Vic Fangio To Return As Bears DC
It’s a done deal. On Friday, Vic Fangio agreed to return as the Bears’ defensive coordinator, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. 
There was some question as to whether Fangio would want to stay in Chicago after the firing of head coach John Fox and the hiring of Matt Nagy. Fangio was sought after by multiple teams, but he opted to stay put under the new administration.
The Packers were pushing hard to sign Fangio, but they instead chose to hire Mike Pettine. That might have something to do with Fangio’s price tag. Last year, he earned more than $2MM, and it’s possible that Chicago has given him an additional bump to stay on board. The Ravens also connected to Fangio and there were rumblings that Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur would recruit him if hired as a head coach.
The Bears ranked just 24th in points allowed last year, but placed 14th in defensive DVOA, so there’s definitely something for Fangio & Co. to build on. The team also has ~$42MM in cap space and the No. 8 overall pick to work with, so the Bears’ D could get even better in 2018.
Panthers Hire OC Norv Turner
The Panthers have hired longtime NFL coach Norv Turner their next offensive coordinator. The news was first reported by David Newton of ESPN.com.
Turner was in Carolina on Wednesday to formally interview for the position and it didn’t take long for the two sides to hammer out an agreement. On Friday, the team made it official.
Turner’s hiring should come as no surprise, especially given that he was the first — and only — candidate mentioned following the firing of Mike Shula on Tuesday. Reports indicated the Panthers preferred to hire a veteran coach, and Turner certainly fits that bill. He’s served as a coordinator for six clubs and been a head coach for three more teams. Turner, 65, was most recently the offensive play-caller for the Vikings before abruptly resigning midway through the 2016 campaign.
In addition to his wealth of experience, Turner is also close with Panthers head coach Ron Rivera. Turner hired Rivera as an assistant coach and later defensive coordinator when both worked for the Chargers, and Turner also recommended Rivera for the Carolina job when it became open in 2011.
With the Panthers, Turner will take over a unit that boasts pieces such as quarterback Cam Newton, running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Devin Funchess, and tight end Greg Olsen. Despite those options, Carolina’s offense struggled in 2017, ranking 12th in scoring, 17th in DVOA, and 19th in yards.
Meanwhile, Scott Turner will join his father in heading to Carolina, as he’ll become the Panthers’ new quarterbacks coach. The younger Turner most recently served as QBs coach at the University of Michigan, and has worked with the Panthers, Browns, and Vikings at the NFL level.
Bills Fire OC Rick Dennison
The Bills announced that they have fired offensive coordinator Rick Dennison. The team has yet to hire a replacement for Dennison, making them one of several teams on the lookout for a new OC. 
Dennison came to the Bills last year following the hire of Sean McDermott as head coach. The Bills managed to make the playoffs, but it was in spite of a poor passing game. The Bills placed 29th in total yards, 22nd in points, and averaged only 176.6 passing yards per game, though a Dennison defender would point out that he had to deal with the inconsistencies of Tyrod Taylor and the rawness of rookie Nathan Peterman at quarterback. Meanwhile, the team depleted itself of offensive weapons with the trade of Sammy Watkins and the loss of Robert Woods.
The Browns found their new OC on Friday morning and the Cardinals, Colts, and Giants may all be looking for a new play-caller once they hire head coaches. Already, we’ve seen six OCs replaced this offseason. When all is said and done, there will be no fewer than seven OC shakeups on the year and possibly eleven or more.
Former Chargers coach Mike McCoy could be a candidate for the opening in Buffalo, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter). Alex Marvez of SiriusXM (on Twitter) hears that McCoy and Colts OC Rob Chudzinski are the top two candidates for the job. Both men previously spent time with the Panthers, which helps their cause with McDermott.
Matt Rhule Withdraws From Colts’ Search
The Colts interviewed Baylor head coach Matt Rhule in an expansive search to replace Chuck Pagano, but their search thinned out a bit on Thursday night.
Rhule will opt to stay at Baylor, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This comes after a scheduled Thursday interview with Carolina DC Steve Wilks did not occur.
Rapoport noted the Colts appear to be gearing their search around a more offensive-minded leader. The 42-year-old Rhule has coached on both sides of the ball, with his NFL experience coming as the Giants’ offensive line coach (in 2012), but his most recent assistant jobs (at Temple) were on offense. This leaves Josh McDaniels alone as an offensively geared coach in a search that included meetings with Seahawks DC Kris Richard and Texans DC Mike Vrabel.
Rhule will coach at the Waco, Texas, program for a second season. He was Temple’s HC for four seasons prior to getting the Big 12 gig.
NFL Looking Into Possible Raiders Rooney Rule Violation
The Raiders’ Jon Gruden hiring process drew scrutiny from the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which took issue with Mark Davis‘ comments an agreement with Gruden was in place before the team fired Jack Del Rio.
Now, the NFL is looking into the matter. A league spokesman confirmed (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter, on Twitter) the NFL is investigating the Raiders for a possible Rooney Rule violation.
The Raiders interviewed tight ends coach Bobby Johnson and USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin, who are both black, and feel that should qualify as Rooney Rule compliance. However, an agreement already being in place with Gruden, as Davis intimated, and these meetings with Johnson and Martin occurring subsequently would stand to put the franchise as non-compliant.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes the league does not have a rule in place to prevent a coach being hired before his predecessor is fired, but with the league mandating one minority candidate must be interviewed for vacancies, this process may not look great for the Raiders.
Bears Hire Mark Helfrich As OC
Matt Nagy‘s staff is starting to come together. The Bears have hired former Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich to be their new offensive coordinator, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Bears’ offensive scheme figures to be a mix of the west coast offense and the spread offense, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. That’s roughly the style that Nagy employed in Kansas City. 
Helfrich has been out of football since he was fired by Oregon in November of 2016. In his first two seasons (2013-2014), the Ducks went a combined 24-4. Unfortunately, in 2015, his team failed to win ten games for the first time since 2007. In his final year, Oregon went 4-8 – the program’s worst record in a quarter century.
Helfrich’s resume includes the grooming of some solid young quarterbacks, including Marcus Mariota. In 2015, Helfrich and Mariota reached the College Football Playoff National Championship game. The now Titans QB also won the Heisman trophy.
Nagy and Helfrich are both represented by agent and former Bears defensive lineman Trace Armstrong, which could explain how the two men came together.
Nagy will be charged with turning around a franchise that has sagged in recent years. The Bears went 5-11 last year and have missed the playoffs in ten of the last eleven years. The Bears’ last playoff berth came was in 2010.
Colts Interviewed Baylor’s Matt Rhule For Head Coach
The Colts interviewed Baylor head coach Matt Rhule for their head coaching vacancy earlier this week, sources tell Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com.
[RELATED: 2018 Head Coaching Search Tracker]
If Indianapolis did ultimately hire Rhule, he’d certainly be an outside-the-box candidate, as his only coaching experience at the NFL level came in 2012 when he served as the Giants’ offensive line coach. Rhule does have vast amounts of collegiate experience, as he’s been working in the NCAA since 1998. Rhule was head coach at Tempe for four seasons before taking over Baylor, where posted a disappointing 1-11 record in 2017.
Thus far, Colts general manager Chris Ballard has interviewed five candidates to replace Chuck Pagano, although one of those contenders — Matt Nagy — has already taken a job with the Bears. Here’s where things stand in Indy:
- Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator (Patriots): Interviewed on 1/3
- Kris Richard, defensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed on 1/5
- Mike Vrabel, defensive coordinator (Texans): Interviewed on 1/6
- Steve Wilks, defensive coordinator (Panthers): To be interviewed on 1/11
- Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed on 1/7
Texans To Hire Brian Gaine As GM
The Texans are expected to make Bills vice president of player personnel Brian Gaine their next general manager, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Gaine, who interviewed for the Houston position on Tuesday, had been considered the favorite for the job. He’ll make his return to the Texans — with whom he previously served as director of player personnel — after a single season in Buffalo. Gaine has drawn GM interest around the league in the past, and he’s interviewed for positions in Philadelphia, San Francisco, New York, and Chicago over the past several seasons.
While Gaine was the frontrunner to become Texans general manager, Houston did have a lengthy list of initial candidates. However, the Texans were declined permission to interview the Patriots’ Nick Caserio and Monti Ossenfort and the Eagles’ Joe Douglas, while the Packers’ Brian Gutekunst and the Cowboys’ Will McClay declined to interview. Texans assistant GM Jimmy Rye III was the only candidate other than Gaine to actually interview.
Gaine will be strapped to add talent via the draft in his first season as Texans GM, as Houston has already traded away both its first- and second-round picks. However, the Texans could make hay during the free agent period, as the club ranks sixth in 2018 cap space with roughly $56MM available.
As PFR’s 2018 GM Tracker indicates, both of the general manager vacancies in the NFL have now been filled: Gaine in Houston, and Gutekunst in Green Bay.
Matt Patricia Prefers Giants To Lions
The Patriots are bracing for Matt Patricia to leave, but it might not be for the Lions’ head coaching job. The defensive guru is also up for the Giants’ job and he prefers the G-Men to the Lions, Peter King of The MMQB hears. 
[RELATED: PFR’s 2018 Head Coaching Search Tracker]
If Patricia is offered the Giants’ head coaching position and accepts, it will have a domino effect reaching Detroit and beyond. If Patricia goes to the Giants, the Lions may pivot to Houston defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, King hears. If that happens, Vrabel would be out of the running for the Colts’ HC job.
The Giants were abysmal in 2017, but they have lots of talent to work with on defense including cornerback Janoris Jenkins and defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon. If Patricia can get underperforming youngsters like Eli Apple on the right track, the Giants could return to having one of the better defensive units in the NFL. The Giants also have the No. 2 overall pick at their disposal, so Patricia’s preference towards New York is understandable.
Packers Hire Joe Philbin As OC
The Packers have appointed Joe Philbin as their new offensive coordinator, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Philbin was brought back into the fold last week, but his exact role was not immediately known. 
The deal marks the start of Philbin’s second stint as Packers OC. Philbin coached with the Packers from 2003-11 and was the Green Bay OC from 2007-11.
Philbin used the Packers OC gig as a launching pad into head coaching. Unfortunately, his stint with the Dolphins did not go as planned and he was dismissed early on in the 2015 season with a 24-28 combined record. For the last two years, he has worked as Colts’ offensive line coach.
The Packers are making major changes on the coaching staff. While Mike McCarthy is staying as head coach, Mike Pettine has been hired as the new defensive coordinator, replacing Dom Capers. Philbin now replaces Edgar Bennett as the team’s play-caller and the team will also have to find someone new to take the spot of quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt.