Dolphins Request To Interview Rams’ Thomas Brown
One of the more interesting names to surface in this year’s head coaching market, Rams’ running backs coach/assistant head coach Thomas Brown has been targeted as a candidate by the Miami Dolphins. Tom Pelissero, of NFL Network, broke the news in a tweet that compares him to a young Mike Tomlin. As far as I can tell, this is the first time Brown’s name has been brought up for a job this high in the coaching ranks.
Brown had a short career in the NFL after being taken in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. As a young running back, Brown saw his rookie season end before it could even get going when a horse collar tackle landed him on IR. He never ended up finding his way onto the field after that.
Not one to sit dormant, Brown went back to his alma mater and became a strength and conditioning coach for the Georgia Bulldogs. He decided to take a step into coaching accepting the running backs coaching position at UT Chattanooga. He began to progress through the college football ranks as he spent a season each at Marshall, Wisconsin, and Georgia as a running backs coach. He followed Mark Richt to Miami where he spent three seasons before taking one last college job at South Carolina. Brown even rose to the title of offensive coordinator at Miami, although play calling duties remained with Coach Richt. Along all these stops, Brown mentored future NFL players, coaching Melvin Gordon, Corey Clement, Dare Ogunbowale, and Derek Watt at Wisconsin, Sony Michel and Nick Chubb at Georgia, Gus Edwards, Travis Homer, and DeeJay Dallas at Miami, and Tavien Feaster at South Carolina. In his lone season with Gordon, Gordon finished 42 yards short of breaking Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record.
After that last season in South Carolina, Brown accepted the running backs coaching position for the Rams, helping them to cope with the loss of Todd Gurley by utilizing the three-headed attack of Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, and Malcolm Brown. This season, Brown was reunited with Michel and, despite the loss of Akers for the season, has led a fairly talented running backs group.
Brown is known for developing a trust with his players who would run through walls for him. He’s an advocate for his players and takes responsibility for their development outside the game as much as in it, as was displayed in a clip from HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” in which he spoke to his position group about the racial issues plaguing the nation.
I don’t expect this to be the last time time we see Brown’s name come up for a coaching job and I wouldn’t even be surprised to see him nab the Miami job. Get to know the name Thomas Brown. The 35-year old is only beginning to make his name in the coaching circuit.
Culley’s Departure Doesn’t Affect Watson
According to multiple sources, the departure of former Texans’ head coach David Culley has no effect on where the franchise stands with quarterback Deshaun Watson. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that Watson’s issue was never with the coaching staff and Culley, Watson’s issue was with the ownership. 
The Texans are hoping to trade the 3-time Pro Bowler before the new league year starts on March 16. Watson holds a bit of power in the decision-making for the trade, as he holds a no-trade clause in his contract. Watson, in theory, must approve of his trade location and waive his no-trade clause for the chosen team, as he did with the Dolphins.
The Dolphins’ deal, which valued Watson at multiple first-round picks plus some ancillary picks, ended up falling through as Miami erred on the side of caution when they weren’t able to secure conditions attached to the picks as a safeguard against Watson’s possible discipline. Watson’s deposition is set to take place on February 22, with Watson not due in court until May 2. This makes Texans’ general manager Nick Caserio‘s job a bit more challenging, as the case on Watson will still loom over any potential deals.
Regardless, any head coach or offensive coordinator interviewing for Houston’s open positions should be aware that Watson is not part of the deal. Any coaching candidates will have to do their homework on Davis Mills instead.
Dolphins Request Interview With Bills’ Frazier
The Dolphins have requested to interview Bills’ defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, according to a tweet from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. 
Frazier has been with Buffalo throughout Sean McDermott‘s five-year tenure, overseeing a Bills defensive resurgence, and would be a second-chance candidate after a four-season run as Vikings HC in the early 2010s. The 62-year-old assistant has been an NFL staffer since 1999, joining the Eagles under Andy Reid after two years with the University of Illinois.
Taking over the Vikings as an interim HC in 2010, Frazier did not enjoy a favorable quarterback situation while in that role. The Vikings used Christian Ponder as their starter for most of Frazier’s run. Frazier has called defensive plays for the Bills and has been connected to a couple of coaching searches in recent years.
Frazier interviewed twice for the Texans job that went to David Culley this year and met with the Colts following the Josh McDaniels about-face in 2018. Bills ownership has pushed for a team to hire Frazier as HC. It would be interesting to see the Dolphins once again go for a defensive play caller from a divisional rival.
Parts of this article were contributed by Sam Robinson
Latest On Brian Flores, Dolphins Divorce
It’s been a bit more than 24 hours since Brian Flores was canned in Miami, and we keep learning more about the divorce between the Dolphins and their former head coach. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald has a number of nuggets about Flores’ firing. While the whole article is worth reading, we compiled some of the notable notes below.
[RELATED: Dolphins Fire HC Brian Flores]
For starters, Flores wanted full control over the organization, including roster decisions (over general manager Chris Grier). The head coach “wanted more power in everything” and “wanted more people to report to him,” and he wanted this decision-making distinction officially “formalized.” According to Jackson, Flores already had a great deal of control, and there wasn’t a single player on the roster who Flores didn’t sign off on. Still, tension remained between Flores and Grier.
Flores’ power grab went beyond the normal duties of a HC. According to Jackson, Flores requested the firing of the team’s top football media relations person. While he received push back from top executives (including president Tom Garfinkel), the employee was ultimately dismissed. Flores also chewed out an agent who posted a positive offseason update about an injured player.
Further, Flores planned on making more changes to his staff, especially with his offensive coaches. The Dolphins were operating with two offensive coordinators by the time the season came to an end, and Flores was planning on firing at least one of the two.
To top it all off, Flores apparently had issues communicating with some of his players, with some of the younger members of the team claiming that their HC “doesn’t understand dealing with men.” Meanwhile, veterans like Jason McCourty wouldn’t be treated with the “same heavy hand” as his younger teammates. There was also tension with QB Tua Tagovailoa, with the two having a heated exchange during their game against the Titans this season.
Dolphins Request HC Interviews With Cardinals’ Vance Joseph, Cowboys’ Kellen Moore
Vance Joseph has enjoyed some eventful years since leaving Miami in 2017. The Dolphins, however, are interested in bringing the veteran defensive coach back to south Florida.
The Dolphins requested a head-coaching interview with Joseph, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. This follows the team’s interview summons for Brian Daboll, Mike McDaniel, and Dan Quinn. Joseph, however, has more familiarity with the franchise. This marks Joseph’s first connection to an opening this year.
In addition to the Joseph inclusion, the Dolphins sent out a request to meet with Cowboys OC Kellen Moore, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Prior to taking the Broncos HC job, Joseph spent the 2016 season as the Dolphins DC. That did not go particularly well, with Miami ranking 29th in total defense that year. Nevertheless, Joseph impressed enough to beat out Kyle Shanahan to become Denver’s HC. The Broncos fired him after two years, however. Joseph went 11-21 in Denver, starting the franchise’s run of sub-.500 seasons. Joseph, 49, has run the Cardinals’ defense since 2019. Following two relatively mediocre seasons, Arizona’s defense has turned it around in 2021, including them ranking seventh in passing yards allowed.
Moore inked a three-year extension with the Cowboys towards the close of the 2020 season, but he’s remained a hot name in coaching circles. The rival Eagles requested an interview with him in January of 2021 before ultimately going with Nick Sirianni.
Dolphins Request Interviews With Dan Quinn, Mike McDaniel
After surprisingly firing Brian Flores, the Dolphins continue to put in early work on his replacement. They sent interview requests to Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter links).
Quinn has become a consistent presence early in the request process. The Broncos and Bears have requested permission to meet with the first-year Cowboys DC. The Jaguars also submitted a request to interview Quinn virtually, attempting to take advantage of the NFL’s new early window, but the ex-Falcons leader declined to do a virtual meeting during the regular season. Nevertheless, he is a popular name thus far.
The 49ers saw the Jets poach one of Kyle Shanahan‘s right-hand men on offense last year, when Mike LaFleur became Robert Saleh‘s OC. McDaniel has been a Shanahan staffer for years, following him from Atlanta to San Francisco. The first-year 49ers OC doubles as the team’s run-game coordinator. Despite Raheem Mostert going down in Week 1 and Elijah Mitchell missing time with multiple injuries, the 49ers finished as a top-10 rushing attack.
This marks McDaniel’s first HC connection this year, but the Dolphins were interested in him a year ago. Miami had the San Francisco assistant on its OC radar last year, but Flores opted to go with an Eric Studesville–George Godsey co-OC setup. The Quinn and McDaniel summons follow the Dolphins’ Brian Daboll request, one the team submitted hours after firing Flores.
Dolphins Request Permission To Interview Bills OC Brian Daboll
Brian Daboll is emerging as a popular name for head coaching vacancies. Following news that the Bears requested permission to interview the Bills OC, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins also requested permission to interview Daboll.
[RELATED: Dolphins Fire HC Brian Flores]
The move would reunite Daboll with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who played under Daboll when the two were at Alabama. Since Daboll’s one-year stint as Alabama’s offensive coordinator, he’s served in the same role with the Bills. Following an inconsistent first season in the role, the Bills offense has been among the top-10(ish) units over the past three years. That includes a passing offense that ranked second in points scored in 2020 and third in points scored in 2021.
A Daboll hiring would also be a bit of a homecoming for the coach after he served as Miami’s offensive coordinator in 2011. Daboll has also served as OC with the Chiefs and Browns, and he’s worked on the coaching staffs for the Jets and Patriots.
While Daboll is a candidate, we know one person who will not be considered for the role. Many assumed that owner Stephen Ross, who is a major Michigan donor, would target Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh. However, following reports that the Dolphins wouldn’t be pursuing the veteran coach, Ross confirmed the news to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“I’m not going to be the person to take Jim Harbaugh from the University of Michigan,” Ross said (Twitter link).
The Dolphins fired Brian Flores earlier today. The 40-year-old took over as the Fins’ HC in 2019, compiling an overall record of 24-25. A 10-6 finish last year was the cause of a great deal of optimism for the future for the team. However, Flores found himself on the hot seat following an early-season seven-game losing streak, but many pundits assumed he saved his job when the team turned things around and won seven-straight games. Ultimately, Flores was handed his walking papers.
Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order
The NFL’s first ever 17-game regular season is now over, and the 14-team playoff field is set. The end of the year also confirms, of course, the draft order for the top 18 picks, allowing the non-playoff clubs to begin planning for the offseason.
Despite their upset win on Sunday, the Jaguars will have the top selection for the second year in a row; this marks the fifth time a team has had back-to-back No. 1 picks, and the first since the Browns did in 2017-18.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.
Here is the final draft order (for non-playoff teams) along with the current projected order for the 14 postseason clubs:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
- Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
- Houston Texans: 4-13
- New York Jets: 4-13
- New York Giants: 4-13
- Carolina Panthers: 5-12
- New York Giants(via Bears)
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 7-10
- New York Jets (via Seahawks)
- Washington Football Team: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
- Cleveland Browns: 8-9
- Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
- Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8*
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1*
- New England Patriots: 10-7*
- Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)*
- Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7*
- Arizona Cardinals: 11-6*
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7*
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6*
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5*
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5*
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4*
- Tennessee Titans: 12-5*
- Green Bay Packers: 13-4*
* = Playoffs
Dolphins Fire HC Brian Flores
‘Black Monday’ has seen its first surprising move of the day. The Dolphins have fired Head Coach Brian Flores, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
Flores, 40, took over as the Fins’ HC in 2019, compiling an overall record of 24-25. A 10-6 finish last year was the cause of a great deal of optimism for the future for the team, as they just missed out on the playoffs and were set to hand over the quarterbacking reigns to 2020 first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa.
2021 was a completely different story, however. After winning in Week 1, the team suffered seven straight losses and was seen as arguably the biggest disappointment in the league, given all the optimism heading into the season. In the midst of that skid, it was reported that Flores was on the hot seat. The mounting losses, along with a perceived lack of flexibility made some believe Flores wasn’t the most approachable of coaches.
Not long after, though, the team turned things around and won seven straight to get to 8-8 on the campaign. While they ultimately fell short of the playoffs with a 9-8 record, the fact that a potential tailspin turned into another winning season had many feeling Flores would be safe. Instead, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reports that Owner Stephen Ross met with Flores on Monday before making the decision to fire him. He adds that the latter “didn’t always agree on key team decisions” with General Manager Chris Greer, but also that “there’s a widespread feeling of shock within the team”.
The Team Tweeted out a statement in which Ross said, “after evaluating where we are as an organization and what we need going forward to improve, I determined that key dynamics of our football organization weren’t functioning at a level I want it to be and felt that this decision was in the best interest of the Miami Dolphins. I want to thank Brian for his hard work and wish him nothing but the best in the future”. Schefter adds that Greer is safe for the time being.
Miami joins Las Vegas, Jacksonville, Denver, Minnesota and Chicago as teams in need of a new head coach for 2022.
Waddle Sets Rookie Receptions Record
The 17-game NFL regular season sees another record fall. In the Dolphins’ first drive of today’s game against the Patriots, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa found his favorite target, receiver Jaylen Waddle, three times, pushing Waddle’s rookie-season total receptions to 102 and cementing that Waddle would end the day with an NFL record.
Waddle finished the game with 5 catches for only 27 yards, but those first three catches resulted in Waddle passing Anquan Boldin for most receptions in a single season for a rookie in NFL history. Boldin’s record of 101 receptions has stood since 2003. Waddle came into the game with 99 catches, so his 5 today make the new mark to beat 104.
Like most records this season, this will have a bit of an asterisk on it, since the record was reached in an 18-week season, as opposed to a 17-week season. While Waddle did technically catch more balls in the same amount of games as Boldin, Waddle did have the benefit of a week of rest outside the traditional bye week when he missed their Week 15 game against the Jets on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Waddle was joined today by T.J. Watt who tied Michael Strahan’s record for most sacks in a single season with 22.5. While Watt also had the luxury of being able to miss a game and still play the same amount of games that Strahan did back in 2001, Watt actually accomplished his total while only appearing in 15 games this year. This is sure to be a continuing trend in the coming years as players are given an additional opportunity to pad their stats.