Redskins To Interview Steve Wilks For DC Job
- The Redskins, in search of a defensive coordinator, have received the Panthers’ permission to interview assistant head coach/defensive backs coach Steve Wilks, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Rapoport connected Wilks to the Redskins on Thursday, noting the coach’s relationship with ex-Panthers and now-Redskins cornerback Josh Norman.
Redskins To Re-Sign Junior Galette?
Junior Galette signed his first deal with the Redskins in July of 2015. Unfortunately, he has yet to take the field for Washington thanks to two separate Achilles tears in each of his legs. Now set to hit the open market once again, Galette says that he has a handshake deal in place with the Redskins for another one-year pact. 
[RELATED: Bengals Deny Redskins Permission To Interview Paul Guenther]
“Technically I’m a free agent, but in my mind, like I said last year, I’m set to come back,” Galette told ESPN 980 (via Scott Allen of The Washington Post). “I already spoke to [GM] Scot [McCloughan], and we already have plans to just sign me back on a one-year deal. I told him I don’t care about no money right now. I could care less. I made tons of money in the NFL, and I set myself up to be good for life. I’m not worried about the money. It’s about my pride right now and to show myself that I can come back from back-to-back Achilles’ injuries. I feel like it would be one for the history books the way I come back if I could come back and take the league by storm and proceed and play for another five years in my prime.”
Between his 2013 and 2014 seasons with the Saints, Galette tallied up 22 sacks and established himself as a high-end linebacker. However, things soured in New Orleans thanks to his off-field troubles and the Saints cut him loose in the summer of 2015. Galette has yet to play a down in D.C. but he says he’s ready to show the world what he can do. The 28-year-old (29 in March) says both of his Achilles’ tendons are “as strong as they’ve ever been.”
Bengals Deny Redskins/Guenther Interview
The Bengals don’t want to lose their defensive coordinator. The Redskins have been denied permission to interview Paul Guenther, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Redskins Targeting Gus Bradley As DC?]
Marvin Lewis is reportedly safe in Cincinnati, but he won’t be getting another extension this offseason, making him a lame duck for 2017. In the past, Guenther has been mentioned as an internal candidate to replace Lewis, meaning that bigger things could be in store for him if the Bengals falter next season.
The Bengals finished the season 6-9-1 and their defensive DVOA (18th in the NFL) admittedly left something to be desired. Still, the Bengals placed better in the previous two seasons under Guenther and he is well-regarded by his players.
Years before he joined the Bengals’ staff, Guenther was an assistant coach with the Redskins in 2002 and 2003. The faces in D.C. have changed quite a few times since then, but owner Dan Snyder presumably has a solid relationship with him.
Redskins Targeting Gus Bradley As DC?
Gus Bradley might not be out of work for long. The former Jacksonville head coach is atop the Redskins’ list of defensive coordinator candidates, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. 
Bradley has a connection to the organization since GM Scot McCloughan knows him well from their time together in Seattle. Bradley served as the Seahawks’ DC from 2009 through 2012 and that job launched him into the Jaguars gig in 2013. In his final year with Seattle, Bradley’s defense allowed a league-best 15.3 points per game.
Panthers secondary coach Steve Wilks is also said to be a name to watch as the Redskins look for Barry’s successor. Wilks has a D.C. connection of his own thanks to his time spent with cornerback Josh Norman. Working with Wilks in 2015, Norman enjoyed a career-year as he was named to the All Pro first team and selected for his first Pro Bowl. He also career highs in interceptions (four) and passes defensed (18).
Latest On Redskins' Defensive Staff
- Redskins: In addition to bouncing defensive coordinator Joe Barry, the Redskins also canned defensive line coach Robb Akey and defensive backs coach Perry Fewell on Thursday, via James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link). Panthers secondary coach Steve Wilks is a name to watch as the Redskins look for Barry’s successor, Rapoport tweets. Wilks has a history with Josh Norman dating back to their time together in Carolina.
Redskins To Fire DC Joe Barry
DC Joe Barry is out in D.C. The Redskins are firing their defensive coordinator along with the rest of their defensive staff, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. 
Barry has had only two years in Washington, but in that time the Redskins have finished near the bottom of the league in yards allowed. Prior to joining the Redskins in 2015, Barry’s only previous experience as a DC came with the Lions in 2007 and 2008. With Detroit, his defenses finished dead last in yards allowed. In between the two jobs, he had stints as a linebackers coach for the Buccaneers, USC, and the Chargers.
Two years ago, head coach Jay Gruden chose Barry over Wade Phillips. Now that the Broncos and Phillips could be parting ways, Gruden could take this opportunity to reverse that decision. Whether it’s Phillips or someone else, the next DC will have intriguing pieces to work with, including cornerback Josh Norman, linebacker Mason Foster, and utility man Su’a Cravens.
49ers To Interview Sean McVay, Vance Joseph
Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay and Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph are the latest serious candidates to fill the 49ers’ head coaching vacancy. McVay will interview next Monday, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, and Joseph will also meet with the team sometime in the near future, tweets Rand Getlin.
If McVay were to land the job, the soon-to-be 31-year-old wunderkind would become the youngest head coach in the modern era. McVay, who has three years’ experience as a coordinator, teamed with head coach Jay Gruden to guide the Redskins to the NFL’s third-best total offense and a fifth-place DVOA ranking this season. The Rams are also targeting him as a result, though going to San Francisco – where his grandfather, John McVay, once thrived as an executive – would perhaps make for a more interesting story.
Unlike McVay, Joseph’s season isn’t over – the playoff-bound Dolphins will take on the Steelers in the wild-card round this weekend. Thus, it’s unclear when he’ll meet with the Niners. The Broncos will also interview Joseph, according to Getlin, while the Rams, Bills and Chargers have expressed interest in sitting down with him. Joseph, 44, is amid his first year as a defensive coordinator, one in which the Dolphins finished the regular season with unspectacular rankings in scoring (18th), DVOA (19th) and total defense (29th).
Rams To Interview Sean McVay
In a league that is continually going younger on the field, the Rams might take that trend to the sidelines and hire a babyfaced coach. Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay, who is still just 30 years old, will interview with the Rams this week, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. That meeting will likely go down on Thursday, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter).
[RELATED: Josh McDaniels To Interview WIth Rams]
McVay is widely credited with developing Kirk Cousins into a top quarterback and the Rams are eyeing him as someone who could help groom Jared Goff into a franchise guy. Cousins himself has praised McVay for his leadership skills and offensive knowledge.
“I could be here a long time talking about Sean’s help in my development and his ability to call plays for our offense and lead our offense,” Cousins said in August. “In the 2015 offseason I was coming off a year when I had been benched halfway through and was going into the next year with the chance to really only compete as a backup. I was a little disappointed with that and Sean was a great encourager through that process, challenging me to stay the course. I think his belief in me and his support and his encouragement was what enabled me to eventually have the opportunities that I had.”
Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is also a likely interview candidate for Los Angeles, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. All in all, the Rams are expected to interview 8-10 candidates.
RELATED:
2017 NFL Draft Order
The Browns almost blew it yesterday. In the regular season finale, the Browns took the Steelers to overtime before ultimately losing 27-24. Had they won, the Browns would have been picking at No. 2 instead of the top position. Meanwhile, the Jaguars nearly slipped to No. 5, but they held their ground in the draft order when they lost 24-20 to the Colts. Phew.
The playoffs will help determine the bottom 12 picks, but the draft order has now been set for most of the NFL. Here is the list, with ties being broken by strength of schedule:
1. Browns (1-15)
2. 49ers (2-14)
3. Bears (3-13)
4. Jaguars (3-13)
5. Titans (via the 4-12 Rams)
6. Jets (5-11)
7. Chargers (5-11)
8. Panthers (6-10)
9. Bengals (6-9-1)
10. Bills (7-9)
11. Saints (7-9)
12. Browns (via the 7-9 Eagles)
13. Cardinals (7-8-1)
T-14. Eagles (via the 8-8 Minnesota Vikings)
T-14. Colts (8-8) (Note: The Vikings and Colts have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broke by coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 14 and the other team getting the No. 15 pick.)
16. Ravens (8-8)
17. Redskins (8-7-1)
18. Titans (9-7)
19. Buccaneers (9-7)
20. Broncos (9-7)
DC Joe Barry Isn't Worried About Job Security
- The Redskins defense has underperformed this season, and the team ranks towards the bottom of the league in many defensive metrics. As a result, defensive coordinator Joe Barry has naturally found himself on the hot seat. Despite his lack of job security, the coach isn’t thinking about whether he’ll be out of a job. “That’s a good question,” he told Mike Jones of the Washington Post. “Those are things that we will obviously address, but right now, I’m just 1,000 percent on the Giants, and I’m not even thinking a day past that right now.”
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