Browns, Jets Interested In Duce Staley
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
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
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
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
Tuesday’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: WR Steven Sims
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
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
Here are the reserve/futures deals handed out Tuesday:
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Daniel Arias, CB Darren Hall, S Verone McKinley, OL Austen Pleasants
Atlanta Falcons
- WR Chris Blair, DB Natrone Brooks, S Lukas Denis, LB Milo Eifler, DE Demone Harris, T John Leglue, WR Austin Mack, LB Donavan Mutin, DT Willington Previlon, G Justin Shaffer, T Ryan Swoboda, T Tyler Vrabel, RB Carlos Washington, T Barry Wesley
Chicago Bears
Indianapolis Colts
- S Kendell Brooks, G Lewis Kidd, S Michael Tutsie
Jacksonville Jaguars
Los Angeles Chargers
- LB Brevin Allen, DT Jerrod Clark, RB Elijah Dotson, QB Max Duggan, WR Simi Fehoko, DB Matt Hankins, OL Brent Laing, LB C.J. Okoye, CB Chris Wilcox
Minnesota Vikings
- RB Myles Gaskin
New York Jets
- FB Nick Bawden, DT Tanzel Smart
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/8/24
Many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts, allowing organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Andre Baccellia, OL Jackson Barton, WR Kaden Davis, OL Marquis Hayes, RB Tony Jones, TE Bernhard Seikovits, WR Jeff Smith, CB Quavian White
Atlanta Falcons
- OL Barry Wesley
Carolina Panthers
- RB Mike Boone, RB Spencer Brown, WR Jalen Camp, RB Tarik Cohen, CB Lamar Jackson, TE Jordan Matthews, CB AJ Parker, TE Chris Pierce, WR Cam Sims, OT Badara Traore, DE Raequan Williams
Chicago Bears
- LB Micah Baskerville, TE Stephen Carlson, OL Jerome Carvin, DB Adrian Colbert, OL Aviante Collins, DL Michael Dwumfour, DL Daniel Hardy, OL Roy Mbaeteka, OL Bill Murray, WR Nsimba Webster
Cincinnati Bengals
- DT Domenique Davis, CB Allan George, C Nate Gilliam, DE Jeff Gunter, LB Shaka Heyward, WR Shedrick Jackson, G Jaxson Kirkland, WR Kwamie Lassiter II, WR Kendric Pryor
Denver Broncos
- RB Tyler Badie, QB Ben DiNucci, OT Demontrey Jacobs, S Devon Key, CB Reese Taylor
Indianapolis Colts
- LB Austin Ajiake, LB Liam Anderson, WR Tyrie Cleveland, S Marcel Dabo, WR Ethan Fernea, G Arlington Hambright, TE Jordan Murray, RB Zavier Scott, TE Eric Tomlinson
Las Vegas Raiders
- DE David Agoha, CB Cornell Armstrong, QB Anthony Brown, OT D.J. Fluker, TE Cole Fotheringham, S Jaydon Grant, DT Marquan McCall, RB Sincere McCormick, OT Jalen McKenzie, TE John Samuel Shenker, DT Nesta Jade Silvera, DE Elerson Smith, DE Charles Snowden, CB Sam Webb, WR Kristian Wilkerson
Minnesota Vikings
- LB Abraham Beauplan, G Henry Byrd, OT Coy Cronk, WR N’Keal Harry, WR Trishton Jackson, RB DeWayne McBride, G Tyrese Robinson, WR Thayer Thomas, CB Jaylin Williams, CB Joejuan Williams, G Tyrese Robinson, WR Thayer Thomas
New England Patriots
- DE William Bradley-King, LB Joe Giles-Harris, DB Azizi Hearn, DT Trysten Hill, WR T.J. Luther, OT Andrew Stueber, RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
- DT Ryder Anderson, OT Yodny Cajuste, DB Kaleb Hayes, WR Dennis Houston, RB Deon Jackson, LB Dyontae Johnson, LB Jeremiah Martin, G Jalen Mayfield, OL Joshua Miles, DB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
New York Jets
- OL Obinna Eze, OL Vitaliy Gurman, CB Tae Hayes, DL Manny Jones, RB Jacques Patrick, K Austin Seibert, DL Marquiss Spencer, WR Malik Taylor
Seattle Seahawks
- LB Levi Bell, NT Matthew Gotel, RB Bryant Koback, TE Tyler Mabry, S Jonathan Sutherland, WR Cody White, WR Easop Winston Jr.
Tennessee Titans
- CB Shyheim Carter, DB Tay Gowan, WR Tre’Shaun Harrison, TE Thomas Odukoya, LB Thomas Rush, G Lachavious Simmons
Washington Commanders
- LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, WR Davion Davis, CB D’Angelo Mandell
Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order
Week 18 is in the books, meaning the top 18 draft slots are locked in going into the offseason. The Commanders, Patriots, Cardinals and Chargers all lost. Only the Bolts changed positions, by virtue of the Giants’ win over the Eagles. The Giants, however, only dropped one spot through their home win.
The Falcons and Saints’ efforts to upend the Buccaneers in the NFC South did not pan out, with Tampa Bay beating two-win Carolina in its regular-season finale. This will keep Atlanta and New Orleans in much better draft positions. Despite finishing 8-9, Tampa Bay now cannot move past No. 19 without a trade.
While the Bears’ seminal decision — Justin Fields or Caleb Williams, seemingly, with all the trade and contract factors that go along with this forthcoming choice — will headline the leadup to this draft, the Commanders have secured the No. 2 selection and will have their own call to make. New owner Josh Harris showed he will help drive his front office to moves that will load up draft capital, as the Montez Sweat and Chase Young trades showed, and he is all but certain to hire a new regime in the coming weeks.
The draft’s second-best quarterback will be available to Washington, which saw its Sam Howell wire-to-wire season fail to solidify him as the team’s surefire long-term QB. Will Washington become closely connected to Howell’s North Carolina successor (Drake Maye)? The Commanders’ call will help shape how the Patriots proceed, unless New England — which is also all but certain to move on from Bill Belichick and start anew — completes a trade-up effort.
As the postseason determines the bottom 14 draft slots, here is how the top 18 look after the regular season:
- Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
- Washington Commanders: 4-13
- New England Patriots: 4-13
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
- Los Angeles Chargers: 5-12
- New York Giants: 6-11
- Tennessee Titans: 6-11
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Chicago Bears: 7-10
- New York Jets: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 8-9
- Las Vegas Raiders: 8-9
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Indianapolis Colts: 9-8
- Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
- Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8
- Green Bay Packers: 9-8
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9-8
- Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
- Los Angeles Rams: 10-7
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7
- Miami Dolphins: 11-6
- Philadelphia Eagles: 11-6
- Kansas City Chiefs: 11-6
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Detroit Lions: 12-5
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- San Francisco 49ers: 12-5
- Baltimore Ravens: 13-4
Jets Expected To Trade QB Zach Wilson
It appears that Zach Wilson‘s time in New York may finally be over, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The writing has been on the wall for quite a while, but things seem to finally be playing out for an eventual departure. Rapoport reports that the Jets will attempt to trade the former No. 2 overall pick this offseason. 
Since being selected nearly three years ago, Wilson has failed to live up to his lofty draft status. In his three seasons, Wilson has started 33 games, accumulating a career record of 12-21. Even during his best stretches of play, Wilson has had a tendency to underwhelm. When he was able to win five of his nine starts in 2022, he still threw more interceptions than touchdowns and was eventually demoted all the way down to third-string. This year, despite finally throwing more touchdowns (8) than interceptions (7), Wilson was only able to lead the Jets to a 4-7 record as a starter, once again getting benched.
In his career as a Jet, Wilson has averaged only 185 yards per game, tossing only 23 touchdowns in 34 games while throwing for 25 total interceptions. Still, there’s likely to be a bit of interest in the one-time college star. Wilson’s high draft slot was solidified after a single strong season at BYU. After combining for 23 passing touchdowns, five rushing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in his freshman and sophomore years as a Cougar, Wilson delivered his decisive season in 2020, completing 73.5 percent of his passes for 33 touchdowns to only three interceptions, adding 10 more scores on the ground.
There’s likely to be a number of teams interested in chasing that magical season. A team like the Commanders could provide him with a backup job while allowing him a chance to compete for a starting position. The Colts could prove a good opportunity for playing time if Anthony Richardson‘s injury trouble persists. For those who may wonder how likely it is that Wilson gets released for a lack of trade interest, Rapoport asserts that “quarterbacks get traded,” and he doesn’t have any expectation that Wilson will be released.
Wilson was made aware during this season that his tenure in New York was coming to an end. When he was benched in favor of Tim Boyle this year, the team informed him that they had plans to flip him in the offseason, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. His awareness of a lack of a future with the team understandably contributed to his reluctance to return to a starting role later in the season when asked.
Wilson was placed on injured reserve yesterday with two purposes in mind. Firstly, Wilson has been dealing with a concussion, and with nothing left to play for, it made sense to keep him out of play. Secondly, taking him off the active roster allowed the team the ability to bring a practice squad player up to the 53-man roster, giving the Jets the option to avoid the player hitting free agency. With offensive lineman Jake Hanson and tight end Jeremy Ruckert also being placed on IR, running back Xazavian Valladay, linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball, offensive lineman Chris Glaser, and defensive lineman Bruce Hector were granted their opportunities to make a case for a roster spot next year.