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Coaching Notes: Vrabel, Seahawks, Quinn, Morris, Falcons, Staley, Browns, Giants, Izzo, Steelers, Rams

January 18th, 2024 at 6:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks have not met with Mike Vrabel yet, but interest is believed to exist on the NFC West team’s part. More smoke has emerged connecting Vrabel to Seattle. Several sources indicated this is a match worth monitoring, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano, while the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora has heard Vrabel and Dan Quinn are the two names to watch with regards to the Seattle HC job.

Vrabel and Seahawks GM John Schneider are believed to be close, La Canfora adds. With Pete Carroll out of the picture, Schneider — who operated in a right-hand man role as Carroll held final say — is running the show in Seattle. Vrabel sought full personnel control in Tennessee when the team was between GMs, but the organization did not grant it. A structure in which Schneider holds final say but Vrabel possesses more input than he held with the Titans could make sense, but Quinn’s four seasons — spread across two stints, the latter two as a Super Bowl-bound DC — obviously provide a strong connection. The Dallas DC was also the first candidate mentioned for this opening. Quinn has a busy week on tap; the Cowboys’ DC is interviewing virtually with the Panthers, Chargers, Seahawks, Titans and Commanders.

Here is the latest from the coaching carousel:

  • Deviating from their Arthur Blank-era trend, the Falcons are believed to be eyeing a coach with experience. Raheem Morris represents an interesting choice, considering he was Atlanta’s interim HC in 2020, but La Canfora adds some around the league view this as a potential match. Sean McVay is advocating for his three-year DC, and a coaching agent informed La Canfora that Morris is believed to have left Atlanta the first time on good terms. Morris, who served as Buccaneers HC from 2009-11, was a Falcons staffer from 2015-20. Bill Belichick having a second interview booked does point to the ex-Patriots coach being the favorite here, however.
  • Duce Staley paid a visit to the Browns this week, according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson. The Browns just fired running backs coach Stump Mitchell and are in need at that post. Staley did not make it into December during his first season as Panthers RBs coach, joining QBs coach Josh McCown in being fired. But Staley has been an NFL backfield coach — with the Eagles, Lions and Panthers — since 2013.
  • The Browns are also interviewing Titans outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow, per veteran NFL reporter Paul Kuharsky. While incumbent D-line coach Ben Bloom is not believed to have been fired, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot confirms the Crow report, indicating Bloom could be reassigned. Crow was with Tennessee throughout Vrabel’s six-year tenure; Bloom has enjoyed two stints in Cleveland — 2009-10 and over the past four seasons under Kevin Stefanski.
  • Seeking a replacement for six-year special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, the Giants are eyeing one of their Tom Coughlin-era assistants. Larry Izzo, the former Patriots linebacker who coached on Coughlin’s staff from 2011-15, is in the mix for the ST coordinator job, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets. Izzo spent the past three seasons as the Seahawks‘ ST boss, but with Carroll gone, the organization has given its assistants permission to explore other opportunities. Izzo broke into coaching in New York, serving as assistant ST coach before moving up the ladder elsewhere.
  • The Rams are losing their defensive line coach to the college ranks. USC announced the hiring of Eric Henderson, who spent the past five seasons as the Rams’ D-line coach. Henderson’s Los Angeles run will continue; he started his NFL coaching stay with two seasons as the Chargers’ assistant D-line coach. Henderson, 40, will become the Trojans’ co-defensive coordinator.
  • Steelers assistant Glenn Thomas will rejoin Matt Rhule, according to The Athletic’s Mitch Sherman, who notes the former Baylor and Temple assistant will become co-OC at Nebraska. Thomas spent one season with the Steelers, coming to Pittsburgh after being Arizona State’s OC in 2022.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/18/24

January 18th, 2024 at 6:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s reserve/futures deals:

Los Angeles Rams

  • K Tanner Brown

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

  • WR Brycen Tremayne

Kliff Kingsbury, Marcus Brady, Zac Robinson On Bears’ OC Radar

January 18th, 2024 at 1:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kliff Kingsbury spent this season out of the NFL, returning to the college ranks after his Cardinals ouster. The Bears are interested in gauging his credentials for their newly vacated offensive coordinator gig.

The USC assistant is expected to interview for the Chicago opening, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Kingsbury has never been an NFL coordinator, though he spent four seasons as the Cards’ HC. Additionally, the Bears requested an OC meeting with Eagles assistant Marcus Brady, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Brady spent two seasons as Colts OC under Frank Reich.

With Caleb Williams potentially Chicago-bound, the Kingsbury fit would certainly be interesting. Kingsbury joined Lincoln Riley’s staff ahead of Williams’ final Trojans season, serving as the Pac-12 program’s quarterbacks coach. The familiarity gained would be of interest to a Bears team — perhaps even as an additional Williams scouting mission.

Although Kingsbury is the bigger name here, Brady and Matt Eberflus have more history. Both were assistants under Reich from 2018-21. The 2021 season involved Brady, who replaced Nick Sirianni as Indianapolis’ OC, and Eberflus in place as Reich’s coordinators.

The Reich coaching tree has taken a hit this year, seeing as Reich himself has been fired during the past two seasons and Sirianni’s Eagles completing one of the most shocking freefalls in recent memory. But Eberflus received a third year with the Bears, showing improvement down the stretch. He should be expected to meet with Brady, who spent this season as a senior offensive assistant in Philly. Brady has not yet called plays in the NFL, with Reich holding that responsibility throughout his Colts tenure.

Kingsbury, 43, guided a Cardinals team down J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins to the playoffs in 2021. But cracks in Arizona’s foundation became glaringly apparent a year later. Kingsbury-Kyler Murray discord emerged, and the Cardinals’ offense — already reliant on shorter passes — took a step back in a 4-13 campaign that ended with Murray on the shelf with a torn ACL and Kingsbury fired months after he had inked an extension. The Cards ranked 21st offensively in 2022 but finished 13th and 11th in 2020 and ’21, respectively. Kingsbury was believed to be rejecting OC meetings last year, though he did end up in Houston to discuss the Texans’ play-calling job that went to Bobby Slowik.

Returning to the college level, Kingsbury coached Williams to another strong season. Although Williams was not on the Heisman radar in 2023, he topped his Heisman-year numbers in yards per attempt and completion percentage. The Trojans also finished third in scoring nationally, matching their place from 2022.

Additionally, the Bears scheduled an OC interview with Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Robinson, 37, has been on Sean McVay’s Rams staff for the past five years. Four of those, including the team’s Super Bowl-winning year, have come coaching QBs. Losing OC Kevin O’Connell in 2022, McVay elevated Robinson to QBs coach; he had been L.A.’s assistant QBs coach in 2021. The Rams went outside the organization to replace Liam Coen as OC, hiring Mike LaFleur, but Robinson remained onboard as QBs coach.

The Bears, who essentially have a Williams-or-Justin Fields decision looming, is Kingsbury’s first connection to another NFL job. Here is how their OC chase looks so far:

  • Marcus Brady, senior offensive assistant (Eagles): Interview requested
  • Thomas Brown, offensive coordinator (Panthers): To interview
  • Liam Coen, offensive coordinator (Kentucky): To interview
  • Kliff Kingsbury, quarterbacks coach (USC): To interview
  • Greg Olson, quarterbacks coach (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/12
  • Zac Robinson, quarterbacks coach (Rams): Interviewed 1/18
  • Greg Roman, former offensive coordinator (Ravens): To interview
  • Shane Waldron, offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interview requested

Saints Request OC Interviews With Dan Pitcher, Zac Robinson

January 17th, 2024 at 11:46am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals could not follow up their run of back-to-back AFC championship game appearances with another playoff berth, seeing Joe Burrow‘s injury disrupt their progress. But Cincinnati staffers are still being considered for promotions.

With Brian Callahan receiving extensive HC interest, Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher is also in the mix for at least one OC role. The Saints sent Pitcher an interview request for their play-calling post, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones tweets.

Pitcher interviewed for the Buccaneers’ OC job last year and drew interest from the Ravens. With Jake Browning submitting some quality work during the Bengals’ post-Burrow stretch, it stands to reason teams will be interested in seeing what Callahan and Pitcher have to offer on this year’s coaching carousel.

Fifteen years have passed since the Saints have searched for an offensive coordinator. Pete Carmichael held the job from 2009-23, serving as one of the longest-tenured assistants in modern NFL history. While teams have kept an offensive HC as their play-caller for longer (though, even that is rare), it is nearly unheard of for a coordinator to stay in one position that long. The Saints used Carmichael as their play-caller for the past two years, with defense-oriented Dennis Allen succeeding Sean Payton. But they fired the veteran staffer Tuesday.

The Saints could run into multiple issues with Pitcher. Not only will New Orleans attempt to hire an OC with its head coach set to enter the 2024 season on a hot seat, but Callahan’s prospects on the HC carousel would stand to affect Pitcher. The Bengals have employed Pitcher since 2016, and the team extended him last year. He is viewed as a natural in-house Callahan replacement, should he land a top job this offseason.

Pitcher, 37, worked as a Colts scout for four years under Ryan Grigson but has been a Bengals coach since their Marvin Lewis years. Zac Taylor kept Pitcher upon taking over and elevated him to assistant QBs coach in 2019; since 2020, Pitcher has been Burrow’s position coach. The Bengals have managed to keep their core staffers on offense together since Burrow’s arrival, but teams’ interest could disrupt that status this year.

Rams assistant Zac Robinson is also on the Saints’ radar. New Orleans sent Sean McVay‘s quarterbacks coach an interview request as well, according to NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill. The McVay tree is already one of the NFL’s most fruitful, and it is probably not a coincidence the Saints are requesting meetings with Pitcher — who has learned under a McVay pupil for five years — and one of his current lieutenants.

Robinson, 37, has been on McVay’s Rams staff for the past five years. Four of those, including the team’s Super Bowl-winning year, have come coaching QBs. Losing OC Kevin O’Connell in 2022, McVay elevated Robinson to QBs coach; he had been L.A.’s assistant QBs coach in 2021. The Rams went outside the organization to replace Liam Coen as OC, hiring Mike LaFleur, but Robinson remained onboard as QBs coach.

In addition to the McVay tree’s early supply of HCs, teams are looking into his current and former assistants as coordinators. The Bears are interviewing Shane Waldron and Thomas Brown. This is believed to be Robinson’s third OC interview request; he met with the Ravens and Chargers last year.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/16/24

January 16th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are today’s reserve/futures contracts:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

  • OL Ben Brown, S Tyreque Jones, RB Tyreik McAllister

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Rams TE Tyler Higbee Suffers Torn ACL

January 16th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 16: Higbee did indeed tear his ACL, an MRI confirmed (h/t NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). He now faces a steep challenge with respect to recovering in full in time for the beginning of the 2024 campaign, one in which he will look to return to form and the team will aim to repeat this year’s offensive success in particular.

JANUARY 15: The Rams’ campaign came to an end on Sunday night, and Tyler Higbee is likely to face an offseason of recovery. The veteran tight end is believed to have suffered a torn ACL during the team’s wild-card loss, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Higbee suffered the injury after being hit by Lions safety Kerby Joseph in the fourth quarter. He had not made a catch up to that point in the game (with the play in which he went down coming on his lone target of the contest), but his absence nevertheless dealt a blow to the Rams’ offense. Schefter notes an MRI will take place today to confirm the initial diagnosis.

The 2023 campaign was Higbee’s eighth in the NFL, all of which have come with the Rams. The former fourth-rounder has been a full-time starter since his rookie season, and he has served as a consistent option in the passing game over the course of his tenure. Higbee has played at least 15 games every year, and his durability has of course been a key factor in his success. Assuming he has indeed torn his ACL, he will face a challenging recovery period to be available for the start of next season.

Higbee recorded his fourth consecutive season with at least 521 receiving yards in 2022, seeing a career-high 108 targets along the way. His production and continued importance to the team’s passing attack earned him an extension in September. The 31-year-old is under contract through 2025 as a result, with scheduled cap hits of $11.6MM and $9.6MM. A return to form would be a welcomed development as the Rams look to build off of this year’s offensive success.

Higbee had a smaller share in the team’s overall production this year, posting a 47-495-2 statline. The emergence of fifth-round rookie Puka Nacua into one of the the league’s leading receivers played a large role in that, of course, but having he, fellow WR Cooper Kupp and Higbee healthy will go a long way in ensuring offensive production moving forward. The latter’s health situation could be a key storyline for the team in the offseason, however.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/15/24

January 15th, 2024 at 7:41pm CST by Ben Levine

With a handful of teams getting eliminated from the playoffs this weekend, those front offices are starting to prepare for the offseason. Here are today’s reserve/futures deals, with the majority coming from recently eliminated squads:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Seahawks Request HC Interviews With Dan Quinn, Frank Smith, Ejiro Evero, Raheem Morris

January 15th, 2024 at 3:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dan Quinn came up as the first known candidate to replace Pete Carroll in Seattle. The ex-Carroll lieutenant will indeed land on the Seahawks’ request list.

The Seahawks sent out a slip to the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Quinn, 53, enjoyed multiple stints in Seattle, the second of which coming when he spent both Super Bowl seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator in the 2010s. While Quinn’s Dallas defense disappointed Sunday, he is now likely to conduct HC interviews with at least five teams.

[RELATED: 2024 Head Coaching Search Tracker]

The former Falcons HC has been a popular name on the interview circuit for three years now. After Quinn bowed out of the 2023 interview process early, he appears set to stay on this year’s carousel longer. Quinn has been Dallas’ DC for three seasons, though it will be interesting to see how the organization handles the Mike McCarthy situation following the Packers’ runaway win.

Dolphins OC Frank Smith and Panthers DC Ejiro Evero have also received an interview request from the Seahawks, Pelissero adds. Smith has been Mike McDaniel‘s OC in Miami for the past two seasons. McDaniel and Smith’s offense fared miserably Saturday night in frigid Kansas City, but the team turned a corner under McDaniel. The Seahawks join the Panthers in showing interest in McDaniel’s right-hand man on offense.

Evero has been a coveted HC candidate despite spending his two DC years on bad teams. Evero’s defenses outshined the offenses in Denver last season and in Carolina recently, and he has now secured interview requests from the Falcons and Seahawks — in addition to his Panthers meeting.

This fast-moving process also includes Raheem Morris, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Morris has spent the past three seasons in the NFC West, working as the Rams’ DC. He joins Quinn in bringing HC experience to the table, having coached the Buccaneers for three seasons and having served as the Falcons’ interim coach following Quinn’s 2020 ouster. Morris spent six seasons on Quinn’s Atlanta staff, serving in myriad capacities.

A usual-suspects list thus far, the Seahawks are jumping onto the HC carousel a bit later. They reassigned Carroll to an undetermined role, in what amounts to a firing due to the 14-year HC making a case to keep his job, and it is unknown if the longtime leader, who is 72, will coach again. But longtime Carroll leadership partner John Schneider is steering the ship right now; the GM will be likely to explore a reunion with Quinn, who helmed the Seahawks to back-to-back first-place finishes in scoring defense from 2013-14. He parlayed that into a Falcons HC gig, which started to go south following the Super Bowl LI collapse. Quinn has rebuilt his stock in Dallas, though it will be interesting to see how Sunday’s shocking loss affects his chances of securing a second HC position. Quinn initially worked in Seattle from 2009-10, being hired by Jim Mora Jr. and then retained by Carroll as D-line coach.

Evero, 43, worked with Morris in 2021 while also working alongside OC Shane Waldron with the Rams in prior years. Waldron, however, is far from guaranteed to stay. The Seahawks have greenlit a Waldron Bears OC interview. As for Evero, he has garnered respect for his work to keep the 2022 Broncos in games — during their mess of a season under Nathaniel Hackett — and his Panthers defense ranked fourth in yards allowed. DVOA was less kind to Evero’s defense (25th), but eight teams over the past two years have sought HC interviews.

Miami’s offense ranked second in scoring and first in yardage, but the frontrunning label and the team’s struggles against quality opposition will be inescapable after the egg the team laid against the Chiefs. It will be interesting to see if Smith, 42, garners serious consideration in the wake of Miami’s inconsistent season. Morris, 47, is 21-38 as a head coach. But he was just 32 when he landed the Bucs’ top job in 2009. Morris is now best known for collecting a Super Bowl ring as the Rams’ DC. He did well to develop some Aaron Donald pass-rushing sidekicks this year, in third-round picks Byron Young and Kobie Turner.

It should be expected Ravens DC Mike Macdonald will receive a request; the two-year Baltimore defensive boss joined Quinn in early rumors pertaining to the Seahawks’ HC gig. Teams are already interviewing candidates virtually, and Quinn has four Zoom meetings scheduled for this week. No in-person interviews can occur until the divisional round concludes, marking a delay from the NFL’s usual schedule.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/13/24

January 13th, 2024 at 4:52pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s transactions and callups for the Saturday night and Sunday games:

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

The three-game limit for practice squad players to be elevated under a single contract is reset in the playoffs, allowing players who weren’t able to be activated anymore by the end of the year to return in the coming weeks.

Packers starting cornerback Jaire Alexander injured his ankle this week in practice, leading to his current questionable status. Long will be elevated to provide some depth in the off chance that Alexander is unable to go versus the Cowboys.

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.

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