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Coaching Notes: Callahan, Browns, Vrabel, Seahawks, Smith, Johnson, Texans, Jets

January 24th, 2024 at 5:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans ended Brian Callahan‘s five-year stay as a non-play-calling Bengals OC, hiring the veteran assistant as their Mike Vrabel successor. Although Callahan has never been his team’s primary play-caller, he will not give his first Tennessee OC that responsibility. Callahan will call Titans offensive plays, veteran reporter Paul Kuharsky notes. Callahan has spent five years learning from Bengals HC/play-caller Zac Taylor. He also worked under Jon Gruden in 2018 and Gary Kubiak in 2015. Not calling plays in Cincinnati undoubtedly held Callahan back, considering the success the Bengals’ offense generated during Joe Burrow‘s early years.

During a busy day on the coaching carousel, here is the latest from around the league:

  • Duce Staley will land on his feet. The recently dismissed Panthers running backs coach will take the same position with the Browns, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports. The Jets had planned to make Staley an offer as well, but the veteran RBs coach will replace Stump Mitchell in Cleveland. Staley has coached running backs for the past 11 seasons, doing so with the Eagles, Lions and Panthers. The former NFL running back will have a chance to coach Nick Chubb, assuming the perennial Pro Bowler returns from his ACL tear.
  • The Browns are also working to hire one of Nick Saban’s former assistants to replace the other position coach they fired last week. Tommy Rees, who landed the Notre Dame OC job in his 20s and held the same position at Alabama last season, is on the Browns’ radar, The Athletic’s Zac Jackson tweets. A former Chargers assistant, Rees is expected to become the Browns’ tight ends coach. Cleveland dismissed T.C. McCartney last week.
  • Two casualties of this coaching carousel are candidates to land elsewhere soon. Ex-Falcons HC Arthur Smith and recently dismissed Eagles OC Brian Johnson have generated interest around the league, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Smith is being monitored as an OC candidate, per Russini, with a handful of teams looking into the three-year Atlanta HC. Prior to Smith’s Falcons tenure, the ex-Titans OC generated widespread interest as a head coach option in 2021. Johnson has not achieved similar status, and Russini does not confirm the one-year Eagles play-caller is on the OC radar. Though, that would not surprise considering Johnson received multiple HC interview requests during this cycle.
  • Mentioned recently as a candidate on the Seahawks‘ radar, Vrabel may be receiving some support from Seattle players. Some Seahawks view Vrabel as the best option for the job, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline. Although Vrabel now has three interviews completed or booked, the Seahawks have not yet met with him. They have met with their former DC, Dan Quinn, who was the first name to emerge as the top Pete Carroll successor option. The Dallas DC should still be considered the frontrunner, Pauline adds. Quinn has a second interview scheduled for Friday, but the Seahawks have a few targets set for second meetings this week.
  • The Texans are not bringing back defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. Lovie Smith hired Cesaire in 2022, whose contract is expiring. DeMeco Ryans‘ club did set a single-season sack record, with 46, which is quite something considering this franchise employed J.J. Watt for nine seasons. A former NFL D-lineman, Cesaire has been a D-line coach in the league since 2020.
  • On the subject of AFC D-line coaches, the Jets are retaining theirs. Aaron Whitecotton‘s contract was set to expire, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, but the New York Post’s Brian Costello notes the team reached an extension agreement Wednesday. Considering the success the Jets have had up front over the past two seasons, it is unsurprising they made a commitment to keep the Robert Saleh lieutenant around. The Jets also interviewed former Titans assistant Tony Dews for their RBs coach job, The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt tweets. Tennessee’s tight ends coach in 2023, Dews worked alongside current Jets staffers Todd Downing and Keith Carter in Tennessee.

Jets Part Ways With RBs Coach Taylor Embree; Team Interested In Duce Staley, Tony Dews

January 23rd, 2024 at 10:15am CST by Adam La Rose

Many members of the Jets’ coaching staff and front office will remain in place after a highly underwhelming performance in 2023. Some changes are being made, however, including the departure of one coach on Robert Saleh‘s original staff.

Running backs coach Taylor Embree will not be back next season, Connor Hughes of SNY reports. Embree has experience at both the college and NFL levels, and he was brought in by Saleh in 2021 after the pair worked together in San Francisco. As Hughes notes, Saleh considered Embree an “untouchable” member of the staff upon offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett‘s arrival last offseason, but he is now headed elsewhere.

Before the news of Embree’s departure, it was reported the Jets were one of the teams looking into former Panthers RBs coach Duce Staley (along with the Browns). Saleh met with Staley last Thursday, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports. The Jets are expected to make an offer to the 48-year-old, who was let go midseason as part of Frank Reich‘s firing. Staley had held the title of assistant head coach during his brief Carolina tenure.

The same was true for Staley during his time with the Eagles and Lions which preceded his arrival with the Panthers. He is likely to receive continued interest from the Browns in the event New York does not reach an agreement with him. Failing that, a number of teams looking to make additions could also look into him. The Jets are eyeing another staffer for the RBs coach posting, however.

Tony Dews is interviewing with the Jets, ESPN’s Turron Davenport reports (via colleague Rich Cimini). Dews had a lengthy coaching career at the college level before taking his first NFL opportunity with Tennessee in 2018. He served as the Titans’ running backs coach for five seasons before working with tight ends in 2023. He would represent an experienced option for New York as the team seeks to tweak its staff ahead of a 2024 campaign in which signficant improvement on offense will be needed.

Of course, lead back Breece Hall will be a major factor in that effort. Recovering in full from last year’s ACL tear, the 2022 second-rounder totaled 1,585 scrimmage yards in 2023 despite the Jets being saddled with several offensive line injuries and poor quarterback play. The team’s hire at the RBs coach spot will thus be an important one as the team considers at least a few different options.

Jets Aiming To Re-Sign DE Bryce Huff

January 21st, 2024 at 12:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Changes on offense will be a key talking point for the Jets this offseason, but the team’s defense is in danger of losing a key piece in free agency. Defensive end Bryce Huff is set to hit the open market in March, but a pact keeping him in New York is still a possibility.

The Jets will attempt to work out an agreement with Huff over the coming weeks, ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes. The 25-year-old upped his market value considerably this season as he comfortably set new career highs in a number of statistical categories. He and the team have already discussed a new deal, but no pact was finalized. General manager Joe Douglas has nevertheless confirmed that Huff remains a target for New York.

Huff has made it clear he will not take a hometown discount on his upcoming deal, and as a result Cimini notes the franchise tag could be in play. In 2024, the tag for defensive ends is projected to cost more than $23MM, a figure which would be cumbersome given Huff’s status as a sack specialist. The former UDFA logged a snap share of only 42% this season, and he has not drawn rave reviews for his run defense. Still, Huff’s production as an edge rusher this year will generate considerable interest if he reaches free agency.

The Memphis product posted 10 sacks, 21 QB hits and 31 pressures in 2023, taking a considerable step forward in each category compared to his previous totals. The Jets could prevent Huff from testing free agency by applying the franchise or transition tag (the latter of which would cost roughly $3MM less than the former). Cimini notes a tag-and-trade scenario should not be considered likely in this case.

As a result, the progress of contract talks between Huff and the Jets will be a key storyline to follow in the near future. New York already has veteran John Franklin-Myers and a pair of former first-rounders in the form of Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald along the edge. Huff proved himself to be a critical member of that group this year, though, and his absence would be acutely felt in 2024 if he were to land elsewhere.

Browns, Jets Interested In Duce Staley

January 20th, 2024 at 9:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns moved on from running backs coach Stump Mitchell on Wednesday as part of the staff changes which included offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt‘s firing. Duce Staley is on Cleveland’s radar to replace the former, but the team is set to have competition.

Staley interviewed with the Browns this week for their vacant RBs coach position. He could very well find himself in Cleveland in the near future as a result. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports the Browns plan to make Staley an offer. Notably, though, she adds the same is true of the Jets.

New York does not have a known vacancy at that position, so it is certainly interesting to see the Jets mentioned as a suitor. Questions about the job security of head coach Robert Saleh and OC Nathaniel Hackett were raised amidst the Jets’ struggles throughout the season. However, owner Woody Johnson put those doubts to rest when announcing they (along with general manager Joe Douglas) would return for the 2024 season. Still, changes in some posts would come as little surprise as the team looks to avoid a repeat of 2023’s offensive output.

Staley was one of several members lauded for their inclusion on Frank Reich‘s Panthers staff heading into the campaign. Things did not go according to plan in Carolina this year, though, and Reich was ousted after just 11 games at the helm. Staley was among the positions coaches let go at the same time. The 48-year-old could easily find himself on another NFL sideline if competition for his services does indeed exist.

Both the Browns and Jets struggled with injuries up front during the campaign, though Cleveland fared better than New York in the ground game. Improvement in efficiency and consistency at the RB spot (along with improved health) will be a priority for both teams in the offseason. Staley – who has held a number of different titles in his coaching career while coaching running backs with the Eagles, Lions and Panthers – would be a notable addition to either staff.

Coaching Notes: Giants, O’Brien, Panthers

January 20th, 2024 at 9:58am CST by Ben Levine

We’ve got another candidate for the Giants ST coordinator job. According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, the Giants interviewed Jets assistant special teams coach Michael Ghobrial for the position.

Ghobrial has been with the Jets since 2021, working alongside Brant Boyer and Leon Washington. Prior to his stint in New York, the coach served as a special teams coordinator in the college ranks, spending time with Washington State, Hawai’i, and Tarleton State.

The Giants have been forced to pivot to assistant ST coordinator to replace Thomas McGaughey. The team was denied interviews with ST coordinators like Marquice Williams (Falcons), Chris Tabor (Panthers), and Ryan Ficken (Chargers), although Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes that the Giants could revisit their pursuit of Williams since Atlanta is no longer blocking interviews.

49ers assistant special teams coach Matt Harper and Bears assistant special teams coach Carlos Polk have reportedly interviewed for the job, while Seahawks special teams coordinator Larry Izzo has also been mentioned as a potential candidate.

More coaching notes from around the NFL…

  • Speaking of Thomas McGaughey, the former Giants ST coordinator is interviewing for the same job with the Patriots, according to Raanan. The veteran coach spent the past six seasons as the Giants special teams coordinator, serving on three different coaching staffs. McGaughey previously had stints as the ST coordinator with the Panthers, 49ers, and Jets.
  • While the Patriots have and will continue to consider a number of in-house options for both coaching and front office roles, one of their coordinators won’t be sticking around. We heard yesterday that Bill O’Brien was heading to Ohio State as their offensive coordinator, a somewhat surprising development considering the organization’s reliance on continuity in a post-Bill Belichick era. However, as Albert Breer of SI.com writes, the Patriots always intended to conduct a “full search” for a new offensive coordinator. This meant O’Brien wasn’t necessarily eschewing the New England opportunity; rather, he opted for the definitive offer at Ohio State vs. the potential offer with the Patriots.
  • As our 2024 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, four of the 12 candidates for the Panthers HC job have defensive backgrounds. While the organization is certainly considering these defensive-minded candidates, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that the Panthers still prefer to hire an offensive-minded coach, per ESPN’s David Newton. The belief is that an offensive coach would be an ideal choice to help with the development of quarterback Bryce Young.

AFC East Notes: Becton, Jets, Howard, Bills

January 19th, 2024 at 12:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mekhi Becton‘s quest to solidify himself as the Jets‘ long-term left tackle did not come to fruition, but the injury-prone blocker did finish the season without an IR trip. A few other Jets O-linemen could not say the same. Becton’s contract year consisted of 16 games and starts at both right and left tackle. While the 2020 first-round pick would like to re-sign with the Jets, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes the team is unlikely to have a strong interest in a second contract.

Pro Football Focus graded Becton 68th overall among tackles this season, and Next Gen Stats charged the slimmed-down tackle with 12 sacks allowed. That said, the Jets will need to be aggressive in their pursuit of tackle help this offseason. Duane Brown is 38 and played out a two-year contract. He and Becton departing would leave the Jets with two tackle vacancies, though the team has explored the possibility of shifting Alijah Vera-Tucker to right tackle on a full-time basis. But Vera-Tucker, drafted as a guard, has suffered season-ending injuries in each of the past two years.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • A player the Jets look to have more interest in signing, Bryce Huff, will not stay just because he has developed as a Jet. Pointing to his family and those around him, the young defensive end said (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) he will take the best offer he receives in free agency. The Jets, however, do want to re-sign Huff, per GM Joe Douglas. A former UDFA, Huff broke through in his contract year to lead the team with 10.5 sacks despite not starting any games. The Jets and Huff, who has not graded well as a run defender, discussed an extension during the season. The Jets have first-rounders Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald, along with John Franklin-Myers, but losing Huff would be a blow for Robert Saleh‘s defense.
  • On the same note, Xavien Howard is unlikely to accept a pay cut to stay with the Dolphins, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley notes. “No matter where I’m going, I’m still going to do my thing,” Howard said. “Whatever comes with it, I’m excited about what will happen.” The Dolphins’ longest-tenured starter, at eight seasons, Howard is signed through 2026 on the contract he agreed to upon voicing issue with Byron Jones out-earning him. Miami gave Howard a five-year, $90MM extension in 2022, but the veteran ballhawk is now 30 and finished the season sidelined with a foot sprain. The Dolphins, who released Jones as a post-June 1 cut last year, can only recoup notable savings by using this designation on Howard. Now employing Jalen Ramsey as its top corner, Miami would save $18.5MM this year by using the post-June 1 designation on Howard.
  • The Bills will be without Gabe Davis in a second playoff game, ruling out the contract-year wideout for their divisional-round game. Davis is battling a PCL sprain, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Davis represents an intriguing free agent-to-be, having scored 14 touchdowns over the past two seasons, but the Bills have seen 2022 fifth-rounder Khalil Shakir emerge as a player capable of being a low-cost Stefon Diggs complement going forward.
  • Additionally, Buffalo has not ruled out Terrel Bernard for its Kansas City rematch. Bernard was carted off the field against the Steelers, but the Bills’ top tackler only suffered a sprained ankle, Rapoport adds. The second-year linebacker aggravated the ankle injury he sustained earlier this season, per the Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran. While the Bills are already without Matt Milano at linebacker, starter Tyrel Dodson — who missed the team’s wild-card game — is on track to return in Round 2.
  • Leonard Floyd collected an additional $1MM by reaching 10 sacks this season, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The May free agency addition signed a one-year, $7MM deal, one that has been vital due to Von Miller‘s struggle to return to form following his second ACL tear. Floyd, 30, totaled a career-high-matching 10.5 sacks this season.

Jets Likely To Target Veteran Backup QB

January 18th, 2024 at 8:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets made a mistake by not backstopping Aaron Rodgers with a veteran option this season, putting their Zach Wilson redevelopment effort just behind the aging starter. The team paid the price for that strategy, but by all accounts, it is ready to move on from the disappointing former No. 2 overall pick.

With Wilson either set to be cut or perhaps traded, the Jets are going to need a new backup quarterback. GM Joe Douglas confirmed recently (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) a high probability exists the team will be in the market for a veteran to play behind Rodgers.

The team passed on the likes of Carson Wentz or a reunion with Joe Flacco, setting up the Browns to make an improbable playoff run behind borderline-stunning Flacco play. Once Rodgers went down, Jets ownership is believed to have capped the Jets due to the money already poured into the April trade for the Packers great. A September addition potentially impacting Wilson’s confidence also may have played a role in the team’s modest efforts following Rodgers’ Achilles tear, which led to Trevor Siemian joining the practice squad.

Siemian finished the season as the team’s starter, concluding a year in which a story featured Wilson voicing hesitancy about returning to the starting lineup and the Jets cutting the player they benched Wilson for — Tim Boyle — a day after his second start. With Wilson likely done in New York, the Jets will regroup with a more reliable option.

“When you have a Hall of Fame quarterback, you’re going to build it around his strengths, period,” Saleh said last month. “That’s a very common thing throughout the league. It’s not just a Jets thing. That’s leaguewide.

“Could we have done things better? I’m talking about myself and the coaching staff, with regards to, ‘All right, this is our worst-case scenario, now what?’ Absolutely, and it’s something that we will make sure that we do a heck of a lot better with in 2024.”

Considering the impact quarterback injuries made this season, the QB2 market could well see a boost. A high number of the backup options that signed this year are due back on the market soon. Jacoby Brissett, Drew Lock, Tyrod Taylor, Marcus Mariota, Tyler Huntley, Jameis Winston and three-year Jets starter Sam Darnold will be among the options set to be available. The 49ers seem unlikely to bring back Darnold, but this regime having traded the former No. 3 overall choice would seemingly impact a reunion. Would a Flacco return make sense? The Browns, as should be expected, will continue to build around Deshaun Watson‘s $230MM contract.

Recent starters Ryan Tannehill and Gardner Minshew also could factor into the backup market, though both are undoubtedly eyeing setups that would allow them to compete for a starting job. That would not be the case in New York, where a Rodgers-driven arrangement remains. The Jets are bringing back Douglas, Saleh and OC Nathaniel Hackett in a rather high-profile mulligan in the wake of the wreckage the Rodgers injury caused. But a quarterback that will give the organization more stability than what Wilson offered stands to be part of the 2024 equation as well.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/16/24

January 16th, 2024 at 5:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tuesday’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed off Jets practice squad: S Trey Dean

Sims has been elevated from the practice squad three times, so any further action required he be added to the active roster. The former UDFA has only seen 10 offensive snaps (making three catches) this season, his first with the Texans, though he has been used slightly more on special teams. Sims will look to fill the complementary role of Noah Brown to an extent, after the latter was placed on season-ending IR yesterday.

Jaguars Exploring Options For Open DC Job, Scheduling Interviews

January 12th, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Ely Allen

After firing defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and the rest of the defensive staff, head coach Doug Pederson and the Jaguars have started the process of finding replacements. That became clear with a series of reports today that several defensive assistants from around the league would be interviewing for the open position.

In a continuation of what looks like a future decimation of the Ravens‘ coaching staff this offseason, secondary coach and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt will interview for the job, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Baltimore’s coordinators have both been garnering interest for multiple head coaching openings, and earlier today, we saw the team’s defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson interview with the Giants for their open defensive coordinator job. Even Ravens defensive line coach/associate head coach Anthony Weaver has received head coaching interest.

Hewitt has been a staple in Baltimore, coaching with the Ravens since the team’s last Super Bowl season in 2012. The Jamaica-native started off coaching as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the college level for the Fighting Irish before spending eight seasons at Rutgers coaching running backs and cornerbacks. In 2012, Hewitt joined John Harbaugh‘s staff as a defensive backs coach. After another eight years, Hewitt was promoted to pass defense coordinator and has spent the past two seasons in his current role.

Jacksonville isn’t afraid to poach from a division-rival, scheduling an interview with Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. While Bowen technically is still employed in Nashville, the firing of Mike Vrabel leaves Bowen in a precarious position, as whoever eventually replaces Vrabel may not choose to retain him in Tennessee. After five years as an assistant with the Texans and Titans, Bowen got his first coordinator job in 2021. In his first season, Bowen impressed, with Tennessee finished as the sixth-best scoring defense and finishing 12th in yards allowed. The next two seasons saw mostly middling defenses in Tennessee.

Also off the Titans’ coaching staff, the Jaguars will interview Tennessee’s defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Chris Harris, according to Ben Arthur of NFL on FOX. Since entering the NFL in 2013 as a Bears defensive quality control coach, Harris went from assistant defensive backs coach for the Chargers to defensive backs coach for Washington before landing in his current role with the Titans this year. Harris also got some interest in last year’s coordinator search for the Texans.

Finally, the last candidate to receive a request to interview for the Jaguars open position was Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. Manuel started coaching in Seattle in 2012, a few years after concluding his playing career, as an assistant special teams coach. He would climb the ladder for the Seahawks becoming a defensive assistant and an assistant secondary coach over the next two years. He took his first position coaching gig as the secondary coach for the Falcons in 2015 and was promoted to defensive coordinator two years later. When his contract in Atlanta expired, Manuel was hired as the defensive backs coach in Philadelphia for a year before taking the safeties coach position in New York. Like Harris, Manuel was a candidate for the Texans defensive coordinator job last offseason. He also interviewed for the same job with the Panthers last year, as well.

The Jaguars are certainly exploring plenty of options for who will coach the defensive side of the ball in Jacksonville next year. The team reportedly also requested an interview with Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen but were blocked access, per Jaguars beat reporter John Shipley. The Panthers also blocked an Ejiro Evero interview. There seems to be a concentrated focus on coaches with defensive back experience, which makes sense after the team gave up the seventh-most passing yards in the NFL this year.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/9/24

January 9th, 2024 at 8:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the reserve/futures deals handed out Tuesday:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Indianapolis Colts

  • S Kendell Brooks, G Lewis Kidd, S Michael Tutsie

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

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