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Assessing NFL’s OC Landscape

February 15th, 2024 at 8:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

This offseason showed the turnover that can take place at the offensive coordinator position. As a result of several decisions in January and February, the NFL no longer has an OC who has been in his current role for more than two seasons. Various firings and defections now have the 2022 batch of hires stationed as the longest-tenured OCs.

One of the longest-tenured coordinators in NFL history, Pete Carmichael is no longer with the Saints. The team moved on after 15 seasons, a stay that featured part-time play-calling duties. The Browns canned their four-year non-play-calling OC, Alex Van Pelt, while three-year play-callers Arthur Smith and Shane Waldron are relocating this winter. Brian Callahan‘s five-year gig as the Bengals’ non-play-calling OC booked him a top job.

The recent lean toward offense-oriented HCs took a bit of a hit of a hit this offseason, with five of the eight jobs going to defense-oriented leaders. Callahan, Dave Canales and Jim Harbaugh were the only offense-geared candidates hired during this cycle. But half the NFL will go into this season with a new OC. Following the Seahawks’ decision to hire ex-Washington (and, briefly, Alabama) staffer Ryan Grubb, here is how the NFL’s OC landscape looks:

2022 OC hires

  • Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions*
  • Mike Kafka, New York Giants*
  • Wes Phillips, Minnesota Vikings
  • Frank Smith, Miami Dolphins
  • Adam Stenavich, Green Bay Packers
  • Press Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars*

Although this sextet now comprises the senior wing of offensive coordinators, this still marks each’s first gig as an NFL OC. Three of the six received HC interest this offseason.

Johnson’s status back in Detroit has been one of the offseason’s top storylines and a development the Commanders have not taken especially well. The two-year Lions OC was viewed as the frontrunner for the Washington job for weeks this offseason, and when team brass did not receive word about Johnson’s intent to stay in Detroit (thus, waiting until at least 2025 to make his long-expected HC move) until a Commanders contingent was en route to Detroit for a second interview, a back-and-forth about what exactly broke down took place. Johnson should be expected to remain a high-end HC candidate next year, but Dan Campbell will still have his services for 2024.

Kafka interviewed for the Seahawks’ HC job, and the Giants then blocked him from meeting with the NFC West team about its OC position. Rumblings about Kafka and Brian Daboll no longer being on great terms surfaced this year, with the latter yanking away play-calling duties — given to Kafka ahead of the 2022 season — at points in 2023. Taylor may also be on the hot seat with his team. Doug Pederson gave Taylor the call sheet last season, and Trevor Lawrence did not make the leap many expected. After a collapse left the Jaguars out of the playoffs, the team had begun to look into its offensive situation.

2023 OC hires

  • Jim Bob Cooter, Indianapolis Colts
  • Nathaniel Hackett, New York Jets*
  • Mike LaFleur, Los Angeles Rams
  • Joe Lombardi, Denver Broncos
  • Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens*
  • Matt Nagy, Kansas City Chiefs
  • Drew Petzing, Arizona Cardinals*
  • Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
  • Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans*

Only nine of the 15 OCs hired in 2023 are still with their teams. One (Canales) moved up the ladder, while others were shown the door following that organization canning its head coach. The Eagles were the only team who hired an offensive coordinator last year to fire that staffer (Brian Johnson) after one season. Nick Sirianni fired both his coordinators following a wildly disappointing conclusion.

Hackett may also be drifting into deep water, given what transpired last year in New York. Rumblings of Robert Saleh — who is on the hottest seat among HCs — stripping some of his offensive play-caller’s responsibilities surfaced recently. This marks Hackett’s fourth chance to call plays in the NFL; the second-generation staffer did so for the Bills, Jaguars and Broncos prior to coming to New York. After the 2022 Broncos ranked last in scoring, the ’23 Jets ranked 31st in total offense. Hackett’s relationship with Aaron Rodgers has largely kept him in place, but 2024 may represent a last chance for the embattled coach.

Of this crop, Monken and Slowik were the only ones to receive HC interest. Neither emerged as a frontrunner for a position, though Slowik met with the Commanders twice. The Texans then gave their first-time play-caller a raise to stick around for C.J. Stroud‘s second season. Stroud’s remarkable progress figures to keep Slowik on the HC radar. Monken, who is in his third try as an NFL OC (after gigs in Tampa and Cleveland), just helped Lamar Jackson to his second MVP award. The former national championship-winning OC did not stick the landing — as Jackson struggled against the Chiefs — but he fared well on the whole last season.

Schottenheimer is on his fourth go-round as an OC, while Lombardi is on team No. 3. The latter’s job figures to be more secure, being tied to Sean Payton, compared to what is transpiring in Dallas. With the Cowboys having Mike McCarthy as the rare lame-duck HC, his coordinators probably should not get too comfortable.

2024 OC hires

  • Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills*
  • Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers*
  • Ken Dorsey, Cleveland Browns
  • Luke Getsy, Las Vegas Raiders*
  • Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks*
  • Nick Holz, Tennessee Titans
  • Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders*
  • Klint Kubiak, New Orleans Saints*
  • Brad Idzik, Carolina Panthers
  • Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles*
  • Dan Pitcher, Cincinnati Bengals
  • Zac Robinson, Atlanta Falcons*
  • Greg Roman, Los Angeles Chargers*
  • Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers*
  • Alex Van Pelt, New England Patriots*
  • Shane Waldron, Chicago Bears*

The 49ers do not employ a traditional OC; 16 of the 31 teams that do recently made a change. Most of the teams to add OCs this year, however, did so without employing play-calling coaches. This naturally raises the stakes for this year’s batch of hires.

Retreads became rather popular. Dorsey, Getsy, Moore, Van Pelt and Waldron were all OCs elsewhere (Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Seattle) last season. Smith will shift from calling the Falcons’ plays to running the show for the Steelers. Dorsey, Getsy and Van Pelt were fired; Moore and Waldron moved on after the Chargers and Seahawks respectively changed HCs. Moore and Smith will be calling plays for a third team; for Moore, this is three OC jobs in three years.

Coen, Kingsbury and Roman are back after a year away. Kingsbury became a popular name on the OC carousel, having coached Caleb Williams last season. This will be his second crack at an NFL play-calling gig, having been the Cardinals’ conductor throughout his HC tenure. This will be Coen’s first shot at calling plays in the pros; he was Sean McVay‘s non-play-calling assistant in 2022. Likely to become the Chargers’ play-caller, Roman will have a rare fourth chance to call plays in the NFL. He held that responsibility under Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco; following Harbaugh’s explosive 2015 49ers split, Roman moved to Buffalo and Baltimore to work under non-offense-oriented leaders.

Grubb, Holz, Idzik, Pitcher and Robinson represent this year’s first-timer contingent. Grubb has, however, called plays at the college level. Robinson is the latest McVay staffer to move into a play-calling post; he was a Rams assistant for five years. A host of teams had Robinson on their OC radar, but Raheem Morris brought his former L.A. coworker to Atlanta. Pitcher appeared in a few searches as well, but the Bengals made the expected move — after extending him last year — to give him Callahan’s old job.

* = denotes play-calling coordinator

Jameis Winston Eyeing New Saints Deal

February 15th, 2024 at 9:50am CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints are set to have Derek Carr atop the quarterback depth chart for at least one more campaign, but retaining Jameis Winston as his backup remains an option for this offseason. If the latter has his way, the team will take that route.

Winston is set to reach free agency next month with the expiration of his current contract. He took a pay cut last offseason, working out a revised one-year deal to avoid being designated a post-June 1 release. That contract has since been altered significantly as part of New Orleans’ annual cap gymnastics, leaving Winston’s future in question. He recently confirmed his desire to remain with the team, though.

“I would love to stay in NOLA forever,” the former No. 1 pick said in an interview with WDSU’s Margaret Orr during a Mari Gras parade (video link). “But whatever the Lord has planned for me, I’m going to go and do my best, wherever that is. Hopefully it’s here, because I love this, I love the energy, and I love this city.”

In the wake of his revised contract, Winston publicly stated his intention of competing for another starting role in the future. Given Carr’s continued presence, Winston’s latest comments are notable since the 2024 season would involve another campaign spent as a backup. The former has his $30MM salary guaranteed in full for the coming year, but New Orleans could move on with minimal cap penalties next offseason.

Even in the event that were to take place, Winston’s prospects for assuming QB1 duties would be questionable. The 30-year-old’s last full campaign as a starter took place during the 2019 season, his final one with the Buccaneers. He served as the Saints’ starter in 2021 for seven weeks before a promising year was cut short due to an ACL tear. Since then, Andy Dalton and now Carr have leapfrogged him on the depth chart, while Swiss Army knife Taysom Hill has also seen occasional usage as a quarterback.

Winston would be one of several veteran passers on the open market if he were to see his Saints deal expire. New Orleans has a number of difficult financial decisions to make in the near future, but the backup QB spot would become a notable roster hole if the team moved on from him. Winston’s future with his current team, or a new one, will thus be worth monitoring in the build-up to the new league year.

Saints GM Mickey Loomis Addresses Cap Strategy; Team Restructures Marshon Lattimore, Jameis Winston Contracts

February 12th, 2024 at 2:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

For years, the Saints have been at the forefront of the league with respect to maneuvering themselves into cap compliance. The 2024 offseason figures to be no different in that respect, with restructures expected to be a frequently-used tool.

New Orleans has a veteran-laden roster and has elected on several occasions to avoid a hard financial reset by instead creating immediate cap space at the expense of future years. That has left the team with a number of difficult decisions, but general manager Mickey Loomis has managed to keep the core intact while also being active in spots during free agency. When asked about this offseason, he confirmed a signficant shift in operations will not be coming.

“I don’t know that change is the right word,” Loomis said, via NOLA.com’s Matthew Paras. “We just have to be conscious of making up some ground in the next few years, and there are different ways to do that. I’ve said this [to the media] before, sometimes you have to look beyond the numbers and look at how many guys are under contract, what’s the roster, what are your core players… There’s just a lot of different variables.”

Currently projected to be well over the cap for the new league year, the Saints have begun the process of restructuring some of their most lucrative contracts. That includes cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who ESPN’s Field Yates notes had much of his 2024 base salary converted into an option bonus. The move created just over $11MM in cap space for this year. Lattimore’s re-worked pact also has a de-escalator for offseason workout participation, as detailed by Yates’ colleague Katherine Terrell and Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football.

As Underhill further notes, Lattimore’s option bonus does not take effect until one week before the start of the 2024 campaign (subscription required). That could create a window of opportunity for a trade, something which would come as a surprise given the four-time Pro Bowler’s importance to New Orleans’ defense. Lattimore is under contract through 2026; like many Saints, though, his pact includes multiple void years.

The same is true of quarterback Jameis Winston. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Winston agreed to add void years to his pact which will take effect shortly after the new league year begins in March. He is still on track to reach free agency, but the move will allow for his cap hit to be spread over multiple seasons. As Terrell notes, Winston was due to carry a cap charge of $10.6MM in the event he did not re-sign. The 30-year-old has been with New Orleans since 2020, and he could be retained this spring in a backup capacity.

Designating him a post-June 1 release would also be a viable option, however. The new Winston pact includes massive bonuses in the 2025 and ’28 void years, Terrell details, but a post-June 1 cut would create a modest dead cap charge of $3.87MM in each of the next two years.

Like Lattimore and Winston, several other Saints players will soon have significant adjustments made to their contracts as New Orleans strives to get under the 2024 cap ceiling. All teams must do so before March 13, but as usual the Saints will have one of the steepest challenges to achieve compliance.

Saints Hire Klint Kubiak As OC

February 12th, 2024 at 11:07am CST by Sam Robinson

FEBRUARY 12: With the Super Bowl now in the books, the agreement between Kubiak and the Saints has indeed been finalized, Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport notes. Kubiak’s second coordinator gig will take place in New Orleans in 2024 as part of a staff which has undergone a number of changes.

FEBRUARY 11: Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network confirms that Klint Kubiak’s deal with the Saints is expected to be finalized after today’s Super Bowl (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com). Kubiak reportedly plans to add former Bears quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko to his staff — Chicago dismissed Janocko at the end of the season — and longtime O-line coach John Benton is also likely to be hired, as previously reported.

FEBRUARY 2: Another Kyle Shanahan staffer is on track to move up the ladder. The Saints are working on a deal to hire Klint Kubiak as their next offensive coordinator, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.

No agreement between Kubiak and the Saints can be announced until after Super Bowl LVIII, with the current 49ers pass-game coordinator preparing for the game. Following the Super Bowl, the deal can go through. But it appears the Saints have decided on a name to conclude their long-running OC search.

This will bring a second chance for Kubiak, who spent the 2021 season as the Vikings’ OC. Succeeding his father (Gary) as Minnesota’s play-caller, Kubiak needed to look elsewhere after Mike Zimmer‘s firing. He landed in Denver, and while that brought a Colorado return for the second-generation coach, the Nathaniel Hackett-guided season produced disastrous results. Kubiak, 36, has managed to land on his feet, working alongside QBs coach Brian Griese as Shanahan’s top assistants on offense.

The Saints’ OC search produced some twists and turns. Four interviewees bowed out early or accepted jobs with other teams. Shane Waldron (Bears), Dan Pitcher (Bengals) and Zac Robinson (Falcons) landed OC gigs; Jerrod Johnson agreed to stay with the Texans. This led to a search that will end up taking more than five weeks to complete, with the Kubiak agreement not becoming official until after the 49ers’ eighth Super Bowl.

Kubiak will follow Matt LaFleur, Mike McDaniel and Mike LaFleur as Shanahan-tree coaches to have moved into HC or OC positions. The Saints also interviewed Griese, but they will go with the more experienced coach. Kubiak also barely qualifies as a Shanahan tree branch, though the younger Shanahan’s offense is derived from the attack Mike Shanahan and Kubiak’s father used with the Broncos in the 1990s and 2000s. The Shanahan-Sean McVay-based attack continues to succeed, and the Saints are the latest team to buy in.

With Zimmer a defense-based HC, the Kubiaks served as the Vikings’ play-callers in back-to-back seasons. Returning to the sideline in 2020 to replace Kevin Stefanski, Gary Kubiak spent one season as Minnesota’s OC. Klint took over a year later. The Vikings ranked 14th in scoring in 2021, an 8-9 campaign, and 12th in total offense. That year brought Justin Jefferson‘s first All-Pro nod, a 10-touchdown Adam Thielen slate and Dalvin Cook keeping his 1,100-yard rushing streak intact.

Nothing especially positive can be said about the 2022 Broncos’ offense, but Hackett did give Kubiak a play-calling shot — over OC Justin Outten — as that season went south. This season has obviously brought a Kubiak bounce-back effort. Brock Purdy has continued his stunning ascent from his Mr. Irrelevant status, becoming a Pro Bowler and helping the 49ers make up for their Trey Lance misstep. Purdy’s 9.6 yards per attempt is the best mark by a full-season starter since the 1950s, with Kurt Warner‘s 2000 number (9.9) coming in 11 games. The 49ers’ passing attack also nearly became the sixth team in NFL history to see three pass catchers eclipse 1,000 yards, seeing Deebo Samuel‘s October shoulder injury impede that path. Brandon Aiyuk reached a career-high 1,342 yards this season, while George Kittle surpassed 1,000 as well.

This offseason brought new territory for the Saints, who had not changed offensive coordinators since promoting Pete Carmichael in 2009. Carmichael served as one of the longest-tenured coordinators in NFL history, but after two seasons calling the plays post-Sean Payton, Carmichael received his walking papers (Payton has since hired Carmichael in Denver). The Saints did rank ninth in scoring and 14th in total offense this season, but the unit submitted inconsistent work during a 7-10 campaign. Kubiak will be charged with elevating the Derek Carr-led attack in 2024.

Here is how the Saints’ OC search wrapped:

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

February 12th, 2024 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

With Super Bowl LVIII in the books, the 2023 campaign has come to a close. Teams outside Kansas City and San Francisco had already turned their attention to the offseason well before Sunday’s game, of course.

Regular season standings determine the order for the top 18 picks, so they have been known since the conclusion of Week 18. For the second straight year, the Bears face the question of dealing away the top selection and starting over at quarterback or re-committing to Justin Fields. Expectations still point toward Caleb Williams heading to Chicago, although the Bears will not move the No. 1 pick at a discounted price.

With the Commanders also in position to add a signal-caller second overall, the Patriots and Cardinals will be worth watching closely. New England will be in the market for a QB, but it may not come via the team’s top selection. Arizona’s position could also be a trade-up target for teams seeking a quarterback addition. This year’s class is expected to be dominated by blue-chip prospects under center, as well as at wide receiver and offensive tackle.

The final 14 spots in the draft order are filled by postseason results. The Chiefs find themselves in familiar territory picking at or near the end of the first-round order for the fourth time in the past five years following another Super Bowl appearance. The team has a mixed track record with its selections in that regard, but another impact rookie would of course help its bid to sustain its impressive run.

While a number of selections will no doubt be swapped between now and draft day, here is the full 2024 first-round order:

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

NFC South Notes: Panthers, Falcons, Saints

February 11th, 2024 at 9:08pm CST by Ely Allen

With their offensive and defensive coordinators in place, the Panthers shored up their final coordinator position under new head coach Dave Canales by hiring Seahawks assistant special teams coach Tracy Smith as their new special teams coordinator, according to Panthers staff writer Darin Gantt.

Like new offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, who coached with Canales in Tampa Bay and Seattle, Smith was on a staff with Canales and Idzik when the three were all coaching for the Seahawks. In his time with Seattle, Smith has been a part of a special teams group that has been among the league’s best in each of the last three seasons.

With Idzik and Smith taking over units that will play with a top-four defense led by Ejiro Evero, the Panthers are hoping their new coaching staff under Canales will deliver the desired results in 2024.

Here are a few more staff updates coming out of the NFC South:

  • The Panthers were also able to add a new mentor for second-year quarterback Bryce Young today. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Will Harriger has been hired as Carolina’s new quarterbacks coach. Harriger, who comes out of Dallas as a quality control coach and offensive assistant, has experience with Canales from their time in Seattle.
  • Carolina wasn’t the only NFC South team to add a new quarterbacks coach recently as both the Saints and Falcons found new passing mentors, as well. Atlanta is bringing in Saints offensive assistant D.J. Williams to coach their passers as assistant quarterback coach, per Rod Walker of The Times-Picayune. Williams is the son of former NFL quarterback and current Commanders personnel senior advisor Doug Williams. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tells us that New Orleans will hire Andrew Janocko as quarterbacks coach. Janocko most recently served the same role in Chicago and has worked with the Vikings, as well.
  • Finally, the Panthers will part ways with senior director of football strategy and analytics Taylor Rajack, according to Seth Walder of ESPN. A former Eagles staffer, Rajack has been with Carolina since 2019.

2024 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 9th, 2024 at 1:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a crowded carousel previously stopped, the 49ers opened their defensive coordinator position. Here is how the NFC champions’ search looks:

Updated 3-2-24 (10:00am CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dave Ragone)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Ken Dorsey)

  • Joe Brady, interim offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Bills): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed

Carolina Panthers (Out: Thomas Brown)

  • Marcus Brady, senior offensive assistant (Eagles): Interview requested
  • Brad Idzik, wide receivers coach (Buccaneers): Hired

Chicago Bears (Out: Luke Getsy)

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Brian Callahan)

  • Andy Dickerson, offensive line coach (Seahawks): To interview
  • Dan Pitcher, quarterbacks coach (Bengals): Promoted

Cleveland Browns (Out: Alex Van Pelt)

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Mick Lombardi)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Kellen Moore)

New England Patriots (Out: Bill O’Brien)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Pete Carmichael)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Brian Johnson)

  • Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interviewed
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Interviewed 1/23
  • Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Chargers): Hired

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Matt Canada)

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Shane Waldron)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Dave Canales)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Tim Kelly)

  • Nick Holz, passing game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed
  • Eric Studesville, associate head coach/running backs coach (Dolphins): Interview requested

Washington Commanders (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Chip Kelly, former head coach (Eagles/49ers): On team’s radar
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Hired

Defensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Ryan Nielsen)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Mike Macdonald)

  • Zach Orr, inside linebackers coach (Ravens): Promoted

Buffalo Bills

  • Bobby Babich, linebackers coach (Bills): Promoted
  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Sean Desai, former defensive coordinator (Eagles): To interview

Chicago Bears (Out: Alan Williams)

  • Joe Barry, former defensive coordinator (Packers): To interview 1/27
  • Chris Harris, secondary coach (Titans): To interview
  • Eric Washington, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Bills): Hired
  • Terrell Williams, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Titans): To interview

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Dan Quinn)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Joe Barry)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Mike Caldwell)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Derrick Ansley)

  • Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Hired

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Raheem Morris)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Vic Fangio)

New England Patriots

  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Promoted
  • Michael Hodges, linebackers coach (Saints): To interview
  • Tem Lukabu, outside linebackers coach (Panthers): To interview
  • Christian Parker, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed

New York Giants (Out: Don Martindale)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Sean Desai)

  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Vic Fangio, former defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Hired
  • Ron Rivera, former head coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/22

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Steve Wilks)

  • Gerald Alexander, safeties coach (Raiders): Interviewed 3/1
  • Daniel Bullocks, defensive backs coach (49ers): Interviewed 2/28
  • David Merritt, defensive backs coach (Chiefs): To interview
  • Nick Sorensen, defensive passing game specialist (49ers): Promoted
  • Brandon Staley, former head coach (Chargers): Interviewed

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Clint Hurtt)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Shane Bowen)

  • Brandon Lynch, cornerbacks coach (Browns): Interviewed 1/30
  • Dennard Wilson, defensive backs coach (Ravens): Hired

Washington Commanders (Out: Jack Del Rio)

  • Joe Cullen, defensive line coach (Chiefs): Considered a candidate
  • Joe Whitt, defensive backs coach (Cowboys): Hired

Bills Expected To Hire Saints’ Ronald Curry

February 7th, 2024 at 8:44am CST by Sam Robinson

Being set to hire 49ers pass-game coordinator Klint Kubiak as their next OC, the Saints will continue to bid farewell to assistants on that side of the ball. Quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry will follow Pete Carmichael and Doug Marrone out of New Orleans.

Curry has already landed a gig elsewhere. The Bills are expected to hire him to be their next QBs coach and pass-game coordinator, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. Joe Brady entered last season in as Buffalo’s QBs coach but was bumped up to OC following the team’s Ken Dorsey firing. With Brady now in the full-time OC position, the AFC East champions had a vacancy.

NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan initially reported Curry was not going to be part of the Saints’ 2024 staff. The Saints offered to keep Curry on as their wide receivers coach, according to NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill. Curry served as the team’s wideouts coach from 2018-20, but his departure to mentor Josh Allen is understandable, especially considering a new OC is coming to New Orleans. As of now, the only Saints position coaches still in place on offense are O-line coach Jahri Evans and tight ends coach Clancy Barone.

[RELATED: Broncos Add Pete Carmichael To Staff]

A former NFL wide receiver, Curry had been with the Saints since 2016. Sean Payton hired Curry, a former college quarterback at North Carolina, and steadily promoted him over the years. Curry became New Orleans’ QBs coach in 2021 and worked in that role over the past three seasons. Curry and Brady overlapped as Saints assistants from 2017-18, undoubtedly helping lead to the former’s anticipated appointment in Buffalo.

The Saints were among the teams to interview Curry for an offensive coordinator post over the past two years, meeting with their longtime assistant about the job that is expected to go to Kubiak. The Broncos and Buccaneers met with the 44-year-old assistant about their OC gigs in 2023 as well.

Buffalo’s OC job being tied to Allen could certainly make Brady a key part of the 2025 HC carousel, thus putting Curry in a position to potentially become a coordinator in Buffalo. Allen will represent a new tier of QB talent for Curry, who coached the likes of Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian and Andy Dalton in New Orleans before the Derek Carr signing. Each post-Drew Brees option had moments of success, however.

Dalton threw 18 TD passes compared to nine INTs, while averaging a career-best 7.6 yards per attempt. That landed the 2022 Saints starter a nice QB2 offer from the Panthers. Before suffering an ACL tear, Winston finished with a 14-3 TD-INT ratio in 2021; he did so with a basement-level receiving corps. Though, the former No. 1 overall pick could not match that form in 2022. Carr produced an uneven 2023, still improving down the stretch and finishing 16th in QBR. Carr’s contract aside, the Saints also continued to make Hill a regular part of their QB equation in 2023.

Coaching Notes: Vrabel, Fangio, Dolphins, Eagles, Marrone, Saints, Titans, Bills

February 6th, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Seeing as Mike Vrabel went from highly regarded HC to trade candidate to bumped off this year’s carousel entirely, potential reasoning behind the ex-Titans boss’ standing is certainly relevant. Vrabel’s old-school, intimidating style may have been a factor in him not landing a job, with a GM going so far as to mention to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini this even could even extend to his physical stature. The former NFL linebacker also may have found himself pigeonholed as a slightly older candidate, even at 48, than some owners wanted, Russini offered during an appearance on The Athletic Football Show. Only Jim Harbaugh (60) and Dan Quinn (53) was older among this year’s eight HC hires. Vrabel interviewed for the Falcons, Panthers and Chargers’ jobs.

Some teams were interested in hiring Vrabel as a defensive coordinator, Russini adds, but the six-year NFL HC has not been connected to any specific coordinator jobs. With not many DC positions left, Vrabel seems likely to join Bill Belichick as coaches on the outside looking in this year. Vrabel may stand to have a better chance of landing another HC job moving forward, with Belichick set to turn 72 in April. For now, however, he is out of the league. The reports about Vrabel clashing with Titans ownership may have impacted his chances as well.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • On the subject of coaching clashes, Vic Fangio‘s style did not appear to draw universal praise while with the Dolphins. Jalen Ramsey, Jevon Holland and rookie Cam Smith expressed issues with the veteran DC, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley notes. While praising Fangio’s old-school demands, Tyreek Hill also relayed a rumor about others indicating behind closed doors the team’s 2023 DC wanted to return to Philadelphia. Previously mentioned as rubbing some in Miami the wrong way, Fangio is indeed back with the Eagles. The Dolphins have hired ex-Ravens D-line coach Anthony Weaver to replace him.
  • Preparing to hire Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator, the Saints will not extend Doug Marrone‘s second stint with the team into the 2024 season. In place as the Saints’ offensive line coach from 2022-23, Marrone will not be asked back, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets. The Saints have veteran O-line coach John Benton as a frontrunner to fill the spot, NOLA.com’s Luke Johnson adds. Benton, 60, would be a logical hire. He worked as Gary Kubiak‘s O-line coach for eight years in Houston and was the 49ers’ O-line coach under Kyle Shanahan from 2017-20. After following Robert Saleh to New York in 2021, Benton spent this past season out of football.
  • Former Falcons assistants Steve Jackson and Frank Bush will be part of new Titans DC Dennard Wilson‘s staff, ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport tweets. A former Texans DC and interim Jets DC, Bush was on Arthur Smith‘s Falcons staff as linebackers coach for three years. This will be a return trip for Jackson, who has a history as a player and a coach with the franchise. A former Oilers cornerback, Jackson finished his career in Super Bowl XXXIV with the Titans. He later served as assistant DBs coach under Mike Mularkey in Tennessee from 2016-17. Jackson spent the past two seasons with the Falcons.
  • The Bills are moving senior defensive assistant Al Holcomb to a position coach role. The former Panthers DC will replace Bobby Babich as Buffalo’s linebackers coach, ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg notes. Babich is now Buffalo’s DC. Holcomb, who worked with Sean McDermott in Carolina, joined the Bills last year. The AFC East champs are also promoting Marcus West from assistant defensive line coach to D-line coach to replace Eric Washington, who became the Bears’ DC last month.

NFC Coaching Notes: Martindale, Macdonald, Gruden, Saints, Canales, Bucs, Bears, Eagles

February 1st, 2024 at 2:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers went off the board with their defensive coordinator hire, bringing in Boston College HC Jeff Hafley. Matt LaFleur has looked to the college ranks during each of his DC searches, wanting to hire then-Wisconsin staffer Jim Leonhard in 2021. Hafley’s hire comes after the Packers squeezed in another interview with a seasoned NFL coordinator. Don Martindale met with the Pack about the gig, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein tweets.

Martindale resigned his two-year post as Giants DC after a turbulent second season with Brian Daboll; he has since interviewed with the Jaguars for a job that went to Ryan Nielsen. Martindale has been accused of going rogue at points in New York, with the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz adding another footnote here. Ahead of the Giants’ Christmas game against the Eagles, Martindale is believed to have requested the equipment staff change linebacker Tomon Fox‘s number from 49 to 94 due to the DC’s plans of having him bumped up from the practice squad. That change was made without Daboll or GM Joe Schoen‘s approval.

As the Giants’ DC search continues, here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • The Saints–Jon Gruden connection persists. Although Gruden is not on the radar — at least, as far as we know — for the Saints’ OC job, a GM informed the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora the former Raiders and Buccaneers HC should be expected to have a bigger role with New Orleans in 2024. Gruden worked as a consultant last summer and met with Saints officials recently. The GM suggested the possibility Gruden could eventually replace Dennis Allen, which would be quite the development considering the circumstances surrounding Gruden’s Las Vegas exit. For now, Gruden, who is still suing the NFL, remains without an NFL job.
  • Unsurprisingly, Mike Macdonald confirmed he will start his Seahawks tenure as the team’s defensive play-caller. Though, the new Seattle HC said (via SI.com’s Albert Breer) he is open to that changing at some point. Michigan’s 2021 DC, Macdonald called plays for the Ravens over the past two years and became one of this year’s most popular HC candidates as a result. Although Pete Carroll carried a defensive background, he did not serve as the Seahawks’ defensive play-caller.
  • The Buccaneers have lost much of their offensive staff to Carolina, seeing one-and-done OC Dave Canales take three staffers (receivers coach Brad Idzik, run-game coordinator Harold Goodwin, O-line coach Joe Gilbert). Tom Moore, however, will be staying in Tampa, per Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager. Moore, 85, has been with the Bucs since Bruce Arians‘ 2019 arrival. The former Colts OC, who is now 85, has served as a consultant for the NFC South team. This will be Moore’s 47th NFL season.
  • Baker Mayfield finished last in QBR in 2022, seeing his Panthers stay responsible for that dismal result. Canales helping the inconsistent QB recover from what happened in Carolina represents a key reason for his HC hire, ESPN.com’s David Newton notes. A Canales selling point hinged on the Bucs’ downfield passing, with Newton adding Tampa Bay went from 24th in that area (6.9 air yards per attempt) in Tom Brady‘s final season to third in 2023 (8.4).
  • The Eagles have permitted quarterbacks coach Alex Tanney to explore opportunities elsewhere, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. During the period between Brian Johnson‘s exit and the Kellen Moore OC hire, Tanney asked the team for the opportunity. The Eagles are moving on, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. Tanney received interest from the Colts last year, and McLane points to Indianapolis under ex-Eagles OC Shane Steichen as a potential landing spot.
  • The Bears have hired three more assistants. Chad Morton is signing on as running backs coach, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Jason Lieser, while ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin adds Chris Beatty is coming in as wide receivers coach. Most recently with the Chargers, Beatty coached D.J. Moore at Maryland. A former NFL return man, Morton is following OC Shane Waldron from Seattle. Morton was the Seahawks’ RBs coach from 2017-23. Chicago also hired Jason Houghtaling as assistant O-line coach, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds; Houghtaling was Tennessee’s O-line coach in 2023.
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