Cowboys To Interview Jets’ Marquand Manuel
The Cowboys added another name to their list of defensive coordinator candidates today, scheduling an interview with Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, the meeting will take place tomorrow. 
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. 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.
Manuel would be an interesting choice to replace former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, having worked for two years as Quinn’s defensive coordinator in Atlanta. He faces some stiff competition for the job as the list of candidates includes a number or current Cowboys assistants and multiple former NFL head coaches:
- Aden Durde, defensive line coach (Cowboys): Interviewed 2/6
- Al Harris, cornerbacks coach (Cowboys): Mentioned as candidate
- Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): To interview 2/8
- Ron Rivera, former head coach (Commanders): Interviewed 2/5
- Rex Ryan, former head coach (Bills): Interviewed
- Joe Whitt, defensive backs coach (Cowboys): Frontrunner?; hired as Commanders DC
- Mike Zimmer, former head coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/6
Coaching Notes: Patriots, Raiders, Jets, Dolphins
Steve Belichick and Jerod Mayo worked in tandem to guide the Patriots defense during Bill Belichick‘s final years in New England. With the older Belichick gone and Mayo having been promoted to head coach, the younger Belichick was facing an uncertain future with the organization. While there were some rumblings that Mayo was interested in keeping Steve Belichick on staff, the Patriots linebackers coach is set to interview for a job at the University of Washington, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
While the Patriots didn’t have a traditional defensive coordinator in recent years, Belichick and Mayo were both credited with running the group. Steve Belichick was the defensive play-caller over each of the past four seasons, leading some pundits to wonder if he could earn a promotion to full-time DC with Mayo now leading the way. There were also rumblings that the younger Belichick could join his father in a new landing spot. Ultimately, neither of those scenarios came to fruition, and Steve Belichick is now eyeing a role elsewhere.
Patriots RB coach Vinnie Sunseri is also set to interview with the University of Washington. The coach has experience working on both sides of the ball, and he worked alongside Jedd Fisch when the two were in New England.
Elsewhere on the Patriots staff, assistant special teams coach Joe Houston is leaving for the University of Florida, according to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com. Houston was set to be named Alabama’s special teams coach in 2020, but the Patriots convinced him to join their coaching staff. He’s spent the past four seasons in New England.
More coaching notes from around the NFL…
- The Raiders are hiring DeShaun Foster as their new running backs coach, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. After finishing his playing career with more than 4,500 yards from scrimmage, Foster joined UCLA’s staff in 2012. He’s spent most of the past 12 seasons with the Bruins, including the past seven as their running backs coach. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport adds that he expects the Raiders to also add Andre Carter to their staff. The former first-round pick previously served as the Jets defensive line coach.
- The Jets have added Shawn Jefferson as their new wide receivers coach, according to Josina Anderson. Jefferson has been coaching since 2006, and he’s had stints as the WRs coach with the Lions, Titans, Dolphins, Jets, Cardinals, and (most recently) the Panthers. He had a previous stint with New York’s coaching staff, serving as the WRs coach/assistant head coach in 2019 and 2020.
- The Dolphins are making some significant changes to their coaching staff. According to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, the organization has parted ways with offensive assistant Kolby Smith. Wolfe adds that offensive assistant Ricardo Allen, offensive assistant Mike Judge, and assistant special teams coach Brendan Farrell also won’t be back in 2024. Smith is a somewhat notable departure. After working alongside RB coach Eric Studesville this past season, he was interviewed for the Jaguars RB coach job.
- The Rams have hired Giff Smith as their defensive line coach/run game coordinator, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The long-time coach had been with the Chargers since 2016, serving as defensive line coach and linebackers coach. He took on the role of interim head coach this past season following the firing of Brandon Staley, with the Chargers going winless in his three games at the helm. Per Pelissero, a number of teams reached out to Smith about joining their staffs, but the coach ultimately decided to stick in Los Angeles.
Latest On Aaron Rodgers’ Jets Influence; Robert Saleh Considering Reducing Nathaniel Hackett’s Role?
The Jets were ready for a different story in 2023. After year after year of question marks at the quarterback position, New York finally made the move for that franchise passer for which fans had been clamoring for so long. Yet in that trade for the then-39-year-old Aaron Rodgers, the Jets were getting much more than an upgrade to their quarterbacks room. 
A lot of the influence that Rodgers demonstrated over the Jets last year came before he ever arrived. In order to “woo” Rodgers during the trade standoff, owner Woody Johnson approved the hiring of Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator, per Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Hackett had a history with Rodgers, serving as his offensive coordinator for three years in Green Bay, two of which resulted in an MVP award for the four-time All-Pro. Unfortunately, though, Hackett was coming off of a disastrous campaign as head coach of the Broncos, during which he became just the fifth head coach since 1970 not to finish their first season as head coach.
Even before that, the Jets stayed busy signing many of Rodgers’ former teammates like wide receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, quarterback Tim Boyle, and offensive tackle Billy Turner. Not to mention that the veteran quarterback also pushed the team to add offensive tackle David Bakhtiari and tight end Marcedes Lewis to the roster, as well. Lots of this undue influence on personnel stemmed from his past in Green Bay, where he felt general manager Brian Gutekunst shut him out, especially after the drafting of his eventual replacement Jordan Love. In an effort to make Rodgers feel more in the loop, the team gave him a direct line of communication to general manager Joe Douglas.
Rodgers was even reportedly consulted on the lack of success from his offensive coordinator following Rodgers’ season-ending Achilles injury. Rosenblatt and Russini report that the team reached out to several veteran quarterbacks after Rodgers’ injury, including Chad Henne, Carson Wentz, and Colt McCoy. Of course, former Jet Joe Flacco was available, but the Jets staff reportedly didn’t view Flacco as an upgrade over backup quarterback Zach Wilson.
When the team ultimately chose to move forward with Wilson (and eventually Boyle and Trevor Siemian), many were critical of Hackett’s ability to adjust to the team’s new situation without Rodgers, with coaches and players describing the play-caller as “lacking in attention to detail.” The article reports that head coach Robert Saleh has explored the idea of adding new offensive staff and reducing Hackett’s role, an exploration that seems to involve Rodgers’ input.
Unlike Hackett, Saleh reportedly jumped into action after Rodgers’ injury, diving into a study of how the league’s best coaches of the past had dealt with similar situations. He found that, with the exception of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, all of the best current names in NFL coaching circles experienced losing records in seasons without their top passing option.
It was also Saleh who informed Wilson after his initial benching that he would be inactive for the remaining stretch of the season. When the head coach was forced to reverse course among injuries and other factors, it was Rodgers that Saleh turned to in order to convince Wilson to play again. That plan proved ill-conceived, though, as Wilson had soured on his former idol. Wilson reportedly expected to have a direct line to Rodgers as he undertook the duties of the starting quarterback. Despite reports that Rodgers had taken Wilson under his wing, due to the veteran’s obsessive pursuit for the world’s quickest return from a torn Achilles tendon, Wilson barely heard from him.
Aside from all of the internal influence, Rodgers’ activities outside of the building have caused ripples, as well. Even setting aside the headline-grabbing comments about late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, Rodgers’ famous paranoia was causing issues inside the Jets’ facility as he told Pat McAfee that there had “been a bunch of…leaks,” sending Saleh and staff into a witch hunt.
Regardless of it all, the plan remains largely the same for 2024. Saleh and Douglas, after public endorsements from Rodgers, will remain in place. Depending on how conversations between Saleh and Rodgers play out, the offensive coaching staff may look slightly different, but Hackett is likely to remain in place, as well. Rodgers, likely to be fully healthy by the beginning of the 2024 season, will return as the starting quarterback wearing several other hats beneath his helmet, his influence ever-present.
Jets, Assistant GM Rex Hogan To Part Ways
As this Jets regime enters a do-or-die 2024, one of its top front office staffers is no longer part of the plan. The Jets are splitting with assistant GM Rex Hogan, according to SNY’s Connor Hughes, who describes this as a mutual separation.
Hogan has spent the past four years with the Jets, being hired to join Joe Douglas‘ staff back in 2019. Hogan has enjoyed two Jets stints over the past decade. Mike Maccagnan hired him upon taking over as GM in 2015, adding Hogan as his director of college scouting. After a subsequent run with the Colts, the Jets brought back the veteran exec under Douglas.
[RELATED: Jets Aiming To Trade Zach Wilson]
The team is still waiting for Douglas’ plan to come to fruition, with the Zach Wilson investment being a seminal moment during the regime’s tenure. Hogan is believed to have joined former OC Mike LaFleur in pushing hard for the former BYU prospect. Considering Wilson’s standing with the Jets after three woeful seasons — the most recent of which including a story in which he may or may not have expressed hesitancy about returning to action — it would not be surprising to see this as an issue for the Jets and the staffers who expressed the staunchest support for the bust-in-progress.
Some among the Jets viewed Wilson as a developmental arm at that point and unworthy of the No. 2 pick, and the prospect of giving Sam Darnold a fourth year and looking elsewhere in the 2021 first round was endorsed by parts of the organization. Ultimately, Wilson became the choice. That decision has defined Douglas’ tenure. Hogan remains respected around the league, however, Hughes adds.
The Jets are giving Douglas, Robert Saleh and OC Nathaniel Hackett another year. Woody Johnson has effectively signed off on a mulligan associated with the Aaron Rodgers injury. The Jets will undoubtedly clean house if the 2024 season goes poorly. As Douglas makes offseason plans, he will be in search of another top lieutenant.
Coaching/Front Office Notes: Eagles, Bears, Jets, Browns
Clint Hurtt is heading to Philadelphia. After having spent the past two seasons as the Seahawks defensive coordinator, the veteran coach is joining the Eagles as their new defensive line coach, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Hurtt worked with defensive linemen and linebackers in Chicago before joining the Seahawks as their assistant head coach/defensive line coach in 2017. He earned a promotion to defensive coordinator in 2022 and spent two seasons in that role. Seattle’s defense didn’t fare all that well with Hurtt at the helm, as the defense never finished better than 26th in points allowed and 20th in yards allowed.
Still, Hurtt has earned a reputation as a reliable DL coach. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Hurtt had multiple offers to coach defensive linemen, but he ended up opting for the Eagles opportunity.
Pelissero notes that the Eagles are also expected to hire one of Hurtt’s assistants from Seattle. Karl Scott is joining the Eagles as their new DBs coach. Scott spent the past two seasons as Seattle’s secondary coach/passing game coordinator.
More coaching and front office notes from around the NFL…
- The Bears will interview Chargers wide receivers coach Chris Beatty for the same role, according to Pelissero. Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that veteran coach Ike Hilliard will also interview for the Chargers job. After a long college coaching career, Beatty took his first NFL job with the Chargers in 2021 as their WRs coach. Over the past few years, he’s helped guide the likes of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams to 1,000-yard seasons. Hilliard has spent time as the WRs coach with Washington, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh, and he was most recently on the coaching staff at Auburn. Hilliard worked alongside offensive coordinator Shane Waldron when the two were in Washington.
- The Jets are hiring Tony Dews as their running backs coach, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. Dews was Derrick Henry‘s coach in Tennessee between 2018 and 2022, and he spent the 2023 campaign as the Titans tight ends coach. He’ll be replacing Taylor Embree, who was let go after the season. Meanwhile, Connor Hughes of SNYtv reports that the Jets interviewed Rob Moore for their WRs coach job. Moore also recently worked for the Titans, spending the past six years as their receivers coach.
- The Browns have hired Jacques Cesaire as their defensive line coach, per Pelissero. After playing his entire career with the Chargers, Cesaire broke into the NFL coaching ranks as the Bills assistant defensive line coach in 2020. He spent the past two seasons with the Texans, serving as the team’s defensive line coach. He’ll be replacing Ben Bloom, although Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes that the coach could still stick in Cleveland in a different role for the 2024 campaign.
- Saints college scouting director Cody Rager is heading to the Broncos, according to Nick Underhill of NOF Network. Neil Stratton passes along that Rager will be Denver’s new vice president of player personnel. Rager spent the past nine seasons in New Orleans, including the past three as the assistant college scouting director. Rager got his NFL start with the Dolphins back in 2012.
Coaching Notes: Eagles, Canales, Bucs, Falcons, Fins, Fangio, Colts, Raiders, Jags
Mike Caldwell will not land the Eagles‘ DC position. Vic Fangio becoming available is expected to give the Eagles the candidate they wanted last year. Recently fired from his Jaguars DC post, Caldwell will still have a chance to end up in Philly. The Eagles are interviewing him for their linebackers coach position, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Caldwell has a history with the Eagles as a player and coach. The longest stretch of Caldwell’s 11-year playing career came in Philly, transpiring from 1998-2001. Caldwell, 52, worked as a part-time starter for Ray Rhodes and Andy Reid‘s teams and joined Reid’s staff in 2008. On Reid’s final five Eagles staffs, Caldwell collected a Super Bowl ring as linebackers coach for the 2020 Buccaneers. The Raiders, however, have also shown interest.
With the coaching carousel spinning wildly, here is the latest:
- The Falcons are the third team wanting to speak with Aden Durde about a DC post, joining the Packers and Rams. Raheem Morris wants to meet with the Cowboys’ defensive line coach, ESPN’s Todd Archer tweets. Durde, 44, has become quite popular. These are believed to be his first slips about a DC interview. Durde and Morris coached together in Atlanta from 2018-20; the former moved up from the quality control level — to outside linebackers coach — during Morris’ season as the Falcons’ interim HC. He has been in Dallas since.
- Shifting back to Fangio, it seems there is little love lost between the veteran staffer and some Dolphins defenders he coached this season, agent Drew Rosenhaus said. Rosenahus mentions some Dolphins stood in Fangio’s corner but many did not. Fangio has been known to ruffle feathers but has been one of the most in-demand defensive coaches during the 21st century. The Dolphins had given him a deal worth more than $4.5MM per year. While his exit is being framed as the team letting the 65-year-old assistant return to his home state, unpopularity among players likely made that an easier decision.
- The Buccaneers will not receive two third-round picks as a result of Dave Canales receiving a head coaching job, Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes. Although Canales is Latino, the Bucs will not pick up the Rooney Rule-driven draft haul due to the the coach’s one-year tenure, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Canales is believed to have needed to be with the Bucs for at least two years to receive the third-round selections from the NFL.
- Matt House is returning to the NFL. The Jaguars are hiring the LSU defensive coordinator to be their linebackers coach, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. House, the Chiefs’ LBs coach from 2019-21, spent the past two seasons in Baton Rouge. He has served as a DC at four programs, including Kentucky. House will join Kris Richard and Cory Robinson as Ryan Nielsen Jacksonville hires thus far.
- Spending the past three seasons as a Jets assistant, Ricky Manning Jr. will join the Raiders. The Silver and Black are hiring Manning as their new defensive backs coach. The former NFL DB spent time on the Raiders’ practice squad in 2009; his most notable coaching title has been assistant DBs coach in Seattle under Richard from 2016-17.
- The Colts are not retaining two of their defensive staffers. They are letting the contracts of defensive line coach Nate Ollie and assistant DBs coach Mike Mitchell expire, per the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson, who adds neither staffer is expected back. Ollie, 32, joined Gus Bradley’s staff in 2022 despite having no history with the veteran coordinator. His firing comes after the Colts saw notable development from defensive ends Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo. The two 2021 draftees combined for 16.5 sacks this season, and the Colts had four players with at least eight. This marked Mitchell’s first coaching gig; he had finished his 10-year career as a safety with the Colts.
Giants Hire Michael Ghobrial As ST Coordinator
The Giants have landed on a new special teams coordinator. The team announced on Thursday that Jets assistant Michael Ghobrial has been hired to take on the position.
New York moved on from Thomas McGaughey at the end of the season. That move had been expected, and it brought an end to his tenure in charge of the Giants’ special teams, which began in 2018. The team attempted to cast a wide net in searching for his replacement, but a number of teams blocked their attempts to speak with potential candidates.
In the end, though, the Giants managed to meet with a shortlist of staffers before arriving at a decision. The team spoke with Larry Izzo (Seahawks), Matt Harper (49ers) and Carlos Polk (Bears) in addition to Ghobrial. The latter is now set for an intra-city move and his first time working alongside Giants head coach Brian Daboll.
Ghobrial had a lengthy coaching career in the college ranks beginning in 2009. He worked as special teams coordinator with four different schools before taking on his first NFL gig with the Jets. A member of Robert Saleh‘s original group in 2021, Ghobrial was a key staffer working alongside Jets ST coordinator Brant Boyer during his time there.
The Jets ranked fifth in special teams DVOA this season, continuing the team’s strong run in that department during Boyer’s tenure. He remains in place, but his staff will be without a key contributor moving forward. The Giants, meanwhile, will aim to improve under Ghobrial after finishing 21st in third phase DVOA in 2023.
Coaching Notes: Callahan, Browns, Vrabel, Seahawks, Smith, Johnson, Texans, Jets
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
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
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.