Patriots Were Finalists For Stefon Diggs
The Bills’ thrilling run to the AFC Championship Game almost never happened. It’s unlikely Buffalo would’ve made it this far without Stefon Diggs, and they apparently came very close to losing him to a division rival.
Diggs was very nearly traded to the Patriots this past offseason, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. We had heard back in March that the Pats had expressed some interest, but we didn’t know how close they came until now. Rapoport writes that Buffalo and New England were the two finalists, and that the Vikings gave the Patriots a chance to match the Bills’ last offer.
Bill Belichick declined, and the rest is history. Interestingly, Rapoport adds that Minnesota never intended to trade the star wideout, “but had a number in mind of what it would take if it did.” He also writes that the Bills first tried trading for Diggs at the 2019 trade deadline but were rebuffed.
It’s fun to think about what would’ve happened had Belichick landed the top wideout. Diggs was ultimately traded on March 16th, the day before Tom Brady announced he’d be leaving New England. It’s unlikely that would’ve convinced Brady to stay as it seems his mind had been made up, but it would’ve at least given Cam Newton and the passing game a real viable threat in 2020.
Updated 2021 NFL Draft Order
With the Divisional Round in the books, the 2021 NFL Draft order is mostly complete. The Rams, Browns, Ravens, and Saints now have their draft spots locked in, though the Rams’ first-round pick belongs to Urban Meyer and the Jaguars. The Rams traded those rights to Jacksonville as a part of the Jalen Ramsey blockbuster.
Here’s the updated draft order, through the top 28:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins (via Texans)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. San Francisco 49ers
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (via Seahawks)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Rams)
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. New Orleans Saints
Broncos To Hire George Paton As GM
The Broncos found their new GM. Vikings exec George Paton is finalizing a six-year deal with Denver, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). 
Paton has rebuffed interview opportunities and job offers for years, citing his love of living in Minnesota. This time around, the Broncos’ offer was too good to pass up. Just recently, Paton seemed to be on the verge of becoming the Browns’ next GM, but he ultimately backed out. The Jets also made a strong push to hire him before Paton said no.
There were other interesting candidates in the mix, including Bears exec Champ Kelly, who has history with the Broncos. Still, Paton was their top target. Under the new structure, Paton and head coach Vic Fangio will report to John Elway, who will have less to do with the team’s day-to-day roster decisions. Elway was responsible for luring Peyton Manning to the team and helping to build a championship-caliber defense. But, things went downhill after Super Bowl 50. With Paton in charge, the Broncos believe they can work their way back to the top.
Saints exec Terry Fontenot and Broncos director of college scouting Brian Stark were also up for the job. Patriots assistant player personnel director Dave Ziegler was in the mix too, but ultimately backed out.
2021 NFL General Manager Search Tracker
This year’s NFL GM carousel figures to be more active than usual. The Falcons, Lions, Panthers, Texans, and Jaguars are all on the hunt for a new front office leader. And that’s only the official list. The real tally shows six clubs looking for a GM, since the Washington Football Team is expected to install a GM to work alongside head coach Ron Rivera. By mid-January, we could easily see a couple more jobs opening up — that’d put ~25% of the NFL on the market.
We’ll keep track of the GM candidates for each club here, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make general manager changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here’s the current breakdown:
Updated 1-19-21 (7:02pm CT)
Atlanta Falcons
- Morocco Brown, Colts college scouting director: Interviewed
- Terry Fontenot, Saints VP/assistant GM: Hired
- Brad Holmes, Rams director of college scouting: To receive second interview, finalist for position
- Anthony Robinson, Falcons director of college scouting: Interviewed
- Joe Schoen, Bills assistant GM: To be interviewed
- Rick Smith, former Texans general manager: Interviewed; finalist for position
Carolina Panthers
- Mike Borgonzi, Chiefs player personnel director: Rumored candidate
- Nick Caserio, Patriots VP of player personnel: Interviewed
- Ed Dodds, Colts assistant GM: Interviewed; name withdrawn from search
- Scott Fitterer, Seahawks VP of player personnel: Hired
- Champ Kelly, Bears assistant player personnel director: Interviewed
- Omar Khan, Steelers VP of football and business administration: Interviewed
- Jeff Ireland, Saints assistant GM: Interviewed
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Browns VP of football operations: Interviewed
- Monti Ossenfort, Titans player personnel director: To receive second interview
- George Paton, Vikings assistant GM: Rumored candidate; withdrew name from consideration
- Adam Peters, 49ers VP of player personnel: To receive second interview
- Ryan Poles, Chiefs assistant player personnel director: Received second interview
- Jerry Reese, former Giants general manager: Interviewed
- Joe Schoen, Bills assistant GM: Interviewed
- Pat Stewart, Panthers player personnel director: Interviewed
- Samir Suleiman, Panthers director of player negotiations: Interviewed
- Brandt Tilis, Chiefs football administration director: Interviewed
Denver Broncos
- Terry Fontenot, Saints vice president of pro personnel: To receive second interview
- Champ Kelly, Bears assistant director of player personnel: Interviewed
- George Paton, Vikings assistant GM: Hired
- Brian Stark, Broncos director of college scouting: To be interviewed
- Dave Ziegler, Patriots assistant player personnel director: To be interviewed; bowed out of search
Detroit Lions
- Kevin Colbert, Steelers general manager: Rumored candidate
- Thomas Dimitroff, former Falcons general manager: Interviewed
- Terry Fontenot, Saints assistant GM: Interviewed
- Brad Holmes, Rams director of college scouting: Hired
- Jeff Ireland, Saints assistant GM: Interviewed
- Rob Lohman, Lions director of pro scouting: Interviewed
- Lance Newmark, Lions director of player personnel: Interviewed
- Kyle O’Brien, Lions VP of player personnel: Interviewed
- George Paton, Vikings assistant GM: Interviewed
- Scott Pioli, former Chiefs GM/NFL Network analyst: Interviewed
- Louis Riddick, ESPN analyst/former Eagles exec: Interviewed
- John Schneider, Seahawks general manager: Rumored candidate; signed Seahawks extension
- Rick Smith, former Texans general manager: Interviewed
Houston Texans
- Matt Bazirgan, Texans player personnel director: Interviewed
- Malik Boyd, Bills pro scouting director: Interviewed
- Nick Caserio, Patriots VP of player personnel: Hired
- Scott Cohen, Ravens football research director: Interview requested
- Omar Khan, Steelers VP of football and business administration: Interviewed; received job offer
- Trent Kirchner, Seahawks VP of player personnel: Interviewed
- Ozzie Newsome, Ravens executive vice president: Preferred candidate
- Louis Riddick, ESPN analyst/former Eagles exec: Interviewed
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Trent Baalke, interim Jaguars GM: Expected to be hired
- Ray Farmer, former Browns general manager: To be interviewed
- Terry Fontenot, Saints assistant GM: Interview requested
- Jerry Reese, former Giants GM: Interviewed
- Louis Riddick, ESPN analyst/former Eagles exec: Interviewed
- Rick Smith, former Texans general manager: Interviewed
Washington Football Team
- Ryan Cowden, Titans VP of player personnel: Interview requested
- Marty Hurney, former Panthers general manager: Expected to be hired; joined team in non-GM role
- Martin Mayhew, former Lions general manager: Hired
- Nick Polk, Falcons football operations director: Interview requested
- Rick Smith, former Texans general manager: Mentioned as candidate
- JoJo Wooden, Chargers player personnel director: Interview expected
George Paton, Terry Fontenot Get Second Broncos Interviews
Vikings’ Assistant GM/VP of Player Personnel George Paton will have a second meeting with the Broncos on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Ditto for Saints assistant GM Terry Fontenot, per Mike Klis of KUSA (Twitter link).
Bears exec Champ Kelly and Patriots assistant director of player personnel Dave Ziegler are among the other external candidates for the position. Ziegler has since backed out, opting to stay in New England. The Broncos also interviewed their own college scouting director, Brian Stark, though it’s not clear if he’s still in the running.
Fontenot has also been considered by the Lions, Jaguars, and Panthers in this cycle. The 40-year-old has been with New Orleans for 16 years. Paton, meanwhile, has been a hot GM candidate for some time. But, in years past, he rebuffed a number of opportunities.
2021 NFL Draft Order
Wild Card weekend is in the books and 75% of the NFL’s 2021 Draft order has been set. Here’s the rundown, thus far:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins (via Texans)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. San Francisco 49ers
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (via Seahawks)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
Vikings, Dom Capers To Part Ways
The Vikings and Dom Capers will part ways after a one-season partnership. Capers’ contract will be allowed to expire, with the Vikings announcing he will not be back in 2021.
Minnesota brought the former head coach and longtime Green Bay defensive coordinator in as a senior defensive assistant last year. While roster turnover and injuries gutted Minnesota’s defense, the unit ranked as by far the worst in Mike Zimmer‘s seven-year tenure.
Cuts of Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph preceded free agency defections of Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander and Everson Griffen. An injury sidelined Danielle Hunter for the entire 2020 season, and Anthony Barr was lost for most of it. The Vikings traded Yannick Ngakoue soon after as well. The new-look defense ended the year 29th in points allowed and 27th in total defense, though DVOA respected the undermanned unit’s work a bit more (18th).
Capers, 70, spent the 2019 season as a senior defensive assistant in Jacksonville. He came to a Vikings team that had parted ways with defensive coordinator George Edwards and installed Andre Patterson and Adam Zimmer — Mike’s son — as co-DCs. The former head coach for multiple expansion teams — the Panthers and Texans — Capers has been an NFL coach since 1986. His most recent role of note was as Packers DC from 2009-17.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/5/21
We’ll keep track of the latest reserve/futures deals here:
Carolina Panthers
- LB Daniel Bituli, WR Ventell Bryant, DB Sean Chandler, WR Amara Darboh, G Mike Horton, WR Ishmael Hyman, LB Clay Johnston, WR Marken Michel, G Aaron Monteiro, LB Chris Orr, DT Mike Panasiuk, TE Giovanni Ricci, C Sam Tecklenburg
Dallas Cowboys
- OT Isaac Alarcon, WR Aaron Parker, WR Jon’Vea Johnson, C Adam Redmond, C Marcus Henry, TE Cole Hikutini, WR Chris Lacy, DT Walter Palmore, CB Kemon Hall, LB Ladarius Hamilton, QB Cooper Rush
Denver Broncos
- OT Quinn Bailey, WR Trinity Benson, WR Fred Brown, S Chris Cooper, RB Damarea Crockett, FB Jeremy Cox, WR/QB Kendall Hinton, TE Jordan Leggett, OT Darrin Paulo, DT Deyon Sizer
Houston Texans
- OL Cohl Cabral, LB Curtis Bolton, LS Anthony Kukwa, CB Brandon Williams, WR J’Mon Moore, OL Beau Benzschawel
Minnesota Vikings
- CB Tae Hayes, OL Zack Bailey, TE Brandon Dillon, OL Blake Brandel, FB Jake Bargas, S Luther Kirk, CB Cordrea Tankersley, QB Jake Browning, QB Nate Stanley
New England Patriots
- K Roberto Aguayo, QB Jake Dolegala, DT Bill Murray, G Ross Reynolds, K Justin Rohrwasser, CB D’Angelo Ross, WR Devin Smith, DT Nick Thurman, WR Kristian Wilkerson, WR Isaiah Zuber
New York Giants
- QB Alex Tanney, CB Quincy Wilson, WR Alex Bachman, LB Trent Harris, DB Montre Hartage, DB Jarren Williams, LS Carson Tinker, G Kenny Wiggins, TE Rysen John, RB Taquan Mizzell, DT David Moa, G Chad Slade, QB Clayton Thorson
New York Jets
- TE Connor Davis, LB Noah Dawkins, K Sam Ficken, RB Pete Guerriero, DB Zane Lewis, WR Josh Malone, WR D.J. Montgomery, WR Jaleel Scott, QB Mike White
Philadelphia Eagles
- Deontay Burnett, WR Hakeem Butler, WR Blake Countess, DT Treyvon Hester, CB Lavert Hill, RB Elijah Holyfield, CB Jameson Houston, DE Matt Leo, DE Joe Ostman
San Francisco 49ers
- CB Adonis Alexander, DL Josiah Coatney, S Chris Edwards, LB Jonas Griffith, DL Daeshon Hall, CB Tim Harris Jr., FB Josh Hokit, WR Jauan Jennings, DB Obi Melifonwu, WR Austin Proehl, OL Dakoda Shepley, WR Kevin White, OL Isaiah Williams
Vikings OC Gary Kubiak To Retire
We just got word of one offensive coordinator vacancy as the Dolphins fired Chan Gailey, and now it looks like we’ve got another. Vikings offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak plans to retire, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
Kubiak joined Minnesota in an advisory role in 2019, then took over as offensive coordinator this season after Kevin Stefanski left to take the Browns’ head coaching job. Kubiak is an incredibly accomplished coach, winning three Super Bowls as an assistant with the Broncos and 49ers before winning another won as head coach of Denver in Super Bowl 50. He also was the Texans’ head coach from 2006-13, and the Ravens’ offensive coordinator in 2014 before getting hired by the Broncos.
The Vikings were a disappointment this season, but that was mostly because of their defense, so it’s unlikely that he’s being squeezed out and this is probably entirely his call.There were a lot of positives to take away from this Minnesota offense, like Dalvin Cook rushing for 1,557 yards and 16 touchdowns in 14 games or rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson emerging to look like a star in the making.
Now at the age of 59, Kubiak has dealt with a couple of health scares in recent years, which was what caused him to step down as coach of the Broncos after a 9-7 2016 season. That initial retirement lasted only a couple of seasons though, so it’s entirely possible we haven’t seen the last of him on an NFL sideline even with this second retirement.
It’s unclear what the Vikings will do to replace him, but if they choose to promote from within like Mike Zimmer often likes to do, one logical candidate is Kubiak’s own son Klint Kubiak, who was the quarterbacks coach this past season.
2021 NFL Draft Order
The 2020 regular season is in the books. For more than half of the NFL, that means the offseason is officially underway.
The league’s 18 non-playoff teams now know where they stand in the 2021 NFL Draft order. For the remaining clubs, the playoffs will help determine their position. Here’s the rundown of the 2021 NFL Draft order, thus far:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins (via Texans)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinatti Bengals
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. San Francisco 49ers
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins