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.
NFL Workout Updates: 1/3/19
Today’s workout updates, all courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter):
Chicago Bears
- T Dakoda Shepley; G Ethan Cooper; LB Sam Eguavoen; K Ty Long
Detroit Lions
- DEs Avery Ellis, Tony Nelson; LB Sam Eguavoen
Green Bay Packers
- WR Devin Smith
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
- QBs Jon Jennings, Bo Levi Mitchell; WRs Sammie Coates, Greg Ward, Taj Williams; T Dakoda Shepley; LBs Sam Eguavoen, Jameer Thurman
Kansas City Chiefs
- DTs Henry Mondeaux, Cavon Walker; CB DeAndre Elliott
Los Angeles Chargers
- LB Alex Singleton; LS Tanner Carew; K Ty Long; P Shane Tripucka
New England Patriots
- WR Jordan Williams-Lambert
New Orleans Saints
- DE Geneo Grissom; LB Lorenzo Mauldin
New York Jets
- WR Stacy Coley; DE Charles Tapper
Pittsburgh Steelers
- RBs Terry Swanson, Malik Williams; WR Diontae Spencer
Seattle Seahawks
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/2/19
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad decisions:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Dexter McCoil
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Henry Mondeaux
- Cut: QB J.T. Barrett
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S Marwin Evans
Saints Do Solid For Alex Okafor
- Alex Okafor stood to miss a $400K bonus because he fell one sack short of the incentive’s five-sack threshold, but, interestingly, the Saints paid him the bonus anyway, per NOLA.com’s Luke Johnson. This could be a key component of the starting defensive end’s upcoming decision on whether or not to opt out of his contract. Okafor signed a two-year deal with a player option to stay in New Orleans and has until the final day of the 2018 league year to decide on the option.
Packers To Interview Saints OC Pete Carmichael
Sean Payton‘s longtime right-hand man, Pete Carmichael has not been a fixture on recent coaching carousels. The Packers, though, want to amend that.
Green Bay requested an interview with New Orleans’ offensive coordinator, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter). The meeting will take place Saturday, ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett reports (on Twitter).
Carmichael has been with the Saints since Payton’s 2006 arrival, ascending to the role of offensive coordinator in advance of New Orleans’ 2009 Super Bowl season. The 47-year-old assistant is the league’s longest-tenured OC. Payton being the architect of the Saints’ perennially explosive offenses, teams have not made Carmichael a priority in coaching searches.
The Packers have already interviewed Chuck Pagano and Jim Caldwell and are scheduled to meet with Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell, Titans OC Matt LaFleur, Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores and Patriots OC Josh McDaniels. Interim HC Joe Philbin is also set to get a look. They are also trying to land a meeting with Northwestern HC Pat Fitzgerald.
New Orleans’ offenses have ranked in the top 10 in both scoring and total yardage in nine of Carmichael’s 10 years, the one outlier being an 11th-place points ranking in 2010. During Payton’s Bountygate suspension season, 2012, the Saints ranked second in yardage and scored the third-most points.
Packers, Browns, Cardinals To Interview Dan Campbell
Dan Campbell is a popular man these days. After interviewing Josh McDaniels, the Packers are set to fly to New Orleans on Saturday to meet with the Saints’ assistant head coach/tight ends coach, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. He’s also scheduled to meet with the Browns on Friday and the Cardinals at some point over the weekend. 
Of course, in the midst of all of this, Campbell is preparing for the Saints’ Divisional Round game on Jan. 13. Should the Saints win against their TBD opponent, interested clubs will have to get in where they fit in if they want to go down the road with Campbell.
Also carrying the title of assistant head coach in New Orleans, Campbell was connected to the Colts’ post-McDaniels job search last year and interviewed for the Vikings’ OC job that eventually went to John DeFilippo. Prior to being promoted to the Dolphins’ HC in the wake of Joe Philbin‘s early-season firing three years ago, Campbell had been Miami’s tight ends coach for more than four years.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/31/18
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: CB Josh Robinson
- Waived: OL Cornelius Lucas
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/31/18
Here are the New Year’s Eve practice squad decisions:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Rolan Milligan
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Henry Mondeaux
Cardinals, Packers Request To Interview Saints’ Dan Campbell
The 2015 Dolphins’ interim coach, Dan Campbell has spent the past three seasons as the Saints’ tight ends boss. He looks set to re-enter the coaching carousel.
In addition to receiving a Browns interview request, Campbell has heard from the Cardinals and Packers about hopeful meetings, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (on Twitter).
Also carrying the title of assistant head coach in New Orleans, Campbell was connected to the Colts’ post-Josh McDaniels job search last year and interviewed for the Vikings’ OC job that eventually went to John DeFilippo. Prior to being promoted to the Dolphins’ HC in the wake of Joe Philbin‘s early-season firing three years ago, Campbell had been Miami’s tight ends coach for more than four years.
The Cardinals and Packers have been busy with interview requests on the first day of non-playoff-qualifying teams’ offseasons. After already meeting with Jim Caldwell and Chuck Pagano, Green Bay sent out requests for powwows with Titans OC Matt LaFleur, Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak, Northwestern HC Pat Fitzgerald and Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores, who has not yet decided which interviews he will take. The Broncos, Browns, Dolphins and Packers have sent Flores meeting requests.
Arizona has contacted Rams QBs coach Zac Taylor and Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, whom the Jets, Buccaneers and Dolphins have also contacted. The Cardinals interviewed Flores earlier this year.