Dan Campbell Not Interested In Dolphins Return
Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell is not interested in returning to the Dolphins, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. Campbell served as the Dolphins’ interim head coach in 2015 and is still highly respected by team ownership, but he apparently does not want to go back down that road. 
From the sound of it, the Dolphins wanted to speak with Campbell about their vacancy, but they’ll have to concentrate on other candidates instead. That list includes fellow Saints assistant Dennis Allen, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, and maybe even current Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
Campbell, meanwhile, still has a full plate. In addition to prepping for the Saints’ upcoming playoff game, he’ll chat (or has chatted) with the Cardinals, Browns, and Packers.
Dolphins Request Interview With Dennis Allen
The Dolphins requested permission to speak with Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). This marks Allen’s first known interview for a head coaching job in this cycle. 
Allen replaced Rob Ryan during the 2015 season as the interim defensive coordinator in New Orleans and was retained the following offseason. The Saints’ D has made big strides since then, so it’s no surprise that Allen is in the mix for a move back up the ladder.
In 2018, the Saints’ defense ranked second in the league against the run and tied for fifth in the NFL in sacks. Allen may have to explain what went wrong in Oakland – he went 8-26 in two-plus years – but his recent results are impressive and could vault him into the top job in Miami.
Latest On Dolphins, Mike Tannenbaum
The Dolphins re-assigned executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum earlier this week, and in turn promoted general manager Chris Grier to oversee the club’s personnel department. Tannenbaum won’t have any role in decision-making going forward, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who adds Tannenbaum likely won’t be around when the draft occurs in April.
Although he’s still technically a member of the organization, Tannenbaum won’t be doing any more work for the Dolphins. Indeed, Salguero deems Tannenbaum’s re-assignment as a something of a “quiet sendoff” for the longtime front office executive. Grier will take over as Miami’s football czar, taking on authority he didn’t previously have as the club’s general manager. Tannenbaum, meanwhile, will continue to be paid for the remaining two years on his contract.
Grier, for his part, will not only oversee a roster in need of rebuilding, but is in the process of hiring a new head coach. Whomever the Dolphins select as their next head coach will report to Grier and not to owner Stephen Ross, reversing a setup Miami used when it employed Adam Gase. The Dolphins are interested in a number of candidates, including Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and — possibly — Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
Dolphins To Interview Kris Richard
- Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores has a busy week lined up, as he’s drawn interest from not only the Broncos, Browns, Dolphins, and Packers. It’s still unclear if/when Flores will interview with Cleveland, but he’ll meet with Green Bay on Friday, tweets Demovsky. Packers management is scheduled to fly to the New England area that day to sit down with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, so they’ll stick around to meet with Flores. Flores is also scheduled to interview for the Miami gig on Thursday and Friday, while Mike Klis of 9News reports (via Twitter) the Broncos will fly to New England to sit down with Flores on Saturday (previous reports had indicated Denver would meet with Flores on Monday).
- Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard is expected to interview with the Jets and Dolphins on Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Assistants preparing for a Wild Card playoff matchup aren’t allowed to interview in the week preceding said game, so Richard will have to wait until Dallas completes its contest against Seattle on Saturday night. Richard is also a candidate for the Buccaneers’ head coaching job, although it’s unclear when that interview will take place.
Brian Flores Is Dolphins' 1st Interview
- Brian Flores is set to meet with four teams in the coming days, and the Patriots linebackers coach’s first stop appears to be Miami. The Dolphins are making Flores their first interview, which Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets will begin Thursday night and last into Friday. Flores is slated to meet with the Browns, Broncos and Packers as well.
Dolphins Mulling John Harbaugh Trade
The Dolphins are mulling a trade for Ravens coach John Harbaugh, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, the source adds that the Dolphins will only call the Ravens if they know in advance that the asking price will not be too high. 
Some in league circles believe the Ravens will ask for two first-round picks, Florio hears. Others think the asking price will be lower, though a trade would still presumably still require a forfeiture of draft capital.
Florio speculates that the Dolphins’ move to reassign Mike Tannenbaum and install Chris Grier as the top football operations guy may have been done to attract Harbaugh to Miami. At minimum, it’s a structure that could hold appeal for the 56-year-old coach since Grier has a reputation for putting ego aside and acting in the best interests of the team.
The Broncos could possibly have interest in swinging a trade for Harbaugh as well, but for now, Harbaugh’s focus will be on the field. His Ravens will face the Chargers on Sunday in a Wild Card showdown.
Eric Bieniemy Declines Cardinals Interview
Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy declined an opportunity to interview with the Cardinals, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’s set to interview with the Jets and Buccaneers on Wednesday, the Dolphins on Thursday, and the Bengals on Friday, so he has a full plate as he also gets set for the Chiefs’ Divisional Round game on Jan. 12. 
Bieniemy has been a popular candidate early in this cycle and it seems awful likely that he’ll land a job behind the strength of the Chiefs’ offense and Andy Reid‘s strong recommendation.
In 2017, the Chiefs ranked fifth in total offense under Matt Nagy’s command. Bieniemy had big shoes to fill as he took over for him but Patrick Mahomes & Co. exceeded all expectations. The Chiefs finished first in total offense in 2018 by averaging an eye-popping 425.6 yards per game.
Bieniemy, who enjoyed a nine-year playing career before entering the coaching ranks, has been with Kansas City since 2013. Prior to that, the 45-year-old served as the offensive coordinator at Colorado, so he has call-playing experience despite the fact that Reid is hands-on with his team.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/1/19
Here are the New Year’s Day reserve/futures contract decisions:
Cincinnati Bengals
- K Tristan Vizcaino
Detroit Lions
- QB Connor Cook
Miami Dolphins
- LB James Burgess
- C Connor Hilliard
- S Chris Lammons
- DT Jamiyus Pittman
- LB Quentin Poling
- DE Jeremiah Valoaga
Oakland Raiders
- WR Saeed Blacknall
- RB James Butler
- LB Cayson Collins
- LB James Cowser
- WR Rashard Davis
- DB Makinton Dorleant
- P Drew Kaser
- QB Nathan Peterman
- FB Ryan Yurachek
San Francisco 49ers
- OL Christian DiLauro
- TE Marcus Lucas
- DB Tarvarus McFadden
- WR Jordan Smallwood
- G Najee Toran
- S Terrell Williams
Brian Flores To Meet With Browns, Broncos, Dolphins, Packers
The latest Patriots playoff bye week will bring quite the workload for linebackers coach Brian Flores.
While he is still arranging his schedule, he has agreed to meet with the Browns, Broncos, Dolphins and Packers about their head coaching vacancies, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter). These interviews will occur this weekend.
After previously omitting the Broncos, who requested a meeting with Flores, La Canfora reports they will meet with the aspiring head coach. The Bucs, though, are not set to meet with the Patriot assistant this week, JLC tweets.
These four teams requested summits with Flores, and he will oblige. Flores has become a far more attractive candidate than he was a year ago, when the Cardinals met with him about their HC opening. Arizona again has an opening, but the team has not as of yet requested another audience with New England’s 37-year-old de facto defensive coordinator.
The Patriots turned to Flores as their top defensive assistant following Matt Patricia‘s defection to Detroit.
New England’s first post-Patricia defense has been the team’s typical bend-but-don’t-break unit, ranking 21st in yards allowed but seventh in scoring. The Pats have only had one non-top-10 scoring defense in the past 13 seasons; Flores has been a part of their past eight defensive coaching staffs.
Dolphins To Interview Darren Rizzi
The Buccaneers won’t consider in-house candidates to fill their head coaching vacancy, but another Florida team will. The Dolphins are working to schedule an interview with special teams coach/assistant head coach Darren Rizzi, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter).
Rizzi has been with the Dolphins since 2010 and boasts previous head coaching experience at the collegiate level, though New Haven and Rhode Island aren’t exactly powerhouse programs. Regardless, the Dolphins think highly of him and at least want to give him a shot at replacing Adam Gase. Rizzi has said that Gase has been grooming him for an advancement in the coaching ranks, so this could be his opportunity to break through.
No matter who the head coach is, the Dolphins will be in for some serious roster upheaval in the offseason. The Fins are expected to cut defensive end Robert Quinn, defensive end Andre Branch, wide receiver DeVante Parker, and several other costly vets in an effort to get back over the .500 mark.
In addition to Rizzi, the Dolphins are said to be considering candidates such as Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak, Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard.