Brian Daboll - Pro Football Rumors

Coaching Notes: Jets, Lewis, Bears, Daboll

December 10th, 2020 at 5:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Adam Gase–Gregg Williams arranged marriage dissolved at the 11th hour, after the defensive coordinator’s bizarre final-seconds play call ended up keeping the Jets winless. To some degree, Gase had soured on the polarizing DC earlier this season. The second-year Gang Green head coach “fumed” after Williams’ indirect shot at the Jets’ offense, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes, adding that the soon-to-be-fired HC was upset Williams voiced frustration in that manner. In a split setup in which Gase ran the offense and Williams oversaw the defense, Cimini adds Gase would learn of Williams’ defensive lineup changes on Fridays before games on certain occasions. This regime’s issues may cause the Jets to re-evaluate how they pair coaches next year.

Here is the latest from the coaching circuit:

Josh Allen‘s rise could well push Bills OC Brian Daboll to a coaching job in 2021. The expectation around the league is that the third-year Bills coordinator will land an HC gig, Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com note. Several jobs will be available, and the ESPN duo adds that the Chargers — given that Daboll and Bolts GM Tom Telesco went to high school together — may be the destination to monitor. While the Chargers have not fired Anthony Lynn, who is well-liked by Bolts players, the team is 3-9 after a 5-11 season. This would point to Lynn likely being ousted after his fourth season in Los Angeles.
Unlike the Texans, the Falcons and Lions will not be using a search firm as they look for new HCs, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Longtime front office exec Rich McKay will presumably lead Atlanta’s search, while team president Rod Wood remains in power in Detroit.
After two seasons out of the NFL, Marvin Lewis has resurfaced on coaching radars. The longtime Bengals HC’s name has continued to come up for possible 2021 gigs, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah tweets. He is expected to land interviews, according to ESPN. Lewis interviewed for the Cowboys post that went to Mike McCarthy and was connected to the Washington job that went to Ron Rivera. The Vikings also sought him for a defensive role in 2019. Lewis, 62, currently serves as Arizona State’s co-defensive coordinator under Herm Edwards.
While Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald would stand to be the Bears‘ top choice — were they to replace Matt Nagy — the prospect of the longtime Big Ten leader rising to the NFL is quiet, per Graziano and Fowler. After Northwestern’s 2018 season, Fitzgerald said he would not consider NFL jobs. But the pandemic may have made him more receptive to making the jump. The Bears figure to be the leading candidate, were Fitzgerald to express interest. And Bears minority owner Pat Ryan, also a Northwestern alum, is a big fan of the current Wildcats HC, per ESPN.
The Broncos will have their defensive coordinator back after his extensive bout with COVID-19, Mike Klis of 9News notes. Ed Donatell, 63, believed he was nearly recovered from the coronavirus, but on Day 9 of his battle with it, he experienced symptoms severe enough he needed to be hospitalized. The second-year Denver DC, who had never previously missed a game in his coaching career, missed six games. He will coach from the press box Sunday against the Panthers.

Latest On Texans’ GM, HC Search

October 11th, 2020 at 11:02am CST by Rory Parks

With Bill O’Brien gone, the Texans find themselves with an interim GM in Jack Easterby and an interim HC in Romeo Crennel. Earlier this week, team owner Cal McNair said that internal conversations as to how the team will permanently fill those roles had yet to begin, but it seems that has changed.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, McNair has hired Jed Hughes, the vice chairman of the search firm Korn Ferry, to assist him. The club will reportedly wait until after the season to hire a new head coach and general manager, but obviously McNair wants to start the process as soon as possible. Interestingly, Hughes also played a key role in helping the Texans identify and hire O’Brien back in 2014.

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Patriots exec Nick Caserio is once again under consideration for the Houston GM job. As many of our readers probably remember, the Texans made a play for Caserio in June 2019, only to back out when the Pats threatened to file tampering charges.

Caserio is widely considered to be a top GM candidate, and though he did sign a two-year extension with New England in February, La Canfora says that the new deal prohibits the Pats from interfering with Caserio’s pursuit of a GM job. JLC adds that McNair remains high on Caserio.

Meanwhile, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who has been a hot head coaching candidate in recent years, was one of the first names to surface in speculation after O’Brien’s dismissal. And La Canfora says Bieniemy has a fan in Texans QB Deshaun Watson, whose opinion and feedback will be valued by McNair. Indeed, Watson has already advocated for Bienemy, who may have several options but who will unlikely find an HC-needy team with a signal-caller as good as Watson.

McNair is said to be seeking a QB guru, so Patriots OC Josh McDaniels and Bills OC Brian Daboll will also be under consideration.

Bills Deny Giants’ Request To Interview Brian Daboll

January 15th, 2020 at 9:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was “high atop” new Giants head coach Joe Judge‘s list of OC candidates when he took over in New York, but Buffalo denied Big Blue’s request to interview the longtime NFL coach, reports Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.

It’s no surprise the Bills didn’t allow to Daboll to speak with the Giants about what would have been a lateral move. Typically, clubs only allow their coaches to interview with other teams when a promotion is involved. And Daboll, who served as play-caller for the Browns, Dolphins, Chiefs, and the University of Alabama before landing in Buffalo, impressed enough in 2019 to warrant head coaching interest from Cleveland, is certainly a valuable commodity on Sean McDermott‘s Bills staff.

The Giants are clearly looking for an experienced offensive coordinator to pair with first-year coach Judge, who has never been an offensive nor defensive coordinator at any level. New York has already interviewed incumbent OC Mike Shula plus ex-Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, and is thought to also be interested in former Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens and ex-Dolphins OC Chad O’Shea.

Although the Bills ranked just 22nd in offensive DVOA a season ago, Daboll was lauded for running a creative offensive that utilized the strengths of 2018 first-round pick Josh Allen. In New York, Daboll would’ve been tasked with developing another first-rounder, 2019 No. 6 overall pick Daniel Jones.

Latest On Browns’ Coaching & GM Search

January 12th, 2020 at 7:21pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Browns have their new head coach in Kevin Stefanski, but they still need a new GM after firing John Dorsey. They recently requested an interview with Eagles exec Andrew Berry, and Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets that he’s “at the front of the GM candidates.”

Robinson notes that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam once said he considered Berry a future GM, and that he has a relationship with chief strategist Paul DePodesta. In a separate tweet, Robinson explains that it may come down to whether or not Berry wants to take the job. He notes that Berry, who used to work in Cleveland under former GM Sashi Brown, is only 32 and in a good situation in Philly. He also writes that Berry will likely get other calls if he passes on the job.

As for the search that ultimately ended in Stefanski, Robinson has some interesting new nuggets. He tweets that Josh McDaniels “wanted a specific structure with the Browns” and that he “wasn’t going to an org where DePodesta or anyone else was a ‘side jury’ reporting to Haslam.” If that’s the case, then it sounds like McDaniels never got too close to landing in Cleveland despite his lengthy visit. The Browns and Haslam have caught plenty of flak for their odd reporting structures, and it sounds like that was an issue once again this time around.

Robinson also tweets that both Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh “had very good interviews” and that he thinks they were the finalists along with Stefanski. Both should be hot names during next cycle. As for Stefanski’s staff, Robinson tweets that the rookie head coach will likely target either Gary or Klint Kubiak. The Kubiaks were on staff with Stefanski in Minnesota, although Robinson thinks the Vikings will try to retain both. Either could be a candidate to be Cleveland’s new OC assuming Stefanski hires one.

Finally, Robinson tweeted about the future prospects for assistant GM Eliot Wolf and VP of Player Personnel Alonzo Highsmith. He thinks the Haslams are open to both staying, and that Wolf will have a conversation with whoever the new GM is about a role.

Brian Daboll, Robert Saleh Remain In Mix For Browns Job

January 11th, 2020 at 2:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns interviewed Josh McDaniels on Friday to (seemingly) wrap up their eight-candidate run of meetings. The buzz at the work week’s end fixated on the Patriots offensive coordinator and Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski, but this weekend, other names remain in the mix.

Bills OC Brian Daboll is the sleeper in this process, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen, who notes Daboll gave a strong interview earlier this week (Twitter link). Additionally, 49ers DC Robert Saleh is not off the radar either. Saleh and Stefanski have been most connected to this job recently, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (on Twitter).

Saleh and Stefanski will match up in San Francisco on Saturday afternoon, and the loser of said showdown will be eligible to accept Cleveland’s offer immediately. While the Browns would have to wait to hire the winner in this matchup, they are not competing against any other team to fill their HC post. The Browns were believed to want to wrap up this search by today, but Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes that the team now seeks to table that decision until after divisional-round weekend (Twitter link).

McDaniels left Cleveland without a deal in place, which could be an ominous sign for his chances of securing his job with his hometown franchise. The northeast Ohio native has interviewed for this job three times since 2009. Stefanski wowed Browns brass during last year’s coaching search, but the John Dorsey-led search included Jimmy Haslam preferring Freddie Kitchens. Paul DePodesta, who is piloting this year’s search, has a good relationship with Eagles DC Jim Schwartz. But the former Lions HC’s momentum may have cooled.

Browns Notes: GM Search, DePodesta, McCarthy, Saleh, Daboll

January 5th, 2020 at 6:58pm CST by Marc Delucchi

While the primary focus in Cleveland remains on their search for a new head coach, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Browns could have their eyes on a pair of front-office employees with the Seahawks for their general managerial opening. Via Garafolo’s report, Seattle’s co-directors of player personnel, Trent Kirchner and Scott Fitterer, are two well-respected executives that could emerge as leading candidates.

Here’s more notes from the Browns organization:

NFL.com’s Ian Rapaport noted that two head coaching candidates in the Browns search that align with Kirchner and Fitterer are former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. McCarthy’s connection to the two Seattle executives is unclear, but Saleh started his coaching career in Seattle and has built his defensive scheme upon the Seahawks 4-3 at the peak of the “Legion of Boom.”
The Browns pushed back their interview with Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for Cleveland’s head coaching position, according to Ian Rapaport of NFL.com. Daboll remains a candidate, but since the Bills were eliminated from the playoffs in Saturday’s overtime loss to the Texans, the team decided to delay his interview to this week so he could meet more of the team’s current front office staff.
Browns chief strategist Paul DePodesta has been the center of a lot of coverage surrounding the power struggle in Cleveland. The onetime assistant general manager of the Oakland Athletics is spearheading the Browns head coach search, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, but is not under contract with the team beyond next week. With that said, DePodesta is still wanted in Cleveland and the team may want to extend the executive at the same time of the team’s general manager and head coaching hires to put the organization on the same page.

Josh McDaniels To Meet With Browns

January 2nd, 2020 at 4:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns have secured a Josh McDaniels meeting. Having set much of their itinerary for the first round of coaching interviews, the Browns will meet with McDaniels, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

A Cleveland-area native, McDaniels is believed to be the Browns’ top choice. He joins 49ers DC Robert Saleh, Ravens OC Greg Roman and Bills OC Brian Daboll as those set to interview. Roman and Mike McCarthy are in Cleveland today. McDaniels’ interview will likely occur Jan. 10, Cabot adds.

Jimmy Haslam said earlier Thursday the organization will hire a head coach with NFL experience, ruling out Urban Meyer. But McDaniels’ Ohio ties run deeper. The Barberton, Ohio, native previously interviewed with the Browns in 2014 but took himself out of the running for a job that eventually went to Mike Pettine. Haslam was intrigued by McDaniels during the previous interview, and that interest does not appear to have cooled. This time, the longtime Patriots OC is believed to be intrigued by the opportunity — one that will likely come with some personnel control.

McDaniels, 43, is also on the Giants’ and Panthers’ wish lists, so the Browns may need to make an attractive offer. The franchise being GM-less would seemingly appeal to McDaniels, who may want to bring longtime Patriots executive (and fellow northeast Ohio native) Nick Caserio to Cleveland. Caserio’s contract expires after this season. Defections of McDaniels and Caserio would represent a major blow to New England’s infrastructure.

While the three-time Super Bowl champion OC’s play-calling acumen cannot be dismissed, he will have much to prove from a personnel and leadership standpoint. The Broncos gave the then-33-year-old coach personnel control in 2009, and McDaniels’ controversial moves — and 2010 videotaping scandal — led to a quick firing. His spurning of the Colts eight years later was believed to damage his rebuilt stock, but the widespread interest in the veteran coordinator over the past several days has shown the league has effectively overlooked that decision.

Daboll is set to interview with Browns brass Sunday in Buffalo, Cabot adds. Neither he nor McDaniels can take an interview until next week, due to the AFC East teams being in wild-card games. Daboll spent two years as the Browns’ OC, under Eric Mangini, from 2009-10.

Browns To Interview Bills OC Brian Daboll

December 30th, 2019 at 7:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Add another name to the list of Browns head coaching candidates. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Cleveland will interview Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for the vacancy.

Daboll has had stints as offensive coordinator with four different organizations (including the Browns, Dolphins, Chiefs, and Bills), and his 2019 season may have been his best. The Bills rushing attack finished in the top-10 for yards (a fact that’s even more impressive when you consider that 36-year-old Frank Gore led the team in carries). Daboll has also received credit for helping to develop young signal-caller Josh Allen.

Daboll also has major experience in the playoffs. The coach has five Super Bowl rings from his various stints with New England (including the role of wide receivers coach). The 44-year-old also won a CFB national championship after serving as the co-offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2017.

Yesterday, the Freddie Kitchens era in Cleveland came to an end after just one season. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, an Ohio native, has already been mentioned as a candidate. The organization is also reportedly trying to secure interviews with Ravens OC Greg Roman and Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski was a finalist for the Browns’ HC job last year before they elected to hire Kitchens.

Brandon Beane On Bills’ QB Decision

July 29th, 2018 at 6:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Second-year Bills GM Brandon’s Beane went through a lot to trade up and land Josh Allen , making two deals — with the Bengals and Buccaneers — to vault the Bills into that No. 7 spot.

When asked about his first-round quarterback’s chances of earning earlier-than-expected playing time, Beane said it could come down to how he looks in the Bills’ first preseason game.

“I think you give everybody the fair amount of reps now. Right now we’re going with Nathan (Peterman) and A.J. (McCarron) with the majority of the ones and twos, but giving Josh at least a period a day – at least,” Beane said, via John Kryk of the Toronto Sun. “And we’ll do that through the first preseason game, and then we’ll adjust from there and decide, Are we going to keep it the same? Are we going to give him more reps? Or are we going to give him less? Everything is earned here.”

Buffalo snapped major North American sports’ longest playoff drought last season by booking the AFC’s No. 6 seed in dramatic fashion, and that progress may impact the team’s quarterback decision.

Although the Bills’ offense will look remarkably different, given that Tyrod Taylor and three key offensive linemen are out of the picture, last year’s work may prompt the GM and coaching staff to go with one of the veteran signal-callers while the Wyoming-produced prodigy observes to start the season.

“Some people say, ‘Hey, don’t play a rookie at all.’ And some people say go ahead and play him no matter what,” Beane said. “And I think the thing is you’ve got to be fair to the other – when you get your 53-man roster – the other 52 players. Because everybody wants to win now, including Sean (McDermott) and I. And so (the players) see the same practice. They watch the same practices; they’ll watch the same preseason games. And if you’re not putting the best guy out there I think they’re going to lose their respect for you.”

Beane said he will be involved in the decision, along with McDermott and new OC Brian Daboll. Ownership will not steer the team one way or another in this matter, per Beane. Daboll last served as an NFL coordinator for the 2012 Chiefs, who went 2-14, but he served as national champion Alabama’s OC last season.

“It will be a group decision,” Beane said. “There’s Sean and I. We’ll obviously talk. There’s Brian Daboll. He’ll be involved. He knows more than everybody who’s hitting everything. He’s in every meeting with these quarterbacks. It’s his offense.

“… We’ll talk to (owners Terry and Kim Pegula) about the evaluation process. ‘Hey, this is what A.J. did well in Game 1 … this is what he’s got to improve on.’ Or, ‘This is what Josh did what, and what he’s got to improve on.’ And same with Nathan. So, yeah, we’ll definitely talk.”

Despite his five-interception disaster in Los Angeles last season, Peterman showed well in minicamp. McCarron would seemingly be the best bet for veteran stability, but Allen’s displayed improvement in training camp. Allen was viewed as a longer project than peers Josh Rosen or Sam Darnold coming into the draft.

“(Allen) was behind, being in the draft, whereas both A.J. and Nate were already learning Brian Daboll’s system a month-plus before Josh got there,” Beane told Kryk regarding Allen’s summer progression. “But definitely, by the time we left there in June he was mentally there. Now it’s just catching him up physically, knowing all the plays – it’s a big playbook – and getting the guys lined up. But he has done a great job to this point.”

Bills Hire Brian Daboll As OC

January 14th, 2018 at 3:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills have hired Brian Daboll as their new offensive coordinator, the club announced today.

Daboll, fresh off a National Championship as the offensive play-caller for the University of Alabama, will replace longtime NFL coach Rick Dennison, who was fired on Friday after only one season in Buffalo. Multiple head coaching candidates had reportedly expressed interest in hiring Daboll as an offensive coordinator, so the Bills acted quickly to add him to their staff.

While the 42-year-old Daboll spent the 2017 campaign in the collegiate ranks, he does boast vast amounts of NFL coaching experience. He’s coordinated offenses for the Browns (2009-10), Dolphins (2011), and Chiefs (2012), and has also worked in a number of offensive roles for the Patriots, first from 2000-06 and again from 2013-16.

In Buffalo, Daboll will be tasked with heading an offensive unit which ranked 22nd in scoring, 26th in DVOA, and 29th in yards a season ago. Running back LeSean McCoy and wide receiver Zay Jones will be among the weapons at Daboll’s disposal, while Buffalo has decisions to make on quarterback Tyrod Taylor and wideout Kelvin Benjamin.