Raiders Interview Patrick Graham For DC, Set Up OC Meeting With Drew Petzing
Patrick Graham has generated considerable attention this offseason. After making it to the final round of the Vikings’ HC search, he booked a Raiders defensive coordinator interview.
The Raiders are interviewing the Giants’ DC for the same position Friday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. They also requested a meeting with Browns tight ends coach Drew Petzing, Zac Jackson of The Athletic tweets. Petzing will interview for Las Vegas’ OC job Saturday, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
Should Graham’s Raiders interview go well, he may have an interesting decision to make. New Giants HC Brian Daboll wants Graham back as DC, despite the latter being a Joe Judge holdover. Daboll and Graham worked together in New England, however. Graham also has close ties to the new Raiders power structure, having worked alongside Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler with the Patriots. McDaniels and Graham overlapped as Pats staffers from the 2011 playoffs — when McDaniels returned after a one-and-done Rams OC stint — through the end of the 2015 season, after which Graham left for his first run as a Giants assistant.
The Vikings chose Rams OC Kevin O’Connell over Graham, but Graham has now met with three teams — also being up for the Steelers’ DC job that went to in-house candidate Teryl Austin — this offseason. The 43-year-old defensive play-caller will land on his feet soon. The Raiders poaching Graham would force the Giants into other plans.
This upcoming OC interview marks new territory for Petzing, who has been a position coach for the past several seasons. Petzing, 34, has worked with Browns HC Kevin Stefanski throughout his career. After five years with the Vikings, Petzing went with Stefanski to Cleveland in 2020. McDaniels plans to call plays for the Raiders, minimizing their next OC’s role to some degree. The team has its new QBs coach in place already, in Bo Hardegree. The Raiders are also retaining wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett.
Jim Harbaugh To Meet With Vikings, Patrick Graham Gets Second Interview
We’re starting to get even more clarity on the Vikings head coaching search. According to Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune (on Twitter), Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will get a second interview with Minnesota. Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter), Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will visit Minnesota for an in-person interview on Wednesday.
Serving as New York’s defensive play-caller during Joe Judge‘s tenure, Graham improved the unit considerably in 2020. The Giants ranked ninth in scoring defense, after their 2019 unit ranked 30th. But the team regressed this season, falling back to 23rd. DVOA slotted Graham’s second Giants defense 18th, however.
Harbaugh had a chat with the Vikings on Saturday, and there have been reports that the Vikings wanted an in-person interview with the current Michigan coach. They’ll ultimately get their wish, and Harbaugh will take another major step in returning to the NFL. Harbaugh, 58, spent four seasons with the 49ers before leaving for Ann Arbor after the 2014 season. He has been connected to various teams in the past, but this year represents the closest link to the former NFC champion coach returning to the NFL.
Meanwhile, Pelissero notes (on Twitter) that 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans has declined a second interview with the Vikings, with Ryans looking to “further his development in San Francisco.” That leaves four candidates for the job: Graham, Harbaugh, and Rams coordinators Kevin O’Connell and Raheem Morris.
Giants Intend To Keep Patrick Graham; Will Retain Two Key Execs
As Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll begin their respective tenures as the general manager and head coach of the Giants, they have made clear a desire for stability at a number of positions in the organization. As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports (via Twitter), the team plans on retaining defensive coordinator Patrick Graham if he doesn’t get a HC gig elsewhere. As well, his colleague Mike Garafolo tweets that assistant GM Kevin Abrams and director of football operations Ed Triggs will be staying with the team. 
Graham, as Rapoport notes, recently interviewed with the Vikings for their HC vacancy. That came after he met with the Giants for the same position; while he obviously didn’t get the top job in New York, the team has let it be known they respect his work as DC.
In his inaugural press conference on Monday, Daboll – who worked alongside Graham for three seasons in New England – said, “I have had a good relationship with Pat for some time in this league. He’s very diligent. He’s smart. I think the players respect him. I have a good working relationship with him. Selfishly, I would love him to be here“. As the Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets, defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson is expected to be retained as well.
As for Abrams, it appears he will be staying in New York, but quite possibly with a new title. As Duggan tweets, he has “offered to give up” the assistant GM label if it helps Shoen bring in a more familiar right-hand-man. Having been with the Giants since 1999, Abrams was a candidate for the GM opening, but the team stuck to its stated intention of hiring externally.
Triggs, meanwhile, has held his current role since June 2020 and like Abrams, has a plethora of front office experience with the Giants. Clearly, Shoen and ownership want to keep key elements of the existing executive structure in place, as opposed to clearing house as other teams have done in the past.
Giants Eyeing Don Martindale For DC
After parting ways with the Ravens earlier this month, Don Martindale is starting to generate interest from other teams. According to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, Brian Daboll and the Giants have interest in the veteran coach for their DC vacancy.
Martindale has been a coordinator for two teams, also serving as the Broncos’ DC during a poor 2010 season. He revamped his reputation with the Ravens. Baltimore ranked as a top-10 defense from 2018-20, with Martindale’s units helping the team’s Lamar Jackson transition result in three straight playoff trips. Prior to being promoted to replace Dean Pees as Baltimore’s DC, Martindale headed up the team’s linebacking corps from 2012-17. The first of those seasons ended with the team’s second Super Bowl win.
Martindale entered the season with lame-duck status in Baltimore, and the two sides ultimately decided to part ways. The Ravens regressed defensively this season, dropping to 25th in yards allowed, but the team dealt with injuries throughout.
Current Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham could also keep his role, per Vacchiano. Serving as New York’s defensive play-caller during Joe Judge‘s tenure, Graham improved the unit considerably in 2020. The Giants ranked ninth in scoring defense, after their 2019 unit ranked 30th. But the team regressed this season, falling back to 23rd. DVOA slotted Graham’s second Giants defense 18th, however. The Graham-overseen improvement also caught the Steelers’ attention, with an interview request previously coming Graham’s way.
Vikings To Interview Patrick Graham; Giants DC Gig Still On Table?
Despite the Giants’ late-season nosedive, their defensive coordinator will meet with another team about its top coaching job. The Vikings are set to interview Patrick Graham on Saturday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (Twitter link).
Graham has also interviewed with the Giants and remains interested in sticking around as their defensive coordinator, provided someone else lands their HC job. The Giants are also expected to be open to Graham staying on as DC under a new coach, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY notes, adding that ownership will play a role in determining how Big Blue’s next HC proceeds here.
Serving as New York’s defensive play-caller during Joe Judge‘s tenure, Graham improved the unit considerably in 2020. The Giants ranked ninth in scoring defense, after their 2019 unit ranked 30th. But the team regressed this season, falling back to 23rd. DVOA slotted Graham’s second Giants defense 18th, however. The Graham-overseen improvement also caught the Steelers’ attention, with an interview request coming Graham’s way. Pittsburgh is expected to promote Teryl Austin to fill that role, however.
It is not the norm for prior regimes’ coordinators to stick around, and Graham has ties to both of the Giants’ top HC candidates. He was Brian Flores‘ first defensive coordinator in Miami and worked with both Flores and Brian Daboll in New England. Despite Flores letting Graham make a lateral move to New York, Graham said in December the two remain close friends. Nevertheless, ownership insisting on a partnership between the next Giants HC and Graham would be interesting.
Graham, 43, has been on the Vikings’ radar for a bit now. Minnesota’s coaching search figures to pick up steam in the coming days, with GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah now on board. Here is how that search looks:
- Todd Bowles, defensive coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/21
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles): Interviewed 1/20
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Mentioned as candidate
- Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator (Giants): To interview 1/29
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/16; hired by Broncos
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/19
- Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/21
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams): Interviewed 1/21
- Doug Pederson, former head coach (Eagles): Interview requested
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/19; remaining in Dallas
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interviewed 1/23
Steelers Request Interview With Joe Whitt For DC Position
Another name has been added to the list of Steelers targets for their vacant defensive coordinator role. Joe Whitt, the passing game coordinator/secondary coach for the Cowboys, has become the third external candidate for the position, according to Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper. 
The team has recently asked to meet with Kris Richard, the Saints’ defensive back coach, to replace the now-retired Keith Butler. Prior to that, Giants DC Patrick Graham received an interview request from the Steelers as well.
Whitt is generating interest with multiple teams. Both the Seahawks and Ravens have put in requests to meet with the 43-year-old for their respective DC vacancies. The experienced DB coach has served on the staff of five different teams during his NFL coaching career, never holding a title higher than pass game coordinator. His role in helping the Cowboys’ defense become one of the league’s better units – rather than a liability, as it had been in recent years – has obviously earned him opportunities for a promotion either elsewhere, or perhaps in Dallas if DC Dan Quinn takes one of the many HC jobs he has interviewed for.
The Steelers still have secondary coach Teryl Austin as an option if they prefer to promote from within. While that is certainly a possibility at this point, the team is clearly doing its due diligence with regards to outside candidates.
Steelers Request Interview With Giants DC Patrick Graham
The Steelers have begun an external search for their new defensive coordinator. The first name on the list of desired candidates is Giants DC Patrick Graham, whom the team has requested an interview with (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).
[Related: Steelers DC Keith Butler To Retire]
The news comes just one day after it was reported the team was expected to fill the vacancy internally. It was believed senior defensive assistant/secondary coach Teryl Austin, who had been in Pittsburgh for the past three seasons, would be promoted to DC, a position he had previously held with the Lions and Bengals. While he may still be hired, the team is clearly looking outside the organization as well.
Graham, meanwhile, has been with New York on two occasions. After seven years with the Patriots, he joined the Giants in 2016 as their defensive line coach. One-year stints in Green Bay and Miami followed – including, in the latter case, DC duties – before he came back to New York. His work with the Giants’ defense has earned him head coaching interest before, as he was on the Jets’ radar during the 2020 hiring cycle.
It is important to keep in mind that Graham will be interviewing with the Giants for their HC vacancy. While other names, such as Brian Daboll, Dan Quinn and Brian Flores are also in contention for the job, the fact that Graham is a candidate to take over in the Big Apple means the Steelers may have to keep looking for their next DC.
Giants To Interview DC Patrick Graham For HC Position
The Giants are considering an in-house candidate for the HC vacancy. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter), the team is expected to interview defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for the position.
This is the first time this offseason that Graham has been connected to a head coach gig. Last offseason, he was connected to the Jets HC job.
Graham broke into coaching as a graduate assistant with Wagner College back in 2002. He slowly worked his way up the collegiate ranks and landed his first NFL gig with the Patriots in 2009. He served as Brian Flores‘ DC with with the Dolphins in 2019 before joining Joe Judge‘s first coaching staff with the Giants.
His work with the Giants is what has created the HC buzz. Despite not having a ton of individual talent to work with, Graham coaxed a top-10 performance out of his unit in 2020 in terms of points allowed, and though the New York defense struggled through much of the first half of 2021, the club had a few standout performances (including a three-game stretch where they yielded just 39 points despite facing the likes of Derek Carr and Patrick Mahomes). Graham’s reputation as a play-caller, along with his ability to forge strong relationships with his players, has attracted league-wide attention.
Graham is now the fifth name connected to the NYG vacancy, a list that also includes:
- Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator (Bills): Interviewed 1/21
- Brian Flores, former head coach (Dolphins): Mentioned as candidate
- Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator (Bills): To interview 1/22
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interview requested
Vikings Request Permission To Speak With Six More Coaches About HC Job
And like that, we’ve got a growing list of candidates for the Vikings HC job. Following news that the Vikings requested permission to interview Todd Bowles for the gig, we’ve learned that the organization requested permission to interview six additional coaches:
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles) (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Twitter)
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers) (via Pelissero on Twitter)
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys) (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter)
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams) (via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Twitter)
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys) (via Pelissero on Twitter)
- DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers) (via Pelissero on Twitter)
Five of those coaches have already been connected to other HC vacancies, but this is the first reported interview request for Ryans. The former NFL linebacker has been on the 49ers coaching staff since 2017, and he was promoted to defensive coordinator last offseason after Robert Saleh left for New York. During his first season in the role, the 49ers defense ranked third in yards allowed and ninth in points allowed.
Of course, the Vikings may not be sticking with only seven candidates. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin tweets that the Vikings have also explored the candidacy of Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Per Pelissero (on Twitter), the Vikings are hoping to find a replacement for former GM Rick Spielman before they hire a replacement for former HC Mike Zimmer. However, considering the anti-tampering rules, the Vikings only have until Sunday to interview coaches on byes, so they have reason to speak with someone like Hackett ASAP. The Vikings plan to kick off their GM interviews on Sunday, with Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort first in line.
Giants DC Patrick Graham Generating HC Interest
Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham garnered interest for the Jets’ head coaching vacancy last year, but he elected to remain with the Meadowlands’ other club for at least one more season. In the 2022 coaching cycle, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports expects Graham to draw interview requests from multiple teams.
Graham, 42, broke into coaching as a graduate assistant with Wagner College back in 2002. He slowly worked his way up the collegiate ranks and landed his first NFL gig with the Patriots in 2009. He served as Brian Flores‘ DC with with the Dolphins in 2019 before joining Joe Judge‘s first coaching staff with the Giants last season.
His work with the Giants is what has created the HC buzz. Despite not having a ton of individual talent to work with, Graham coaxed a top-10 performance out of his unit in 2020 in terms of points allowed, and though the New York defense struggled through much of the first half of this season, the club has yielded just 39 points over the past three games despite facing the likes of Derek Carr and Patrick Mahomes. Graham’s reputation as a play-caller, along with his ability to forge strong relationships with his players, has attracted league-wide attention.
Indeed, if the Giants opt to part ways with Judge this offseason, La Canfora says Graham, a Yale alum, would be a legitimate candidate to be promoted to the top job. But even if that does not happen, there should be more than one interview coming his way after the calendar flips to 2022.
Graham, who is African-American, is not on the initial list of vetted minority candidates that the NFL recently sent to its teams. However, La Canfora notes that Graham has the support of the league office, which suggests that he could appear on that list in short order.
In related news, La Canfora wrote in early October that the NFL is exploring an algorithm that could help quantify a given candidate’s attributes, which the league believes will assist minority candidates land opportunities that they might not otherwise have. The thought is that, as teams rely more and more on analytics, an objective number that an owner can look at to evaluate a particular candidate may help defeat any more subjective considerations or subconscious biases.