Minor NFL Transactions: 2/18/22
Today’s minor moves:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: G Jordan Meredith
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DE Daeshon Hall, FB John Lovett
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/17/22
Here are Thursday’s reserve/futures deals:
Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins
Dolphins To Add Sam Madison To Staff
Sam Madison is set to return to Miami. The former Pro Bowl Dolphins cornerback agreed to join their coaching staff Wednesday night, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
A Chiefs assistant for three seasons, Madison will join Mike McDaniel‘s Dolphins staff as a passing-game specialist and cornerbacks coach. Madison played nine seasons as a Dolphins cornerback, earning four Pro Bowl bids and notching first-team All-Pro honors twice.
Madison originally came to Miami in 1997 as a second-round pick, starting 127 games — most by a corner in Dolphins history — before signing with the Giants in 2006. His 31 interceptions rank third in franchise history. Madison, 47, spent three years coaching the Chiefs’ cornerbacks — a group featuring mid- or late-round picks or low-cost free agents throughout Madison’s tenure — and is in line to oversee high-priced corners Xavien Howard and Byron Jones in 2022. Madison will also follow ex-teammate Wes Welker back to Miami. The Dolphins hired Welker as their wide receivers coach last week.
This move comes shortly after previous Dolphins cornerbacks coach Charles Burks agreed to join the Bengals in a similar role, Schefter tweets. Despite Burks being a holdover from Brian Flores‘ staff, the Dolphins were planning to retain him.
The Dolphins are also hiring Tyrone McKenzie as their new outside linebackers coach, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. McKenzie, 36, coached the Titans’ inside linebackers from 2018-19 and headed up the Lions’ linebackers in 2020.
NFC Coaching Notes: Seahawks, Vikings, Falcons, Packers, Bears
With the various changes to coaching personnel around the league winding down, teams are beginning to officially unveil their 2022 staffs. The Seahawks recently did so, confirming a number of changes following a disappointing season, but some important retentions as well.
As Bob Condotta of The Athletic tweets, Sanjay Lal is remaining with the team in his current role of wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator. The 52-year-old has worked with that position group on seven different teams dating back to 2009. He spent the 2020 campaign in Seattle, but spent last season in Jacksonville. Meanwhile, Karl Scott, 36, is officially being brought in as the team’s secondary coach and defensive pass game coordinator. That move had been expected since last week when it was reported the team was in talks with him.
In addition, Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reports (in a pair of tweets) more names on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Dave Canales will remain as the team’s QBs coach, a role he first had in 2018, but he will no longer have the passing game coordinator title. Brad Idzik has been added as an assistant WRs coach; he entered the NFL with Seattle in 2019. Lastly, Nate Carroll has been promoted to senior offensive assistant, after spending 11 years with the Seahawks in various roles.
As for the defensive staff, Aaron Curry is now an assistant defensive line coach; the former Seattle draftee spent the last two seasons on their sideline. He will be joined in that role by Damione Lewis. Another former player on staff is DeShawn Shead, who has been promoted to defensive backs coach. The last to fit that description is Will Tukuafu, who is coming aboard as a defensive quality control coach.
Here are some other coaching notes from the NFC:
- USA Today’s Mike Jones tweets that it is “sounding like” Wes Phillips and Chris O’Hara will be following newly-hired head coach Kevin O’Connell to Minnesota. The former, who is also the son of Wade Phillips, has been a TEs coach with three different teams, the most recent being the Rams. It was reported earlier this week that O’Connell was expected to give him the role of either OC or passing game coordinator. The latter only spent the 2021 season in L.A., but worked as an offensive assistant in Jacksonville and Washington before that.
- According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, the Falcons are parting ways with WRs coach Dave Brock (Twitter link). The 54-year-old has an extensive background in the college ranks, but his only NFL experience was in Atlanta starting in 2017. Chandler Henley, who had been an assistant offensive line coach with them, has left to join the Dolphins.
- The Packers are supporting new ST coordinator Rich Bisaccia with Byron Storer, reports Matt Schneidman of The Athletic (Twitter link).The 37-year-old has worked with Bisaccia in each of his other three NFL coaching locations, and even knows Aaron Rodgers dating back to their college days.
- Lastly, the Bears are hiring Brent Salazar as their strength and conditioning coach (Twitter link via Wilson). He has more than a decade of experience in the NFL, having previously worked with three different teams. He also spent the years between 2017 and 2020 as the director of performance for the United States Tennis Association.
Dolphins Expected To Add Darrell Bevell To Coaching Staff
Mike McDaniel is adding a notable name to his coaching staff. Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports that the Dolphins are expected to hire Darrell Bevell as their passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. ESPN ‘s Jeremy Fowler was first to report (via Twitter) that the Dolphins were closing in on a deal with the veteran coach.
Brought onto Urban Meyer‘s Jaguars staff to be offensive coordinator a little over a year ago, Bevell was tasked with serving as the interim head coach for the Jaguars’ final four games of the 2021 season after Meyer was relieved of his duties. Over those four games, Jacksonville recorded one win and three losses. This wasn’t Bevell’s first tenure as an interim head coach; Bevell coached the final five games of the Lions’ 2020 season after the firing of Matt Patricia, winning one game in Detroit (for a career record of 2-7 as a head coach (all in an interim capacity)).
Prior to his forgettable stints in Detroit (where he also served as OC) and Jacksonville, Bevell had a successful run with the Seahawks. During his seven years as Seattle’s offensive coordinator, the Seahawks were a consistent top-10 offense. Aaron Wilson also gave credit to the coach for the selection of Russell Wilson, and the writer also pointed out Bevell’s ability to recruit former players to his new gigs (a list that includes Brett Favre, Sidney Rice, and Percy Harvin). Now, after having worked with a long list of quarterbacks that includes Favre, Wilson, and Matthew Stafford, Bevell will now be focused on the development of Tua Tagovailoa.
The 52-year-old Bevell was OC in Minnesota from 2006 to 2010, and he also had a six-year stint on the Packers coaching staff.
Dolphins Hire Frank Smith As OC
Not long after interviewing Frank Smith for the biggest remaining role on Mike McDaniel’s new staff in Miami, the team has hired him. As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports (via Twitter), Smith is the Dolphins’ new offensive coordinator.
[Related: Dolphins To Interview Frank Smith For OC]
Smith, 40, began his NFL coaching career with the Saints in 2010, following six seasons in the college ranks. He then spent three years as the tight ends coach of the Bears, which is the same title he held with the Raiders. From 2018 to 2020, Smith oversaw the unit that includes Darren Waller, who has evolved from a castaway to one of the league’s best at the position. Last season, he worked as the run game coordinator and offensive line coach of the Chargers.
With a strong background in developing both TEs and o-linemen, Smith represents an intriguing addition to the Dolphins’ staff. The team has plenty of room for improvement in the run game, as they ranked 30th in the league with just over 92 yards per game on the ground in 2021. He would also play a much-needed role in the TE department, regardless of if free agent Mike Gesicki is brought back or not.
As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets, McDaniel will call plays on offense, but Smith “will be very involved” in forming game plans. If he is able to replicate his success elsewhere, the Dolphins may have just taken an important step towards the offensive turnaround they need.
Latest On NFL’s Dolphins Investigation
The NFL’s probe into the Miami Dolphins, and in particular owner Stephen Ross, has begun. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the result of the investigation could cost Ross the team. 
This stems from the allegations former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores made against Ross that included, among other things, $100K payments for each loss during the team’s rebuilding 2019 season. The league announced it would open an investigation one day later. If proven to be true, Ross could face a wide range of consequences.
As Rapoport writes, Ross’ discipline “could be severe, up to and including [him] losing the team by a vote of fellow owners”. That option, while extreme, is a possibility, according to commissioner Roger Goodell, who recently stated, “I do believe that clubs do have the authority to remove an owner from the league”. Rapoport adds that a three-fourths majority vote would be required for such an action to take place.
From the outset, Ross has denied any wrongdoing, calling Flores’ allegations “false, malicious and defamatory”. He also stated an intention to cooperate fully with the investigation. Goodell added that the league’s next actions will, of course, not be determined until after the facts of the probe have been established. When that time comes, though, its ramifications could clearly be far-reaching for Ross.
Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LVI finished, the final two places in the 2022 Draft have been finalized. The Bengals’ top pick is locked into 31st, while the Rams will not have a selection until the third round. For the rest of the league, the focus has already shifted to free agency and the draft, of course, so now all eyes will be on the offseason maneuvering teams do to reshape their rosters.
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.
Pending trades, here is the final first round order of the 2022 Draft:
- 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
- Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
- Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6
- Tennessee Titans: 12-5
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4
- Green Bay Packers: 13-4
- Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
AFC Coaching Notes: Colts, Bills, Jaguars, Ravens
Since Frank Reich was able to land defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to replace Bears’ head coach Matt Eberflus, Bradley has begun the process of putting his staff together. Today Bradley added longtime defensive backs coach Ron Milus to coach his secondary, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Milus first started coaching defensive backs at his alma mater, the University of Washington, about eight years after playing cornerback there. He held the college position for seven years before getting an NFL coaching opportunity in 2000. Since then, Milus hasn’t spent a season out of work with stints in Denver, Arizona, New York (Giants), St. Louis, Carolina, San Diego, and Las Vegas. His longest stint was with the Chargers, spending eight years in southern California and transitioning with the team to Los Angeles. It was in Los Angeles that Milus was retained when Bradley joined the Chargers’ staff. He followed Bradley to Las Vegas and will join him once more in Indianapolis.
Here are a few other coaching notes from around the AFC starting with another bit from the Hoosier State:
- In addition to Milus, Mike Chappell of Fox59 reports that Indianapolis is also in the process of hiring linebackers coach Richard Smith, who worked with Bradley and Milus in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Smith has coached in the NFL since he debuted for the Houston Oilers in 1988 coaching special teams and tight ends. He found his niche as a linebackers coach in 1997 for the 49ers and has had three short stints as a defensive coordinator in Miami, Houston, and Atlanta.
- ESPN’s Yates also tweeted out a report that the Bills have added former QB Kyle Shurmur on staff in a defensive quality control position. After four years at Vanderbilt, Shurmur signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs, spending time on their practice squad as well as on the Bengals’ and Washington’s practice squads. He was released by Washington a little over a month ago and that appears to mark the end of his playing career. He seems to be following in the footsteps of his father, Pat Shurmur, and joining the coaching track.
- A castaway from the Matt Nagy Bears’ staff, outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey will not be without work for long as Curtis Crabtree of NBC Sports reports that Shuey is joining Doug Pederson‘s staff in Jacksonville in the same role. Shuey and Pederson had two separate tenures together in Philadelphia.
- Pederson also made a crucial move of retaining running backs coach Bernie Parmalee. Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network tells us that keeping Parmalee was a priority for Pederson, especially due to his strong relationship with star running back James Robinson.
- Baltimore has hired Rob Leonard as outside linebackers coach, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley (Twitter). Leonard will replace Drew Wilkins who left to join Brian Daboll‘s staff in New York. Leonard spent the past three seasons in the same position with the Dolphins. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic adds that former Michigan analyst Ryan Osborn will follow Mike Macdonald to the Ravens for a quality control position. Osborn is credited with having a role in the development of Wolverines’ EDGE players like Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo.
Dolphins To Retain Eric Studesville, Hire New Offensive Line Coach
In addition to keeping DC Josh Boyer and special teams coordinator Danny Crossman, the Dolphins are also retaining more coaches from Brian Flores‘ most recent staff. This includes one of Flores’ final offensive coordinators.
Eric Studesville will return on Mike McDaniel‘s first staff, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Co-offensive coordinator along with George Godsey in 2021, Studesville will stay on as Miami’s running backs coach. Godsey will not be back and is now part of the Ravens’ staff, taking a job as their tight ends coach.
Studesville was previously Miami’s running backs coach under Flores but rose to the co-OC position last year. McDaniel will mark Studesville’s third boss in Miami, with Flores also keeping him around as a holdover. Adam Gase initially brought Studesville to Miami in 2018. The veteran coach was previously with the Broncos for eight years, serving as their interim HC in 2010 and staying on as running backs coach under John Fox, Gary Kubiak and Vance Joseph.
The Dolphins are still conducting OC interviews. Whoever lands the job will be the team’s seventh OC in the past six seasons. The team has interviewed Falcons QBs coach Charles London, Chargers offensive line coach Frank Smith and Saints wide receivers coach Curtis Johnson thus far. Miami will also retain defensive line coach Austin Clark, linebackers coach Anthony Campanile and cornerbacks coach Charles Burks, Jackson adds.
Miami’s O-line coach role has also been in flux for years, and there appears to be another new hire en route. While Jackson notes incumbent Lemuel Jeanpierre had not been informed of his status as of Friday, Pete Thamel of Yahoo.com tweets the Dolphins are expected to hire Boston College O-line coach Matt Applebaum to the same position. Given the team’s O-line situation, which saw multiple young blockers (Robert Hunt, Austin Jackson) change positions over the past year, this is a fairly key hire.
This will be a big jump for Applebaum, who was at the Division I-FCS level as recently as 2019. He did spent four years in the NFL previously, spending time as an assistant with Washington and Jacksonville in the early 2010s. This continues a pattern for the Dolphins, who have not employed the same O-line coach in consecutive seasons since John Benton headed up the unit from 2014-15.