’s coaching staff, though, and Ryan Grubb replaced Waldron as OC. The latter was able to quickly find another coordinator opportunity by serving as the Bears’ play-caller.
Waldron did not fare well during his brief tenure in Chicago, however. The 45-year-old’s unit drew criticism from inside and outside the organization in the early stages of the season, with head coach Matt Eberflus hinting at a change during the Bears’ lengthy losing streak. Indeed, after only nine games at the helm of the offense, Waldron was fired. Things did not entirely go according to plan after Thomas Brown took over the unit, but it comes as no surprise a third straight OC gig is unavailable at this point for Waldron.
Coen’s efforts to build out his offensive staff will include at least one Buccaneers alum. John Van Dam is being added as a pass-game specialist, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Van Dam had been in Tampa Bay since 2019, handling roles such as tight ends coach and pass-game assistant along the way. His Buccaneers pact expired at the end of the campaign, leaving him free to continue working with Coen after the two did so in 2024.
The Bucs have (on more than one occasion) blocked Coen’s efforts to interview and hire other assistants as part of his process of putting together is his first Jacksonville staff. Given the nature of how Coen departed Tampa Bay to take his first career head coaching gig, that comes as little surprise. It will be interesting to see if any other former Buccaneers coaches wind up making the move to Duval County this offseason.
The Jaguars have settled on their new offensive coordinator. The team announced that they’re hiring Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski for the role.
“Grant will bring a wealth of knowledge, energy and a winning mindset to help lead our offense here in Jacksonville,” head coach Liam Coen said in a statement. “He is a rising star in this league that has been a pillar of success for the Vikings organization and we can’t wait to have him lead our offense.”
Udinski has only been coaching for six years, five of which have come in the NFL. Following a quick stint with the Panthers, Udinski joined the Vikings as an assistant in 2022. It didn’t take long for him to earn a promotion. He earned the title of assistant quarterbacks coach in 2023, and he added the role of assistant offensive coordinator in 2024.
The coach’s offensive prowess garnered some attention in 2024. Udinski was described as a mentor to injured rookie QB J.J. McCarthy, and he also helped guide Sam Darnold to the best season of his career. As teams looked to Kevin O’Connell‘s coaching tree to fill their offensive holes, Udinski became a popular name on the coordinator market, interviewing for gigs with the Seahawks and Jaguars.
While Coen is expected to have a heavy hand in Jacksonville’s offensive approach, the new head coach has led a limited search for a new OC. Rams pass game specialist Nate Scheelhaase was reportedly the favorite for the gig, but he ended up sticking in Los Angeles for the 2025 campaign. The team also showed interest in Chip Kelly and interviewed Commanders QBs coach Tavita Pritchard before ultimately landing on Udinski for the gig.
The new coordinator will have plenty to work with in Jacksonville. Trevor Lawrence hasn’t reached the pinnacle that was expected when he was the first-overall pick, but the organization will be counting on Udinski to get the most out of the franchise player. The team also seemed to hit on a WR1 in rookie Brian Thomas, and they’re rostering a pair of backfield options in Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne (barring a trade).
In Minnesota, the Vikings will be losing a significant staff member, but the team should have some coaching continuity on offense. Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips is set to be back for a fourth season with the organization, and Josh McCown will be sticking around for another season as Minnesota’s quarterbacks coach.
Nate Scheelhaase is sticking in Los Angeles. After drawing strong interest for the Jaguars offensive coordinator job, the pass game specialist is staying with the Rams, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes that Scheelhaase is expected to see an expanded role during his second season with the team.
[RELATED: Nate Scheelhaase Favorite For Jaguars’ OC Job]
Scheelhaase has already seen a rapid rise through the NFL ranks. Following a long stint at Iowa State that culminated in him being named OC, he joined the Rams last offseason as their new pass game specialist. Despite injuries to Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, the Rams passing offense still finished 2024 ranked in the top 10, and the 34-year-old started drawing some interest for promotions.
The offensive-minded coach was an option in Tampa Bay, and he was later recruited by former Rams assistant Liam Coen in Jacksonville. The last we heard, he was the favorite for that Jaguars job, where he would have been tasked with guiding the Trevor Lawrence-led offense. Now, Coen will have to pivot to his other candidates, a grouping that only consists of Commanders QBs coach Tavita Pritchard and Vikings assistant QBs coach Grant Udinski.
This news must also come as a relief to Sean McVay, who already lost one key member of his offensive staff when TEs coach Nick Caley was hired to lead the Texans offense. QBs coach Dave Ragone was also a candidate for the Buccaneers OC job, but the Rams can rest easy knowing only one member of their staff was poached this offseason.
While new regimes have been known to wait until after the draft to make major front office changes, the Jets are acting early to start their Aaron Glenn-Darren Mougey run. The team is moving on from two veteran execs. Co-director of player personnel Greg Nejmeh is out after 16 years with the organization, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports. Jones classifies this as a mutual parting. Senior director of football administration David Socie is done as well, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello. Socie had been the Jets’ chief negotiator since 2018, Costello adds, while Nejmeh climbed to his post upon Joe Douglas‘ 2019 GM hire. These moves come a year after the team fired assistant GM Rex Hogan, leaving Mougey with work to do in the front office. Woody Johnson had prevented Douglas from replacing Hogan or Chad Alexander, who left to become Chargers assistant GM, so it will be interesting to see how the Jets move forward here.
Additionally, one of the other veteran presences in the front office — ex-Browns GM Phil Savage — is being retained as a consultant, Costello adds. Savage, who closed the season as Jets interim GM, interviewed for the full-time job as well. It is unclear if Savage is being retained for the long haul, as Costello expects more changes post-draft; the veteran exec has been with the Jets since their Douglas hire. He spent six years as a senior personnel advisor.
Here is the latest from AFC staffs:
The Jaguars have ramped up their general manager search process, requesting an interview with 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Williams has spent the last 14 seasons with the 49ers, starting as a scouting assistant in 2011. He then spent three years as a pro personnel scout before moving to college scouting. Williams was an area scout from 2017 to 2021 and a national scout from 2022 to 2023. He was then promoted to his current title where he “directs pro and college scouting efforts, supports player development, and assists in contract negotiations,” according to his team bio.
It’s difficult to attribute an individual scout’s contributions to his team’s draft classes, but the 49ers unearthed several future stars on Day 3 during Williams’ tenure. That list includes George Kittle, Dre Greenlaw, and Brock Purdy, though the team’s recent history on Days 1 and 2 is less consistent.
Williams certainly played a major role in the 49ers’ last offseason, which featured several veteran signings on defense with mixed results. Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos combined for 12.5 sacks, but De’Vondre Campbell and Jordan Elliott struggled to make an impact.
It’s still too early for definitive conclusions on San Francisco’s 2024 draft class, but initial returns have been positive. Renardo Green, Dominick Puni, and Malik Mustapha all earned starting roles as rookies, while Ricky Pearsall and Isaac Guerendo both flashed in limited roles on offense.
Williams will join a growing list of candidates for the Jaguars’ general manager job. Below are the rest of the names connected with the vacancy:
The first name to come up as a Jaguars GM candidate, Mike Greenberg is out of that mix. Tampa Bay will retain its assistant GM, as Greenberg has informed Jacksonville he is out of the running, the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reports.
Greenberg has been with the Bucs for 15 years, becoming a crucial cog — particularly with regards to the club’s cap management — for a team that has lost two key staffers this offseason. In addition to Liam Coen‘s exit to become the Jaguars’ HC, fellow Bucs assistant GM John Spytek is now the Raiders’ GM. Despite a Jags interview request to potentially follow Coen north, Greenberg will help the Bucs ensure some staff continuity.
[RELATED: Where Does Jaguars’ GM Search Stand?]
It was interesting that Coen wanted to keep working with Greenberg, as the two only overlapped for one season in Tampa. Greenberg also was part of Coen’s messy exit. When Coen was secretly negotiating with the Jags, after having informed the Bucs he intended to stay and sign a lucrative coordinator extension, Greenberg was among the high-ranking staffers who attempted to contact him. Greenberg wanted to reach Coen regarding an offensive staffer, but his call went unreturned. Still, Coen subsequently wanted to see about working with the longtime Tampa Bay front office mainstay.
A report out of Jacksonville late last month indicated Coen was “pushing hard” to bring Greenberg with him. Greenberg’s decision to pass centers around his loyalty to the Bucs rather than any hard feelings toward Coen, Stroud adds, as the Tampa Bay AGM was honored to be considered. He will continue working with Jason Licht, as the Bucs attempt to construct a fifth straight NFC South champion.
Promoted to assistant GM in 2023, Greenberg interviewed for the Panthers and Jets’ GM jobs over the past two years. This Jags decision being categorized as Bucs loyalty is obviously worth noting, but Greenberg’s decision to take those interviews while passing on the Jags job certainly signals some trepidation with the position. The Jags fired their previous GM (Trent Baalke) midway through their coaching search, with the ouster appearing to be the key driver for Coen to move forward and accept their HC offer. The gig came with Coen being free to pick a GM and reside atop the team’s personnel pyramid, Tony Boselli‘s arrival as executive VP notwithstanding.
A Monday report indicated the next Jags GM will not answer to Boselli, but the Hall of Fame tackle will still have a key organizational voice. Boselli will report to ownership, joining Coen in that regard. Boselli’s new presence, along with Coen’s power, would stand to reduce this GM role’s responsibility. That may well have impacted Greenberg’s decision. The Bucs have also blocked Coen from poaching O-line coach Kevin Carberry and assistant OL coach Brian Picucci. Tuesday’s Greenberg news marks another successful Bucs retention effort.
Hired years before Licht’s arrival, Greenberg has been an integral part of the Bucs’ 2020s success. Ending a 12-year playoff drought, Greenberg helped the Bucs build their Super Bowl LV roster and was one of the key drivers in crafting a strategy that helped the team bring back every core player for the 2021 season. After Tom Brady‘s retirement left the franchise with a $35MM dead money bill, Licht, Greenberg and Spytek weathered the storm and still had the team in the divisional round. This past offseason, the Bucs found room to pay Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr. Licht will have Greenberg by his side for at least one more offseason.
The list of candidates for the Jaguars’ general manager position continues to grow. Several interview requests went out on Monday, but the team is not done on that front.
[RELATED: Jags Name Tony Boselli VP Of Football Operations]
Jacksonville hopes to speak with James Gladstone for the GM position, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. He has spent his entire career with the Rams, and he currently holds the position of scouting director. New head coach Liam Coen worked alongside Gladstone during his two stints (2018-20 and 2022) in Los Angeles.
The Rams have produced a strong track record in the draft over recent years, and as Gladstone has worked his way through the ranks he has become a key figure alongside general manager Les Snead. Los Angeles has managed to re-tool on defense in particular over the past two seasons in large part due to the team’s success in the draft. Expectations would be high for the Jaguars in that department if Gladstone were to be hired.
Despite his status as a rookie head coach, Coen is set to have a major role in deciding on Jacksonville’s new GM. The team was set to continue with Trent Baalke in that role until an abrupt change was made immediately before Coen was hired. That move came as little surprise given the extent to which Baalke’s presence turned other candidates off of the position, but it added to the unorthodox nature of the situation. In any case, it will be interesting to see how this Coen-driven process plays out over the near future.
Via PFR’s general manager tracker, here is an updated look at where things stand with Jacksonville: