NFC Staff Updates: Falcons, Cardinals, Panthers, 49ers, Cowboys
With the draft in the rearview, new Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham has gotten to work reshaping the front office staff to his liking. To that effect, Atlanta has hired Keith Earle as a mid-Atlantic area scout, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Earle’s first taste of NFL work came as a camp intern in player personnel for the Eagles in 2021. After a similar internship in Chicago the next year, Earle was hired on as a scouting assistant in the first year of Ryan Poles‘ tenure as GM. He spent the past two seasons as the midlands area scout for the Bears but has now followed Cunningham to Atlanta for his new gig.
Thanks to Neil Stratton of SucceedInFootball.com, we also learn that the new title in Atlanta for Justin Hickman will be national scout. After the conclusion of a playing career that took him through the NFL and CFL, Hickman has gained some uniquely vast experience working as an XFL executive, an analyst at Pro Football Focus, a coach, and until recently, an area scout with the Patriots. Earle and Hickman could just be the start as the front office begins to reflect the new GM.
Here are a few other staff updates from around the NFL:
- In Arizona, the Cardinals have promoted one new staffer and said goodbye to another. According to Stratton, Alfonza Knight has been promoted to assistant director, college scouting. After initial NFL jobs as an equipment intern for the Titans and a staffer with the Senior Bowl, Knight first joined the Cardinals as a scouting assistant in 2014, getting promoted to NFS scout in 2017 and spending the last eight years as an area scout. Leaving the front office, per Stratton, is veteran scout Chris Culmer. Starting as a scouting intern for the Seahawks in 2000, Culmer worked his way up to scouting assistant and pro scout over nearly nine years in Seattle. He stayed within the division with his next job, joining the Cardinals as a west area scout. He was promoted to director college scouting for a couple years but has spent the last 12 seasons as a western regional scout.
- On the coaching side of things, the Panthers awarded a promotion this week to a member of their defensive staff, per Joe Person of The Athletic. Linebackers coach Pete Hansen has had the moniker of assistant defensive coordinator added to his title. After going from strength and conditioning coach to defensive assistant at Stanford in 2009, Hansen first dipped his toe in the NFL waters as a defensive assistant/quality control coach with the nearby 49ers. After rejoining the Cardinal as an inside linebackers coach for six years and working as defensive coordinator at UNLV for two, Hansen got his first NFL position coaching gig as a linebackers coach for the Broncos in 2022. The fast-rising assistant has earned his new title after three seasons in Carolina.
- Moving towards analytics, ESPN’s Seth Walder reported this week that the 49ers will no longer employ R&D analyst Meredith Manley after she opted to leave following the conclusion of her contract with the team. Manley worked in the role for the past four years following a three-year stint as a football analytics assistant in Arizona.
- Lastly, the Cowboys have hired a new pair of strategic football fellows, per Walder. Nick Fullerton is taking the fellowship after previously working as a research analyst at NFL Next Gen Stats. Vincent Etherton will be the other new fellow following his time as a data analytics student assistant with the Princeton football team.
AFC East Staff Updates: Patriots, Clark, Jets
The Patriots brought former Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen onto their staff just over a month ago, placing him in a minor role under new defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr who used to have a minor role on Bowen’s defensive staffs in Tennessee and New York. According to Ryan Dunleavy of New York Post Sports, New England wanted to bring Bowen on last year for a more significant role on their staff, but the Giants reportedly “wouldn’t let him go.”
Serving as a defensive coordinator over the past five seasons, Bowen is obviously overqualified for a defensive analyst position, but unable to find a decent position immediately following his dismissal from New York, he has accepted the minor role with a staff that holds several familiar faces from head coach Mike Vrabel‘s time in Tennessee. Bowen will likely attempt to land a coordinator job in the next offseason.
Elsewhere, in the front office, New England has parted ways with director of scouting projects Marshall Oium, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. After beginning his scouting career in Cleveland, Oium joined the Patriots as a pro scout in 2018, earning a promotion to assistant director of scouting in 2023. The next year, they moved Oium over the analytics side of things, naming him director of football strategy. Following rumors that the organization was looking to improve in analytics and research, Oium was moved to his most recent role. His dismissal ends an eight-year tenure with the team.
Additionally, Neil Stratton of SucceedInFootball.com reports that Robert Haines has joined the Patriots as midwest area scout. Haines arrives in New England following the conclusion of a 22-year tenure with the Panthers last year. His most recent position in Carolina was as a national scout over the past three years. Haines comes in to fill the role of Justin Hickman who left for a role with the Falcons.
Here are a couple other staffing updates from across the AFC East:
- One of few holdovers from Mike McDaniel‘s staff in Miami, Austin Clark has been on the Dolphins‘ defensive staff since 2020. He started that year, under then-head coach Brian Flores, as the team’s outside linebackers coach, overseeing the edge rushing group. From 2021 up until now, though, Clark worked as the team’s defensive line coach. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Clark’s role under new head coach Jeff Hafley — though unchanged in title — will see him take on the coaching of the edge rushers in addition to the defensive line. Following the departures of Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, Clark will have his work cut out for him.
- Lastly, per Wilson, the Jets have parted ways with pro scout Dominic Esposito. Esposito’s NFL debut came with the Jets following a short time working in recruiting at South Alabama. He arrived in New York as a training camp intern in 2019, got hired on full-time as a player personnel assistant, and become a pro scout after three years with the team.
Contract Tenders: Monday
Cowboys punter Chris Jones signed his exclusive rights tender of $645K, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. The move locks down Dallas’ punter situation but eats up about $150K of the ~$2MM salary cap space the club had to work with. Jones averaged 45 yards per punt in his first full season with the Cowboys. The latest contract tenders from around the NFL..
- Restricted free agent tackle Byron Bell has received a second-round tender worth $2.187MM from the Panthers, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). The club also tendered exclusive rights free agent Chris Scott, tweets ESPN.com’s David Newton.
- The Chargers have only two exclusive rights free agents in linebacker Bront Bird and guard Stephen Schilling and they won’t be tendering either one, tweets Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego.
- Jets linebacker Nick Bellore got the low restricted free agent tender, a source tells ESPN’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). Bellore led Gang Green in special teams kickoff tackles last season.
- The Ravens won’t extend an RFA tender to wide receiver Tandon Doss, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team could still bring Doss back on a smaller deal though.
- Lions wide receiver Kris Durham confirmed via Twitter that he inked his tender with the club. Durham, a fourth-round pick in 2011, became a more significant part of the Lions’ offense in 2013, racking up 38 receptions, 490 receiving yards, and a pair of touchdowns while starting 13 games. He didn’t perform well based on Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), which ranked him 109th out of 111 qualified receivers, but he’s still just 25 years old, and may not be relied upon for quite as large a role in 2014 if the team adds a receiver or two.
- Joe Morgan and Jed Collins won’t receive RFA tenders from the Saints, but the club still has interest in re-signing the two free agents, says Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune.
- The Rams won’t tender tight end Mike McNeill, who was eligible for restricted free agency, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Linebacker Justin Hickman has signed his ERFA tender from the Colts, according to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.