Titans Plan To Hire Commanders’ Chris Harris For Defensive Role
The Titans and Bears both requested an interview with Commanders defensive backs coach Chris Harris yesterday, and according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Tennessee plans to hire Harris to be their defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach. No deal has been finalized as of yet, as Harris likely has his door open for larger opportunities.
Harris has been critical during recent years in the development of a secondary that contains lots of youth behind veteran cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and Bobby McCain. The youthful group proved to be one of the league’s best this year, giving up only 3,252 passing yards, good for fourth best in the NFL. The secondary struggled to force turnovers through the air but limited opposing quarterbacks to a completion percentage of 59.9, the second best for an NFL defense this season. The performance is a stark change from last year, when Washington gave up the fourth most passing yards in the NFL.
Although Tennessee has made it known that Harris is their preferred man for the job, Harris certainly has incentive to hold on signing a lease in Nashville. The past couple of years have seen Harris participate in a few interviews for defensive coordinator positions. He was reportedly a finalist for the Packers coordinator job two years ago and interviewed with the Colts last year.
Harris has been a hot name in coaching circles lately. While the Titans defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coaching position would be a step up for the 40-year-old, if Harris has a chance to become a defensive coordinator in the NFL, he’ll likely hold out for that opportunity.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/20/23
Standard gameday elevations for tomorrow’s playoff games:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted from practice squad: T Coy Cronk
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Marcus Kemp, C Austin Reiter
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Zyon Gilbert, WR Makai Polk
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted from practice squad: S Anthony Harris
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/20/23
A pair of reserve/futures deals were signed on Friday:
Minnesota Vikings
- DL T.J. Smith
Philadelphia Eagles
- TE Dalton Keene
Vikings Fire DC Ed Donatell
The Vikings announced in a statement from head coach Kevin O’Connell today that the team “will be going in a different direction at defensive coordinator in 2023,” effecting the termination of this past season’s defensive play-caller, Ed Donatell. 
O’Connell’s first year at the helm in Minnesota was widely successful, resulting in both the team’s first 13-win season and first division championship since the 2017 NFL season. Despite the team success, the Vikings were limited throughout the year by a struggling defense, led by Donatell. The Vikings defensive unit tied for third worst in the league in points allowed and allowed the second most yards on defense in the NFL, trailing Detroit by only 62 yards. The group was perhaps saved at times by tying for eighth in the league in turnovers forced.
Donatell chose to join O’Connell’s staff over a lesser role with the Seahawks last offseason. Minnesota looked at a couple of would be first-time defensive coordinators before eventually settling on Donatell, counting on his vast experience on the defensive side of the ball to go along with O’Connell’s offensive expertise.
Donatell had 11 seasons under his belt as a defensive coordinator, the most recent three before this season taking place in Denver. During that period, the Broncos defense often posted stellar numbers, although much of this was credited to the head coach at the time, Vic Fangio, who called plays for the defense. Donatell’s play-calling duties this season were called into question amidst the unit’s struggles, but O’Connell put those calls to rest.
In his statement today, O’Connell asserted that the team “will immediately begin (their) search to fill” Donatell’s now empty role. The answer could simply be in-house as assistant head coach Mike Pettine has several years of experience as a coordinator. Pettine’s presence on staff during this year’s struggles might be hard to overlook, though.
O’Connell and company may stray away from their initial preference towards experience and contact Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver or Packers offensive consultant Aubrey Pleasant, both of whom were considered for the role last year. The team also looked last year into Seahawks defensive assistant Sean Desai, who has one season as a defensive coordinator under his belt.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/19/23
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/19/23
Today’s only minor transactions:
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated to return from IR: LB Devin Harper, WR Simi Fehoko
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/19/23
Today’s taxi squad updates:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: C Greg Mancz
- Placed on practice squad IR: T Alec Anderson
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: S Sheldrick Redwine, K Tristan Vizcaino
- Placed on practice squad IR: CB Mackensie Alexander
Dolphins Fire DC Josh Boyer
A Brian Flores hire, Josh Boyer stayed on for Mike McDaniel‘s first Dolphins season. The team will not keep its defensive coordinator around for 2023.
The Dolphins have fired Boyer, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report (on Twitter). The Dolphins have announced the move. The ex-Patriots assistant was in place for four seasons in Miami, the past three as the team’s DC.
The Dolphins have also fired outside linebackers coach Ty McKenzie, safeties coach Steve Gregory and assistant linebackers coach Steve Ferentz, per Pelissero and ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Gregory and Ferentz were holdovers from Flores’ staff, while McKenzie was a McDaniel hire from 2022.
Miami’s defense dropped from 16th to 24th in points allowed from 2021-22 and fell from 10th to 15th in DVOA. Boyer not being a McDaniel hire certainly made his seat warm coming into the season. Flores hired Boyer, a 13-year Patriots assistant, as his cornerbacks coach in 2019. After Patrick Graham left to become the Giants’ DC in 2020, Boyer stepped in. McDaniel, who did add his own OC last year, will now be responsible for the Fins’ other main coordinator hire.
Although the Dolphins ranked sixth in scoring defense during Boyer’s first DC season (2020), the team poured in major investments on the unit in the years since. The Dolphins drafted Jaelan Phillips in the 2021 first round and re-signed Emmanuel Ogbah in 2022. The team sent first- and fourth-round picks to the Broncos for Bradley Chubb at the deadline but lost Ogbah for the season soon after. Chubb recorded just 2.5 sacks in eight games as a Dolphin.
Boyer did not have the benefit of Ogbah for the season’s second half and was without Byron Jones for all of the 2022 season. The veteran cornerback underwent surgery in March 2022, and while that procedure was to have him back well before training camp, the injury lingered throughout the year. That said, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe tweets some Dolphins were not fans of Boyer’s scheme.
Injuries at quarterback also impacted Miami’s defense this season, but the team will sever much of its remaining Patriots ties. Gregory, an ex-Pats defensive back, has been with the team since 2021. Steve Ferentz, the son of ex-Bill Belichick coworker-turned-Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz, joined Miami’s staff in 2020.
Come 2023, the Dolphins will have employed eight combined OCs and DCs. Flores proved to be trigger-happy with his offensive play-calling post, and with McDaniel running the show on offense, the franchise will have a new play-caller on the other side soon.
Ravens, OC Greg Roman To Part Ways
Greg Roman‘s time as Ravens offensive coordinator will end after four seasons. Roman is stepping down to pursue other opportunities, the team announced.
A veteran OC, Roman had been with the Ravens since 2017. The team promoted him to offensive coordinator in 2019, coinciding with Lamar Jackson‘s first season as the team’s full-time starting quarterback. Thursday’s news comes not long after John Harbaugh said he was confident in his staff and did not expect any changes.
“After visiting with coach Harbaugh and after huddling with my family, I have decided now is the right time to move on from the Ravens so that I can explore new challenges and opportunities,” Roman said in a statement thanking the Ravens, via his agency (on Twitter).
Having developed a reputation for revamping offenses geared around dual-threat quarterbacks, Roman did his most notable work in Baltimore. Jackson morphed from a player who dropped to No. 32 in the 2018 draft to a league MVP by his second season. While Roman became a somewhat polarizing figure for Ravens fans during his four-season tenure as OC, Jackson soared to three Pro Bowls and became a superstar during this period.
The Ravens have reached a rather pivotal point with Jackson, who is set for free agency (or, almost certainly, a franchise tag) in March. Frustration built within the organization about Jackson’s lingering PCL sprain, to the point the self-represented quarterback released a statement detailing his injury. Jackson then did not travel with the team to Cincinnati, and his Monday Instagram post fueled more speculation about a potential separation between he and the Ravens. While select NFL execs believe Jackson will be available in a trade, the Ravens have continued to insist they want to hammer out an extension. The sides have tried and failed to do so for two years.
Roman, 50, served as OC for both the 49ers and Bills prior to his six-year Ravens run. His San Francisco stay offered a prelude to the Ravens’ Jackson-rejiggered offense, with the team pivoting to a Colin Kaepernick-centered attack midway through the 2012 campaign. That change helped drive the 49ers to two more NFC championship games and Super Bowl XLVII, where they narrowly lost to the Ravens. Roman also aided ex-Raven Tyrod Taylor to a nice run in Buffalo. The Bills led the league in rushing in both 2015 and 2016, though Roman was fired early in the ’16 campaign.
Under John Harbaugh in Baltimore, mixed results came. The Ravens glided to a 14-2 record in 2019, and Jackson became a unanimous MVP. His 1,206 rushing yards that season shattered a quarterback record. The Ravens made the playoffs from 2018-20 and returned this season, but Jackson has largely flatlined as a passer after showing initial growth. Baltimore has ranked 27th, 32nd, 20th and 28th in passing from 2019-22, and while Jackson’s historic run-game abilities and the team’s receiver investments have much to do with those placements, Roman’s presence became a sore spot with fans in recent years. The Ravens finishing the past two seasons without Jackson, who has missed 11 games since 2021 because of injuries, obviously hindered their cause as well. Baltimore’s point totals decreased in each of Roman’s four seasons as the play-caller.
“Greg devised and led our offense to no fewer than 26 historical NFL and franchise achievements,” Harbaugh said. “He established an identity for our offense. We are grateful for Greg’s great work and abilities, and we wish him and his wonderful family the utmost happiness going forward.”
Roman spoke with Stanford about their HC vacancy last month but did not appear a serious candidate. He emerged on the NFL HC radar in 2020, following Jackson’s MVP run, but has not been connected to a job since that offseason. Considering the Ravens’ relationship with Jackson and his uncertain contract status, this becomes one of the league’s most intriguing vacancies.
Bucs’ Clyde Christensen Retires; Team Parts Ways With Several Staffers
More fallout from the Buccaneers’ planned staff changes is emerging. Quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen is retiring after 43 seasons in coaching, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
The Bucs are also moving on from wide receivers coach Kevin Garver, running backs coach Todd McNair and assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust, per Stroud and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). The team fired OC Byron Leftwich earlier Thursday morning and are believed to be planning to cut ties with a handful of other coaches. The Leftwich, Christensen, Garver and McNair developments clear out much of Bruce Arians‘ offensive assistant core.
This wraps a lengthy NFL career for Christensen and also closes out his second stint with the Bucs. Tampa Bay employed Christensen in three roles during Tony Dungy‘s time with the team, and that tenure closed with him in the offensive coordinator post. Christensen coached Tampa Bay’s QBs in the years prior but followed Dungy to Indianapolis, staying on through 2011. After a long run overseeing Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne as the Colts’ wideouts coach, Christensen finished that tenure as OC under Jim Caldwell. During that period, Peyton Manning earned his fourth MVP honor and the Colts trekked to Super Bowl XLIV. Chuck Pagano also kept Christensen on to start Andrew Luck‘s run.
Christensen, 66, also served as the Dolphins’ OC to start Adam Gase‘s tenure. He began coaching in 1979 and stayed in the college ranks until Dungy hired him in 1996. Arians, who was on Pagano’s staff in 2012, brought Christensen back to Tampa upon being hired in 2019. Christensen served as Tom Brady‘s position coach for the past three seasons, helping the Patriots legend transition to a new team and collecting a second Super Bowl ring in the process.
Garver, 35, was an Arians hire back when the latter began his Cardinals HC stay in 2013. He was on Arians’ five Arizona staffs and stayed on under Steve Wilks in 2018, serving as the Cards’ wide receivers coach. Arians brought Garver to Tampa in 2019; he spent the past four seasons as the Bucs’ wideouts coach.
A former NFL running back, McNair has been in coaching since 2001. A lengthy hiatus followed McNair’s stint as USC’s running backs coach, but Arians hired him in 2019. McNair, 57, oversaw the position group during Leonard Fournette‘s time in Tampa, which included a resurgence after the Jaguars waived him just before the 2020 season. This year, however, the Bucs’ run game cratered. The team ranked last on the ground, and although injuries up front played a key part in that, McNair is out after the ground attack became an unreliable option.
Arians hired Locust back in 2019, making her the first full-time female assistant coach in team history. Locust, who had previously interned with the Ravens and coached in the Alliance of American Football, spent the past four seasons as the Bucs’ assistant D-line coach. The Bucs also announced specialists coach Chris Boniol is no longer with the team and indicated senior offensive assistant Rick Christophel and outside linebackers coach Bob Sanders are retiring.