Raiders Add Travis Smith, Rick Dennison To Coaching Staff

FEBRUARY 19: The Raiders confirmed on Thursday that Dennison’s title will be offensive line coach, to little surprise.

FEBRUARY 16: The Raiders hired Travis Smith to be their defensive line coach under new head coach Klint Kubiak, per a team announcement.

Smith is returning to Las Vegas after three years in Chicago (defensive line coach) and one in Tennessee (defensive run game coordinator). He was announced as the Titans’ senior defensive assistant/pass rush specialist on Robert Saleh‘s staff, but is instead opting to reunite with the Raiders, for whom he coached from 2012 to 2021. He served in a variety of roles on the defensive side of the ball and worked closely with Maxx Crosby at the beginning of his career.

Also joining Kubiak’s staff is Rick Dennison, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Dennison, 67, has spent the last three decades coaching in the NFL, primarily working with offensive linemen with coordinator stints in Denver, Houston, and Buffalo. He and Kubiak have worked together since 2016, Dennison’s last year as the Broncos’ OC and Kubiak’s first as an offensive assistant.

The two then overlapped in Minnesota from 2019 to 2021, after which Dennison stepped away from coaching. He returned to the NFL in 2024 to join Kubiak’s offensive staff in New Orleans as a senior assistant and followed him to Seattle last year. Dennison then served as the Seahawks’ run game coordinator/senior offensive advisor in 2025 and will now join the Raiders in a yet-to-be announced role.

Kubiak is still looking to fill the quarterbacks coach position on his staff, and Vikings asst. OC/asst. QBs coach Jordan Traylor is a candidate for the job, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. He previously worked under Kubiak in New Orleans in 2024, on the same staff as Dennison and now-Raiders OC Andrew Janocko.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/17/26

A handful of reserve/futures deals:

New England Patriots

  • CB Brandon Crossley

Tennessee Titans

Earnest Brown IV brings the most experience of the bunch, as the defensive end has appeared in 15 games (three starts) through five seasons in the NFL. The former fifth-round pick out of Northwestern spent the first chunk of his career with the Rams, where he compiled 14 tackles. He also earned a Super Bowl ring during his tenure in Los Angeles. Since his Rams stint came to an end, he’s spent time with the 49ers, Buccaneers, and Cowboys. Now, he’ll look to revive his career in Tennessee.

Robert Woods Announces Retirement

Veteran wide receiver Robert Woods announced his retirement on Instagram on Tuesday (via Adam Schefter of ESPN). The 33-year-old signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Rams.

A former USC Trojan, Woods entered the NFL as Buffalo’s second-round pick in 2013. He ended up spending four years as a member of the Bills, with whom he caught 203 passes for 2,451 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The California native parlayed his solid production as a Bill into a five-year, $39MM deal with the Rams in 2017. The move worked out beautifully for both parties.

Joining the Rams in Sean McVay‘s first season as their head coach, Woods racked up 56 catches for 781 yards (then a career high) and five touchdowns. Woods went on to post his three best seasons after that. He finished with between 86 to 90 receptions in each year and surpassed the 1,100-yard mark twice, including a personal-high 1,219 in 2018.

Woods’ career began going downhill when he suffered an ACL tear in practice in November 2021. The injury limited Woods to nine games and held him out for the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning playoff run.

In March 2022, several weeks after the Rams hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, they traded Woods to the Titans for a sixth-round pick. Woods played his lone 17-game season that year, but after he put up 53 catches, 527 yards and two TDs, the Titans released him.

In the wake of his Titans breakup, Woods landed a two-year deal with the AFC South rival Texans. He saw the pact through and played in 29 games, though Woods only combined for 60 catches, 629 yards and one score.

Woods stayed in the AFC when he inked a one-year, $2MM contract with the Steelers last offseason, but he didn’t crack their roster. The Steelers released Woods in late August, and he didn’t sign elsewhere all season. He’ll now wrap up an impressive 12-year career that included 683 catches, 8,233 yards and 38 TDs over 171 games.

Titans’ Cam Ward Was Major Draw For OC Brian Daboll

Brian Daboll seemed to have a number of options during this year’s coaching carousel. He received interest regarding three head coaching jobs and three offensive coordinator positions, including a HC interview with his former team, the Bills.

Ultimately, Daboll took the Titans’ offensive coordinator job under new head coach Robert Saleh. One of his main reasons for doing so was the presence of quarterback Cam Ward, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. The former No. 1 pick loomed large over Tennessee’s search for a new leader, both in terms of candidates’ interest in the job and the Titans’ interest in hiring them.

Daboll’s excitement about Ward is hardly surprising considering the Giants’ attempts to trade up to the first overall pick and take him last year. Daboll clearly believes in the young passer’s potential and jumped at the opportunity to work with him. Ward had a rough rookie year, but it became clear that he was the least of the Titans’ concerns. He could still see a major turnaround with a new coaching staff, similar to Drake Maye‘s sophomore leap this past season.

Daboll also built his coaching bonafides in Buffalo developing Josh Allen, which he parlayed into the top job in New York. Similar success with Ward could give him another chance at a head coaching gig.

2026 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

The 2026 head coaching carousel has now seen 10 jobs open since the start of the offseason, as the Bills have fired Sean McDermott. HC firings generally lead to coordinator changes, and several other teams have proceeded with OC or DC moves to start their offseasons. Here are the current OC and DC searches transpiring. As the remaining HC searches conclude, more coordinator searches will be added to this list.

Updated 2-20-26 (8:40am CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Drew Petzing)

  • Nathaniel Hackett, quarterbacks coach (Dolphins): Hired

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Zac Robinson)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Todd Monken)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Joe Brady)

  • Pete Carmichael Jr., senior offensive assistant (Broncos): Hire expected

Chicago Bears (Out: Declan Doyle)

Cleveland Browns (Out: Tommy Rees)

Denver Broncos (Out: Joe Lombardi)

  • Ronald Curry, quarterbacks coach (Bills): Interviewed
  • Brian Johnson, pass-game coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed
  • Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Promoted

Detroit Lions (Out: John Morton)

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Matt Nagy)

  • Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach (Bears): Rehired

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Greg Olson)

  • Andrew Janocko, quarterbacks coach (Seahawks): Hired
  • Frisman Jackson, wide receivers coach (Seahawks): To interview

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Greg Roman)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Mike LaFleur)

  • Dave Ragone, quarterbacks coach (Rams): Title enhanced
  • Nate Scheelhaase, pass-game coordinator (Rams): Promoted

Miami Dolphins (Out: Frank Smith)

New York Giants (Out: Mike Kafka)

New York Jets (Out: Tanner Engstrand)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Kevin Patullo)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Arthur Smith)

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Klint Kubiak)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Josh Grizzard)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Nick Holz)

Washington Commanders (Out: Kliff Kingsbury)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Zach Orr)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Bobby Babich)

  • Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Hired

Cleveland Browns (Out: Jim Schwartz)

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Matt Eberflus)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Jeff Hafley)

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Patrick Graham)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Jesse Minter)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Anthony Weaver)

  • Sean Duggan, former linebackers coach (Packers): Hired
  • Clint Hurtt, defensive line coach (Eagles): Interviewed

New England Patriots (Out: Terrell Williams)

New York Giants (Out: Shane Bowen)

New York Jets (Out: Steve Wilks)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Teryl Austin)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Robert Saleh)

  • Gus Bradley, assistant head coach (49ers): Interviewed
  • Raheem Morris, former head coach (Falcons): Hired
  • Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): Rumored candidate
  • Joe Woods, defensive backs coach (Raiders): Interviewed

Tennessee Titans (Out: Dennard Wilson)

Washington Commanders (Out: Joe Whitt)

Titans Finalize Robert Saleh’s 2026 Coaching Staff

On Thursday of this week, the Titans announced their finalized coaching staff under new head coach Robert Saleh. We had already covered many of the staff changes in previous posts as they were announced, but the release this week provided some previously uncovered updates.

On the offensive side of the ball, the only new info for position coaches saw a slight change in title for Randy Jordan. Originally retained to reprise his role as running backs coach, Jordan will reportedly take on the additional title of Bill Walsh diversity coaching fellowship coordinator.

The release announced the hires of Isaac Williams as assistant offensive line coach and John Rudnicki as offensive assistant. Lastly, offensive assistant Trevor Browder has been retained in the same role. It will be his third season in a full-time position for the team after first joining as a Bill Walsh diversity coaching fellow in 2023.

Williams arrived in the NFL in 2022 after six years of experience at a few small colleges. He’s served as the assistant offensive line coach for the Steelers for the past four years and will now assist new offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo in attempting to turn around a line that desperately needs improvement to protect quarterback Cam Ward.

Rudnicki will be making his NFL coaching debut as he makes his way up from the collegiate ranks. He started as an undergraduate student assistant coach working with the offensive line at Alabama before doing the same as a graduate assistant at South Alabama. He’s spent the past three years at South Carolina with two years as a graduate assistant before serving last year as an offensive assistant working with running backs.

On the defensive side of the ball, the release announced a couple of new hires in linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi and defensive backs/nickels coach Dalton Hilliard. We also got information that Ben Bloom and Travis Smith have been retained under new titles. Previously the team’s outside linebackers coach, Bloom has been retained as a senior defensive assistant, and previously the Titans’ defensive run game coordinator, Smith has been retained as senior defensive assistant/pass rush specialist. Lastly, previously reported with the title of defensive quality control coach, Ahmed Saleh, the head coach’s cousin, will instead hold the title of defensive assistant.

Borgonzi finds a home after not being retained in Dallas. He boasts 15 years of NFL coaching experience including eight years as a linebackers coach — four with the Colts, three with the Bears, and one with the Cowboys. According to Titans insider Paul Kuharsky, Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi removed himself from the hiring process in regard to his brother.

Hilliard will be making his NFL coaching debut after 11 years in the collegiate ranks. He held roles at his alma mater, UCLA, Tennessee-Martin, and Arkansas State before being named secondary coach at UConn in 2022 and adding passing game coordinator to his title in 2024. He joined Colorado State in December as pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach but will spurn the Rams for the NFL.

Lastly, it was announced that Rob Dadona would be hired as chief of staff. Dadona most recently held the role of manager of coaching operations with the Falcons. He’ll be reuniting with Saleh after working with him during his tenure in New York. Dadona started his NFL career as a football operations assistant in 2019 and was promoted to assistant to the head coach when Saleh took over in 2021.

AFC Coaching Updates: Ravens, Chargers, Murray, Titans, Colts

New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter continues to build his first staff as a head coach in Baltimore. His newest hires will be overseeing a receiving corps that’s set to return Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Devontez Walker. Per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Keary Colbert is expected to be hired as wide receivers coach and Prentice Gill is expected to be promoted to assistant wide receivers coach.

A former NFL wide receiver, Colbert turned to coaching immediately following the end of his playing career. He worked through a circuit of collegiate jobs, spending time at Georgia State, USC, Alabama, and Florida. He made the jump to the NFL in 2023 and has worked the past three years as the Broncos wide receivers coach, starting with a Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton tandem before losing Jeudy and getting the most out of role players like Marvin Mims, Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant.

Two years ago, Gill worked as an offensive analyst for Baltimore. He spent this past season as a coaching fellow and has finally been rewarded with a role as a position coach. Per Zenitz, he also has experience working with Colbert from when both were at USC.

After promoting Anthony Levine to special teams coordinator earlier today, the Ravens are expected to hire Ben Kotwica as a senior assistant on special teams, as well, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Alongside long-time senior assistant Randy Brown, Kotwica will provide experienced support behind Levine after having worked as a coordinator in New York, Washington, Atlanta, and Denver as well as an interim coordinator with the Rams last year.

Here are a few other coaching staff updates from around the AFC:

  • With the Chargers bringing former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel in as their new offensive coordinator, a few other offensive staffers appear to be tagging along from Miami. According to Zenitz, former Dolphins run game specialist Chandler Henley is expected to be on McDaniel’s new staff in Los Angeles, though an expected title has not been reported. There’s a chance he could be stepping into a role similar to that of run game coordinator/tight ends coach Andy Bischoff, who Zenitz reports is expected to part ways with the team. Additionally, the Chargers are expected to hire Julian Campenni to a role as assistant defensive line coach, per Zenitz. Campenni most recently worked as the outside linebackers coach at Rutgers.
  • Zenitz was the first to report that former NFL running back DeMarco Murray had emerged as a person-of-interest for the running backs job in Kansas City, but it was NFL insider Jordan Schultz who first reported that the Chiefs are hiring Murray for the job. Murray started coaching as the running backs coach at Arkansas in 2019 and has held the same role at Oklahoma for the past six years. He’ll follow in the footsteps of former NFL running back Eric Bieniemy and officially join the Andy Reid coaching tree.
  • After losing Charlie Partridge to Notre Dame just after New Year’s, the Colts have finally found his replacement. According to Zenitz, Indianapolis is expected to hire Marion Hobby as their new defensive line coach. A former college coach who saw a seven-year run as an NFL defensive line coach with stops at Jacksonville, Miami, and Cincinnati, Hobby spent the 2025 season as a defensive analyst at Tennessee and had recently accepted the defensive line coach position at Arkansas. If the expected hire goes through, it appears he will be spurning the Razorbacks for a chance to return to the NFL.
  • Lastly, Zenitz reports that Titans head coach Robert Saleh is hiring his cousin, Ahmed Saleh, to Tennessee’s staff for 2026. Saleh most recently worked as the linebackers coach/special teams coordinator at Wayne State, and per Titans Insider Paul Kuharsky, he will serve as a defensive quality control coach with the Titans.

Raiders, Titans Expected To Pursue WR Addition In Free Agency

The Raiders and the Titans are entering 2026 in similar situations.

Both franchises are hoping that new head coaches can reverse their fortunes. Both will have No. 1 picks at quarterback, assuming Las Vegas drafts Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza as expected. And both are expected to be in the wide receiver market in free agency, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Each team has one receiver with any meaningful experience under contract in 2026 and two 2025 draftees who had quiet rookie seasons. In Las Vegas, that trio is Tre Tucker, Jack Bech, and Dont’e Thornton, while Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor, and Chimere Dike fill those roles in Tennessee.

That will likely bring the Raiders and the Titans in direct competition for the top wideouts who hit the market in March. George Pickens would the belle of the ball, but he will likely be tagged by the Cowboys. That would leave Alec Pierce as the most coveted young wideout in free agency. He put up a career-high 1,003 receiving yards in 2025 with excellent efficiency metrics for a second year in a row. In both seasons, he recorded 11.9 yards per target – which ranked first in 2024 and third in 2025 – while also leading the league in yards per reception (22.3, 21.3).

Other receivers expected to be available include Romeo Doubs, Rashid Shaheed, Jauan Jennings, Deebo Samuel, and Wan’Dale Robinson. Doubs has an appealing profile and could benefit from a bigger role in a new offense, while the other four have connections to the Raiders’ and Titans’ new coaching staffs. Klint Kubiak could try to bring Shaheed to Las Vegas after the two worked together in New Orleans in 2024 and Seattle in 2025. Jennings and Samuel both know new Titans head coach Robert Saleh from their shared time in San Francisco, though Saleh has not drawn from the 49ers for his new offensive staff. And Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll drafted and developed Robinson during his time as the Giants’ head coach.

Like any young quarterback, Mendoza and Cam Ward would benefit from veteran pass-catchers, especially ones who are already familiar with their new coaching staffs. As the two teams with the most salary cap space in the NFL (via OverTheCap), the Raiders and the Titans are both well-positioned to add impact receivers in free agency.

Final 2026 NFL Draft Order

With Super Bowl LX in the books, the full 2026 NFL draft order has been set. Free agency is not far away, but attention will increasingly turn to April’s event as the offseason progresses.

The top of the first-round order is not subject to much in the way of speculation. The Raiders own the No. 1 selection and are widely seen as the landing spot for Fernando Mendozathe lone quarterback regarded as a first-round lock at this point. How other QB-needy teams positioned throughout the order operate over the coming weeks – knowing there is a lack of high-end prospects this year – will make for an interesting storyline around the league.

This year’s NFL Combine will begin on February 23. Events such as the Senior Bowl have already taken place, leaving the Combine as the next major checkpoint in the evaluation of top prospects. Teams will begin arranging ‘Top 30’ visits with several players of interest relatively soon during the build-up to the draft. This year’s event will take place in Pittsburgh from April 23-25.

Pending the inevitable trades which will shake up the order, here is a final look at how things stand leading up to Day 1:

  1. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
  2. New York Jets (3-14)
  3. Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
  4. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  5. New York Giants (4-13)
  6. Cleveland Browns (5-12)
  7. Washington Commanders (5-12)
  8. New Orleans Saints (6-11)
  9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
  10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)
  11. Miami Dolphins (7-10)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)
  13. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
  14. Baltimore Ravens (8-9)
  15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
  16. New York Jets (via Colts)
  17. Detroit Lions (9-8)
  18. Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
  19. Carolina Panthers (8-9)
  20. Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
  24. Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)
  25. Chicago Bears (11-6)
  26. Buffalo Bills (12-5)
  27. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
  28. Houston Texans (12-5)
  29. Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
  30. Denver Broncos (14-3)
  31. New England Patriots (14-3)
  32. Seattle Seahawks (14-3)

2026 NFL Offseason Outlook Series

Pro Football Rumors is breaking down how all 32 teams’ offseason blueprints are shaping up. Going forward, the Offseason Outlook series is exclusive to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, and that link provides details on how to sign up for an annual membership.

This post will be updated as more Outlooks are published.

AFC East

AFC North

AFC South

AFC West

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

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