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Patriots To Release QB Brian Hoyer

March 4th, 2023 at 10:34am CST by Ely Allen

Longtime backup quarterback Brian Hoyer appears to be on his way out of New England, according to Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan. The Patriots brought Hoyer back for the third time in 2020 but have plans to move on from him this offseason.

Hoyer originally signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State in 2009. The previous season had seen star passer Tom Brady lost for the year to a torn ACL and MCL and required backup quarterback Matt Cassel to lead the Patriots. Cassel’s performance in Brady’s stead would earn him a new contract as the Chief’s starter in 2009. With Cassel gone, Hoyer took over the main role as Brady’s backup.

Just prior to the 2012 season, the Patriots released Hoyer as they decided to move forward with Ryan Mallett as their primary backup passer. Hoyer signed with the Steelers following injuries to Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich but never saw the field while backing up Charlie Batch. Two days after being released by Pittsburgh, Hoyer signed with the Cardinals, with whom he earned the first start of his career in the season finale after an injury to Ryan Lindley.

The following season saw Hoyer sign with his hometown team, the Browns. In Cleveland, Hoyer would see the most success in his career. Following an injury to Brandon Weeden, the Browns passed over backup Jason Campbell and started Hoyer. After earning his first-career win, Hoyer started the next two games (both wins), before suffering an ACL tear in that third start of the year. After recovering, Hoyer was tabbed as the starter for 2014 as Weeden and Campbell departed in free agency. He competed for the job with rookie first-round pick Johnny Manziel. Hoyer had an impressive 6-3 start to the season, dropping two games in heartbreaking fashion, before losing three of the next four, prompting a move to start Manziel. Hoyer went 7-6 as a starter that year.

Following the expiration of his contract in Cleveland, Hoyer signed with the Texans, where he competed with former teammate, Mallett, for the starting job. Houston went back and forth between the two for the year as Hoyer went 5-4 as a starter and threw an impressive 19 touchdowns to seven interceptions. The Texans would release Hoyer one year into a two-year deal, and he would sign with the Bears the following year. Backing up Jay Cutler, Hoyer got five starts in Chicago, throwing for a career-high 240.8 yards per game and six touchdowns with no interceptions.

In 2017, Hoyer had his last true starting gig in San Francisco, losing six straight starts before being benched for then-rookie C.J. Beathard. He was essentially traded to the Patriots in exchange for Jimmy Garoppolo, but since the Patriots didn’t want him included in the trade for compensatory draft pick reasons, he was simply released by the 49ers and re-signed by New England.

Since then, Hoyer has served solely as a backup quarterback for the Patriots, Colts, and then back to the Patriots for a third stint. He started a game in relief of each Jacoby Brissett in Indianapolis and Cam Newton and Mac Jones in New England, but as he’s progressed into his late 30’s, Hoyer has been relegated to only backup duty.

Hoyer’s latest release comes one year into another two-year contract and is likely due to the acquisition of Bailey Zappe last offseason. Hoyer had won the primary backup position over Zappe last season, earning a start in place of Jones in a Week 4 matchup against the Packers, but was replaced by Zappe after a concussion in the first quarter. New England now likely feels comfortable moving forward with Zappe as Jones’s backup quarterback. The Patriots only save around $300,000 in cap space as Hoyer still hits them for $1.64MM in dead cap money.

Turning 38 this upcoming season, it will be interesting to see what Hoyer decides to do. He has always shown the ability to perform off the bench over the years but has also been sidelined with injuries time and time again. Will Hoyer make yet another attempt to provide a franchise with a capable backup quarterback? Or will he avoid any further harm to his body by hanging up his cleats after a fourteen-year career in the NFL?

2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 28th, 2023 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the head coaching carousel spun for several weeks, many teams made coordinator changes as well. Teams seeking new head coaches are conducting OC and DC searches, and a handful of other teams that did not make HC changes are also searching for top assistants.

This is a big year for offensive coordinator hires, with nearly half the league making changes. Here are the teams searching for new OCs and DCs. As new searches emerge, they will be added to the list.

Updated 3-1-23 (3:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals 

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Greg Roman)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Ben McAdoo)

  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach, (Rams): Hired
  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/2
  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jeff Nixon, running backs coach (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Brian Schottenheimer, offensive consultant (Cowboys): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Justin Outten)

Houston Texans (Out: Pep Hamilton)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Parks Frazier)

  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Tee Martin, wide receivers coach (Ravens): Interview requested

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach (Chiefs): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Liam Coen)

New York Jets (Out: Mike LaFleur)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Shane Steichen)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Byron Leftwich)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Todd Downing)

Washington Commanders (Out: Scott Turner)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Vance Joseph)

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dean Pees)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Leslie Frazier)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Al Holcomb)

  • Ejiro Evero, former defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): Interviewed
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans 

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Renaldo Hill)

  • Derrick Ansley, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Promoted
  • Doug Belk, defensive coordinator (Houston): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Interviewed

Miami Dolphins (Out: Josh Boyer)

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Ed Donatell)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard)

  • Joe Woods, former defensive coordinator (Browns): Hired

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Jonathan Gannon)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: DeMeco Ryans)

  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): On radar
  • Chris Harris, defensive backs coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
  • Kris Kocurek, defensive line coach (49ers): On radar
  • Steve Wilks, former interim head coach (Panthers): Hired

Patriots Notes: Kraft, McCourty, McDermott

February 26th, 2023 at 2:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

Robert Kraft has owned the Patriots since 1994, a tenure which has included the most notable feats in the franchise’s history. If he has his way, Kraft’s stint owning the franchise will not be ending any time soon.

The 81-year-old made it clear during an appearance on Fox Business that he is “never selling” the six-time Super Bowl winning team. The Patriots would certainly net a substantial sales price if that stance were to ever change, but being able to hand ownership of the franchise was one generation to the next is clearly Kraft’s top priority.

“We’ve set it up so that it hopefully stays in the family for many decades to come,” he said, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “After my family, the New England Patriots are the most important thing in my life. It’s not a business, it’s really part of my family… I love being in the locker room, being around the players. I just pinch myself that I’ve been so privileged to own a franchise in my hometown.”

Here are some other notes out of Foxborough:

  • Veteran safety Devin McCourty is a pending free agent, as was special teams ace Matthew Slater before he decided to continue his Patriots career for at least one more season. McCourty has yet to decide on his future, as detailed by Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. The 35-year-old has been in New England since 2010, and he remained a productive, full-time starter in 2022 with 71 tackles and four interceptions. The former first-rounder’s most recent one-year deal contains a $9.7MM cap charge in 2023 via void years, but a new contract could alter that figure. He intends to make a decision about his playing future by the middle of March, likely in time for the start of the new league year.
  • Details are in on the new deal signed by offensive tackle Conor McDermott earlier this month. The 30-year-old will play in New England on a two-year contract with a base value of $3.6MM (Twitter link via ESPN’s Field Yates). The pact also contains incentives based on playing time, though, which means it could top out at $5.1MM. McDermott proved to be a valuable midseason signing off the Jets’ practice squad, as he started at right tackle to close out the regular season. He will at least compete for the No. 1 role at that spot this offseason.
  • McCourty’s future is up in the air, but so is that of two-time Patriot Malcolm Butler. The Super Bowl winning corner rejoined New England last offseason, but was ultimately released with an injury designation. He now feels 100% healthy, as noted by ESPN’s Mike Reiss, and is contemplating another attempted comeback as a player or the prospect of retiring and returning to college while transitioning to coaching. He last played with the Titans in 2020.

Latest On Broncos’ Coaching Staff; Matt Patricia Still On Radar For Assistant Job?

February 23rd, 2023 at 1:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

1:13pm: If Patricia is part of Payton’s plans, it will not be as linebackers coach. The Broncos are hiring Michael Wilhoite for that position, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Recently dismissed by the Chargers, Wilhoite worked with the Saints from 2019-20. The former NFL linebacker was on Payton’s staffs then as a lower-level assistant; this job represents a title bump.

12:20pm: The Broncos’ Vance Joseph defensive coordinator hire removes some of their candidates from the equation, but it might not scrap partnerships will all of them. Matt Patricia may still be on the radar for a role in Denver.

The former Lions HC and longtime Bill Belichick assistant has been connected to joining the Broncos as linebackers coach, Troy Renck of Denver7 notes. Sean Payton responded to a tweet questioning his methodical pace at filling out Denver’s staff, indicating he had 16 coaches in place. It would appear more names will surface soon. The team is still looking for an offensive coordinator.

Patricia, 48, interviewed Wednesday for the job Joseph just accepted. Although he worked with the Patriots’ offensive line last season — one that became a controversial campaign due to the longtime defensive staffer being the team’s de facto OC — the former head coach and longtime defensive coordinator has not held a position coach title since 2011, when he was the Pats’ safeties coach. Patricia has only worked for the Patriots and Lions during his lengthy NFL stay; the Pats brought him back shortly after his Lions firing.

Patricia is no longer under contract with the Patriots, and while it is believed he should still have a job under Belichick, the Lions no longer paying him a head coach salary would require the Pats to handle the entire compensation going forward. That should not be a major issue, given assistants’ salaries, but it certainly would be interesting if Patricia left New England for a non-coordinator job. His contract expiring would mean the Pats cannot block such a move, however.

The Broncos are also retaining two of their holdover defensive assistants. They will keep both defensive line coach Marcus Dixon and defensive backs coach Christian Parker, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. Parker, 31, interviewed for the DC job, providing an illustration of the team’s view of the young staffer, and will enter his third season with the team. He joined the Broncos during Vic Fangio‘s tenure; Dixon, 38, signed on under Ejiro Evero last year. This is Parker’s first job coaching a position, while Dixon — a former NFL D-lineman — coached on the Rams’ staff in 2021.

Although Mike Zimmer also interviewed for a separate staff position and would make sense in a senior defensive assistant-type role alongside Payton, his Cowboys coworker in the 2000s, the linebackers position is the top box for the Broncos now to check on defense. On offense, the team is replacing five-year wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni with ex-NFLer Keary Colbert, Matt Zenitz of On3Sports.com tweets. Colbert, who played an auxiliary role for the Broncos’ receiving corps from 2008-09, spent last season as Florida’s receivers coach. He also mentored Drake London at USC. Colbert, 40, began coaching immediately after his playing career wrapped. Azzanni joined the Jets as their receivers coach recently.

Matt Patricia A New DC Candidate In Denver

February 22nd, 2023 at 7:58pm CST by Ely Allen

As new Broncos head coach Sean Payton has continued building his new staff in Denver, two names have emerged as top candidates for the defensive coordinator position. Joining Rex Ryan and Vance Joseph as top options for the job, Patriots senior football advisor Matt Patricia spent today in Denver as a new candidate for the role, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Despite his successful tenure in New England as a defensive coordinator, which led to a head coaching job, Patricia found himself on the offensive side of the coaching staff this past year for the Patriots. The move to pair Patricia with offensive assistant Joe Judge to effectively serve as de facto offensive coordinator puzzled many and didn’t exactly deliver the desired results the Patriots were hoping for. Patricia garnered much of the criticism in his first return to the offensive side of coaching since he served as assistant offensive line coach in 2005.

With the recent addition of Bill O’Brien, back as offensive coordinator in New England for the first time in 12 years, questions immediately arose surrounding the future of both Patricia and Judge. Obviously no longer needed to call offensive plays, it’s widely been believed that both coaches would still be able to carve some role out to remain in New England. With the new update in Denver, it appears Patricia is trying his hand at other jobs in the NFL, as well.

Patricia is an intriguing candidate for the position. His tenure as defensive coordinator for the Patriots was largely successful. As defensive coordinator from 2012-17, Patricia’s defenses never finished worse than 10th in the league in points allowed, finishing first in the category in 2016. Despite the success keeping opponents out of the end zone, the defenses under Patricia finished in the bottom eight for yards allowed three times, including a 29th-ranked finish in his final season as defensive coordinator in 2017.

Besides Patricia, the Broncos have had seven other potential names mentioned for the position. Former defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero was released from his contract and allowed to accept the same position in Carolina. Brian Flores cancelled his interview and accepted the defensive coordinator position in Minnesota. Former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was mentioned as a candidate, and Seahawks defensive assistant Sean Desai and Saints former co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard were both interviewed for the job, but to this point, Joseph and Ryan are considered the favorites with Ryan even undergoing a second interview last week.

It will be interesting to see how much Patricia factors into the decision as such a late addition to the search. For updates on the job, be sure to follow our 2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker.

Patriots’ Matthew Slater To Return In 2023

February 20th, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Adam La Rose

FEBRUARY 20: Terms on Slater’s newest deal are in, as detailed by ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link). The veteran will have a salary of $2.52MM, coupled with a modest signing bonus. His cap hit, however, will come in at only $1.3MM since the contract qualifies Slater for the four year player benefit. Given his production in 2022, this latest contact is likely to provide good value for the Patriots.

FEBRUARY 17: A special teams mainstay will remain in New England for at least one more season. The Patriots announced on Friday that Matthew Slater will play in 2023, setting him up for a 16th season spent in Foxborough.

The 37-year-old signed a one-year deal last offseason, valued at $2.62MM. While today’s announcement did not mention a new pact being signed, a similar arrangement is likely to be in place for 2023. Slater continued his long-established role as a special teams captain last year, remaining productive with 13 tackles while logging an 84% snap share in the third phase.

While those totals didn’t land him an 11th Pro Bowl nod, Slater proved he is still a valuable member of the Patriots’ operation. Suiting up for a full season also allowed him to pass Bruce Armstrong for second place on the franchise’s all-time games played list with 223. The three-time Super Bowl winner now trails only Tom Brady (285) in that regard.

“I couldn’t be happier to learn that Matthew Slater has decided to return for his 16th season with the New England Patriots,” owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. “Matthew’s drive to be the best at what he does will one day earn him enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame… He is truly special, and I am grateful that his contributions to the team will continue.”

Head coach Bill Belichick added that he is “thrilled” Slater will play at least one more campaign. The former firth-rounder has not recorded any offensive yardage since 2016 and has just 54 in total over the course of his career. His accomplishments as a gunner, however, have solidified his status as one of the best special teamers in NFL history. He will now look towards adding to his legacy in that capacity.

“It is a great honor and blessing to return to the Patriots for my 16th season,” Slater said. “Thank you to the Kraft family and the entire Patriots organization for allowing me to continue to pursue my childhood dream. See you in the fall. God Bless.”

Patriots To Re-Sign OL Conor McDermott

February 18th, 2023 at 8:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots will maintain a key midseason addition along the offensive line in 2023. New England has agreed to terms on a new deal with Conor McDermott, reports the Boston Globe’s Jim McBride (Twitter link).

[RELATED: Matthew Slater To Return To Patriots In 2023]

The 30-year-old was drafted by the Patriots in 2017, but it was in Buffalo that he made his NFL debut that season. That was followed by one more Bills campaign, then three-plus with the Jets. McDermott established himself as useful depth up front in New York, logging six starts across his 35 total appearances in the Big Apple.

That figure does not include any starts in 2022, a season in which the Jets suffered numerous injuries up front. Tackles Mekhi Becton, George Fant and Duane Brown all missed time during the campaign, but McDermott bounced on and off the team’s practice squad. In total, he saw a snap share of 18% on offense, his lowest total during his Jets tenure.

That precipitated a November deal allowing him to re-join the Patriots, with whom he remained on the 53-man roster. More to the point, the former sixth-rounder started all six games he played in with New England, never leaving the field on offense. That allowed him to fill in for the injured Isaiah Wynn at right tackle to close out the season. His performance down the stretch has obviously sat well with the Patriots.

Given Wynn’s struggles when healthy (earning a PFF grade of 54.6, the lowest of his career after allowing four sacks and 17 pressures) McDermott will now be able to compete for the full-time starting role this offseason, at the RT spot or elsewhere.

Cardinals Request DC Interviews With Dave Borgonzi, DeMarcus Covington

February 17th, 2023 at 9:04am CST by Sam Robinson

After Jonathan Gannon informed Vance Joseph he was free to explore other opportunities, the Cardinals are moving on their defensive coordinator search. Two interview requests went out Friday morning.

The NFC West team requested DC meetings with Bears linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi and Patriots defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter links). Borgonzi is scheduled to interview for the job Saturday.

[RELATED: Cardinals Send Out OC Interview Requests]

Borgonzi followed Matt Eberflus to Chicago, having spent four seasons as Indianapolis’ linebackers coach. Gannon was on that Frank Reich-led Indy staff from 2018-20. Covington, who is just 33, has been the Patriots’ D-line coach since 2020 and has worked in New England since 2017. That tenure overlapped with new Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort, and Rapoport adds the two have been friends for a bit. These are the first two interview requests the Cards have sent out regarding their DC position.

Covington has steadily climbed the ladder in New England, moving from an assistant position to outside linebackers coach to D-line coach since 2017. The Pats hired the young assistant out of the college ranks; he spent the 2016 season as Eastern Illinois’ co-defensive coordinator. This is Covington’s first DC interview opportunity, and Ossenfort’s presence stands to give the six-year Pats staffer a decent chance of receiving another title bump.

Borgonzi oversaw the first four seasons of Shaquille Leonard‘s career. Three of those produced first-team All-Pro honors for the star linebacker, and Bobby Okereke‘s production also reflects well on Borgonzi. The Bears traded Roquan Smith midway through Borgonzi’s first Chicago season, continuing a teardown that gave its defensive staffers less talent to manage. The Bears ranked last in scoring defense in 2022, but Borgonzi will receive an opportunity to state his case for an elevation. Borgonzi has been in the NFL since joining the Cowboys’ staff in 2011.

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