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OL Austin Blythe Announces Retirement

By | at February 28, 2023 7:24 pm

After an off-grid season in Kansas City as a backup, Austin Blythe returned to a role as a steady starter with Seattle. He will make that Seahawks season a one-off, however.

Blythe announced Tuesday he will retire after seven NFL seasons (Instagram link). The 30-year-old blocker was set to be a free agent, coming off a full season as the Seahawks’ starting center.

Sneaking onto the draft radar in 2016, Blythe managed to become a regular starter as a seventh-round pick. The ex-Iowa blocker ended up making 66 starts during his seven-year career, the final 17 (plus a playoff outing in San Francisco) came with the Seahawks. Seattle gave Blythe a one-year, $4MM deal to come over from Kansas City, where he backed up rookie standout Creed Humphrey in 2021. Blythe made sure the Seahawks had that center position, one that had gone through some inconsistency in recent years, covered.

A Colts draftee, Blythe will be best remembered for his Rams work. Indianapolis waived Blythe shortly after the 2017 draft, but Los Angeles claimed him in advance of Sean McVay‘s first season. Blythe worked as a backup for the 2017 Rams but started for their Super Bowl LIII-qualifying 2018 iteration and L.A.’s ensuing two squads. The Rams brought him back on a one-year deal in 2020, and Pro Football Focus graded that as a top-10 center season.

The Rams had moved Blythe from guard to center midway through his L.A. tenure, but the versatility did not bring much interest in 2021. Pete Carroll said that Blythe was ready to walk away last year, but some among the Seahawks convinced him to return. Blythe reunited with ex-Rams assistants Shane Waldron and Andy Dickerson with the Seahawks. Carroll had said Blythe previously expressed interest in re-signing with the Seahawks, via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, but his Tuesday announcement will lead the team to look into other options at snapper.

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2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

By | at February 28, 2023 2:45 pm

As the head coaching carousel spun for several weeks, many teams made coordinator changes as well. Teams seeking new head coaches are conducting OC and DC searches, and a handful of other teams that did not make HC changes are also searching for top assistants.

This is a big year for offensive coordinator hires, with nearly half the league making changes. Here are the teams searching for new OCs and DCs. As new searches emerge, they will be added to the list.

Updated 3-1-23 (3:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals 

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Greg Roman)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Ben McAdoo)

  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach, (Rams): Hired
  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/2
  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jeff Nixon, running backs coach (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Brian Schottenheimer, offensive consultant (Cowboys): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Justin Outten)

Houston Texans (Out: Pep Hamilton)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Parks Frazier)

  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Tee Martin, wide receivers coach (Ravens): Interview requested

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach (Chiefs): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Liam Coen)

New York Jets (Out: Mike LaFleur)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Shane Steichen)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Byron Leftwich)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Todd Downing)

Washington Commanders (Out: Scott Turner)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Vance Joseph)

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dean Pees)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Leslie Frazier)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Al Holcomb)

  • Ejiro Evero, former defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): Interviewed
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans 

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Renaldo Hill)

  • Derrick Ansley, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Promoted
  • Doug Belk, defensive coordinator (Houston): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Interviewed

Miami Dolphins (Out: Josh Boyer)

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Ed Donatell)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard)

  • Joe Woods, former defensive coordinator (Browns): Hired

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Jonathan Gannon)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: DeMeco Ryans)

  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): On radar
  • Chris Harris, defensive backs coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
  • Kris Kocurek, defensive line coach (49ers): On radar
  • Steve Wilks, former interim head coach (Panthers): Hired
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Eagles Hire Sean Desai As DC; Team Eyeing Mike Pettine For Assistant Role?

By | at February 28, 2023 2:36 pm

2:36pm: The hire is now official. After two meetings, the Eagles are giving Desai a second chance at a coordinator job.

2:21pm: Sean Desai‘s two interviews with the Eagles look to have won over team brass. The Seahawks assistant is heading to Philadelphia, Pete Carroll confirmed Tuesday (via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta).

While the Seattle HC did not entirely announce it was for the Philadelphia DC post, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com noted Tuesday morning (via Twitter) the former Chicago DC had emerged as a strong candidate for the position. This stands to be Desai’s second chance at a coordinator gig; his first one ended following Matt Nagy‘s firing last year.

The Bears promoted Desai to DC in 2021, but the team’s regime change naturally led to coordinator switches. Desai, 39, trekked to Seattle and worked under Carroll this past season. He drew interest from many teams this offseason. The Browns, Dolphins, Vikings, Broncos and Eagles interviewed Desai for their DC posts. Desai dropped out of Minnesota’s search to pursue the Denver gig, after former mentor Vic Fangio recommended the Broncos to the young assistant. But Vance Joseph ended up with that gig. The Eagles, however, had shown interest during Desai’s time as a Broncos candidate.

Desai will replace Jonathan Gannon as DC. While the Bears ranked 22nd in scoring defense in 2021, they finished sixth in yards allowed. A struggling offense hamstrung Chicago that year, and it led to a full-scale overhaul. Seattle did not make much improvement defensively last season, dropping from 11th to 25th in total defense from 2021-22. Nevertheless, the Eagles look set to bet on Desai.

The Eagles have also been connected to adding Mike Pettine to their staff, Geoff Mosher of InsidetheBirds.com tweets. Brought on as a Vikings assistant during Ed Donatell‘s one-and-done stay, Pettine was a Bears senior defensive aide during the 2021 season. The former Browns HC and veteran DC could be set to reprise his role on a Desai-led staff. With Brian Flores now in charge of Minnesota’s defense, it would make sense for Pettine — a former Packers, Bills and Jets DC — to land elsewhere.

Eagles DBs coach Dennard Wilson served as a strong candidate for the DC job, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports confirms. The Eagles will promote from within to fill their OC post, elevating QBs coach Brian Johnson, but it certainly looks like they are going with an outside hire on defense. Wilson has been with the team for the past two years; it will be interesting to see if he sticks around under Desai.

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Eagles To Conduct Second DC Interview With Sean Desai

By | at February 27, 2023 9:59 am

The Eagles are in catch-up mode with respect to coordinator hires, having lost both of their top assistants after the Super Bowl. Their search for a new top defensive coach could be nearing an end, though.

Philadelphia will interview Sean Desai for a second time today, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). The Seahawks defensive assistant was on the radar of multiple teams during this year’s hiring cycle, but has yet to land a coordinator position. He was named as one of the initial candidates for the Eagles’ vacancy, and now finds himself as a finalist.

Desai, 39, headed to Seattle last offseason under the title of associate head coach. That marked his first job outside of Chicago, where he had spent the previous nine years. He worked his way from quality control coach to a one-year stint as defensive coordinator in 2021. That season, the Bears ranked sixth in the league in total defense, but sweeping changes to the coaching staff and front office the following offseason led him to Seattle.

In 2022, a Seahawks unit which moved on from franchise icon Bobby Wagner struggled in run defense in particular, which contributed to poor overall rankings in yardage and points allowed. The team did fare surprisingly well in the secondary, though, led by rookie corner and NFL interception leader Tariq Woolen. Seattle also finished top-10 in the league in sacks with a re-tooled pass rush.

Desai would inherit a strong defense if he were to be named as Jonathan Gannon‘s replacement, though the unit does feature a number of high-profile pending free agents. Desai would constitute an experienced staffer at the NFL level, compared to some of the college candidates they have shown interest in.

Here is an updated look at the Eagles’ DC search:

  • Sean Desai, defensive assistant (Seahawks): To conduct second interview 2/27
  • Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Cardinals): Interviewed 2/21-2/22
  • Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Interviewed
  • Chris Shula, defensive backs coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jim Leonhard, defensive coordinator (Wisconsin): Interviewed
  • Dennard Wilson, defensive backs coach (Eagles): Mentioned as candidate
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Russell Wilson Wanted Sean Payton To Replace Pete Carroll With Seahawks?

By | at February 24, 2023 11:02 am

More information emerged regarding Russell Wilson‘s odd 2022 Friday morning. A report from Kalyn Kahler, Mike Sando and Jayson Jenks of The Athletic indicates the veteran quarterback made a request that Seahawks ownership fire both Pete Carroll and John Schneider, citing the duo had inhibited his pursuit of Super Bowls and awards.

This alleged request came weeks before the Seahawks decided to trade Wilson to the Broncos. Wilson denied (via Twitter) he asked for the Seattle HC and GM’s firings, and a lawyer for the QB described that assertion as “entirely fabricated.”

Wilson-Carroll disagreements about the direction of the Seahawks took place ahead of the QB’s 2021 trade destination list surfacing, and after the 2022 trade, reports indicating the NFC West team viewed its former franchise passer as declining came out. A shockingly mediocre Wilson season commenced in Denver. His partnership with Nathaniel Hackett proved a poor fit, and Hackett became the third first-year HC since the 1970 merger to be fired before season’s end.

The Broncos have since traded for Sean Payton, nearly two years after Wilson’s trade list included the Saints. Wilson wanted the Seahawks to trade for Payton’s rights after his Saints exit last year, according to The Athletic. Payton announced he was leaving the Saints on Jan. 25, 2022; Schneider and Broncos GM George Paton began discussing a trade ahead of the Feb. 5 Senior Bowl. The trade took place March 8.

The previously referenced Latavius Murray text message to his former coach occurred just before the Broncos’ Christmas blowout loss to the Rams. Payton had said Murray texted him about he and a backfield teammate wanting him in Denver, with the veteran running back confirming Wilson was the teammate. Murray sent the text Dec. 23, per The Athletic. The Broncos fired Hackett on Dec. 26, following a 51-14 loss to the Rams. No accusation is made of Wilson wanting Hackett to go, but that relationship had long trended in that direction. During the Broncos’ coaching search, Wilson reached out to Payton.

Payton soon put the kibosh on Wilson’s team having full access to Denver’s facility, but Paton allowed Wilson’s personal coach (Jake Heaps), a physical therapist and a nutritionist such privileges last year. Heaps had partial access to the Seahawks’ facility, per The Athletic, and Wilson did not have an office there. Wilson agreed to stop using the office and to keep his support staff out of the building over the season’s final two weeks.

Wilson organized weekly meetings for Denver’s offense during the players’ Tuesday off day, and The Athletic notes Heaps was part of those summits, which were aimed around preparing for the next opponent. An anonymous coach also said he did not agree with the evaluations Wilson and Heaps made on scouting reports distributed on Tuesdays. With Hackett also being accused of being too deferential to players, the potentially incongruent scouting reports would provide a partial explanation for the Broncos’ myriad offensive issues. Those came to a head during an ugly Thursday loss to the Colts in October and persisted for much of the season.

The team ended the year with three play-callers. All three (Hackett, QBs coach Klint Kubiak, OC Justin Outten) are elsewhere now. Melvin Gordon, whom the Broncos waived in November after extensive fumbling problems, said Hackett attempting to blend Wilson’s Seattle offense and Hackett’s preferred Green Bay-style blueprint was “a bit much.” The organization fired Vic Fangio in large part due to his team’s struggles offensively, but the Broncos’ Pat Shurmur–Teddy Bridgewater setup ranked 23rd in scoring. The Hackett-Wilson season produced a last-place ranking, and while numerous injuries contributed to this decline, the Broncos’ QB-HC partnership generated most of the attention. Payton, who signed a five-year contract, will be tasked with cleaning up this mess.

Payton will call the Broncos’ plays next season, accepting the team’s offer after DeMeco Ryans had generated some buzz. Ryans may not have been a serious candidate. While he preferred the Texans, The Athletic describes the former 49ers DC’s Broncos interview as “awkward.”

The Seahawks have begun negotiations with Geno Smith, whose surprising season earned him Comeback Player of the Year honors. It remains to be seen if the organization will make a true long-term commitment to Wilson’s former backup, but the team that had made some draft missteps late in Wilson’s tenure will be in position to land more starters via the 2023 first- and second-round picks obtained in the Wilson swap. Carroll is signed through the 2025 season; Schneider’s latest extension runs through 2027. Both decision-makers are going into their 14th seasons in Seattle.

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Seahawks Sign Nick Bellore To Extension

By | at February 22, 2023 3:41 pm

The Seahawks are confident Nick Bellore will remain a reliable contributor into his mid-30s. The team announced a two-year extension for the veteran special-teamer Wednesday.

Bellore, who will turn 34 in May, re-signed with Seattle for $6.6MM, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. This marks a raise from Bellore’s previous Seahawks pact — a two-year, $4.45MM accord agreed to in March 2021.

A former Jets, Lions and 49ers role player, Bellore has enjoyed an interesting NFL career. Excepting the 2016 season, in which a 2-14 49ers team turned to him as a regular starter at linebacker, Bellore has seen action mostly on special teams. The Seahawks have barely lined him up on defense at all during his four-season run in the Pacific Northwest, though he did log nine defensive snaps last season. But the team has used the Central Michigan product at fullback on occasion. Bellore played 17 offensive snaps last season.

“I feel as good as I’ve ever felt, and I’m ready to play as long as my body and a team will allow me to,” Bellore said. “If I felt like things were starting to go, I wouldn’t do it, because I don’t want to go out there just to go out there. I want to stay at the level I’ve been playing at the last couple of years and continue to improve, which I think I can still do. Obviously on paper I’m quite old — and in reality, probably — but it was never a question that I was done.”

Bellore earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2020 and saw an 81% snap share on special teams last season, a 15-tackle slate. The Seahawks ranked second in veteran NFL writer Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams assessment in 2022; they have ranked in the top three in each of the past three years.

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Steelers Add Aaron Curry To Staff

By | at February 22, 2023 10:06 am

Former top-five draftee Aaron Curry is moving up the ladder in the coaching ranks. After spending three seasons as a Seahawks assistant, he is joining the Steelers’ staff as a position coach.

The one-time No. 4 overall pick tweeted he will be Pittsburgh-bound, and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes (via Twitter) the Steelers are hiring Curry as their inside linebackers coach. Longtime Steelers assistant Jerry Olsavsky will not be back for the 2023 season, Dulac tweets. The Steelers have since announced Curry’s hire.

Curry, 36, will arrive shortly after Brian Flores left to become the Vikings’ defensive coordinator. Flores was not expected to stay long, with Mike Tomlin hiring the veteran staffer as his linebackers coach and senior defensive assistant after his surprise Miami exit. The Steelers will now turn the keys over to a younger staffer.

Although Curry’s NFL playing career did not pan out as expected, he is one of the highest-drafted off-ball linebackers in modern NFL history and has been coaching for nearly 10 years now. After spending five seasons at the University of Charlotte, Curry joined the Seahawks — the team that drafted him 14 years ago — as an assistant. He spent the past three years as a Seattle defensive staffer. This will be his first go-round being an NFL position coach.

The Steelers’ defensive staff will look at bit different in 2023. Assistant HC John Mitchell retired after 29 seasons with the organization, and Olsavsky is out after 22 years — as a player and coach — with the team. A former Steelers 10th-round pick who played nine seasons with the team (37 starts), Olsavsky had been on Tomlin’s staff for the past 13 seasons — eight as inside linebackers coach.

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Seahawks Re-Sign G Phil Haynes

By | at February 21, 2023 3:30 pm

The Seahawks will retain one of their backup offensive linemen. They are keeping Phil Haynes off the market, announcing a new deal for the veteran guard Tuesday.

Haynes was on track to become an unrestricted free agent next month. Instead, he is now signed through the 2023 season. It will be interesting to see what terms emerge here, with Haynes having played extensively during his contract year.

The Seahawks still have starter Gabe Jackson under contract; he remains tied to the three-year, $22.6MM deal he signed following his 2021 trade to Seattle. But cap-casualty rumors have encircled the longtime starter.

A Seahawks fourth-round pick in 2019, Haynes started three games last season and played 485 offensive snaps. Haynes and Jackson regularly rotated at right guard. Jackson has still started 31 of a possible 34 games during his Seattle tenure, but he is going into an age-32 season. The Seahawks can save $6.5MM by releasing the former Raiders cog.

Shortly after Seattle’s season ended, Pete Carroll praised Haynes and said the Wake Forest alum “could be a real factor” for the team going forward. Haynes has come a long way. Although he now has five career starts, he played just one offensive snap from 2019-20. Pro Football Focus rated both Haynes and Jackson outside its top 50 at guard last season, slotting Haynes 56th and Jackson 60th. Both checked in well behind left guard Damien Lewis (11th).

Even if Jackson remains in the fold, Haynes should be expected to have a shot to compete for the position opposite Lewis, who has two years left on his rookie deal.

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Seahawks To Hire Greg Olson As QBs Coach

By | at February 20, 2023 3:40 pm

The Seahawks had a vacancy to fill after quarterbacks coach Dave Canales was hired by the Buccaneers as their new offensive coordinator. They have reportedly found his replacement.

Seattle is hiring Rams offensive assistant Greg Olson as QBs coach, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (Twitter link). The move represents a homecoming for the Richland, Washington native, along with his latest opportunity on an NFL sideline. Olson is one year removed from his most recent coordinator gig.

That came with the Raiders, and lasted four years. The 59-year-old also has experience at the coordinator level with the Lions, Rams, Buccaneers and Jaguars. Most recently, he returned to the Rams to reunite with head coach Sean McVay. Olson spent the 2017 season there as the team’s quarterbacks coach (working alongside current Seattle staffers Shane Waldron and Andy Dickerson), and his success in that capacity led to his latest OC opportunity.

Canales was a key member of the Seahawks’ staff this past season in particular, given the role he played in helping Geno Smith become one of league’s most surprising stories. The veteran went from a quarterback competition in the summer to a Pro Bowler during the 2022 campaign, leading the team to a postseason berth. That will raise expectations for Canales in his new role with the Buccaneers and their yet-to-be determined starter under center, but also leave Olson (who interviewed with the Chargers for their OC position this offseason) with the task of repeating that success in 2023.

That fact that Seattle went outside the organization for Canales’ replacement could lead to further changes on their staff taking place. Greg Auman of Fox Sports tweets that assistant QBs coach Kerry Joseph could follow Canales to Tampa Bay, given their shared time together in Seattle and the former’s previous coaching experience with the Buccaneers. In any event, Olson will look to help his own coaching stock while inheriting an interesting quarterback situation.

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Eagles Request DC Interview With Sean Desai

By | at February 17, 2023 2:58 pm

One of the most sought-after defensive minds in this year’s coaching cycle is receiving interest from the latest team to find itself in need of a new defensive coordinator. The Eagles have requested a DC interview with Seahawks defensive assistant Sean Desai, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Brian Johnson On Track To Become Eagles OC]

The Eagles enjoyed plenty of success on defense in 2022 under Jonathan Gannon, but he emerged as a serious contender for the Cardinals’ head coaching vacancy just before the Super Bowl. Hours after Philadelphia lost OC Shane Steichen, Gannon took the HC position in Arizona, leaving the NFC champions in need of a new DC. Their search on the latter front has been expected to involve outside candidates to a greater degree than their one on the offensive side of the ball.

That will include Desai, 39, who worked this past season under the title of associate head coach in Seattle. His Seahawks posting came after a nine-year stint in Chicago, where he began his coaching career at the pro level. That included a one-and-done campaign as the Bears’ defensive coordinator in 2021, which helped elevate his stock in league circles. His interview schedule this offseason confirms his ascent in that regard.

Desai met with the Broncos, Dolphins and Vikings last month, taking himself out of consideration for the latter DC vacancy. Miami and Minnesota have landed their new coordinators, but Denver joins Arizona and Philadelphia as teams still needing to fill the position. The Eagles have defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson as an in-house option, but they also have interest in ex-Cardinals DC Vance Joseph.

Of course, Desai would be welcomed back for another season in Seattle should he not land one of the remaining DC positions. The 2022 season saw him help guide the Seahawks’ secondary to a surprising performance, highlighted by rookie corner Tariq Woolen earning a Pro Bowl nod and being named a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Desai would face a tall order in replicating Gannon’s success in Philadelphia if he were to land the job, but his work in Seattle suggests he could be up to it.

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