Darrin Simmons

Special Teams Position Battles In Cincinnati

July 24th, 2022 at 9:55pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals’ special teams room has looked mostly the same for 14 years. Bengals coach Darrin Simmons has held the role of special teams coordinator since 2003, adding “assistant head coach” to his title for his 19th and 20th seasons in Cincinnati. It appears, though, that changes could be in the making as Simmons adjudicates position battles including the team’s longest-tenured players, according to Jay Morrison of The Athletic. Both punter Kevin Huber and long snapper Clark Harris will face position battles in camp for the first times in their long careers.

Huber is entering his 14th year in the league. All 14 have come with the Bengals, who drafted him in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft out of the University of Cincinnati. Huber is 20 punts short of 1,000 and one game shy of setting a franchise record for games played as a Bengal. Despite his extreme familiarity with the franchise, Huber is facing a position battle that should have occurred last year.

Drue Chrisman signed as an undrafted free agent with the Bengals after six years at Ohio State in 2021. The Cincinnati-native from La Salle High School chose to stay close to home for his first NFL signing. The strong-legged challenger was set to compete with the long-time veteran Huber before a broken hand shut Chrisman down. He was waived before the regular season and signed to the team’s practice squad. The Bengals released him in mid-October and the Steelers scooped him up two months later, just to release him after only two days. Cincinnati quickly re-signed him to the practice squad until releasing him in mid-January. Chrisman signed a reserve/future contract with Cincinnati a week before they would appear in the Super Bowl.

Now, Chrisman is back, hand intact, to challenge Huber for his job. According to Morrison, while Chrisman’s leg strength is a plus and the battle will surely judge punting factors such as hang time and directional accuracy, Chrisman’s true test to win the job will be his ability to handle the duties of holder, a role commonly assigned to punters and backup quarterbacks. If Chrisman can show a reliability holding for rookie sensation Evan McPherson on field goals and extra points, the Bengals may have no choice but to go with youth and award Chrisman to job.

One may think that Huber’s 14 years of holding snaps from Harris gives him an unfair advantage over Chrisman. That may be true, but Chrisman may not be at too much of a disadvantage as Harris, too, will face competition in training camp for his job.

Harris is headed into his 16th year in the NFL and his 14th with the Bengals. Harris served double-duty in college as a tight end and long snapper at Rutgers. As a redshirt sophomore, Harris led the Big East in catches, yards, and touchdowns for a tight end. He received first-team All-Big East honors for three straight years. Harris was drafted in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft by Green Bay. He spent time on the practice squads for the Packers, Lions, and Texans in his first three seasons, finally making his NFL debut as a long snapper in Houston when starter Bryan Pittman was suspended for four games. After being released from another practice squad, Harris was signed midseason by Cincinnati to be their long snapper.

Harris has been extremely reliable for the Bengals. Since signing with the team in 2009, Harris has missed only three games and has never had an unplayable snap. Unfortunately, Harris got on the bad side of his long-time position coach during the team’s Super Bowl LVI loss. While McPherson gained further notoriety around the country for skipping locker room adjustments to watch the Super Bowl halftime show, Harris’ participation (and influence) in those antics drew the frustration of Simmons, according to The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. Simmons found himself needing to make “a few critical adjustments” that required shifting personnel in a few packages, but the constant of every package was on the field with the rookie kicker watching the show. When asked if the situation was all water under the bridge, Simmons replied, “It’s not under the bridge. I’m still floating on the float. It is what it is.”

Whether a result of the halftime stunt or just a reaction to Harris’ growing years, the Bengals brought in University of Pittsburgh first-team All-American long snapper Cal Adomitis as an undrafted free agent this offseason. Adomitis also won the Patrick Mannelly Award, given to the best long snapper in the country, in his fifth and final year with the Panthers.

Harris has reportedly responded well to the newcomer, reporting for offseason activities in the best shape he’s been in during recent years and “(working) his tail off” to prepare to fight for his job.

Both Huber and Harris have the talent, experience, and familiarity to win the starting jobs. But Chrisman and Adomitis have plenty of talent and the youth to back it up for potentially 14 years to come. As Huber and Harris head into contract years, will the Bengals stick with experience or ride the youth movement along with their second-year kicker?

Coaching Notes: Rhule, Giants, Cowboys

January 7th, 2020 at 7:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Even after Joe Judge‘s standout interview Monday led to him becoming the Giants‘ head coach, the franchise still had Matt Rhule as their preferred candidate. The Panthers‘ seven-year, $62MM offer to the Baylor head coach essentially prompted the Giants to fold their hand on this front, with Ralph Vacchiano of SNY noting Big Blue balked at the contract length and salary. Rhule’s $8.9MM salary makes him the sixth-highest-paid coach in the league — behind Bill Belichick ($12MM per year), Pete Carroll ($11MM AAV), Jon Gruden ($10MM), Sean Payton ($9.8MM) and John Harbaugh ($9MM). The Panthers also paid Baylor a $6MM buyout, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Just months ago, Rhule agreed to an extension with the Big 12 program.

Here is the latest from the coaching front:

In addition to missing out on the Ron Rivera boat, the Giants wanted to speak with Mike McCarthy again, Vacchiano adds. The Cowboys swooping in prevented such an opportunity.
Big Blue received a ringing Judge endorsement from Belichick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). The former Giants defensive coordinator and six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach called the Giants to sell them on Judge’s credentials, despite his non-traditional candidacy as a special teams coordinator.
Shifting to McCarthy’s Cowboys staff, the team is expected to hire Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel to the same position, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Fassel’s contract was up. The second-generation NFL coach will relocate to Dallas after spending eight seasons with the Rams. Fassel came over from the Raiders in 2012, when Jeff Fisher took over in St. Louis, and stayed on with Sean McVay‘s team for three seasons. Fassel served as Rams interim HC in 2016, after the franchise fired Fisher. The Rams are losing their DC and ST coordinators, with Wade Phillips also out of the picture.
Other candidates have surfaced to relocate to Texas. Cowboys assistants expect Saints linebackers coach Mike Nolan to be named Dallas’ new defensive coordinator, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Nolan was the 49ers’ head coach in 2005, when McCarthy served as San Francisco’s OC. Additionally, Redskins defensive line coach Jim Tomsula is on McCarthy’s radar, per Pelissero (on Twitter). Tomsula was the 49ers’ HC in 2015 and has been the Redskins’ D-line coach since 2017.
The Bengals and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons have agreed to an extension, Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports (on Twitter). A longtime Dolphins ST boss, Simmons interviewed for the Bengals’ HC job last year and joined Cincinnati’s staff as a key assistant after the top job went to Zac Taylor. Despite Cincinnati’s 2-14 record, the team ranked first in special teams DVOA under its first-year leader.

Bengals Eyeing Jack Del Rio For DC

February 4th, 2019 at 5:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Zac Taylor will have a late start assembling his first Bengals coaching staff, but some key decisions are being made.

Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons, who interviewed for the job Taylor now has, will be retained, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Jack Del Rio is likely to interview for the defensive coordinator position, per Pelissero. The former Raiders and Jaguars head coach is believed to be the Bengals’ top DC choice, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Del Rio has been connected to Cincinnati for multiple weeks. After being fired to clear Jon Gruden‘s way back to Oakland, Del Rio did not coach during the 2018 season. Cincinnati was interested in Dennis Allen, but New Orleans retained him. Longtime Packers DC Dom Capers is also on the Bengals’ radar.

Del Rio, 55, was either a head coach or defensive coordinator every season from 2002-17. Following his 2002 season as John Fox‘s DC in Carolina, Jacksonville hired Del Rio as HC. He caught on with Fox again as the Broncos’ DC from 2012-14 before the Raiders hired him in 2015. While his Broncos defenses (two top-five units) were better than his Raiders crews — 22nd, 20th and 20th in points allowed, respectively — Del Rio did guide the Silver and Black to their first playoff berth in 14 seasons.

The Bengals fired DC Teryl Austin in November. He is now with the Steelers. If Del Rio is hired, he will be the franchise’s third defensive coordinator in three seasons. Austin replaced Paul Guenther, the Raiders’ current DC, last year.

Taylor has already named Gruden’s most recent quarterbacks coach, Brian Callahan, as his offensive coordinator. Del Rio did not work with Callahan, who was a Gruden hire. Simmons will move into his 17th season with the Bengals. A Marvin Lewis appointee during his first offseason in Cincinnati, Simmons coached the Bengals’ special teams units in all 16 Lewis seasons.

Latest On Bengals’ Coaching Search

December 31st, 2018 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The first Bengals coaching search since 2003 looked to be centered around members of two organizations — the Bengals and Rams.

While Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor received an interview request, so did Los Angeles’ passing-game coordinator, Shane Waldron, Sean McVay said Monday. Waldron, 39, also serves as the Rams’ tight ends coach.

Cincinnati will also interview two of its own. OC Bill Lazor and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons will interview for Marvin Lewis’ old job on Tuesday, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

Mike Brown went outside the organization when he hired Lewis 15 years ago, but this is known as one of the more continuity-based franchises in the NFL. Still, it would be interesting to see a Lewis lieutenant get the job. Former Bengals DBs coach Vance Joseph, fired by the Broncos this morning, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate.

Lazor became the Bengals’ full-time OC this season. Simmons has spent the entire Lewis era on the Bengals’ staff, coaching Cincinnati’s special teams units for the past 16 seasons. Though special teams coaches rarely commandeer HC jobs, Simmons is believed to have a good shot at this job, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

AFC Notes: Bengals, Lewis, Dolphins

December 21st, 2017 at 3:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the AFC:

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis denies reports indicating that he’s going to leave the team to pursue other opportunities, but nine unnamed members of the organization tell Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer that they’re not buying it. Meanwhile, Lewis recently told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) that he would “listen to” opportunities to transition a GM role somewhere. Rapoport adds that special teams coach Darrin Simmons could be an internal candidate to take over as head coach.
The Dolphins do not have any plans to shift Laremy Tunsil from tackle to guard, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes. Tunsil, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2016 draft, has 12 penalties this year, the second-most in the NFL. Still, offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen is insistent that he will remain on the outside.
More from Jackson, who writes that defensive tackle Jordan Phillips has erased any questions about whether he should be part of the team going forward. That’s no surprise given the year he is having. Defensive coordinator Matt Burke went so far as to say that he is a reliable player, something that he probably wouldn’t have said over the summer. “Snap count was a little down last week, but he has been really good,” Burke said. “The two weeks before that, he was at his best in a long time. I feel he has been more consistent this year — to the point where I had conversations with him, ‘Hey man — you’ve got to be one of our leaders now.’ He has found his way a little bit. Even last year, he he wasn’t as outgoing as he’s been this year — I am encouraging him to be more of an energy guy — part of that comes with being consistent and being reliable.” Phillips, a former second-round pick, has a decent 72.6 overall score from Pro Football Focus for his eleven games this year.

Marvin Lewis To Leave Bengals After 2017?

December 17th, 2017 at 3:21pm CST by Rory Parks

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is expected to leave the team after this season to “pursue opportunities elsewhere,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Following today’s loss to the Vikings, however, Lewis denied the report and stated he’s made no decisions about his future, per Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link).

Lewis is the second-longest-tenured head coach in the league, behind only Bill Belichick of the Patriots. He was a linebackers coach in the collegiate ranks and for the Steelers before becoming the defensive coordinator of the expansion Ravens in 1996. He rose to prominence as an architect of the record-setting 2000 Ravens defense that helped capture Super Bowl XXXV and then served as the defensive coordinator/assistant head coach for the Redskins in 2002. He was hired by Cincinnati in 2003, when the Bengals were a laughingstock, and he restored them to relevance. He has posted a 123-111-3 regular season record and has guided the Bengals to four division titles. Despite his successes, however, his head coaching resume is marred by his 0-7 career playoff record, which has hung over his head especially heavily in recent seasons.

Nonetheless, there is expected to be a plethora of head coaching jobs available this offseason (even more than usual), and Schefter reports that the 59-year-old Lewis would be on the short list for a number of those positions. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, though, tweets that Lewis plans to move to a front office role. Schefter does suggest that a front office or coaching adviser job is a possibility, but only if a head coaching job does not materialize.

As for the Bengals, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Lewis’ decision came as a surprise to the team. And, as most, if not all, of the team’s assistant coaches are also on expiring contracts — some of whom are unhappy with the way they have been treated financially — Schefter suggests that Cincinnati is likely to undergo a major coaching overhaul.

Nonetheless, Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network suggest that the Bengals could opt to replace Lewis with an internal candidate like current DC Paul Guenther or special teams coach Darrin Simmons (Twitter links). But Michael Lombardi of The Ringer tweets that the Bengals’ head coaching job is highly desirable, so the team will not be hurting for quality candidates.

The Bengals do not have a comment on the situation at the moment.

AFC Notes: Bengals, Flacco, Boldin, Landry

August 8th, 2017 at 4:50pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

PFR sends best wishes to Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, who “will be taking time away from the team to focus on a minor health issue,” according to a club announcement. Specifically, Lewis is dealing with a Baker’s Cyst on his ankle, but the initial fear was that he had a blood clot, per Stacey Dales of NFL Network (Twitter link). The Bengals expect Lewis to return sometime this week, fortunately, and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons will hold the reins as long as he’s out.