Mike Devlin

Ravens Updates: Urban, Departures, Hewitt

After leading the league in scoring defense and finishing sixth in yards allowed this season, the Ravens saw their defensive staff get dismantled as several other teams around the league decided to provide opportunities for upward mobility to several assistants. Now begins the process of hiring replacements on new defensive coordinator Zach Orr‘s staff.

The first two new additions we see in Baltimore come from the college football ranks. First, University of Michigan defensive analyst Doug Mallory makes the move from one Harbaugh to another, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. After working with Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor, Mallory heads to Charm City to work with his former coach’s older brother, John Harbaugh. Mallory will be taking the defensive backs coaching job, a role he previously held at the NFL level with the Falcons. He replaces Dennard Wilson, who now holds the defensive coordinator position in Tennessee.

Orr’s former position of inside linebackers coach will be filled by another former college staffer. Former University of Kansas defensive analyst Mark DeLeone is expected to fill his new boss’s former job coaching inside linebackers, according to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. DeLeone has coached the same position group with the Chiefs, Bears, and Lions over the years.

With those two positions filled, and Chuck Smith perhaps staying as outside linebackers coach, the sole vacant position remaining to fill would be the defensive line coaching gig vacated by new Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.

Here are a few other coaching updates for the AFC runner ups:

  • We already knew of the departures of Wilson, Weaver, and defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec provided an update on a few other staffers who aren’t expected to return in 2024. On the offensive side of the ball assistant quarterbacks coach Kerry Dickson and assistant offensive line coach Mike Devlin will not be back next season. Devlin is set to serve as the Chargers‘ new offensive line coach. On special teams, assistant T.J. Weist is also not expected to return. Additionally, senior analysts James Urban and Craig Ver Steeg and director of football research Scott Cohen will not retain their roles in 2024.
  • With all the loss and new additions, longtime staffer Chris Hewitt has been rewarded once again for his longevity. A Ravens coaching assistant since 2012, Hewitt has moved through the ranks from assistant special teams coach to assistant secondary coach to defensive backs coach to pass defense coordinator to pass game coordinator and secondary coach. While Hewitt will remain the team’s pass game coordinator on defense in 2024, he will do so with the additional moniker of assistant head coach, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The title was previously held by Weaver.

AFC Coaching Notes: Texans, Browns, Bettcher, Ravens, Gould

The Texans have hired former Dolphins’ coaching assistant Kenyon Jackson in the position of assistant defensive line coach, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Son of former Pro Bowl tight end Keith Jackson, Kenyon played defensive tackle at the University of Illinois under new Texans’ head coach Lovie Smith.

In what is starting to seem like a trend, Smith also hired Dele Harding as a defensive assistant. Harding also played for Smith at Illinois, serving for two years as a team captain at linebacker.

Here are a few more notes on coaching changes in the AFC, starting with a note from the location of this weekend’s NBA All-Star game:

  • The Browns have hired Jordan Thomas in the role of assistant defensive line coach, according to Wilson. Thomas has coached defensive linemen at San Diego State and spent time at Lamar and Texas A&M University-Kingsville, as well. In addition, the Browns added Jeff Anderson to the staff as a defensive quality control coach.
  • Staying in the Buckeye State, recent 2021 NFL runner-ups the Bengals have made a move to replace former linebackers coach Al Golden. Golden is headed back to the college coaching ranks to become Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, former NFL defensive coordinator James Bettcher will fill the role. After time as the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals and Giants, Bettcher spent last season as a senior defensive assistant in San Francisco.
  • Staying in the AFC North, Baltimore brought in former Texans’ offensive line coach Mike Devlin to become the Ravens’ assistant offensive line coach, according to Wilson. Devlin coached big men for the Jets before Houston and at Toledo before that. The Ravens will certainly welcome the help for an offensive line that frequently had quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley scrambling for their lives last year.
  • Lastly, the Chargers have hired 49ers’ kicker Robbie Gould‘s kid brother Chris Gould. The 36-year-old was a former kicker in the Arena Football League and will be the Chargers’ assistant special teams coach, a role he’s held for the past five seasons for the Broncos. Additionally, the Chargers have hired Brendan Nugent as their new offensive line coach. Last year was Nugent’s first year coaching offensive linemen in the NFL in his seventh year with the Saints. He’ll 17 years of NFL coaching experience to Los Angeles.

Jason Garrett Expected Back As Giants OC

The Giants dropped from 18th to 31st in scoring offense last season, and Daniel Jones did not make considerable strides. But the team is not planning to make big changes to its offense.

Jason Garrett is expected to stay on as New York’s offensive coordinator, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes. Some potential turnover at this position coach level could take place, and Raanan adds assistants like tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens, QBs coach Jerry Schulplinski and wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert may take on increased responsibility. (Tolbert has interviewed for Minnesota’s OC job.) But Garrett will still run the show.

This is not especially surprising. Dave Gettleman said last month, as Garrett interviewed for the Chargers’ HC job, he was “antsy” about the prospect of losing his OC. Keeping Garrett will ensure Jones only has two play-callers in his first three seasons, though the Giants have plenty of improvements to make on offense. Saquon Barkley‘s expected re-emergence will certainly help.

Joe Judge already fired a coach Garrett brought in, ex-Cowboys O-line assistant Marc Colombo, and Raanan adds the new Giants HC’s hands-on approach with the team’s offense caused tension between he and Garrett. Last season was Garrett’s first as a full-time play-caller since 2012.

One of the changes on Big Blue’s staff will be replacing Dave DeGuglielmo. The veteran O-line coach is not expected back, and Raanan notes that the Giants have interviewed ex-Texans O-line coach Mike Devlin and Giants assistant O-line coach Ben Wilkerson for the job.

South Notes: Falcons, Colts, Saints, Texans

In addition to announcing Dan Quinn as their new head coach today, the Falcons confirmed several other members of their coaching staff, via a team release. As previously reported, Kyle Shanahan will serve as the offensive coordinator in Atlanta, while Richard Smith will be the defensive coordinator and Raheem Morris will hold the title of assistant head coach and defensive passing game coordinator.

Other members of Quinn’s staff include Bobby Turner (RBs coach), Mike LaFleur (offensive assistant), Keith Armstrong (ST coordinator), Bryan Cox (DL coach), Wade Harman (TEs coach), Terry Robiskie (WRs coach), and Eric Sutulovich (assistant ST coach).

Here’s more on the Falcons and a few other teams from the NFC South and AFC South:

  • Perhaps more interesting than any of the Falcons‘ assistant coach announcements was the revelation that Quinn will indeed have control of the 53-man roster, as had been speculated (Twitter link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution). As Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets, GM Thomas Dimitroff still has final say over the draft and free agency, so it’s a setup similar to the one in Seattle.
  • Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will get paid, but Stephen Holder of the Indy Star doesn’t necessarily see it happening this offseason. When Luck does get that fat contract, likely worth $20-$25MM annually, it won’t leave the Colts completely thin across the board as the team has been anticipating this for quite some time. The Colts currently rank in the bottom half of the league in current spending, giving them significant flexibility both this year and in years to come.
  • Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune writes that the Saints will still have to do some serious financial maneuvering this offseason beyond turning roster bonuses into signing bonuses. That maneuvering, while keeping the Saints “legal” for the start of the new league year on March 10, would leave no room for signing new players or improving the roster. Many have said that the Saints will be impeded by their big spending, but Woodbery notes that they have found themselves in this spot before. Last offseason, they didn’t find themselves with a lot of breathing room, but they still found a way to sign safety Jairus Byrd to a large multi-year deal.
  • The Texans have hired Mike Devlin (OL coach), Pat O’Hara (offensive assistant), and Paul Pasqualoni (DL coach), and promoted Anthony Pleasant to a defensive assistant role, the team announced today in a press release.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Coaching Notes: Fisch, Texans, Bears, Haslett

Some within the Lions organizations could be working elsewhere next season, but general manager Martin Mayhew has no issues with that. In fact, he spoke fondly about two members of his staff, endorsing both vice president of pro personnel Sheldon White and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. Mayhew first touched on White, who is being considered for the GM job with the Eagles. Via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein:

“He’s been phenomenal. He’s exceptional at what he does. Outstanding evaluator. There are a lot of guys on this roster that he brought to the table. Rashean Mathis, for example, is a guy that he saw on tape and he brought up his desire to work Rashean out. I was against it. I was saying this is an older guy — how is this guy going to help us.

“He talked me into working him out and he had a phenomenal workout. He was exceptional in every way, shape and form, so we ended up signing him. Obviously he’s worked out great for us the last two years, having Rashean here.

George Johnson is a guy who he brought to me who I had never seen, we signed him. I had never seen him on tape at the time that we signed him and, as you know, George made our team this year and was a big-time contributor for us. He’s always looking; he’s always in his office evaluating tape and trying to find players that can help us win. I think he’d be a great general manager.”

Mayhew also spoke about his defensive coordinator, who has multiple interviews for head coaching positions:

“He did a phenomenal job with the group and I think he has a lot of ability. I think he’s certainly capable of being a head coach in the NFL. I think I said that when he got here that at some point he’d have an opportunity to do that.

“He’s certainly worthy of the opportunity.”

Let’s take a look at some more coaching notes from around the league…

  • Former Jaguars offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch will be joining Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, as Peter Schrager of Fox Sports tweets that he’ll be offered the pass game coordinator job with the Wolverines. Bruce Feldman adds that Fisch will also be the quarterbacks and receivers coach. Fisch was let go by Jacksonville in late December.
  • We learned yesterday that the Texans wouldn’t be bringing back offensive line coach Paul Dunn, and the team has already found a replacement. Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez tweets that Houston will add Jets assistant coach Mike Devlin to their staff to replace Dunn.
  • The Bears announced (on Twitter) that they interviewed Todd Bowles for their head-coaching position yesterday. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that the interview went well, adding that the Cardinals defensive coordinator is set to meet with the 49ers today.
  • Following up on a report that the Giants requested permission to interview Washington defensive backs coach Raheem Morris for their defensive coordinator opening, Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets that Washington granted gave the division-rival Giants the green light, while Albert Breer of the NFL Network says (via Twitter) that the interview will happen this morning.
  • Since leaving his role as Washington‘s defensive coordinator, Jim Haslett has received inquiries from a number of teams, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link), who adds that it’s not clear yet whether he’ll interview for jobs.

Zach Links contributed to this post.