Bucs To Start Post-Brady Rebuild?
With three-time MVP quarterback Tom Brady announcing his retirement earlier today, speculation has already started on the future of the Buccaneers’ franchise. Brady’s retirement has experts wondering about the futures of tight end Rob Gronkowki and head coach Bruce Arians. Both have flirted with retirement before. 
Contributing to the postulation on Arians’ situation is head coaching interest in the Buccaneers’ coordinators on both sides of the ball. Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich recently had his second interview for the Jaguars open coaching position. Reportedly, talks have stalled as Leftwich has expressed issues with current general manager Trent Baalke continuing in that position, with Leftwich preferring Cardinals’ vice president of pro scouting Adrian Wilson to replace the polarizing GM. The Saints have requested an interview with Leftwich, who previously received interest from the Bears before they hired Matt Eberflus. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has interviewed with the Bears, Jaguars, Raiders, and Vikings. With the Bears’ job taken, Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels being the presumed frontrunner in Las Vegas, and Jacksonville having conducted multiple second interviews Bowles’ opportunities for a head coaching job are starting to dwindle, as well.
More cause for speculation has risen from an article from Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. In the article Wilson reports that Arians has informed the entire coaching staff that they have permission to seek jobs around the league regardless of whether or not the new position would be a promotion. With the potential exit of the two New England-legends and the impactful group of Buccaneers heading into free agency, this permission could potentially be an opportunity to abandon ship before the start of a Tampa Bay rebuild.
In terms of those free agents, joining free-agent-to-be Gronkowski are three other significant role players: wide receiver Chris Godwin, center Ryan Jensen, and cornerback Carlton Davis. Godwin is expected to be the top free agent priority in Tampa Bay after he received the franchise tag for this past season. Jensen came over three years ago from the Ravens on what then made him the highest paid center in the NFL. Davis was a key contributor due for a big contract year on defense before being placed on IR after Week 4 of the season and missing eight weeks during a crucial year.
The domino-effect of Brady’s retirement is already looming large over the Buccaneers’ prospects for the 2022 NFL season. Tampa Bay has the entire offseason to navigate these obstacles and mitigate the potential fallout. After winning a Super Bowl just last year, the departure of Brady could be as game-changing to the Buccaneers as his arrival was nearly two years ago.
Vikings To Interview Jim Harbaugh For HC Job
Jim Harbaugh has only been linked to the Raiders in this year’s HC hiring cycle, but a team in Big Ten country is also pursuing the Michigan leader. The Vikings are set to interview Harbaugh, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweets.
This certainly injects additional intrigue into this year’s carousel and adds the biggest name to the Vikings’ search. Before Harbaugh surfaced in this search, the Vikes had already interviewed nine coaches. New GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, however, was with the 49ers during part of Harbaugh’s tenure.
Adofo-Mensah began his NFL career with the 49ers in 2013, Harbaugh’s third year with the team. While Minnesota’s current GM stayed in San Francisco long after Harbaugh’s exit, this connection is certainly interesting given Harbaugh’s stature. The Michigan HC surfaced on the Raiders’ radar earlier this month, but not much has emerged on that front in recent days. The Raiders may be moving toward giving Josh McDaniels another chance at being a head coach.
Harbaugh, 58, spent four seasons with the 49ers before leaving for Ann Arbor after the 2014 season. He has been connected to various teams in the past, but this year represents the closest link to the former NFC champion coach returning to the NFL. Harbaugh is coming off his best season with the Wolverines, who qualified for the College Football Playoff for the first time. Given his NFL past and persistent connections to the league, it would not shock if the seven-year Big Ten leader would leave his alma mater and try his hand with another NFL team.
The Vikings finished their Patrick Graham HC interview Saturday. Beyond Harbaugh, no more known interviews are scheduled. The team has satisfied its Rooney Rule requirements, meaning a hire could come at any time. Here is how Minnesota’s search looks:
- Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/21
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles): Interviewed 1/20
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Mentioned as candidate
- Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Giants): Interviewed 1/29
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/16; hired by Broncos
- Jim Harbaugh, head coach (Michigan): To interview
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/19
- Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/21
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/21
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/19; remaining in Dallas
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interviewed 1/23
Vikings To Interview Patrick Graham; Giants DC Gig Still On Table?
Despite the Giants’ late-season nosedive, their defensive coordinator will meet with another team about its top coaching job. The Vikings are set to interview Patrick Graham on Saturday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (Twitter link).
Graham has also interviewed with the Giants and remains interested in sticking around as their defensive coordinator, provided someone else lands their HC job. The Giants are also expected to be open to Graham staying on as DC under a new coach, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY notes, adding that ownership will play a role in determining how Big Blue’s next HC proceeds here.
Serving as New York’s defensive play-caller during Joe Judge‘s tenure, Graham improved the unit considerably in 2020. The Giants ranked ninth in scoring defense, after their 2019 unit ranked 30th. But the team regressed this season, falling back to 23rd. DVOA slotted Graham’s second Giants defense 18th, however. The Graham-overseen improvement also caught the Steelers’ attention, with an interview request coming Graham’s way. Pittsburgh is expected to promote Teryl Austin to fill that role, however.
It is not the norm for prior regimes’ coordinators to stick around, and Graham has ties to both of the Giants’ top HC candidates. He was Brian Flores‘ first defensive coordinator in Miami and worked with both Flores and Brian Daboll in New England. Despite Flores letting Graham make a lateral move to New York, Graham said in December the two remain close friends. Nevertheless, ownership insisting on a partnership between the next Giants HC and Graham would be interesting.
Graham, 43, has been on the Vikings’ radar for a bit now. Minnesota’s coaching search figures to pick up steam in the coming days, with GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah now on board. Here is how that search looks:
- Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/21
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles): Interviewed 1/20
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Mentioned as candidate
- Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Giants): To interview 1/29
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/16; hired by Broncos
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/19
- Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/21
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/21
- Doug Pederson, former head coach (Eagles): Interview requested
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/19; remaining in Dallas
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interviewed 1/23
Vikings To Hire Kwesi Adofo-Mensah As GM?
The Vikings have agreed to hire Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as their next GM (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). The two sides were hard at work on the contract early this morning, as first reported by NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, and they’ve now got everything in place. It’ll be a four-year deal for Adofo-Mensah worth $12MM, according to NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe (on Twitter).
Adofo-Mensah was one of two finalists in Minnesota, alongside Ryan Poles. But, after the Bears pounds on the former Chiefs’ executive director of player personnel, Adofo-Mensah was the last man standing.
Adofo-Mensah was also in the running for the Panthers job last year, but he didn’t make it to the finalist stage. Before joining Cleveland’s front office in 2020 under Andrew Berry, the Stanford grad spent seven years with the 49ers. The Bears also looked at him in this cycle before settling on Poles.
Now, he’ll take over for longtime GM Rick Spielman and lead the search for Mike Zimmer‘s replacement. The Vikings have already begun doing their homework on that front, chatting with eight candidates including ex-49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. Adofo-Mensah overlapped with Ryans for three years, so it’s possible that he’ll have a leg up on the competition.
Outside of Adofo-Mensah and Poles, the Vikings also considered:
- Brandon Brown, director of player personnel (Eagles): Interviewed 1/18
- Glenn Cook, vice president of player personnel (Browns): Interviewed 1/20
- Monti Ossenfort, director of player personnel (Titans): Interviewed 1/16
- Catherine Raiche, vice president of football operations (Eagles): Interviewed 1/17
- John Spytek, vice president of player personnel (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/17
- Eliot Wolf, senior consultant (Patriots): Interviewed 1/20
Latest On Broncos’ HC Search
A bit more clarity has emerged with regards to the finalists for the Broncos’ head coaching position. In an update on Good Morning Football, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that the job will come down to three candidates: Dan Quinn, Kevin O’Connell and Nathaniel Hackett. 
[Related: Broncos Down To “A Few” HC Finalists]
Quinn was the only coach listed by name as a frontrunner when it was reported yesterday that the search was coming down to a small number of candidates. The current Cowboys defensive coordinator has been linked to six of the seven HC vacancies this year, which should presumably give him multiple options to consider.
O’Connell was among the first set of interview requests the Broncos made following Vic Fangio‘s dismissal. In two years as the offensive coordinator for the Rams, the 36-year-old has been impressive. The unit’s 2021 numbers are down slightly due injuries hampering the running game, but he has overseen Matt Stafford‘s first year in L.A., which included Cooper Kupp‘s incredible production. O’Connell has also been linked to the open positions in Houston and Minnesota.
Hackett represents another offensive-minded candidate, something which would differ from the defense-oriented Fangio and Quinn. He has been an offensive coordinator in Buffalo, Jacksonville and, most recently, Green Bay. In three seasons there, he has helped the team win 13 games each time, including a highly efficient year in 2020. The Bears, Jaguars and Vikings have also interviewed the 42-year-old.
According to 9News’ Mike Klis, Quinn is coming to the Broncos’ headquarters sometime this week (Twitter link). The other two are expected to also interview in person, although nothing has been officially scheduled yet. Be sure to check in on our HC Search Tracker for the latest updates.
Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order
The Divisional Round has come to end, and after each game was decided on the final play, the season has come to a bitter end for another four teams. That brings the total number of squads locked into their first round draft position to 28. Interestingly, the Rams and 49ers are still standing after they each parted ways with top draft picks this past offseason. San Francisco’s first choice is currently slated to be 61st overall, while the Rams aren’t projected to be on the board until the 101st pick. For Los Angeles in particular, the decision is certainly paying off so far.
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 updated order after this weekend’s results:
- 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
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7*
- Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5*
* = Remaining playoff teams
Vikings Interview DeMeco Ryans
The Vikings interviewed DeMeco Ryans for their head coaching position on Sunday afternoon, per a club announcement. The 49ers defensive coordinator, who is also in the mix for the Raiders’ vacancy, is one of ten candidates being considered by Minnesota. 
Ryans, a longtime NFL linebacker, has been with the Niners since 2017. After one season as SF’s defensive quality coach, Ryan coached the team’s inside linebackers for three seasons before graduating to defensive coordinator in 2021.
Now, he’s making a strong case for another step up, especially after his defense held Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to just ten points on Saturday. In the regular season, his Niners D finished third in yards allowed and ninth in points allowed. While Ryans remains focused on the NFC Championship Game, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him land a head coaching job in the coming weeks.
For now, Ryans is one of just a handful of known candidates on the Raiders’ radar, alongside interim HC Rich Bisaccia, Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, and (possibly) Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh. Meanwhile, the Vikings’ list includes:
- Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/21
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles): Interviewed 1/20
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Mentioned as candidate
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/16
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interview requested
- Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/21
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/21
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/19
- Doug Pederson, former head coach (Eagles): Interview requested
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interviewed 1/23
Bears Request Second GM Interview With Ryan Poles
Ryan Poles is getting a second interview in Chicago. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Chiefs’ executive director of player personnel has been asked to interview a second time for the Bears GM job.
Poles is already a finalist for the Vikings GM job. He will meet with the Bears on Tuesday and the Vikings on Wednesday, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The other finalist for the Minnesota job, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, will meet with the organization again on Tuesday (per Albert Breer on Twitter).
Poles has spent much of his career with the Chiefs, working his way up from director of college scouting to executive director of player personnel, where he works alongside GM Brett Veach and assistant GM Mike Borgonzi.
Last offseason, the Chiefs executive was considered for the Panthers GM job. Besides interest from the Vikings and Bears, Poles was also a finalist for the Giants GM gig (a job that ultimately went to Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen).
Jim Caldwell Says He Didn’t Decline Vikings, Raiders Interviews
There were rumblings this week that former NFL head coach Jim Caldwell declined interviews with the Vikings and Raiders regarding their head coaching vacancies. However, Caldwell took to Twitter this morning to deny those rumors.
“I would like to correct an erroneous report that I turned down opportunities to interview for the head coaching job with Minnesota and Las Vegas,” Caldwell said in a statement. “Those reports are not true.
“I have profound respect for both organizations and for the Wilf and Davis families and I did not decline any opportunity to interview with them.”
Caldwell, 66, served as the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach in 2019 before health issues forced him to step aside. Fortunately, he’s said to be back to full health now, and it sounds like he’s ready for his next job.
Between his time with the Colts and Lions, Caldwell owns a career 62-50 record as a head coach with four playoff berths and one Super Bowl appearance. Caldwell’s last stop in Detroit saw him never finish with fewer than seven wins, but he was still canned following back-to-back 9-7 seasons.
This offseason, Caldwell has already interviewed for jobs with the Bears and the Jaguars.
Vikings Request Second GM Interviews With Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Ryan Poles
The Vikings are moving toward a GM decision. They have identified Browns vice president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles as finalists.
While another finalist may emerge, Minnesota has thus far only requested second interviews with these two candidates, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Adofo-Mensah is expected to interview Tuesday, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweeting Poles’ second Vikings meeting is likely to take place Wednesday.
Should Poles take the interview, it would be his second run as a GM finalist during this cycle. The Giants brought him in for a second interview, though Big Blue hired Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen earlier Friday. Just 36, Poles has interviewed with three of the four teams looking for a GM. The Bears also met with the rising exec.
Poles also took part in a second interview with the Panthers last year. On the cusp of a major rise, Poles would follow former Chiefs staffers Chris Ballard and Brett Veach were he to land a GM gig.
Adofo-Mensah joined Poles in interviewing with the Panthers last year, though he was not a finalist for that position. This marks the third-year Browns exec’s first time as a GM finalist. Before joining Cleveland’s front office in 2020 under Andrew Berry, Adofo-Mensah spent seven years with the 49ers. The Stanford grad worked in the business sector until 2013. Adofo-Mensah joined Poles in interviewing for the Bears’ GM gig as well. Chicago has not made its finalists known just yet, so Minnesota’s rival could have a say in this pursuit as well.
Here is how the Vikings’ GM search has shaped up thus far:
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, vice president of football operations (Browns): Second interview requested
- Brandon Brown, director of player personnel (Eagles): Interviewed 1/18
- Glenn Cook, vice president of player personnel (Browns): Interviewed 1/20
- Monti Ossenfort, director of player personnel (Titans): Interviewed 1/16
- Ryan Poles, director of player personnel (Chiefs): Second interview requested
- Catherine Raiche, vice president of football operations (Eagles): Interviewed 1/17
- John Spytek, vice president of player personnel (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/17
- Eliot Wolf, senior consultant (Patriots): Interviewed 1/20