Headlines

Darren Mougey

Darren Mougey To Control Jets’ Roster; Latest On Team’s Coaching Staff

By | at January 30, 2025 9:45 am

Woody Johnson confirmed earlier this week the Jets are adjusting their power structure. Both Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey will report to ownership, signaling a shift from the Joe Douglas-Robert Saleh regime — in which only the GM did so. Even as Glenn will carry more weight in the Jets’ organization compared to Saleh, the team is still giving its new GM a significant role

Mougey will control the Jets’ 53-man roster, according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello. Like Mike Vrabel in New England, however, Glenn will be expected to have a significant voice in personnel. Johnson has already referred to Mougey as Glenn’s sidekick, Costello offers, pointing to the Jets needing to sign off on a coach-centric power structure to bring in Glenn, who was viewed as one of this coaching cycle’s top options.

Even as Glenn’s voice will be the most powerful in the room, this will give Mougey a significant opportunity. The latter has also previously worked for a team that has used its head coach as the personnel centerpiece, with the Broncos giving Sean Payton that power upon trading for him in 2023. Mougey had climbed to director of player personnel in 2021, doing enough to rise from John Elway staffer to GM George Paton‘s top lieutenant in Denver.

While the Broncos moved onto treacherous terrain during the Paton-Mougey period by trading for Russell Wilson and pairing him with the overmatched Nathaniel Hackett — months before his Jets hire — the team also managed to make the playoffs despite a record $90MM-plus dead money bill. Mougey was not a GM candidate anywhere else, and only 32 of these jobs are available. Johnson made a point to note he would let Glenn and Mougey run the show this year, but after the owner irked many in the Jets’ front office and coaching staff by meddling in 2024, it may take a bit to convince Jets fans he will stay out of those matters.

Coach-centric setups have also provided tremendous success in other cities, as the Andy Reid, Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan and Pete Carroll tenures illustrated over the past decade and change. Those teams have successful GMs in place (Brett Veach, Les Snead, John Lynch, John Schneider), but they ride shotgun — past tense in the case of Schneider, who has outlasted Carroll in Seattle — as Mougey will alongside Glenn in New York.

Elsewhere on the Jets’ staff, 9News’ Mike Klis reports they are finalizing a deal that would install Chris Banjo as their special teams coordinator. This follows a report that indicated Banjo was on Glenn’s radar. Banjo, 34, played 10 NFL seasons — two of those under Payton (and Glenn) in New Orleans — and has been the Broncos’ assistant ST coach since 2023. Denver already lost top ST coach Mike Westhoff around midseason, and Payton fired STC Ben Kotwica at season’s end. The team now may be set for a full-on overhaul in that department, with Saints interim HC Darren Rizzi still an option — depending on whom the Saints hire as their next leader. Although Westhoff and Kotwica held key roles, Banjo still resided in Denver as Marvin Mims went 2-for-2 in first-team All-Pro nods at punt returner.

The Jets have Lions assistant Tanner Engstrand as a strong candidate to become their next OC, and Glenn’s tight ends coach would further point to the ex-Ben Johnson lieutenant coming aboard. Steve Heiden is leaving his post as Lions tight ends coach to become the Jets’ O-line coach, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds.

A former NFL tight end, Heiden has spent most of his coaching career in charge of that position. His only season coaching O-linemen came in 2018, when he served as the assistant O-line coach under Steve Wilks in Arizona. Wilks is now in place as the Jets’ DC, while Pelissero identifies Engstrand as the OC frontrunner.

As the Jets give Heiden the chance to make an interesting transition, they are moving on from their O-line and tight ends coaches. Keith Carter, assistant O-line coach Ben Wilkerson and TEs coach Ron Middleton are out, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Carter came over to join Hackett in 2023, making it rather unsurprising Glenn will not retain him. Middleton and Wilkerson each came to New York during Mike LaFleur‘s OC tenure.

0 comments Denver Broncos Detroit Lions New York Jets

Darren Mougey, Aaron Glenn To Each Report To Ownership; Latest On Jets’ Aaron Rodgers Decision

By | at January 27, 2025 11:05 pm

After adjusting their organizational workflow during the Joe Douglas-Robert Saleh era, the Jets are shifting back to a setup in which the head coach holds a bit more power.

Aaron Glenn and new GM Darren Mougey will each report to Woody Johnson, the longtime owner confirmed (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) on Monday. Considering the (largely Johnson-generated) negative perception around the Jets during this year’s hiring cycle, Glenn receiving this power is not too surprising. The Jets were able to land one of the top HC candidates in this year’s pool, and the team will give him a greater influence in the building.

This does give Mougey a bit less power, but given how matters deteriorated during Douglas’ tenure, the Jets going with this two-pronged reporting structure makes sense as a changeup approach. Mougey comes over from the Broncos, where the GM also does not hold complete authority. At least, Mougey’s ex-boss — George Paton — has not done so since Sean Payton‘s 2023 arrival. A number of NFL teams use a setup in which the HC and GM report to ownership; the Jets are back among that contingent.

Mougey and Glenn will be partners moving forward. After a chaotic final stretch during the Douglas-Saleh period, it will be interesting to see how the Jets function under their new personnel leaders. Ex-Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, whom the team entrusted to help pick out new leadership, said during an interview with ESPN 880 New York; h/t ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) he and The33rdteam.com colleague Rick Spielman emphasized leadership over scheme when landing on Glenn.

Regarding Mougey, Tannenbaum pointed to the former Paton lieutenant surviving an ownership change while rising up the chain as a sign of his abilities. The Broncos hired Mougey in 2012, when Pat Bowlen was still charge, and retained him under the Rob Walton-led group. With John Elway effectively holding owner-level power while the Bowlen heirs squabbled during the late 2010s, Mougey’s acumen may be best illustrated by him remaining in Denver under Elway, Paton and then Payton’s leadership.

Prior to landing on Mougey, the Jets interviewed a host of candidates. A previously unreported one — interim GM Phil Savage — also met about the position, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello. Savage, who is better known for his four-year run as Browns GM during the 2000s, ran the Jets’ GM interview count to 16. Of those, six — Savage, Thomas Dimitroff, Ray Farmer, Brian Gaine, Ryan Grigson and Jon Robinson — were second-chance candidates. This hiring period saw both the NFL’s current second-chance GMs — Tom Telesco, Trent Baalke — axed, reminding how uncommon it is for front office bosses to resurface in power compared to HCs.

As Tannenbaum said Glenn “checked every box,” Glenn said Monday he will not call defensive plays. This will be a change for the four-year coordinator, who was the Lions’ defensive play-caller throughout his tenure with the resurgent franchise. Glenn’s next DC will hold that responsibility, while the former Payton lieutenant operates as a CEO HC.

Regarding Glenn’s next quarterback, Johnson said he will not throw his weight around regarding Aaron Rodgers‘ future. Johnson called Rodgers “a talent, a Hall of Famer” but said he would let Mougey and Glenn decide his Jets future. Rodgers said recently his future with the team was in the next HC-GM pair’s hands, and a Sunday report indicated both Glenn and Rodgers would be open to a partnership for the 2025 season. Glenn certainly stopped short of hinting which direction the Jets will go when asked about Rodgers’ future.

“This thing is not about Aaron Rodgers, folks. This is about the roster,” Glenn said, via Cimini. “We plan on building the best roster that we can. So, whatever that may be — guard, tackle, defensive tackle — that’s what we’re evaluating. Listen, everybody’s under the microscope. That’s just what it is.”

As our Rory Parks pointed out, the Jets holding the No. 7 overall pick — in a much-maligned draft at the QB position — and not having a younger option waiting in the wings would presumably make them likely to reexamine the Rodgers situation. In the wake of Douglas’ firing, a few reports suggested Rodgers was on his way out in New York. Amid a meddling spree on the owner’s part, Johnson was believed to have called for Rodgers’ benching on multiple occasions.

It would cost the Jets more than $49MM in dead money, which would likely be spread over two years via post-June 1 release, to dump Rodgers’ contract. If Glenn and Mougey want to start fresh, that makes sense. But obtaining a surefire upgrade on Rodgers will not be a lock.

Then again, Rodgers has not yet determined if he wants to continue playing. Plenty of moving parts exist for the Jets at quarterback. After Johnson’s previous interference — to the point at least one of his teenage sons was believed to be involved in personnel decisions — irked Douglas and many others (per Cimini) in the organization, the owner will attempt to step back and let his new hires run the show.

1 comment New York Jets

Jets Hire Darren Mougey As GM

By | at January 25, 2025 3:32 pm

JANUARY 25: ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted out the news that Mougey’s hiring has been made official. Mougey will team up with Glenn, the new head coach, to establish the next era of Jets football.

JANUARY 24: The Jets made their head coaching hire earlier this week, and their general manager vacancy is now set to be filled. After Lance Newmark appeared to be the top target, though, the team has moved in another direction.

Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey will be hired by the Jets. He was among the staffers who lined up a second interview for this week, so it comes as little surprise he is set to get the nod. Still, after Newmark looked to have a deal all but in place on Tuesday, this is a notable pivot on New York’s part.

The Jets were open to bringing in a head coach or a general manager first during the 2025 cycle, and Aaron Glenn wound up being the initial hire in the team’s case. The former Lions defensive coordinator has a history with New York as a player, and Newmark represented a familiar face with Glenn given their time spent together in Detroit. A natural fit was in place, but the Jets opted to conduct follow-up interviews with both Mougey and Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown before making a final decision.

Mougey’s meeting took place yesterday, and Troy Renck of the Denver Post notes he returned to the Broncos’ facility to await word on whether or not he received the Jets’ GM job. No subsequent reports have emerged at this point confirming Mougey has won out, and SNY’s Connor Hughes indicates he has not received finality from his sources indicating Mougey has beaten out Newmark and Brown. But provided the team ultimately announces this news he will be set to undertake his first general manager role. The 39-year-old has been with the Broncos throughout his front office career, so this will double as his first posting with any other organization.

Mougey quickly transitioned from his playing career to the scouting world as an intern with the Broncos in 2012. By 2020, he had reached the level of assistant college scouting director while continuing to rise through the ranks. Mougey took over as director of player personnel for 2021, and the following year he was promoted to assistant GM. After working under both John Elway and George Paton, he will now lead a staff of his own.

New York conducted a wide-ranging search for both the head coach and general manager positions, and in a matter of days both vacancies have now been filled. The quarterback position will remain a talking point until clarity emerges on the Aaron Rodgers front, and a number of other key priories – including potential extensions for cornerback Sauce Gardner and wideout Garrett Wilson – are in place. How Mougey and Glenn address them will be key in shaping the organization’s direction moving forward. Paton and the Broncos, meanwhile, will now have a notable front office vacancy to fill.

Via PFR’s GM search tracker, here is a final look at how the Jets’ process played out:

17 comments Denver Broncos New York Jets Newsstand Transactions

Jets Conducting Second GM Interviews With Trey Brown, Darren Mougey

By | at January 22, 2025 10:03 pm

After the Titans and Raiders filled their general manager positions, the Jets were the only team still looking to fill a vacancy at that position, until the Jaguars made the move to fire their GM today. Now, the Jets have a bit more pressure on the clock if they want to make sure their top candidate doesn’t get hired away to Jacksonville. To that effort, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported today that Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey and Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown will be brought in for second interviews with New York tomorrow.

Mougey and Brown both interviewed with the Jets on the same day for their first interview, as well. Mougey has been a fast riser in Denver, working his way up from intern to assistant GM. He’s provided the front office with a bit of continuity over the past few years, as he is one of the few executives to work under both former general manager John Elway and current general manager George Paton.

A Kansas City-area native, Brown is 39 but has been in the NFL ranks since 2010. Brown got his front office start in New England before joining Philly’s operation in 2013. He ended up spending six years with the Eagles, working his way up to director of college scouting. After a few years in the AAF and XFL, he landed with the Bengals in 2021. Brown was already popular during last year’s cycle, with the executive earning an interview with the Raiders while also landing on the Patriots’ short list of candidates, as well.

They join Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark as the only candidates who will have received second interviews so far. Newmark had been trending along with new head coach Aaron Glenn as the likely hire, but Pelissero notes that the team bringing in Mougey and Brown does not rule out Newmark as a candidate. Newmark was in the building with Glenn on Monday, and the team may just want Glenn to get facetime with a couple more candidates before making their decision.

Here’s how the Jets’ general manager search is shaping up so far:

1 comment Cincinnati Bengals Denver Broncos New York Jets

Jets To Interview Darren Mougey, Lance Newmark, Chris Spielman For GM Job

By | at January 11, 2025 11:04 am

The Jets are already well into their general manager search, and we’ve got a handful of new names to add to their robust list of candidates. According to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports, the Jets are interviewing three previously unreported candidates for the job today: Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey, Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark, and Lions executive Chris Spielman.

[RELATED: 2025 NFL General Manager Search Tracker]

The Jets are also meeting with Bengals exec Trey Brown and Vikings SVP of Player Personnel Ryan Grigson today. We learned about the organization’s interest in the duo earlier this week.

Mougey quickly climbed the ranks in Denver, working his way up from an intern to assistant general manager. He’s provided the front office with a bit of continuity over the past few years, as he is one of the few executives to work under both former general manager John Elway and current general manager George Paton.

“Darren is an outstanding evaluator who has an excellent reputation around the league as an up-and-coming personnel executive,” Paton said when Mougey earned a promotion to Director of Player Personnel in 2021. “Getting to work with Darren over the last five months, he is a strong communicator and has great leadership qualities. We’re fortunate to have Darren leading our pro and college scouting while also being a sounding board on all roster decisions.”

This isn’t Newmark’s first time meeting with the Jets; he also interviewed for the team when they were seeking a GM in 2019 (a job that ultimately went to Joe Douglas). Newmark spent 26 seasons with the Lions, and while he lost out on the team’s most-recent GM search to Brad Holmes, he still stuck around as the team’s senior director of player personnel. That was until last offseason, when Martin Mayhew lured him to Washington to serve as the Commanders assistant GM.

Speaking of the Lions, Spielman has transformed into a key member of Detroit’s front office in recent years. The former Pro Bowl Lions linebacker and FOX analyst works as a special assistant to the team’s president/CEO; he is believed to carry notable power within the organization, and the team made an effort to keep Spielman for the foreseeable future by extending his contract last offseason.

The Jets’ GM search is now at 15 names, with the group of candidates also including:

14 comments Denver Broncos Detroit Lions New York Jets Washington Commanders

2025 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

By | at January 8, 2025 6:08 pm

The Titans and Raiders again became part of a GM carousel in the 2020s. Tennessee canned its front office boss after two seasons, while Las Vegas moved on after one. These two joined the Jets, and after two-plus offseason weeks, the Jaguars followed suit by firing Trent Baalke. With the Titans, Raiders and Jets landing on GMs, the Jags are the only team left searching. Here is how the GM market looks:

Updated 2-21-25 (4:00pm CT)

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

1 comment Atlanta Falcons Buffalo Bills Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Green Bay Packers Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New York Giants New York Jets PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

Broncos Assistants To Receive Interest From Other Teams?

By | at December 11, 2024 9:20 pm

The Broncos are surpassing expectations as they’ve rattled off three straight wins to match the Chargers’ 8-5 record to draw even with them in the AFC West. While the players are taking care of business, their success is in no small part due to the coaching staff put together in Sean Payton‘s second head coaching tenure, as well. That fact hasn’t gone unnoticed in league circles.

According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, the team’s winning ways could result in a good amount of turnover on the coaching staff. Klis points out that the team hasn’t had a coordinator hired away for a head coaching job since former defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio left to coach the Raiders in 2015. Similarly, no one has left the front office for greener pastures since 2005, when then-director of pro personnel Rick Smith left to become the Texans general manager.

This year, Klis has identified a few staffers who could get offered bigger jobs. First, he notes that defensive coordinator (and former head coach) Vance Joseph‘s work has been impressive enough to perhaps earn him a second look at a head coaching gig. While the loss would sting the Broncos, Denver could possibly benefit from the compensatory picks they would receive for letting go of a minority coordinator.

Davis Webb has only been coaching for two years, barely removed from the end of his playing career, but he has been impressive as a quarterbacks coach helping Payton coach Russell Wilson through a bounce back season last year and rookie quarterback Bo Nix to an 8-5 record and potential Offensive Rookie of the Year consideration. Webb’s success could lead to some extremely early coordinator looks for the 29-year-old.

Another former player turned coach, defensive back coach and pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard could certainly be getting some defensive coordinator looks. Following the end of his playing career as a crafty safety, Leonhard went back to his alma mater to coach defensive backs at Wisconsin. After only a year coaching the position, he was promoted to defensive coordinator and seemed destined for the head coaching job after Paul Chryst was fired. He was passed over for the gig and, after a year as an analyst at Illinois, rejoined the ranks of the NFL with the Broncos. It’s only been a year, but Leonhard could be a popular name when jobs open up.

Lastly, Klis gives credit to assistant general manager Darren Mougey. Hired as a scouting intern 12 years ago, Mougey has quietly climbed the ranks in the personnel department, working alongside former general manager John Elway and current general manager George Patton. His impact and longevity over the years could put him in a prime position once interviews start for open general manager jobs.

5 comments Denver Broncos

AFC West Notes: Chargers, Hackett, Chiefs

By | at September 22, 2022 10:44 am

After Justin Herbert finished the 2021 season in the unusual position of being the AFC’s Pro Bowl starter but out of the playoffs, Brandon Staley voiced concerns about the Chargers‘ roster to ownership. Staley conveyed to both ownership and the Bolts’ front office that defensive and special teams upgrades were necessary this offseason. More specifically, Staley wanted veteran pieces, ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry notes, adding that the second-year HC sought a defense capable of complementing a ready-now offense.

“[I] felt really strongly that in order to build a complete football team that was ready to face what we’re going to have to face,” Staley said, “that we needed to make significant changes in those two phases of the game.”

DVOA placed the 2021 Chargers fourth in offense and 26th defensively, despite the fast-rising Staley becoming the team’s head coach based on his defensive credentials. Facing a time crunch created by Herbert’s extension eligibility, the Chargers added big-ticket defensive pieces in Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson. Auxiliary troops like Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, Kyle Van Noy and Bryce Callahan signed as well. The Chargers also extended Derwin James, on a safety-record deal, this summer. The team, which ranked 28th in special teams DVOA last season, replaced its punter and long snapper as well. JK Scott and ex-Falcon Josh Harris are in those roles this year.

These additions raise the stakes for Staley, who will have fewer excuses given his 2022 personnel. Here is the latest from the AFC West, shifting first to a coach off to an unusual start:

  • It is uncertain if the Broncos will change Nathaniel Hackett‘s game-day roles, but after the rookie HC’s game-management struggles through two weeks, he said (via 9News’ Mike Klis, on Twitter) GM George Paton and assistant GM Darren Mougey have assisted him in these areas this week. Although the puzzling 64-yard field goal decision in Seattle and the Denver crowd counting down the play clock in Week 2 (after the team’s fourth delay-of-game penalty of the season) are the main takeaways from Hackett’s start, the Broncos are 0-for-6 in red zone touchdowns and have committed 25 penalties — including six false starts — through two games. The 25 infractions are a Broncos two-game record. Hackett said (via Klis, on Twitter) the team will have “good answers moving forward” in these areas.
  • Willie Gay‘s four-game suspension will take a starting linebacker off the field for the Chiefs. While the team used a third-round pick on Leo Chenal this year, Andy Reid said (via ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher, on Twitter) Darius Harris will be first in line to fill in for Gay. The Middle Tennessee State alum has been with the Chiefs since 2019, being part of the team’s UDFA class. Spending much of his career on Kansas City’s practice squad, Harris has played 13 games — including two starts, both in 2020 — with the team.
  • While Staley stressed the team will not rush Herbert back, the third-year Chargers quarterback practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday. Herbert’s rib cartilage fracture comes as the doctor leading his rehab effort — David S. Gazzaniga — is being sued by former Bolts QB Tyrod Taylor regarding a 2020 incident. “I think we have full alignment with Justin and his family, his agents, and then the medical professionals, and that’s what we’re going to try to do is have alignment that way and just kind of trust the process and hopefully get him well soon,” Staley said, via Thiry.
7 comments Denver Broncos Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers

Broncos Promote Darren Mougey To Assistant GM

By | at February 3, 2022 11:42 am

Amidst a slew of changes to the coaching staff, along with the team officially being put up for sale, there will at least be some continuity in the front office for the Broncos. Darren Mougey, the team’s director of player personnel, is being promoted to assistant general manager (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport).

Mougey is quickly climbing the ladder in Denver. At the age of 36, this promotion puts him yet another step closer to a GM job. New job titles are nothing new to him, though. As Ryan O’Halloran of The Denver Post tweets, this represents the third time in as many years Mougey is moving up the chain of command.

After spending five years as an area scout, Mougey was promoted to assistant director of college scouting in 2020. One year later, he landed the director of player personnel job he held, as it turns out, for just one season. He replaced Matt Russell in the role, after the latter stepped away in the absence of former GM John Elway. Mougey’s rapid ascent to AGM confirms his status in the organization as George Paton‘s right-hand man.

Rapoport adds that Mougey “had interest elsewhere”, which likely necessitated this move. Considering his rise through the organization, and the buzz starting to be generated about him externally, it will be interesting to see how much longer he remains in place.

2 comments Denver Broncos

Broncos Promote Darren Mougey To Director Of Player Personnel

By | at May 23, 2021 2:51 pm

George Paton has made some notable outside hires this week, bringing in ex-Vikings staffer Kelly Kleine and recent Lions exec Roman Phifer. But the new Broncos GM opted to promote from within to fill a key role.

John Elway‘s successor named Darren Mougey as the franchise’s new director of player personnel, the Broncos announced. Mougey, 36, has been with the franchise since 2012.

This high-ranking position, which frequently serves as the final stepping stone ahead of GM rises, became vacant after longtime Elway right-hand man Matt Russell stepped down after last season. Russell was with the Broncos since 2009.

“Darren is an outstanding evaluator who has an excellent reputation around the league as an up-and-coming personnel executive,” Paton said. “Getting to work with Darren over the last five months, he is a strong communicator and has great leadership qualities. We’re fortunate to have Darren leading our pro and college scouting while also being a sounding board on all roster decisions.”

Despite the Broncos changing GMs, this marks the second straight offseason in which Mougey has received a promotion. Last May, he rose from an area scout role to the Broncos’ assistant director of college scouting. Mougey will now oversee both the Broncos’ college and pro scouting departments and serve as Paton’s second in command.

The Broncos also hired Sae Woon Jo as their western national scout. Jo spent the past nine years with the Falcons, arriving early during Thomas Dimitroff‘s regime. He worked as Atlanta’s college scouting coordinator most recently.

1 comment Denver Broncos
Show all
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors