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Seahawks To Hire Greg Olson As QBs Coach

February 20th, 2023 at 3:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Seahawks had a vacancy to fill after quarterbacks coach Dave Canales was hired by the Buccaneers as their new offensive coordinator. They have reportedly found his replacement.

Seattle is hiring Rams offensive assistant Greg Olson as QBs coach, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (Twitter link). The move represents a homecoming for the Richland, Washington native, along with his latest opportunity on an NFL sideline. Olson is one year removed from his most recent coordinator gig.

That came with the Raiders, and lasted four years. The 59-year-old also has experience at the coordinator level with the Lions, Rams, Buccaneers and Jaguars. Most recently, he returned to the Rams to reunite with head coach Sean McVay. Olson spent the 2017 season there as the team’s quarterbacks coach (working alongside current Seattle staffers Shane Waldron and Andy Dickerson), and his success in that capacity led to his latest OC opportunity.

Canales was a key member of the Seahawks’ staff this past season in particular, given the role he played in helping Geno Smith become one of league’s most surprising stories. The veteran went from a quarterback competition in the summer to a Pro Bowler during the 2022 campaign, leading the team to a postseason berth. That will raise expectations for Canales in his new role with the Buccaneers and their yet-to-be determined starter under center, but also leave Olson (who interviewed with the Chargers for their OC position this offseason) with the task of repeating that success in 2023.

That fact that Seattle went outside the organization for Canales’ replacement could lead to further changes on their staff taking place. Greg Auman of Fox Sports tweets that assistant QBs coach Kerry Joseph could follow Canales to Tampa Bay, given their shared time together in Seattle and the former’s previous coaching experience with the Buccaneers. In any event, Olson will look to help his own coaching stock while inheriting an interesting quarterback situation.

NFL Coaching Updates: Broncos, Brown, Cowboys, Jaguars

February 19th, 2023 at 7:05pm CST by Ely Allen

Following the departure of former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, there has been a litany of change to the coaching staff in Denver. A few of the updates and notes have flown a bit under the radar. For instance, in the midst of new head coach Sean Payton attempting to find his new defensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the team was interested in former Eagles linebackers coach Nick Rallis, who ended up getting hired for the same position in Arizona. Rapoport also avers that Philadelphia, knowing new Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon would be leaving their defensive coordinator position vacant, also had interest in retaining Rallis in an enhanced role as coordinator.

A rumor has also come to light that may explain a bit of why Payton and the Broncos have not yet filled the position. According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, the Broncos are seeking to retain defensive line coach Marcus Dixon and secondary coach Christian Parker regardless of who they hire at the defensive coordinator position. While a flattering notion towards the two coaches, the move effectively handcuffs whoever accepts the position into working with the two, regardless of system fit. Many of former defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero‘s staff have departed to join him in Carolina, though, and this appears to be the dedication Denver must show in order to retain the remaining assistants.

Klis also tweeted of another departure from the Broncos staff. While not technically a coach, instructional designer John Viera will reportedly be following Hackett to New York. Klis describes Viera as the “coach to the coaches,” detailing that he would lead presentations to the coaching staff.

Here are a few other coaching rumors from around the league:

  • The Panthers hired one of the league’s up and coming coaches this past weekend, announcing the addition of Rams assistant head coach and tight ends coach Thomas Brown as their new offensive coordinator. Rams head coach Sean McVay reportedly didn’t want to lose Brown but didn’t feel he could block him from a great opportunity, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. McVay regarded Brown as one of the best teachers he has worked with, and he was not the only one who noticed. Brown interviewed for the open Dolphins’ head coaching position last offseason and interviewed for the Texans’ job this year, as well. He was also a candidate for several other offensive coordinator positions. Brown’s considered a rising offensive mind in the game brings some intrigue to Carolina as a new play caller.
  • The Cowboys have added two former NFL players to their coaching staff for 2023. Former Vikings first round pick Sharrif Floyd will be officially added to the staff as the assistant defensive line and defensive quality control coach, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. The former defensive tackle, who played under Dan Quinn at Florida, worked with the staff during training camp last year. Todd Archer of ESPN adds that the team is also bringing on former safety and special teams ace Darian Thompson to serve as assistant linebackers and quality control coach. After spending much of 2021 on the practice squad, Thompson did not appear on the field in 2022.
  • In a tweet this week, the Jaguars announced two minor additions to their 2023 coaching staff. Jacksonville has hired former Bills wide receivers coach Chad Hall to serve in the same role for the Jaguars. After coaching Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis for the past four seasons, Hall will join Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson to coach a wide receivers group that surpassed all expectations in 2022 and may benefit even more with the potential addition of suspended receiver Calvin Ridley. The team has also added Greg Austin in the position of offensive quality control coach.
  • After hiring Brian Flores as their new defensive coordinator, the Vikings are parting ways with linebackers coach Greg Manusky, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Manusky has served as defensive coordinator for four different teams over the years. The veteran assistant should have plenty of options moving forward.
  • The Chargers announced a minor addition to their staff this week, according to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports. Los Angeles will be bringing in former Georgia defensive analyst Robert Muschamp as a quality control coach. Muschamp is the nephew of Georgia co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Will Muschamp and joined his uncle in Athens after two years working in Tennessee.
  • The Texans have hired former Kent State director of football operations and Yale chief of staff Jake Olson to the coaching staff, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. It’s a bit unclear what his role will be, but he will don the title of assistant senior assistant.

Panthers Hire Thomas Brown As OC

February 17th, 2023 at 3:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Frank Reich‘s Panthers staff continues to see notable additions being made. Carolina is set to hire Rams assistant head coach Thomas Brown as their new offensive coordinator, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). A team announcement has confirmed the news.

The two parties are currently working out the final details of an agreement for the position, Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport tweets. This comes not long after Brown conducted a second interview with the Panthers, and will put him in place for a jump in role but also a move to a different NFL team for the first time in his coaching career at the pro level.

Brown, 36, first joined Sean McVay‘s staff in 2020. He served as the team’s running backs coach that year, but had assistant head coach added to his title the following season. This past campaign saw him work with Los Angeles’ tight ends as the Rams have endured a number of departures on their staff in recent years. Brown had established himself as a key McVay staffer, though, and his loss will certainly be felt.

The Rams lost Liam Coen to Kentucky at the end of the 2022 season, and quickly pivoted to Mike LaFleur as his replacement for the role of offensive coordinator. Brown was mentioned as a potential in-house candidate for the position, but did not take part in a known interview. He also received interest from Arizona State for their head coaching vacancy, but will now take on a coordinator position for the first time since he worked at the college level.

The only other candidate connected to Carolina’s OC gig was Jim Bob Cooter, so it comes as little surprise that Reich has landed Brown just after their second sit-down. The latter’s hire marks another highly-acclaimed staffer who is headed to Charlotte. Reich has made a slew of moves not long after coming aboard as the team’s head coach, including new additions for both the offensive and defensive coordinator spots.

Ejiro Evero is in place as the Panthers’ DC, a move which came after he enjoyed a successful first season in Denver at the helm of the Broncos’ defense. That will make he and Brown a relatively inexperienced coordinator tandem, but Reich has added plenty of veteran staffers as well recently. That includes Dom Capers coming aboard as a senior assistant, something which represents a full-circle transaction of sorts given his and Reich’s shared history during the early days of the franchise.

Brown will inherit an offense which will also have former Colts OC Parks Frazier on hand. The Panthers struggled outside of the running game last season, and their QB situation very much remains up in the air. It has also not been confirmed whether or not Reich will call plays, though Brown’s status as a rookie coordinator certainly points to that setup being likely. In any event, Brown will have a key role in helping a celebrated staff craft a step forward in Carolina in 2023.

Coaching Notes: Pleasant, Curry, Broncos

February 17th, 2023 at 11:48am CST by Sam Robinson

A defensive coordinator interviewee earlier this decade, Aubrey Pleasant was without a job midway through last season. The Lions fired the veteran assistant, leading to a Packers move. But the former Rams assistant is coming back to Los Angeles. The Rams are rehiring Pleasant to be their defensive backs coach and defensive pass-game coordinator, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The sides have been talking about the job for about a month, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets.

Both the Saints and Vikings interviewed Pleasant for their DC positions in 2021, shortly after he had taken a job as the Lions’ secondary coach. But the Lions fired him in October. The Packers, who have ex-Rams staffer Joe Barry in place as DC, hired him as a consultant to close out the season. Pleasant, who has been in the NFL for 10 seasons, will return to a Rams organization that previously had him in place as its cornerbacks coach from 2017-20. In addition to Pleasant, the Rams are adding Mike Harris as their assistant DBs coach, Rodrigue adds (on Twitter). Harris spent the past two years as a Bears offensive assistant.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • The Broncos’ lone known offensive coordinator candidate thus far, Ronald Curry will not be moving. The Saints will retain their quarterbacks coach, Aaron Wilson of KPRC tweets. Curry, a former Sean Payton hire, interviewed for both the Buccaneers and Broncos’ OC positions. As Denver will continue its search, Tampa Bay hired Dave Canales earlier this week. A former NFL wideout, Curry has been with the Saints since 2016.
  • While multiple former Payton assistants connected to a reunion will not be heading to Denver, former Saints special teams coach Mike Westhoff will meet with his former boss tweeted about his upcoming Broncos meeting. Westhoff, 75, has been retired since 2019 but was rumored to be a candidate to join Payton in Denver. He worked for the Saints from 2017-18 but enjoyed long tenures (with the Dolphins and Jets) previously. In addition to former Saints coaches, Payton has been connected to coaches out of the league. Rex Ryan is favored to be the next Broncos DC, though interviews are ongoing, and Mike Zimmer has surfaced as a possible Broncos assistant option.
  • Canales will bring a Seahawks assistant to Tampa. The Bucs are hiring Brad Idzik to be their wide receivers coach, John Schneider said during a radio interview (via Seahawks.com’s John Boyle, on Twitter). Idzik previously worked as the Seahawks’ assistant wideouts coach. This marks a return trip for Idzik, who is the son of former Bucs front office bastion (and ex-Jets GM) John Idzik. The younger Idzik had been with the Seahawks since 2019.
  • The Raiders will greenlight a reunion as well, hiring Matt Lombardi to be their assistant wide receivers coach, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Matt Lombardi is the younger brother of Raiders OC Mick Lombardi and the son of former Raiders exec (and Browns GM) Michael Lombardi. Matt Lombardi spent the past three years with the Panthers, being one of Matt Rhule‘s hires.
  • Staying with the family theme, the Giants have added Brian Daboll‘s son to their staff. Christian Daboll will work as an offensive assistant in New York, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News tweets. Christian Daboll had previously worked as a student assistant at Penn State. Although the Giants have the younger Daboll listed as a staff member, they have not announced the hire.

Rams To Add Jimmy Lake To Staff

February 16th, 2023 at 12:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sean McVay will give Jimmy Lake an opportunity, more than a year after Washington fired him as head coach. The Rams will add the former Pac-12 HC to their staff, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Washington fired Lake before his second season as HC ended, doing so after suspending him for an incident in which he appeared to strike a player on the sidelines. With another complaint against Lake coming out during his suspension, Washington moved on in November 2021. But Lake had visited the Rams as a guest of Raheem Morris in the past, per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, who notes he has been on the team’s radar for about a month (Twitter link).

Lake, 46, was with Washington for eight seasons, rising from Huskies defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator to head coach in that span. Morris appears set to hire Lake to his defensive staff, though Pelissero notes it is uncertain what the role will be.

Morris and Lake were both on Jon Gruden‘s Buccaneers staff in the 2000s, with McVay also starting his career by spending a season under Gruden. Lake also worked as defensive backs coach under Morris in Tampa from 2010-11; he spent the next decade at the college level. The Rams moved on from defensive backs coach Jonathan Cooley last month; Cooley is now with the Panthers.

Washington fired Lake after the above-referenced incident, which occurred just after one of his players argued with an Oregon player during a 2021 game. The Seattle Times also reported Lake faced an allegation of being physical with a player during halftime of a 2019 game. Lake has been in coaching since 1999. He only ended up leading the Huskies for 13 games, going 7-6.

The Rams are also promoting Zak Kromer to be their assistant offensive line coach, Rodrigue tweets. The son of former Rams O-line coach Aaron Kromer, Zak has been with the Rams for the past six seasons. Aaron Kromer remains with the Bills, who lost their assistant O-line coach — Ryan Wendell — to the Rams; Wendell is now Los Angeles’ O-line coach.

2023 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

February 14th, 2023 at 1:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, 10 NFL teams hired new head coaches. Following the Panthers, Broncos and Texans’ hires, this year’s vacancy count sits at two. Last year’s Saints and Buccaneers moves, however, showed these job openings can emerge at unexpected points.

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

Updated 2-14-23 (1:30pm CT)

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order

February 13th, 2023 at 9:56am CST by Adam La Rose

With Super Bowl LVII in the books, the order of the final two first-round picks in April’s draft have been finalized. The Chiefs once again find themselves at the bottom of the order by virtue of winning their second Lombardi Trophy in the past four years.

The last time they found themselves in that position, they added running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in what was seen as a selection which would greatly boost their rushing attack. A repeat of that decision is unlikely this time around, given the emergence of seventh-round rookie Isiah Pacheco as the team’s lead back down the stretch, including the Super Bowl in which Edwards-Helaire was deactivated.

For the Eagles, the fact that their own first-rounder will be one spot higher than Kansas City’s is of course no consolation for the outcome of the game. Nevertheless, Philadelphia will have two chances – since they also have the Saints’ top choice, sitting at No. 10 overall – to add high-end rookies to an already strong core. The success both teams enjoyed in 2022, coupled with the strengths of their respective front offices, should have them well-positioned to contend once again next season.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s close:

  1. Chicago Bears: 3-14
  2. Houston Texans: 3-13-1
  3. Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
  4. Indianapolis Colts: 4-12-1
  5. Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
  6. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
  7. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-11
  8. Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
  9. Carolina Panthers: 7-10
  10. Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
  11. Tennessee Titans: 7-10
  12. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  13. New York Jets: 7-10
  14. New England Patriots: 8-9
  15. Green Bay Packers: 8-9
  16. Washington Commanders: 8-8-1
  17. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-8
  18. Detroit Lions: 9-8
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-9
  20. Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
  21. Los Angeles Chargers: 10-7
  22. Baltimore Ravens: 10-7
  23. Minnesota Vikings: 13-4
  24. Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
  25. New York Giants: 9-7-1
  26. Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
  27. Buffalo Bills: 13-3
  28. Cincinnati Bengals: 12-4
  29. New Orleans Saints (via 49ers through Broncos)
  30. Philadelphia Eagles: 14-3
  31. Kansas City Chiefs: 14-3

This year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice

Buccaneers, Panthers To Conduct Second OC Interviews With Thomas Brown

February 12th, 2023 at 7:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

A number of offensive coordinator vacancies have still not yet been filled, in no small part due to the interest being shown in staffers taking part in this year’s Super Bowl. One assistant who is free to join a new team at any time, however, is scheduled to meet with a pair of suitors.

Rams tight ends coach Thomas Brown will interview for a second time with both the Buccaneers and Panthers, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (via Twitter). Brown was the subject of Tampa Bay’s most recent first interview for their Byron Leftwich replacement; that sit-down obviously went well, as he is among the next round of candidates. Pelissero notes that Brown will interview on Wednesday.

One day later, though, Brown will head to Carolina for a second interview with the Panthers, per Pelissero. Brown had not previously been connected to the OC position in Charlotte, one which was occupied in 2022 by Ben McAdoo. With the arrival of head coach Frank Reich, it comes as no surprise that a new direction is the target on offense, as it was on defense as well with the hiring of Ejiro Evero.

The Panthers struggled on offense early in 2022, one of the top contributing factors to Matt Rhule‘s midseason dismissal. That move was followed by the trade sending running back Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers, a signal of the Panthers’ intentions with respect to competing down the stretch. However, their ground game remained strong to close out the season under interim HC Steve Wilks. Overall, though, they struggled in the air and ranked 29th in total offense and 20th in scoring.

Brown, 36, has been rising in acclaim in recent years as he takes on a larger role with Sean McVay and the Rams. With a background coaching both running backs and tight ends, he could be a contributor to both the running and passing game. Brown has not been a coordinator at the NFL level, however, meaning his hire would likely leave play-calling duties with Reich.

Brown is the only reported Carolina candidate so far aside from Jim Bob Cooter. With respect to the Bucs, he is part of a much longer list of staffer connected to the position. The possibility of remaining in Los Angeles still remains, of course, but Brown is very much on the radar for a possible move to the NFC South.

Coaching Notes: Burke, Bolts, Wendell, Jags

February 11th, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

In the early days of the Cardinals‘ search for their next head coach, it was uncertain which assistants would be back. That still may be the case. But the Browns sought to hire one of the Cards’ assistants in January. Cleveland hiring Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator prompted an interview request for Arizona defensive line coach Matt Burke, per Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter). Burke had been the Lions’ linebackers coach throughout Schwartz’s time as Detroit’s HC, and the Browns wanted to reunite the veteran assistant with their new DC. But the Cardinals blocked the move, Breer adds.

This ended up working out well for Burke. Weeks later, the Texans filling their head coaching post led to DeMeco Ryans bringing him in for a defensive coordinator interview. Burke is now Houston’s DC, and he may be in position to call plays. Teams cannot block position coaches from interviewing for coordinator jobs any longer. The Cardinals’ HC hire will not come to pass until at least next week. Then, Arizona’s staff will start to take shape. Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • Former Patriots offensive lineman Ryan Wendell will receive his first chance as an offensive line coach. The Rams are hiring him to lead their O-line, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. Wendell, 36, spent the past four seasons with the Bills — the past three as their assistant O-line coach. Wendell played eight seasons with the Patriots, three as a regular starter, and was the team’s starting right guard during its Super Bowl XLIX-winning season in 2014. After beginning his coaching run in Buffalo, Wendell will take over a Rams O-line that struggled consistently last season.
  • The Chargers are in the process of filling out Kellen Moore‘s new offensive staff. They interviewed Raiders offensive assistant Fred Walker for their quarterbacks coach position, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. One of Josh McDaniels‘ hires last year, Walker came to Las Vegas after a run on Duke’s staff under David Cutcliffe. The first of those years, back in 2018, featured Walker working as Daniel Jones‘ QBs coach.
  • Former Browns defensive backs coach Jeff Howard had multiple options to continue his career. He received offers from both the Chargers and Panthers, according to ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter, who notes Howard chose the Bolts (Twitter link). Howard, an NFL assistant for the past 10 seasons, will be the Chargers’ next linebackers coach. The 40-year-old staffer spent seven years as a Vikings assistant before taking the Browns’ DBs job in 2020.
  • In addition to Wendell, the Bills will lose another assistant. Buffalo wide receivers coach Chad Hall will leave to take the same position with the Jaguars, Pelissero notes (via Twitter). Hall, 36, had spent the past four seasons as the Bills’ wideouts coach and had been with the team since Sean McDermott arrived in 2017. Hall’s contract had expired. An NFL receiver from 2010-14, Hall’s last stop came with the Jaguars. He also began his career with the Eagles, when current Jags HC Doug Pederson was on staff.
  • Sean Payton had eyed Dan Roushar, a longtime Saints assistant, for a spot on his Broncos staff. But the veteran assistant will instead stay in Louisiana. Roushar, whom the Saints dismissed last month, is expected to land on Tulane’s staff, Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com tweets. Payton lured Roushar out of the college ranks in 2013, and he spent 10 seasons with the Saints coaching multiple positions. Payton will undoubtedly add some of his former Saints coworkers to his Broncos staff — Ronald Curry has interviewed for Denver’s OC job — but Roushar will return to the college game.

Buccaneers Interview Thomas Brown For OC Position

February 10th, 2023 at 7:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

A new name has been added to the list of candidates for Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator vacancy. The team announced on Friday that Rams tight ends coach Thomas Brown interviewed with the Buccaneers to discuss their OC position.

The meeting was conducted virtually, and came not long after Tampa Bay’s only reported second interview. That, surprisingly, involved Bengals QBs coach Dan Pitcher, who had recently signed a new deal with Cincinnati. The Buccaneers continue to cast a wide net in their search for Byron Leftwich‘s replacement and with it, a more balanced approach on offense.

The NFC South champions averaged just under 270 passing yards per game in 2022, which was the second-highest figure in the NFL. However, they had the league’s worst rushing attack (77 yards per contest), and struggled to establish a rhythm during what turned out to be Tom Brady‘s final season under center. Given the tension reportedly involving he, head coach Todd Bowles and Leftwich, it came as little surprise that the latter was fired after the Buccaneers’ wild card loss.

Given his background, Brown could represent a logical candidate to help fix Tampa’s woes with respect to their ground game. The 36-year-old has been with the Rams since 2020, his first foray into coaching at the NFL level. Over that time, he held the title of running backs coach and assistant head coach in addition to his current one. Brown has widely been seen as one of the league’s top young offensive minds for some time now, as he has taken on an increasingly important role on Sean McVay‘s staff.

That made Brown a candidate for the Rams’ OC position, but the team went outside the organization in hiring Mike LaFleur. The former has also drawn considerable interest in this year’s cycle from other teams, however; Brown interviewed with the Cowboys in the wake of Kellen Moore‘s departure. He also met with the Chargers and Commanders for their respective OC vacancies, the latter of which has yet to be filled.

With Brown now potentially in the running in Tampa Bay, here is an updated look at the Buccaneers’ ongoing search:

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