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Minor NFL Transactions: 2/17/23

February 17th, 2023 at 6:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints 

Anderson has signed a two-year deal, per the Bills’ announcement of the move. The 26-year-old joined the Chiefs in 2021, and made a total of seven appearances across the past two seasons, only seeing action on special teams.

The fact that the Vikings re-signed pending ERFAs Brandel and Tonga this early speaks to how highly they are valued by the organization. Brandel filled in for Christian Darrisaw at left tackle when the latter was concussed, while Tonga logged two starts and a 36% snap share in 2022. Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that each signed a one-year deal at $940K, which would have been their tender amounts.

Kirkwood, 28, was set to hit the open market in March but the Saints will have him place for the 2023 season. Originally signed by New Orleans as a UDFA in 2018, he returned to the Saints this past season after a pair of campaigns with the Panthers. He recorded only two catches, but saw an offensive snap share of 46%.

Broncos To Hire Ben Kotwica As ST Coordinator; Mike Westhoff To Join Staff

February 17th, 2023 at 1:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Broncos are still searching for their new offensive and defensive coordinators, they are making a coordinator hire Friday. The team is set to add Ben Kotwica as its special teams boss, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington tweets.

Kotwica has been a special teams coach in the NFL since 2007. He most recently worked as the Vikings’ assistant special teams coach, moving to Minnesota after Kevin O’Connell took over. Kotwica has not worked for Sean Payton previously, but he will head up a staff with a familiar name.

Payton’s Mike Westhoff meeting is expected to produce a hire. The Broncos and Westhoff have agreed to terms, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com tweets. Westhoff has been on Denver’s radar for a bit, having resided on Payton’s New Orleans staff from 2017-18. He has been retired since, however.

Kotwica, 48, and Westhoff, 75, were on Rex Ryan‘s Jets staff together. The latter worked as Gang Green’s ST coordinator during that period, overlapping with Kotwica from 2007-12. Kotwica took over as the Jets’ ST boss in 2013, after Westhoff’s exit, and headed up Washington and Atlanta’s ST staffs from 2014-20. Despite being out of coaching since the Bills fired him during the 2016 sea son, Ryan has become a frontrunner for the Broncos’ DC job. He would have some familiar coworkers on staff.

Westhoff, who has been in coaching since 1974. He has been an NFL special teams coordinator since 1986, enjoying lengthy tenures with the Dolphins and Jets. A Don Shula hire in Miami back in 1986, Westhoff coached the Dolphins’ special teams for 15 seasons. He then headed up the Jets’ for 12 years. He will be the second former ST coordinator the Broncos have brought out of retirement in two years. Denver hired Jerry Rosburg in September to oversee game management, after concerning issues early in the season. Rosburg ended up finishing the season as the Broncos’ interim HC.

On his first day in charge, Rosburg fired Broncos ST coordinator Dwayne Stukes. Veteran NFL reporter Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings slotted the Broncos 25th. While the Eagles and Chiefs ranked 31st and 32nd this past season, respectively, those squads had considerably more to fall back on compared to the Broncos.

Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order

February 13th, 2023 at 9:56am CST by Adam La Rose

With Super Bowl LVII in the books, the order of the final two first-round picks in April’s draft have been finalized. The Chiefs once again find themselves at the bottom of the order by virtue of winning their second Lombardi Trophy in the past four years.

The last time they found themselves in that position, they added running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in what was seen as a selection which would greatly boost their rushing attack. A repeat of that decision is unlikely this time around, given the emergence of seventh-round rookie Isiah Pacheco as the team’s lead back down the stretch, including the Super Bowl in which Edwards-Helaire was deactivated.

For the Eagles, the fact that their own first-rounder will be one spot higher than Kansas City’s is of course no consolation for the outcome of the game. Nevertheless, Philadelphia will have two chances – since they also have the Saints’ top choice, sitting at No. 10 overall – to add high-end rookies to an already strong core. The success both teams enjoyed in 2022, coupled with the strengths of their respective front offices, should have them well-positioned to contend once again next season.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s close:

  1. Chicago Bears: 3-14
  2. Houston Texans: 3-13-1
  3. Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
  4. Indianapolis Colts: 4-12-1
  5. Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
  6. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
  7. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-11
  8. Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
  9. Carolina Panthers: 7-10
  10. Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
  11. Tennessee Titans: 7-10
  12. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  13. New York Jets: 7-10
  14. New England Patriots: 8-9
  15. Green Bay Packers: 8-9
  16. Washington Commanders: 8-8-1
  17. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-8
  18. Detroit Lions: 9-8
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-9
  20. Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
  21. Los Angeles Chargers: 10-7
  22. Baltimore Ravens: 10-7
  23. Minnesota Vikings: 13-4
  24. Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
  25. New York Giants: 9-7-1
  26. Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
  27. Buffalo Bills: 13-3
  28. Cincinnati Bengals: 12-4
  29. New Orleans Saints (via 49ers through Broncos)
  30. Philadelphia Eagles: 14-3
  31. Kansas City Chiefs: 14-3

This year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice

Texans To Hire Bobby Slowik As Offensive Coordinator

February 12th, 2023 at 11:35am CST by Adam La Rose

The Texans will hire Bobby Slowik as their new offensive coordinator, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter). Like DeMeco Ryans, Houston’s new head coach, Slowik joined the 49ers as a defensive quality control coach in 2017. He subsequently moved to the other side of the ball and spent the 2022 campaign as San Francisco’s offensive passing game coordinator. He will now follow Ryans from the Bay Area to Texas.

[RELATED: Texans Hire Matt Burke As DC]

Slowik, 35, represented a logical candidate to take on the OC job in Houston, one which was vacated by Pep Hamilton. The latter held that role last season for the first time with the Texans, overseeing one of the league’s lowest-scoring and least efficient offenses. Talent obviously played a large role on that front, of course, but it comes as no surprise that a new face is being brought in to help the team’s rebuild.

Today’s news comes just days after Kliff Kingsbury was brought in for an interview for the offensive coordinator posting. That, in turn, came as something of a surprise considering the belief the ex-Cardinals head coach would spend the 2023 season away from the sidelines. Aaron Wilson of KPRC reports that his sit-down with the Texans went well, but Slowik was thought by many to be the frontrunner once it became official that Ryans was the new head coach in Houston.

The son of former NFL DC Bob Slowik, Bobby began his NFL tenure in Washington in 2010. That time was followed by a brief stint as a defensive assistant in the nation’s capital, then a three-year period working as an analyst with Pro Football Focus. He turned his work with the analytics website into his first San Francisco position, allowing him plenty of time to gain experience on both sides of the ball and develop a working relationship with Ryans. Expectations will be raised for the pair heading into the 2023 season.

Slowik played a key role in the 49ers’ offense over the past several years, helping coach one of the more unique units in the league. San Francisco has ranked in the top four in the NFL in terms of total offense three times in the past four seasons, finishing top-six in scoring twice during that same span. Slowik will be dealing with a very different Texans group in his first coordinator posting, but the team does appear to have the foundation of a strong running game in place in tailback Dameon Pierce, and has a prime opportunity in the upcoming draft to land a franchise quarterback.

In other Texans news, Pelissero’s colleague Mike Garafolo tweets that Jerrod Johnson is coming onboard as the team’s quarterbacks coach. Johnson, 34, is a Houston native who received OC interest during this year’s cycle. He interviewed for the Texans’ coordinator vacancy, along with that of the Chargers. Johnson spent last year as the assistant QBs coach in Minnesota, and will take on a larger role this season in Houston with, in all likelihood, a rookie signal-caller in place.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

WR Adam Thielen Facing Contract Restructure, Wants To Remain With Vikings

February 9th, 2023 at 8:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings are not in an enviable position with respect to cap space as the new league year approaches, meaning the team will need to make a number of financial moves in the near future. One of those is likely to involve one of their longest-tenured contributors.

Wideout Adam Thielen once again faces the probability of having to restructure his contract. The 32-year-old has two years remaining on his current pact, and is scheduled to have a cap hit of just under $20MM in 2023. Thielen re-worked his deal last March, in a move which saw Minnesota gain much-needed cap space but has his $11.8MM salary for this season set to become fully guaranteed just after the new league year. Barring further maneuvering, then, he could be considered a cut candidate.

When speaking about his financial situation on the Pat McAfee Show, Thielen acknowledged that talks have begun with the Vikings regarding a new restructure (video link). The two-time Pro Bowler is due more than $30MM over the course of the next two seasons, though Minnesota will once again have the option of converting a significant portion of his base salary into bonuses. A post-June 1 release in particular, on the other hand, would give the NFC North champions eight-figure cap savings in both 2023 and 2024.

When speaking about his uncertain future, Thielen made it clear, however, that he intends to re-work his deal as a result of his desire to remain with the Vikings. The former UDFA has played each of his 135 career games with Minnesota, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark twice. His yardage totals have dipped in recent years, as fellow receiver (and 2022 Offensive Player of the Year) Justin Jefferson has enjoyed an historic start to his career. Thielen has still proven himself to be a reliable redzone contributor, though, totaling 30 touchdowns in the past three campaigns.

“I want to be able to help a team and show… I can play at a high level to help them win,” Thielen added, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter). “Will that be in Minnesota? I don’t know. I hope so. I hope to retire a Minnesota Viking… Will that happen? I don’t know. This is also a business.”

Thielen and the Vikings have a few weeks to work out an agreement which lowers his cap hit while ensuring he remains in Minnesota for at least the short-term future. Failing that, he would no doubt generate a considerable market for himself as a free agent.

Ezra Cleveland Interested In Vikes Extension

February 8th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Deploying an offensive line flooded with first- or second-round rookie contracts, the Vikings will soon have to make decisions regarding those young blockers’ futures. Garrett Bradbury is nearing free agency, and Ezra Cleveland is now extension-eligible.

While the matter of keeping Cleveland may not yet be on the Vikes’ front burner, it represents one of the team’s long-term calls this offseason. Cleveland is a former second-round pick whose deal lacks a fifth-year option like Bradbury’s did or Christian Darrisaw‘s does.

As of now, the 2023 season will be a walk year for Cleveland. The fourth-year guard, however, is interested in a long-term Vikings deal, per the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson (Twitter link).

The former Boise State left tackle took a step in 2022; Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-10 guard. This came after the advanced metrics site slotted him as a top-30 player at his position in 2020 and ’21. Although PFF graded Cleveland as one of this season’s top run-blocking guards, he landed outside the top 10 on ESPN’s run block win rate. PFF also did not view Cleveland as a plus pass protector, charging him with five regular-season sacks allowed.

Since moving into the starting lineup during his rookie season, Cleveland has been a dependable cog. The ex-Alexander Mattison college teammate has started 17 games in each of the past two seasons.

Of the Vikes’ front five, only Brian O’Neill has signed a long-term extension. Bradbury is set to be a free agent, but Darrisaw, Cleveland and right guard Ed Ingram remain on rookie deals. Darrisaw can be kept through 2025 via the fifth-year option, while Engram’s rookie pact also runs through 2025. After determining Bradbury’s Twin Cities future, the Vikes will need to decide on Cleveland’s. Bradbury has maintained he wants to stay in Minnesota; the Vikings declined their center’s fifth-year option in 2022.

Minnesota was the only team to field an O-line consisting of five homegrown first- or second-round picks this season. The NFC North champions’ defense will present more questions compared to the Kevin O’Connell-overseen unit, but the Vikings have higher extension priorities on offense. Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson are in Minnesota’s extension queue, with the latter joining Cleveland in a contract year. Once the Vikes pick up Jefferson’s fifth-year option, he will be under contract through 2024. Jefferson and the Vikes are expected to huddle up on an extension this offseason, despite teams generally avoiding re-ups for non-quarterbacks with two years of rookie-contract control. The team’s pricey year-to-year Kirk Cousins plan stands to factor into its extension budget as well.

Brian Flores Informed Cardinals He Was Withdrawing From HC Search

February 7th, 2023 at 3:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Flores is set for a Twin Cities relocation, taking over as the next Vikings defensive coordinator. The former Dolphins head coach’s quick decision here was somewhat surprising, considering he had a second interview for the Cardinals’ HC job lined up.

It is not believed Flores had been eliminated from the Cardinals’ search just yet. He instead informed the Cards he was not going to meet with them a second time and would accept the Vikings’ DC offer, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Flores’ second Arizona interview had been scheduled for Wednesday, but the Cards are now onto other options. Arizona and Indianapolis remain on the hunt for head coaches, though the Colts’ search is more open-ended than the Cardinals’.

[RELATED: Kyler Murray Return May Be Delayed Until Midseason?]

Bigger-picture plans factored into Flores’ withdrawal. Next year’s lot of potential job openings represented part of the reason, per KPRC’s Aaron Wilson (via Twitter), Flores backed out of the Cards’ search. Higher-profile jobs might be available in 2024. The Chargers and Cowboys come to mind. While this was believed to be a factor for Sean Payton, next year’s coaching carousel also appears to be impacting other candidates’ decisions.

The team’s search may come down to two of its late additions. Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka is meeting with the Cardinals today, while Bengals DC Lou Anarumo‘s meeting is scheduled for Friday. Both are already on their second interviews, despite each having been added to the pool Jan. 30. Vance Joseph, Bengals OC Brian Callahan and Lions DC Aaron Glenn were not among the finalists for the job, though Flores taking a coordinator gig despite being included as a finalist came after other options passed.

Dan Quinn also backed out of multiple searches to stay with the Cowboys, and after interviewing with the Cardinals, Frank Reich accepted the Panthers’ HC offer. Then again, it is unknown how serious the Cardinals were on Reich, who was not a candidate in Denver or Houston. Payton was the biggest fish this offseason, but not much smoke emerged connecting the former Super Bowl-winning HC to Arizona’s vacancy. The Cards added Anarumo and Kafka to their mix days after Payton’s interview and just before he accepted the Broncos’ HC offer.

Despite his discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and a few teams, Flores interviewed for four HC jobs last year following his surprise Dolphins ouster. The longtime Patriots assistant spent this season as the Steelers’ linebackers coach. He was on the Cards’ radar both before and after the team hired ex-Pats executive Monti Ossenfort as GM. A Flores-Ossenfort connection loomed for weeks; no other teams interviewed him for their HC jobs this year. He was among a host of Payton backup plans. Anarumo and Kafka were not even part of the search at that stage.

Vikings To Hire Brian Flores As DC

February 6th, 2023 at 10:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

Just after one of their preferred targets took a defensive coordinator job elsewhere, the Vikings have pivoted to their other finalist. Minnesota is hiring Brian Flores as their DC, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The team has since announced the move.

Flores, 41, had been on the radar for a number of positions in this year’s hiring cycle, including both coordinator and head coaching opportunities. One of the former was with the Vikings, who moved on from Ed Donatell following a disappointing 2022 season for his unit. The team’s search for his replacement led them to a relatively short list of candidates, including former Broncos DC Ejiro Evero.

Minnesota was closely linked to Evero both before and after Denver let him out of his contract to move on to other opportunities. That opened the door to an interview with the Vikings, but the Panthers moved very quickly and hired him Sunday. That move was highly lauded for Frank Reich and his new staff in Charlotte, but it left Minnesota with only one of its two reported favorites available. It thus comes as little surprise that the next major coaching domino has fallen so soon after Evero found his new employer.

Flores spent 2022 as the Steelers’ linebackers coach and an experienced voice on Mike Tomlin‘s staff. Prior to that, he was the head coach of the Dolphins, a tenure which saw him help guide the team to consecutive winning seasons but be let go amidst tension with the front office. He is one of the plaintiffs in an ongoing lawsuit against the NFL and many of its teams alleging racial discrimination in its hiring practices.

After his one-year posting as a positional coach, the longtime Patriots staffer drew considerable interest this offseason, pointing to at least a coordinator position coming his way. Arizona — one of two teams yet to hire their new head coach in 2023 — had a second interview with Flores lined up for later this week, making him one of three finalists for that job. With his name now off that list, the Cardinals appear set to go with either Lou Anarumo or Mike Kafka as their next HC.

The Broncos, meanwhile, were said to be down to two finalists for Evero’s replacement after it was learned he would not be retained by new head coach Sean Payton. Flores was one of them, and Sean Desai the other. The latter should now be considered the favorite to join Payton in the Mile High city, as Flores prepares for the newest chapter of his coaching career.

The Vikings ranked near the bottom of the league in a number of defensive categories in 2022, including points and yards allowed (28th and 31st, respectively). Flores will thus face an uphill battle to lead the unit to an improved performance in 2023, though the team’s playoff berth under head coach Kevin O’Connell suggests even a small step forward could be enough to turn them into contenders.

Panthers Request DC Interview With Ejiro Evero; Latest On Broncos Candidacy

February 4th, 2023 at 7:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

7:40pm: With Evero no longer a member of the Broncos’ staff, Denver does not have the power to block a lateral move such as one which would see him head to Carolina. An interview with the Panthers at an unknown date has been set up, per Troy Renck of Denver7. To little surprise, he adds that Evero “expects to get” either that DC position, or the one in Minnesota to which he has also been very closely linked. In any case, it will likely not take long before his next NFL gig is in place.

1:58pm: Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero continues to draw considerable interest around the NFL despite the uncertainty regarding his future in Denver. In addition to the Vikings, the Panthers are interested in hiring him via a lateral move.

Carolina has requested a DC interview with Evero, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). That news comes less than one month after the Panthers met with the 42-year-old for their head coaching vacancy, which has since been filled by Frank Reich. Despite not landing a HC role so far in the 2023 cycle, Evero is expected to lead an NFL staff in the very near future.

Not long after Reich’s appointment, it came out that the Panthers were eying Vic Fangio for their DC position. The latter eventually chose to head to Miami instead, though, leaving them to turn elsewhere in their search. It comes as little surprise they have their eyes on Evero, who drew notable praise for his work with Denver’s defense in 2022, his first campaign in the Mile High City. Whether he stays there for the upcoming sesason or not remains to be seen, however.

The Broncos have not yet given the Vikings permission to interview Evero as their Ed Donatell replacement, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). He adds that Evero would be Minnesota’s preferred choice if a sit-down were to be arranged, though that may be unlikely. It was reported earlier this week that the Broncos wish to keep Evero in place as a top assistant under new head coach Sean Payton; Breer notes that the pair have spoken to discuss their (potential) future together.

In a follow-up, Breer also tweets that the Rams could be a team to keep an eye on should they find themselves in need of a new DC. Raheem Morris is one of many candidates remaining for the Colts’ HC position, so the possibility remains that he winds up in Indianapolis in the near future. Evero would represent a logical replacement candidate for Morris, since he spent five years in Los Angeles prior to his arrival in Denver this past year.

Amidst all this uncertainty, the Broncos have requested DC interviews of their own with Seahawks defensive assistant Sean Desai and Steelers linebackers coach Brian Flores. That leaves much to be answered with respect to Evero’s immediate future, but if he does end up outside of Denver in 2023, he will have no shortage of suitors.

Broncos Release Ejiro Evero From Contract; DC Expected To Interview With Vikings

February 4th, 2023 at 5:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

The future of Ejiro Evero could become clearer in the near future. The Broncos have let their defensive coordinator out of his contract, freeing him to interview with other teams for a new opportunity under the same title, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

Mike Klis of 9News corroborates that report, adding that Evero preferred to move on from Denver (Twitter link). The 42-year-old was close with ousted head coach Nathaniel Hackett, something which left plenty of doubt in the wake of his firing before the regular season had ended. Evero was offered the interim HC role for the final two games of the campaign, but kept his attention on his DC duties in preparation for a busy schedule of interviews during the 2023 coaching cycle.

In spite of the Broncos’ wishes to keep Evero in place, new head coach Sean Payton is moving on from the former with this decision. As a result, Evero can now meet with the Vikings, who requested an interview with him yesterday. It remained very much in doubt whether or not Denver would block that request – as they previously had done with the Falcons. Now, though, Minnesota is working on scheduling a sit-down for early next week, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer tweets.

As Klis notes, “all signs point to” Evero landing the DC position with the Vikings once that interview takes place. He has been a hot commodity this offseason as one of the league’s fastest-rising coordinators, even receiving head coach consideration from the Panthers last month. Carolina also has an interview request in with Evero for their DC vacancy, as Frank Reich begins to piece together his new staff.

An NFL staffer since 2017, Evero has spent time with the Buccaneers, 49ers, Packers and Rams in a number of capacities. His lone DC spell came this past season with the Broncos, who put up impressive statistics in several categories despite the team’s well-documented struggles all year long. That showing had led to the expectation that Evero will be an NFL head coach not far down the road.

Payton and the Broncos, meanwhile, will now squarely turn their attention elsewhere to fill the DC opening. Denver has interview requests in with Sean Desai and Brian Flores, but more names could be added to the list of their targets with the knowledge that their highly-acclaimed assistant will be heading elsewhere.

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