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Gerald Chatman

NFC Coaching Notes: Cowboys, Saints, Bucs, Hall, Panthers, 49ers, Cards, Bears

February 2nd, 2025 at 9:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys are looking to the college level to fill their running backs coaching position; both candidates have histories in Dallas. The team turned to one of its former running backs — Tashard Choice — as a recent interviewee, All DLLS’ Clarence Hill notes. Choice is the Texas Longhorns’ RBs coach, having held that job for the past three seasons. A Cowboys running back from 2008-11, Choice wrapped his playing career after the 2013 season. He spent the 2016 campaign as a Cowboys intern. The team is also interviewing Oregon RBs coach Ra’Shaad Samples for the job, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris. Staples is a Dallas native who coached in the area while at SMU from 2019-21; his interview went well, per Hill. The one-year Ducks assistant is best known in NFL circles for being the Rams’ RBs coach in 2022; he left for an Arizona State assistant job before that season ended.

Here is the latest from the NFC side of the coaching carousel:

  • The Buccaneers are backing up the report they were ready to block Liam Coen from poaching assistants. After blocking O-line coach Kevin Carberry from meeting with the Jaguars, the Bucs are preventing assistant O-line coach Brian Picucci from doing the same, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. This one is a bit more interesting, as Picucci followed Coen from Kentucky to Tampa Bay. NFL rules allow teams to block contracted assistants from moves if they do not involve a promotion to head coach or coordinator. Coen left the Bucs after avoiding contact with high-ranking staffers, and GM Jason Licht is not believed to be too happy with the exit.
  • Another Bucs staffer who will remain in place: Larry Foote. The linebackers coach interviewed for the Lions’ DC job, being the team’s only outside candidate before a Kelvin Sheppard promotion, but will not leave for a job anywhere else. Foote told the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud he is staying. The former linebacker has enjoyed a long assistant tenure with the Bucs; this will be his seventh season with the team.
  • DeAngelo Hall‘s stint on the Panthers‘ staff is over, per the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye. The team had hired the former Pro Bowl cornerback as assistant DBs coach during Frank Reich‘s months-long HC stint. Hall, however, could land on his feet soon. The 49ers are interviewing him for their DBs coach position, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds. Hall and Kyle Shanahan overlapped for four seasons in Washington during the early 2010s.
  • Moving back to the Cowboys, their Klayton Adams OC hire did not surprise the Cardinals. But the NFC West team was monitoring a potential relocation to New Orleans as well. The Cards expected their previous O-line coach to join Brian Schottenheimer or follow Kellen Moore to the Saints, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Moore has not taken the New Orleans job yet, but he is the favorite. Both Moore and Adams are Boise State alums, though their Idaho stays did not overlap.
  • Elsewhere on Arizona’s staff, the team has identified new line coaches. Justin Frye is coming aboard as O-line coach, and Winston DeLattiboudere is heading to the desert as D-line coach, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and 247 Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Ryan Burns report. DeLattiboudere comes over from the University of Minnesota and is rising fast; we have a Gen Z coach here, as the two-year Golden Gophers D-line coach is 27. He spent the 2022 season with the Packers as a Bill Walsh diversity coaching fellow. Frye has considerably more experience and is coming off three seasons as Ohio State’s O-line coach. The Bears interviewed Frye for their O-line job. The ex-Chip Kelly assistant is also not following his two-time boss (also at UCLA) to Las Vegas, being set to camp elsewhere in the desert.
  • The Bears are still working on filling out Ben Johnson‘s staff. They interviewed Florida assistant Gerald Chatman for the D-line coach position, Zenitz adds. A Bengals defensive assistant from 2019-20, Chatman spent the 2024 season at Florida.

Extra Points: Texans, Bills, Haskins, Bengals

January 6th, 2021 at 8:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Brandin Cooks has been traded three times during his seven-year career, and the Texans wideout is hoping he isn’t included in any more deals.

“[A]s far as a team thinking they could trade me for draft capital, I would caution them to think twice, because quite frankly, I’m not going to accept any more trades,” Cooks told ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “And so, for me, if you want me off your team, you’ve just got to let me walk and choose my destination.”

While Cooks isn’t anxious to uproot his family, he also wants to stay in Houston so he can continue receiving passes from quarterback Deshaun Watson.

“I would love to continue to grow with Deshaun and have that commitment, however that looks,” Cooks said. “I don’t get into that. I’ll leave that to my agent and the team, but playing with a guy like that — who wouldn’t want to play with a quarterback like Deshaun?”

Cooks still has three years remaining on his contract, and he’ll have a manageable $12MM cap hit in 2021. However, he doesn’t have any guaranteed money left on the deal, adding a bit of uncertainty to his future. For what it’s worth, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that the organization has yet to talk contract with the wideout, but “it’s a conversation expected to take place in the offseason” once the team officially hires their GM and head coach.

Some more notes from around the NFL…

  • Speaking of, we learned earlier today that the Texans were set to hire Patriots executive Nick Caserio as their new GM, and it apparently took a giant offer to get him to Houston. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Houston gave Caserio a six-year contract that will make him one of the three-highest paid general managers in the NFL. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that the deal is worth “at least” $6MM annually.
  • The Bills are scheduled to audition quarterback Chad Kelly, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). There’s an obvious connection here, as the 26-year-old is the nephew of legendary Bills quarterback Jim Kelly. Yates suggests that the audition could result in a “possible reserve/future” deal. The final pick of the 2017 draft, the younger Kelly has spent time with the Broncos and Colts during his career, getting into a single game.
  • After going unclaimed on waivers last week, former Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins and agent David Mulugheta mutually agreed to part ways. The former first-rounded has since found new representation, as ESPN’s Jenna Laine reports (via Twitter) that Haskins has hired Goal Line Football.
  • Following a 2020 season where the organization finished with only four wins, the Bengals have moved on from three assistants, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby (via Twitter). Jim Turner, Nick Eason, and Gerald Chatman will not return in 2021. However, Baby notes that the Bengals defense showed flashes this past season, meaning Eason and Chatman could end up landing new gigs relatively quickly.