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Jacksonville Jaguars News & Rumors

Falcons Permit Jaguars To Interview DC Ryan Nielsen

January 17th, 2024 at 8:39am CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons are changing course with Ryan Nielsen. After initially blocking Jacksonville from interviewing its defensive coordinator, Atlanta is giving the go-ahead.

Nielsen will interview for the Jaguars’ DC position, according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman. While the Falcons joined the Panthers in initially blocking the Jaguars from meeting with their first-year DC, ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein notes the team has now granted permission for the lateral move.

The Falcons had blocked multiple staffers from interviewing elsewhere, including Marquice Williams, whom the Giants sought for a special teams coordinator meeting. Perhaps progressing on the hiring front, Atlanta may be greenlighting those moves now. Teams can block coordinators from interviewing for other coordinator jobs, so long as the position does not involve a non-play-calling OC or DC moving to a play-calling role. The Jags fired two-year DC Mike Caldwell shortly after their season ended. Jacksonville’s next DC will be its fourth in five seasons.

This would be a major change for the Falcons, who improved defensively with Nielsen. But the team is also in transition, having fired Arthur Smith. With Bill Belichick squarely on Atlanta’s radar, a defensive shakeup is also naturally in play. Regardless of which HC the Falcons hire, he will likely want to either call defensive plays himself or bring in his own boss on that side of the ball. With job openings available now, the Falcons will let Nielsen explore them.

While Smith could not provide a significant boost on offense, as quarterback issues plagued the team following the 2022 Matt Ryan trade, Nielsen did make an impact in his first year on the job. The Falcons improved from 25th to eighth in pass defense, with Feldman adding they climbed from 26th to seventh from 2022-23 in yards per play. The team vaulted from 27th to 11th in total defense in that span and finished 18th in scoring defense this season. That said, Atlanta dropped from ninth to 18th in total defense in a one-game span, allowing 48 points in an embarrassing Week 18 loss to New Orleans.

Nielsen has a history with Falcons GM Terry Fontenot, with both having worked with the Saints prior to their moves to Georgia. Fontenot remains in place, though a Belichick or Jim Harbaugh hire would either threaten his job security or put him at risk of seeing power stripped. Nielsen spent six seasons as the Saints’ defensive line coach, moving to a co-DC role in 2022.

Here is how the Jaguars’ DC search looks:

Jaguars To Interview Wink Martindale For DC Job

January 13th, 2024 at 4:06pm CST by Ely Allen

After Ian Rapoport of NFL Network hinted at a connection between former Giants defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale and the Jaguars, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has confirmed that Martindale is scheduled for a two-day interview with the team this week. Martindale will be in Duval Tuesday and Wednesday of this week to interview for the team’s open defensive coordinator position.

The Jaguars fired defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and the rest of the team’s defensive staff after Caldwell’s first two years as a coordinator. Under Caldwell, the Jacksonville defense delivered middling results finishing 12th and 17th in points allowed and 24th and 22nd in yards allowed. This kept a top-10 2022 Jaguars offense from advancing past the divisional round of the playoffs and kept a top-14 2023 Jaguars offense from making it to the playoffs at all.

Plenty of names have been mentioned as names to interview for the position since Caldwell’s departure. The team was blocked access to interview current Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen earlier this week, but Ravens secondary coach and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt, Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, Titans cornerbacks coach and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Harris, and Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel are all set to interview with the team.

Add Martindale to that list. Martindale started in the NFL as a linebackers coach, spending five years with the Raiders before taking the same job with the Broncos. Denver would promote him to defensive coordinator under Josh McDaniels, but Martindale was not retained whenever John Fox took over the following year. He joined the Ravens 2012 Super Bowl-winning squad as the linebackers coach, a role he would hold for six years before eventually replacing Dean Pees as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator.

In his first three years heading up the Ravens defense, Baltimore fielded a perennial top-five defense, often competing for the league lead in points or yards allowed. 2021 would see an anomaly in Baltimore as the team’s defense would finish 19th in points allowed and 25th in yards allowed. Whether or not the lack of success was due to injuries to key contributors like cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters and safety DeShon Elliott, Martindale and the Ravens parted ways.

A few weeks later, Martindale accepted the defensive coordinator position with the Giants. Over the past two years, New York has finished 18th and 26th in points allowed and 25th and 27th in yards allowed. Unhappy with the production of someone who used to be a top defensive coordinator in the league, the Giants and head coach Brian Daboll parted ways with Martindale. News of the separation came days after reports of a multiday standoff that saw Martindale reportedly curse out Daboll and storm out of the building.

Now Martindale will add his name to the list of potential candidates to replace Caldwell in Jacksonville. He’ll be competing with a currently much less experienced field of candidates, though the Jaguars may prefer someone with a bit less history and baggage.

Jaguars Exploring Options For Open DC Job, Scheduling Interviews

January 12th, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Ely Allen

After firing defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and the rest of the defensive staff, head coach Doug Pederson and the Jaguars have started the process of finding replacements. That became clear with a series of reports today that several defensive assistants from around the league would be interviewing for the open position.

In a continuation of what looks like a future decimation of the Ravens‘ coaching staff this offseason, secondary coach and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt will interview for the job, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Baltimore’s coordinators have both been garnering interest for multiple head coaching openings, and earlier today, we saw the team’s defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson interview with the Giants for their open defensive coordinator job. Even Ravens defensive line coach/associate head coach Anthony Weaver has received head coaching interest.

Hewitt has been a staple in Baltimore, coaching with the Ravens since the team’s last Super Bowl season in 2012. The Jamaica-native started off coaching as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the college level for the Fighting Irish before spending eight seasons at Rutgers coaching running backs and cornerbacks. In 2012, Hewitt joined John Harbaugh‘s staff as a defensive backs coach. After another eight years, Hewitt was promoted to pass defense coordinator and has spent the past two seasons in his current role.

Jacksonville isn’t afraid to poach from a division-rival, scheduling an interview with Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. While Bowen technically is still employed in Nashville, the firing of Mike Vrabel leaves Bowen in a precarious position, as whoever eventually replaces Vrabel may not choose to retain him in Tennessee. After five years as an assistant with the Texans and Titans, Bowen got his first coordinator job in 2021. In his first season, Bowen impressed, with Tennessee finished as the sixth-best scoring defense and finishing 12th in yards allowed. The next two seasons saw mostly middling defenses in Tennessee.

Also off the Titans’ coaching staff, the Jaguars will interview Tennessee’s defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Chris Harris, according to Ben Arthur of NFL on FOX. Since entering the NFL in 2013 as a Bears defensive quality control coach, Harris went from assistant defensive backs coach for the Chargers to defensive backs coach for Washington before landing in his current role with the Titans this year. Harris also got some interest in last year’s coordinator search for the Texans.

Finally, the last candidate to receive a request to interview for the Jaguars open position was Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. Manuel started coaching in Seattle in 2012, a few years after concluding his playing career, as an assistant special teams coach. He would climb the ladder for the Seahawks becoming a defensive assistant and an assistant secondary coach over the next two years. He took his first position coaching gig as the secondary coach for the Falcons in 2015 and was promoted to defensive coordinator two years later. When his contract in Atlanta expired, Manuel was hired as the defensive backs coach in Philadelphia for a year before taking the safeties coach position in New York. Like Harris, Manuel was a candidate for the Texans defensive coordinator job last offseason. He also interviewed for the same job with the Panthers last year, as well.

The Jaguars are certainly exploring plenty of options for who will coach the defensive side of the ball in Jacksonville next year. The team reportedly also requested an interview with Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen but were blocked access, per Jaguars beat reporter John Shipley. The Panthers also blocked an Ejiro Evero interview. There seems to be a concentrated focus on coaches with defensive back experience, which makes sense after the team gave up the seventh-most passing yards in the NFL this year.

Falcons Request HC Interview With Mike Macdonald

January 11th, 2024 at 6:58pm CST by Ben Levine

We can add another team to the list of suitors for Mike Macdonald. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Falcons have requested permission to interview the Ravens defensive coordinator for their head coaching vacancy.

[RELATED: 2024 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]

After not generating any head coaching interest last offseason, Macdonald has turned into one of the most popular names this time around. As our Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, the Falcons join the Titans, Commanders, Panthers, and Chargers as the teams that are currently pursuing Macdonald.

The second-year Ravens DC helped guide one the NFL’s top defenses this season, with Baltimore finishing the season as the top-scoring defense. Macdonald also got praise for his handling on the edge. Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy both caught on late with the Ravens, but the veteran duo still managed to finish the year with 18.5 sacks.

Macdonald joins a growing list of candidates for the open gig in Atlanta:

Despite the lack of a head coach, the Falcons are holding on to one of their coordinators. According to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, the Falcons blocked defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen from interviewing for the Jaguars defensive coordinator gig. After spending the 2022 campaign as the Saints DC, Nielsen took on the same role in Atlanta for the 2023 campaign. The Falcons defense ended up having a bounce-back season, finishing 11th in the NFL in yards allowed.

Panthers Block Jaguars From Ejiro Evero DC Interview

January 10th, 2024 at 11:32am CST by Sam Robinson

For a second straight year, Ejiro Evero has been denied permission to interview for a defensive coordinator job. The Panthers’ intention to overhaul their operation does not yet mean Evero is gone, and they are keeping him in place for the time being.

Carolina blocked a Jacksonville effort to interview Evero for its newly vacant DC post, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. The Panthers have been linked to viewing Evero as a potential HC, and Fowler adds the team will indeed interview its defensive play-caller for the top job.

This is similar to the start of Evero’s 2023 offseason, when the Broncos had hoped to retain him after their 2022 defense fared well. Evero still interviewed for every HC position last year, including Carolina’s, with teams unable to block coordinators from HC meetings. Before the Broncos hired Sean Payton, the team blocked the assistant from interviewing for the Falcons’ DC job.

The Jaguars dismissed Mike Caldwell after two seasons as DC, firing most of their defensive staff as well. While the Jags are set to have a fourth defensive coordinator in five years, they have not previously been connected to Evero, who had spent five years as a Rams assistant under Sean McVay. Four of those Los Angeles seasons featured Evero as a safeties coach, but after McVay elevated him to DBs coach for the team’s 2021 Super Bowl-winning season, the assistant’s stock has skyrocketed.

Evero’s defense kept the Broncos in many games during an otherwise miserable 2022 season. He became the rare assistant from a 5-12 team to be coveted across the board by HC-needy teams. Evero did not land one of the five available jobs last year, but after a meeting with Payton did not produce a partnership, the Broncos let Evero out of his contract. That led to the Panthers hiring him to run their defense under Frank Reich. Despite Evero not being Carolina’s interim HC following Reich’s firing, rumors emerged indicating the team’s defensive play-caller could stay. This would mean either Evero makes an unlikely climb into the HC chair or stays in his DC role under the next Carolina leader.

The Panthers ranked 29th in scoring defense but fourth in yards allowed. This marked Evero’s second straight season with a top-10 total defense; the Broncos ranked seventh in yardage last season. DVOA tells a different story, ranking Carolina’s defense 25th. Still, the Panthers are not letting Evero leave just yet. While it would surprise if the team promoted from within after a 2-15 season, assistant GM Dan Morgan is a candidate to succeed Scott Fitterer.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/9/24

January 9th, 2024 at 8:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the reserve/futures deals handed out Tuesday:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Indianapolis Colts

  • S Kendell Brooks, G Lewis Kidd, S Michael Tutsie

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Jaguars Fire DC Mike Caldwell, Others

January 9th, 2024 at 1:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 9: Changes on the offensive side of the ball have been made as well. Running backs coach Bernie Parmalee and offensive line assistant Todd Washington are out, per a statement from Pederson. The former was fired while the latter did not have his contract renewed, as noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

JANUARY 8: Following their late-season collapse, the Jaguars will make a major move. They are firing Mike Caldwell after his second season as defensive coordinator, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman reports.

Although the Jaguars struggled on both sides of the ball to close out this disappointing season, Caldwell will be the first domino to fall. The Jags hired the former NFL linebacker after he helped the Buccaneers win a Super Bowl as linebackers coach, but it is certainly unsurprising to see Jacksonville move forward with a big change.

As should be expected, the changes will not stop at Caldwell. Jacksonville is firing its defensive staff, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. While DVOA placed the Jaguars’ defense 10th overall, the group slipped down the stretch. Jacksonville allowed at least 28 points in four of its final six games — all losses. After an 8-3 start, the team closed what had looked like a promising season at 9-8.

Among the members of Caldwell’s defensive staff: D-line coach Brentson Buckner, pass-game coordinator Deshea Townsend, inside linebackers coach Tony Gilbert, safeties coach Cody Grimm and senior defensive assistant Bob Sutton. The Jags ranked 26th in pass defense. While the team did not make strides on offense after Doug Pederson handed play-calling reins to OC Press Taylor this season, no changes have emerged on that side of the ball yet. ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco adds that three defensive assistants — assistant D-line coach Rory Segrest, outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey and quality control staffer Patrick Reilly — will be retained.

The Jags splurged on both sides of the ball in 2022, allocating big bucks on free agents in Pederson’s first offseason as HC. They also added Travon Walker with the No. 1 overall pick while following that up with first-round linebacker Devin Lloyd. The Jags signed Foye Oluokun, Foley Fatukasi and Darious Williams in 2022. They extended Roy Robertson-Harris in 2023, largely returning the same cast from a defense that ranked 12th (scoring) and 24th (yardage) last season. Despite Josh Allen‘s contract-year sack surge, the Jags did not improve on that side of the ball as a whole.

DVOA, however, ranked Caldwell’s 2022 defense — additions notwithstanding — 26th. Yet, the Jaguars largely stood pat and ran it back following their AFC South title. The questionable decision burned the team, with Pederson pointing out missed assignments and missed tackles. Derrick Henry submitted a throwback performance Sunday, in what appears to be his Titans finale, by rampaging for 153 yards in a win-and-in game for the Jags. Jacksonville allowed 28 points to a Tennessee team that was previously 0-5 in AFC South play.

This firing means the Jaguars, by the 2024 season, will employ four defensive coordinators in five years. Todd Wash departed after the Doug Marrone firing, while Urban Meyer‘s DC (Joe Cullen) left after the unfit HC’s one-and-done. Caldwell, 52, played 11 NFL seasons and has been an NFL assistant for the past 16 years.

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

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.

Jaguars To Activate WR Christian Kirk

January 6th, 2024 at 11:21am CST by Ben Levine

As the Jaguars prepare for a crucial Week 18 matchup against the Titans, the team could be welcoming back a key member of their offense. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Jaguars are planning to activate wide receiver Christian Kirk from injured reserve. Kirk returned to practice earlier this week.

Kirk underwent core muscle surgery only a month ago, but the Jaguars are planning to activate him after a minimum stay on injured reserve. While the wideout is expected to join the active roster, Rapoport cautions that Kirk is still listed as questionable and will be a game-time decision tomorrow.

“I’m feeling better day by day and just kind of taking it from that standpoint right now,” Kirk said this week (via the team’s website). “I’m just trying to progress every day and do the best that I can to get out there if I can.”

After putting up career-best numbers during his first season in Jacksonville, Kirk has continued his production into 2023. He’s actually increased his receiving yards per game (65.2 to 65.6), receiving success rate (52.6 to 57.6), and catch percentage (63.2 to 67.1), and in his 12 appearances, he’d hauled in 57 catches for 787 yards and three scores. Pro Football Focus has graded him 45th among 125 qualifying wide receivers this season, with the site also giving him a top-15 positional grade for his pass blocking.

Zay Jones has been sidelined for two of Kirk’s four missed games, forcing the Jaguars to lean on their depth behind Calvin Ridley. Tim Jones, Parker Washington, Elijah Cooks, and Jamal Agnew have all seen an increase in snaps over the past few weeks.

While Kirk’s availability will need to be watched, much of the focus in Jacksonville will surround the status of Trevor Lawrence. After missing the first start of his career last weekend, the quarterback practiced on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a sprained AC joint on Christmas Eve.

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