The Daily Briefing Monday, February 7, 2022

With Miami’s appointment of San Francisco offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as head coach Sunday night, only New Orleans and Houston have vacancies remaining. So far, six of the seven head-coach hires have come from the offensive side of the ball. McDaniel, 38, is multiracial, so he becomes the first minority coach hired in this cycle, and the fourth minority coach in the NFL. (The others: Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, the Jets’ Robert Saleh and the Commanders’ Ron Rivera.)

The McDaniel path started when he was a 5-9, 146-pound backup wide receiver at Yale two decades ago. In the span of a few months, he went from the Yale campus to an intern under the gruff and demanding offensive line coach Alex Gibbs in Denver. Six teams later, in 2021, Kyle Shanahan promoted him to offensive coordinator with the Niners. McDaniel prides himself on communication, which may have been big with Miami; owner Stephen Ross identified a lack of communication as one reason why he fired Brian Flores. I hear one positive point for McDaniel was Miami learning Deebo Samuel spent a half-hour in his offensive coordinator’s office every Tuesday as that week’s game plan was being finalized. Samuel, in a recommendation to Miami, also credited McDaniel with teaching him how to be a better pro.

For Miami, McDaniel means a new tutor for Tua Tagovailoa. McDaniel prides himself being a one-to-one teacher, and his job will be to try to improve Tagovailoa’s 6.6 yards-per-attempt and 88.8 passer rating in his first two seasons.

One last point: the Mike Shanahan coaching tree has been incredibly fruitful. On his Washington staff a decade ago: Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur and McDaniel. Denver’s Nathaniel Hackett coached under LaFleur, while Zac Taylor (Bengals) and Kevin O’Connell (Vikings) coached under McVay. So in the last five years, seven coaches who worked under Mike Shanahan or his disciples have gotten head-coaching jobs. That’s a significant plus for Mike Shanahan’s Hall of Fame coaching candidacy.

Regarding coaching trees, here is something interesting about the number of playoff victories by the disciples of two current coaches:

• Wins by coaches who have coached under 69-year-old Bill Belichick: 2.

• Wins by coaches who have coached under 36-year-old Sean McVay: 5.

Bill O’Brien, with two, is the Belichick acolyte to win a playoff game. Matt LaFleur (two) and Zac Taylor (three) have left McVay employ and won postseason games.

My Idea On Black Coaches

There are four minority head coaches in the NFL, in addition to four Black offensive coordinators and four Black QB coaches, with two head-coach jobs and several staff positions still filling out. With owners looking toward offensive staffers to fill the majority of the head-coaching gigs, it’s clear the NFL and its owners are in a grim race backward. (Worth noting: ESPN reported Sunday night that the Texas were in talks to make defensive coordinator Lovie Smith, who is Black, the next head coach. Smith, of course, formerly was head coach with the Bears and Bucs, and at Illinois.) We can probably all agree with Maryland coach Mike Locksley, who is Black and the head of the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches, who told me Saturday, before the McDaniel hire: “No disrespect to the Rooneys, but the Rooney Rule is really the Rooney Suggestion. It’s not working.” So now what?

Originally I thought the NFL should address this by incentivizing the hiring of minority coaches, GMs and coordinators by increasing the salary cap for teams that make those hires, or by handing high draft choices to teams that do. But many minority candidates would see that as an insult. Plus it’s a Band-Aid, not a solution.

Instead, I’d recommend this rule: Every team would be required, starting with the 2022 regular season, to have a full-time minority coach who would touch the quarterback and passing game every day. Not a quality-control coach, but rather an assistant quarterbacks coach, or some such title. This coach would work alongside the coordinator, quarterback coach and quarterbacks in the granular world of teaching/coaching the most important position on the field—and increase the pool owners are so desperate to choose from right now.

Teams that already have a front-facing Black or minority coach in place (Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy or Saints QB coach Ronald Curry, for instance) would not be required to make such a hire. Locksley told me there are probably 25 Black coordinators/quarterback coaches in the 10 major college conferences, and many more in the HBCU ranks who could be NFL hiring targets. At, say, an investment of $200,000 per team, it’s the best way I can think of to increase the pipeline that has run so dry.

NEW YORK GIANTS

With Patrick Graham heading to Josh McDaniels and the Raiders as DC, the Giants could be turning to Jim Schwartz.  Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Giants wanted to keep defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, but he left for the Raiders on Friday. So the Giants’ search continued this weekend.

They had a virtual interview with Titans senior defensive assistant Jim Schwartz, Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports.

Schwartz also drew interest from the Colts before they hired Gus Bradley.

Schwartz has had three stints as a defensive coordinator, with the Titans in 2001-08, the Bills in 2014 and the Eagles in 2016-20. The Eagles won Super Bowl LII to end the 2017 season.

He was head coach of the Lions from 2009-13.

New Giants head coach Brian Daboll has hired Mike Kafka as offensive coordinator. They also want to interview former Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale and former Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai for the defensive coordinator job.

Desai was said to be ticketed for Las Vegas before Graham swooped in to take the job.

NEW ORLEANS

No real details yet, but breaking news from Las Vegas:

@AdamSchefter

Las Vegas police arrested Saints’ RB Alvin Kamara after today’s Pro Bowl:

@LVMPD

Please click on the document below for more information on the arrest of Alvin Kamara. This investigation is still ongoing, anyone with any information about this incident is urged to call 702-828-3204 or contact @CrimeStoppersNV

SAN FRANCISCO

Anthony Lynn did not work out with the Lions, but he has been signed to a key position with the 49ers.  Matt Barrows of The Athletic:

The 49ers offense, which had an aggressive, hard-nosed running attack in 2021, promises to be even more robust in 2022 after agreeing to terms with Anthony Lynn to be their assistant head coach, a source confirmed to The Athletic on Friday.

The former Chargers head coach was a journeyman running back in the 1990s. He played two seasons with the 49ers (1995-1996) and had two stints with the Broncos, the second under head coach Mike Shanahan and running backs coach Bobby Turner, whom Lynn holds in high regard.

Lynn’s addition also explains the departure of tight ends coach Jon Embree, who for the last five seasons had the additional title of assistant head coach.

What Lynn brings to San Francisco

Barrows: Turner, 72, has been the 49ers running backs coach for the last five seasons, and it’s not known how much longer he will continue. Lynn could be a natural heir on a team that brought 220-pound Deebo Samuel into the mix at tailback in 2021 and will insert quarterback Trey Lance into the rushing attack in 2022. He also could be a replacement should offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel land the Dolphins’ head-coaching job. McDaniel interviewed with Miami on Friday.

The 49ers have seemed to bulk up — along the offensive line, at receiver and with Lance at quarterback — over the last offseason and will try to take advantage of that physicality in 2022. That’s what makes Lynn such a good fit. He had the role of running backs coach and assistant head coach in Buffalo in 2015-16. The Bills led the league in rushing yards both seasons.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Even as LB FRED WARNER of the 49ers escapes for his helmet-to-helmet post-play hit on QB MATTHEW STAFFORD, the NFL picks the pocket of CB JALEN RAMSEY.

First, Mike Florio on the Warner hit:

At a time when the NFL routinely throws out flags and fines in the name of keeping quarterbacks upright and in one piece, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner got neither for a grossly illegal hit on Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford during the first quarter of Sunday’s NFC Championship, after Stafford threw an interception.

The officials missed the brutal, unnecessary blow during the game. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Warner was not fined.

Warner apologized for the hit after the Rams’ victory.

“I never do anything out of malicious intent,” Warner told reporters. “I watched the video it looks bad. . . . He was in my way and I made the hit. . . . Looking back at it, I feel bad about it.”

It’s unclear why a fine wasn’t imposed. Players get penalized financially for far less. Warner surely expected it, and he’d admit that he deserves it.

So either the NFL is serious about protecting quarterbacks, or it isn’t. Which is it?

But this on Ramsey from Michael David Smith:

Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey was fined $15,000 for his actions in the NFC Championship Game.

The NFL fined Ramsey $15,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct, according to NFL Network.

Although Ramsey wasn’t flagged during the game, he was angry about something after 49ers kicker Robbie Gould made a field goal to end the first half. Ramsey yelled at the officials and at Gould and threw his helmet.

Ramsey has been fined multiple times for unsportsmanlike conduct, most recently in Week 13.

One other Rams player, Ben Skowronek, was fined for actions during the NFC Championship Game. The NFL docked Skowronek $4,000 for an illegal hit.

– – –

Peter King on the surprising friendship between Cincinnati’s young QB JOE BURROW and Rams old school T ANDREW WHITWORTH.

Andrew Whitworth left Cincinnati in 2017 to play left tackle for the Rams. Joe Burrow arrived in Cincinnati in 2020. They got to know each other well while rehabbing knee injuries under the direction of Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. (ElAttrache did Burrow’s major knee surgery in December 2020, while Whitworth was rehabbing knee damage suffered in November 2020 for the Rams.) When Burrow was in the area for an exam on the surgically repaired knee last April, four months after surgery, he called Whitworth to see what he was doing. This was the week of the draft, in late April. Whitworth ask Burrow to come over to his house. And so there were the once and current Bengals—future Super Bowl combatants too—watching the 2021 NFL Draft at Chez Whitworth.

That’s where, and when, Burrow saw the Bengals were picking Ja’Marr Chase. It seemed like Burrow had an idea about it, but now he got to see it for certain.

“He was pumped, really pumped,” Whitworth said. “He knew him so well, and he knew what it was going to mean for their offense.”

DENVER

Peter King on an idea of new Coach Nathanial Hackett:

Denver coach Nathaniel Hackett is hiring a coach for his coaches, a teacher for his teachers on the Broncos coaching staff. Hackett is eying an expert in education and technology who will work with each coach to improve engagement with players by learning different and more technologically advanced teaching methods. “I think he can open up a new world of technology and teaching for our players,” Hackett told me. More from Hackett about it:

FMIA: How did you get the idea to coach and teach players differently?

Hackett: “I am a little bit of an outlier in this profession. I love being different. I majored in neurobiology in college, and there was a chance I was going into the medical field. But what the different paths taught me is there’s not just one way to do anything. I decided I loved coaching football. It’s so dynamic, so diverse, so ever-changing. You’d better be able to engage this generation of players. This is the YouTube generation.”

FMIA: So no big, thick playbooks, like the old days.

Hackett: “I am paperless. When I left Green Bay to come here, I had two or three boxes, and no heavy-ass boxes.”

FMIA: Describe how you will teach players, and how you want your coaches to teach them.

Hackett: “In football, when you’re putting in the playbook, it’s called ‘install.’ You really should call it ‘teach.’ Sometimes, when you see coaches coach, players are sleeping in meetings. That can’t happen. I want them to walk into the classroom excited to learn. It won’t be me, or our coaches, just talking. It will always be us interacting. In Green Bay, when we were coaching the quarterbacks, I always found if I could get Aaron [Rodgers] to laugh, I accomplished something. But I’ve been with a lot of different quarterbacks, and they always know I’ll put them in position to excel, and I’ll always have their backs.”

BALTIMORE

A change near the top of the Ravens hierarchy.  The Athletic:

Longtime Baltimore Ravens president Dick Cass is retiring after 18 years at the helm, the team announced Friday. He will be replaced by former president of Monumental Basketball (Wizards, Mystics, Go-Go) Sashi Brown, who resigned from his previous role after holding it since 2019.

Brown, 45, will join Baltimore in March, though the transition won’t be effective until April 1. The Ravens say he “will have the exact same responsibilities held by Cass, overseeing every area of the organization, including player and staff personnel, coaching, corporate sales, operations, communications and business ventures.”

Cass, 76, is stepping down after being with the team since 2004. He is a “beloved figure” in Baltimore and was the first hire made by team owner Steve Bisciotti.

“Cass has provided a wealth of business knowledge, legal and negotiating expertise, philanthropic principles, and a calm and consistent leadership style,” the Ravens said in a release.

Before his time in Washington, Brown spent five seasons with the Cleveland Browns, where he was the executive vice president of football operations from 2016-2017. He also worked for the Jaguars for eight years before that, involved in both the football and business operations.

“Brown is a very highly regarded executive,” the Ravens said, “and he’ll be following in the footsteps of another renowned leader.”

What was Cass’ impact on the Ravens?

Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens beat writer: Cass relished being a behind-the-scenes presence, but he had his hands in just about every important decision the Ravens made over the past two decades. Owner Steve Bisciotti, who amassed his fortune in starting a staffing company, made Cass his first hire with the Ravens in 2004 and he’s long called it one of the best decisions he’s ever made.

Cass was instrumental in the team’s move to their sprawling training complex, the hiring of eventual Super Bowl-winning coach John Harbaugh, the evolution of M&T Bank Stadium and the creation of the team’s social justice program. He was also the driving force of the team’s community and charitable efforts.

What does this mean for the Ravens going forward?

Zrebiec: A lot of this still has to play out. The transition from Cass to Brown won’t be effective until April 1, so there’s time to get a better feel for what this will all mean. The Ravens, however, will certainly miss Cass, a well-respected and steadying force. There’s not an important member of the organization who hasn’t been guided or counseled by Cass in some way.

Brown, though, is a smart and experienced executive. He already has solid pre-existing relationships with several key members of the organization, including Cass. It shouldn’t be a major transition.

CINCINNATI

Peter King drove to work last week with Bengals coach Zach Taylor.

The first thing we talked about: the game balls he and some players were spreading on surprise visits throughout the region—five per playoff victory, over the Ohio River at Walt’s Hitching Post in Fort Wright, Ky., up north in Mason at 16 Lots Brewing, on the west side at Maloney’s Pub West in Delhi, in a city neighborhood at Gametime, downtown on the river at the Holy Grail, and closer to Taylor’s hood at Zip’s Café in Delwood and Mount Lookout Tavern in Mount Lookout.

Where’d that game-ball idea originate?

“You’ll drive through, late on a Thursday night, Friday night, or coming home on a Sunday night from a road game or home game,” Taylor said, motioning to Delwood as he drove past. “Just packed. That’s not something we really get to experience during the season, people celebrating games. I always kind of dreamed of big moments and being able to go in there and share that with the people. They’ve been through a lot here. Some really fun moments that I got to enjoy with a lot of really cool people.”

A lot of people who, judging by the weepy videos of Bengaldom all over YouTube, are a lot more shocked than the flat-line Taylor. At 38, Taylor got his first NFL job coaching quarterbacks at Miami 10 years ago, then got here by being a branch on the red-hot Sean McVay coaching tree in 2019. Taylor didn’t know, obviously, after starting 6-25-1 in his first two years, that he’d be in the Super Bowl in year three. But year three brought beautiful play from Burrow, who has ascended to the lofty peak of Mahomesville in a flash, and better defense than anyone thought was possible, and a rookie kicker, Evan McPherson, who’s been hotter than any rookie kicker in the 102-year history of the NFL.

“I think it was impossible to know in training camp,” Taylor said. “We knew we had the right character and we had enough talent. But how was it gonna jell together? As you get really to the midway point in the season, you know what this league is about. It’s about getting hot in December. We started playing really good football after the [Nov. 14] bye. We felt like if we could just learn from some of these mistakes we made early in the season, anything is possible. That’s really how it’s played out for us. We’re winning these playoff games because we’re winning these close games. Our players have been situational masters.”

Four or five times in our 35 minutes together, Taylor talked about how smart his team is. Lots of coaches say that. But what does it mean?

Taylor thought of Burrow, and the play that put the Bengals into field-goal position to win in overtime. That’s how far ahead Burrow thinks. Early in the fourth quarter, against a certain KC coverage, Burrow told Taylor he wanted to run a 2-by-2 formation similar to a play they ran earlier when Ja’Marr Chase drew a pass-interference flag. Burrow wanted Higgins wide left, Chase wide right, and two receivers inside them, and he wanted Chase to run a shallow flat route to draw coverage, and Higgins ran a slant from left to right, about eight yards downfield.

Taylor said: “Joe said, this is how I want it called, this is where I want everyone at. I think Tee’s gonna get the ball.”

Taylor called it eight pass plays later, a full quarter later.

Higgins did get the ball. Gain of eight. Ball at the KC 32, and in field-goal range for McPherson.

“Joe is so prepared,” Taylor said. “That’s where the confidence comes from. I don’t see one ounce of false confidence with him. Everybody in our building sees how prepared he is on a Wednesday. We see it in the Saturday meetings when we’re doing our final quarterback meetings, and we’re playing Jeopardy.” Jeopardy? Do tell.

“Pretty sure [former Bengals assistant] Alex Van Pelt started it with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay,” said assistant receivers coach Brad Kragthorpe, who’s the host of “Quarterback Jeopardy” the night before every game. “Alex was here a couple years. He’s in Cleveland now, but we’re still doing it.”

Who wins most often?

“I think it’s fair to say Joe wins more than his share,” Kragthorpe said.

The rules to Quarterback Jeopardy:

Six contestants, with turns taken in order by age, youngest to oldest. Burrow (25), number three QB Jake Browning (25), backup QB Brandon Allen (29), QB coach Dan Pitcher (34), offensive coordinator Brian Callahan (37), Taylor (38). This is not your father’s NFL: Oldest man in the room is 38.

Five categories, five questions in each. Twenty-five questions total, ranging from 100 to 500 points (just like the real game). If someone gets a question wrong, the next player can answer, then double-dip by answering his regularly scheduled question next.

Each player gets four questions. Kragthorpe keeps score, and he’s the arbiter in case of disputes.

There is a Final Jeopardy. At the end of the regular round, each player can wager any amount of his total for Final Jeopardy. Kragthorpe invents a Bengals history question, or some other wild card question. Each player writes the answer down, then Kragthorpe goes player-by-player to determine who gets the question correct.

Before the AFC Championship Game, the host and six players gathered before the evening team meeting in a meeting room at the Loews Kansas City to play. Game on.

Burrow went first.

“Chiefs Defense for 300,” Burrow said.

List all of the starters in the Chiefs’ sub package at linebacker and defensive back, the position they play, the key backups, and a strength and a weakness for each one.

Burrow started the answer, naming two linebackers (Willie Gay, Anthony Hitchens), and saying Nick Bolton comes in at times. He named five DBs: left corner Charvarius Ward, right corner L’Jarius Sneed, nickel Mike Hughes—“Rashad Fenton subs in,” Burrow said—with Tyrann Mathieu and Juan Thornhill starting at safety “and Daniel Sorensen plays” in various packages, he said. [I could not learn the strengths/weaknesses.]

Nine players. Burrow went nine for nine.

Final Jeopardy: In the two previous times the Bengals won the AFC Championship, who did the Bengals play, and who was our starting quarterback?

Burrow: Cincinnati over San Diego, 1981, with Ken Anderson at QB. Cincinnati over Buffalo, 1988, with Boomer Esiason at QB.

Bright guy. Studies defenses and the media guide.

The night before Burrow led the Bengals back from a 21-3 deficit to win the franchise’s first AFC title in 33 years, he won Quarterback Jeopardy. Was there ever a doubt?

Taylor was pulling into his parking space underneath Paul Brown Stadium now. The subject turned to the Super Bowl.

“Joe’s built for these stages,” Taylor said. “I think he’s played in state championship games in high school. He’s played in national championship games in college. He always knew he was gonna be on this stage in the NFL. It’s something he’s envisioned and worked towards and expected it to happen. I’m very confident that he’ll walk onto that field a very confident quarterback.”

Who knows what the big day brings for the emotions of Taylor? For now, he’s not gee-whiz about it. He grew up in football-mad Norman, Okla., son of a coach and eventually became the son-in-law of one. His wife Sarah is the daughter of former Packers coach Mike Sherman. Taylor is one of the Sean McVay tree branches. He was on McVay’s first Rams staff in 2017 as a receivers coach, and graduated to QB coach in 2018, the year the Rams got to the Super Bowl against New England. That catapulted Taylor onto the Bengals’ radar after they fired Marvin Lewis.So, yes, Taylor will coach against one of his former bosses, McVay. He’s grateful for what he learned from McVay—“Everybody feels like they’re a part of what we were doing”—and he said he loved walking into work every morning because it was imagination overload.

“Sean’s so outgoing, obviously,” Taylor said. “So positive, so inclusive. And this is a good story for everyone. But we have no focus on that. Every week, you’re close to somebody on the other sideline. It’s just part of being in the NFL.”

Pupil doesn’t sound like he’ll be overwhelmed by teacher on the other sideline Sunday. Doesn’t seem like his quarterback will be either.

CLEVELAND

If Hue Jackson was trying to lose games, he was very good at it.  But in a Friday interview, he was vague.

Former Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson clarified in an interview with CNN on Friday night that he was never paid to lose games, but evidence that team ownership and executives intended to lose during the 2016 and 2017 seasons “will come to light at the right time.”

“No, I was never offered money like Brian [Flores] had mentioned,” Jackson told CNN. “I think this is a totally different situation but has some similarities.”

– – –

Jackson told CNN that he wasn’t paid to lose games, but he had evidence to back his claims that ownership and the Browns’ executives intended to lose games.

“I told Jimmy that what he was doing was very destructive, to not do this because it’s going to hurt my career and every other coach that worked with me and every player on the team,” Jackson told CNN. “And I told him that it would hurt every Black coach that would follow me. And I have the documents to prove this.”

When pressed why he hasn’t disclosed that evidence, Jackson said: “Those things will come to light at the right time.”

The lawyers for Brian Flores have hinted that other aggrieved black coaches are clamoring to join in their class action suit.  But Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com doesn’t think they should want anything to do with Jackson.

The 58-page lawsuit filed five days ago by former Dolphins coach Brian Flores mentions plenty of names and examples when it comes to the racial “double standard” (as admitted by NFL executive V.P. of football operations Troy Vincent) in NFL coaching. Flores at no point mentions former Browns coach Hue Jackson.

That likely wasn’t a mistake. Beyond the fact that Hue simply wasn’t a very good coach is the fact that Hue has, in recent days, been all over the place, making strong accusations that he was paid to lose games and then clumsily walking them back. While it makes sense for Jackson to change his tune on cash-for-clunking if (unlike Flores) Hue actually took the money and thus committed a potential violation of federal law, Jackson has come off in recent days as far less credible than Flores. At times, Jackson has seemed not credible at all.

Multiple people in and around the sport and the industry of covering it have expressed both support for Flores and a hope that Jackson won’t join the case. Jackson, in our opinion, could operate as an impediment to Flores’s efforts.

Flores and his lawyers quite possibly know it. The Flores lawsuit cites Jim Caldwell, Steve Wilks, David Culley, Kris Richard, Teryl Austin, and Eric Bieniemy as victims of discrimination. Any of them would be viable candidates to join the Flores lawsuit. Jackson simply would not be.

Indeed, Jackson wasn’t fired after going 0-16 in 2017. The Browns had a multi-year strategy in place during Jackson’s tenure. It wasn’t as clear and direct as the scheme Flores alleges in Miami, but the Browns obviously weren’t prioritizing winning. And Jackson went along with it.

So if Jackson contacts Flores and wants to add his name to the title of the case, Flores should politely decline. Besides, if Jackson believes his rights were violated in some way, nothing stops him from filing his own lawsuit.

PITTSBURGH

The Steelers are promoting from within to replace retiring Keith Butler as DC.  Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com:

The Steelers didn’t have to look far to find their next defensive coordinator.

The organization is finalizing a deal with senior defensive assistant and secondary coach Teryl Austin to replace outgoing defensive coordinator Keith Butler, who retired last month, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The sides are working out the details of the contract Sunday, the source said.

The news of Austin’s promotion was first reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Austin, entering his fourth season with the Steelers and 19th in the league, previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Lions and Bengals. Before his stints in Detroit, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, Austin coached defensive backs for the Seahawks, Cardinals and Ravens. He also split defensive coordinator duties with Mike Tomlin for one game this season when Butler was sidelined in COVID-19 protocols.

“TA, he’s a great coach,” safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said in January. “I’m not going to talk too good about him because I want him to stay in Pittsburgh. I know everybody else is trying to get at him. He’s a great coach. I love his attention to detail, the way that he approaches the game, the way he lets the players have a voice. A lot of coaches don’t really let players have a voice. I’m appreciative of that.”

Days before his promotion with the Steelers, the Giants requested an interview with Austin for their defensive coordinator opening. Austin, though, chose to remain in Pittsburgh.

Though the Steelers conducted outside interviews for the position, Austin, 56, who played safety at the University of Pittsburgh, was viewed as a favorite throughout the process.

The Steelers have a history of internal promotions for coordinator positions, previously elevating Matt Canada from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator before last season, and Butler was promoted from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator in 2015 to take over for Dick LeBeau.

“He’s a real personable person who really enjoys what he does,” cornerback Cam Sutton said of Austin in January. “He’s a guy who really comes energized every single day, from start to finish, feeling his best, feeling his worst, you name it. A guy who’s always pushing all his chips into the middle of the table to help us collectively.”

HOUSTON

So, basically the Texans fired David Culley because he wouldn’t fire his OC Tim Kelly (which they also did) – but they are going to hire DC Lovie Smith and keep many of the other coaches.  ESPN.com:

The Houston Texans are now in talks with their associate head coach and defensive coordinator Lovie Smith about potentially becoming their next head coach, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Field Yates on Sunday.

The Texans have included Smith in their discussions all along, but his candidacy has gained steam in recent days, a source said.

Josh McCown will not be the Texans’ next head coach, and if Smith is hired, their offensive coordinator is expected to be current quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton, not McCown, a source told ESPN’s Sarah Barshop.

Smith was previously an NFL head coach with the Chicago Bears (2004-12) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014-15). He joined David Culley’s Texans staff in March last year after being fired after five seasons as head coach at the University of Illinois.

Smith has an 89-87 record as an NFL head coach and was the 2005 Associated Press Coach of the Year.

McCown was under consideration despite never coaching above the high school level. He first retired in 2019 after 17 years as an NFL quarterback and took a job as a high school quarterbacks coach in Charlotte, where his sons played. He continued to coach after coming out of retirement later in 2019. The Texans also interviewed McCown last year for the position eventually filled by Culley.

The Texans fired Culley on Jan. 13 after just one year at the helm. Houston went 4-13 in Culley’s single season.

The Texans also interviewed Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, and former Steelers wide receiver and current Florida Atlantic receivers coach Hines Ward.

JACKSONVILLE

Trent Baalke is going to have company at a high level in the Jacksonville front office reports Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com:

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a new head coach and soon they’re going to have a new front-office structure.

Owner Shad Khan said Saturday that the plan is to hire an executive vice president of football operations and add someone to work under current general manager Trent Baalke. It’s a structure Khan has used before but dumped after the 2019 season and it helped the Jaguars post their only winning season in his 10 years as owner.

“One of the reasons we had the search was not only looking for the head-coaching candidate but really to learn about other organizations,” Khan said during the news conference welcoming new head coach Doug Pederson. “That’s a byproduct of the coaching search. So some of the practices, some of the structure that works, we got great insight into it. Strengthening the football operations, more staff, that’s part of our goal. We’ve had too flat an organization and we want to add brainpower and more people to strengthen that.”

Khan said the team has notified the NFL it plans to add an EVP. The Jaguars have already interviewed former Minnesota GM Rick Spielman — though Khan didn’t say for which position — but they have to interview at least two external minority candidates for the EVP job per the recent expansion of the Rooney Rule.

Khan hired Tom Coughlin as an EVP and gave him total control of all football decisions in January 2017, and one of Coughlin’s first decisions was to retain interim head coach Doug Marrone. The pairing worked that season as the Jaguars went 10-6, won the AFC South for the first time, played host to a playoff game for the first time since January 2000, and made a run to the AFC Championship game before losing at New England.

However, Coughlin ran afoul of the NFL Players Association because of excessive fines and player grievances. It also didn’t help that the Jaguars went 5-11 in 2018 and the high-priced signing of quarterback Nick Foles in 2019 turned into a disaster when Foles got hurt and played so poorly when he returned that he was benched in favor of sixth-round rookie Gardner Minshew. Khan fired Coughlin on Dec. 18, 2019 as the Jaguars were headed toward a 6-10 season.

When Khan fired GM Dave Caldwell in November 2020 and Marrone after the 2020 season, he opted to take a coach-centric approach with Urban Meyer. That lasted only 11 months, after which Khan fired Meyer because he went 2-11 and committed a string of embarrassing missteps that included inappropriate behavior in a restaurant/bar with a woman who wasn’t his wife, as seen in two viral videos; reports of him berating his assistant coaches; and an attempt to hire a strength coach who was accused of making racist remarks and bullying Black players at Iowa.

With the hire of Pederson — who went 42-37-1, won a Super Bowl, and made three playoff appearances in five seasons in Philadelphia (2016-20) — Khan said the Jaguars are taking a collaborative approach, though it’s unclear how the EVP will figure into that at this point. Khan on Saturday also threw his support behind Baalke and said the team did not offer the job to anyone other than Pederson. He said none of the 10 candidates the Jaguars interviewed — including Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich — said they didn’t want to work with Baalke.

Pederson, 54, made it clear Saturday that he’s enthused to be back in the NFL after taking a year off, but also said it’s going to take some time to turn around a franchise that has gone 4-29 and earned the No. 1 overall pick in back-to-back seasons.

“I’m excited, one, to have this opportunity to lead your organization, but two, to be able to get in here, develop a coaching staff, develop our philosophies, develop our schemes to be successful on the football field,” Pederson said. “This is not an overnight fix. This is not we’re just going to snap our fingers and start winning football games. Our goal is to win football games, but we’re going to do it one player, one coach, one person in the organization at a time.”

That Khan was receptive to that is a bit of a change from his approach when he hired Meyer. He said in October that he didn’t want to hear a coach say he had a four-year plan and that “the plan is you need to start winning now, and tell me what you need and that’s what we’re going to do. Because that is absolutely a trap I don’t believe falling in.”

Khan was apparently willing to adjust his expectations in part because of Pederson.

“We wanted someone who knows exactly what it is to be the last team standing in February and is passionate about doing it and doing it again,” Khan said.

TENNESSEE

The Titans are saying they will not pursue an upgrade from QB RYAN TANNEHILL.  Turron Davenport of ESPN.com:

The end of the Tennessee Titans’ 2021 season will undoubtedly lead to a variety of theories about how to improve the quarterback situation.

Despite being the top seed in the AFC playoffs, quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s three interceptions in the Titans’ 19-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round brought a potential Super Bowl run to a screeching halt.

In the NFC, the Green Bay Packers were the top seed, but they too suffered a frustrating loss, 13-10, to the San Francisco 49ers hours after the Titans were put out of the playoffs. The unexpected defeat left quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ future in Green Bay in question.

Rodgers got thrown into the mix of future Titans quarterback options this week. According to Jared Stillman of 102.5 The Game, Rodgers purchased land in Franklin, Tennessee — a suburb Nashville, where the Titans play — causing speculation that he could be headed to the Titans.

However, a team source confirmed to ESPN that the Titans don’t consider Rodgers to be an option for them at quarterback and have full intentions of moving forward with Tannehill.

Titans general manager Jon Robinson gave Tannehill a vote of confidence when asked about the quarterback situation during an interview at the Senior Bowl on Wednesday as well.

“Ryan’s our quarterback,” Robinson said. “He’s made a lot of plays for us. He’s a great leader. He’s extremely tough. Love what Ryan brings to our football team, love what he stands for. We’re looking forward to him getting back in there, and getting back on track, and keeping this thing rolling.”

Rodgers is reportedly open to playing for the Titans. But Rodgers is under contract with the Packers through the 2023 season. If the Titans were to obtain Rodgers, it would have to be done via trade.

Adding Rodgers at quarterback would clearly be an upgrade. Rodgers finished with 4,117 passing yards and 37 touchdown passes while being intercepted only four times, and he’s the assumed front-runner to be named league MVP.

Titans coach Mike Vrabel endorsed Tannehill as the team’s quarterback during locker-cleanout day last month.

“He has elite toughness,” Vrabel said. “We have to be great around him. He has shown signs of accuracy, of decision-making, the ability to extend plays and to scramble and leadership. Those are all things that you look for in a quarterback, and Ryan has shown us that.”

Being “great around Tannehill” was the approach last season when the Titans acquired wide receiver Julio Jones and a 2023 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2022 second-round draft pick and a 2023 fourth-rounder from the Atlanta Falcons. Tannehill holds a $38.6 million cap number this season after restructuring his contract to make room for Jones’ salary in 2021.

Robinson acknowledged that Tannehill had “some passes that he’d probably like to have back” but said it’s no different than any other position. Two of the more significant throws Tannehill would like to have back came on the final offensive plays in each of the past two seasons.

Tannehill was intercepted by Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson, which set up the game-winning field goal in that divisional-round loss, and Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters intercepted Tannehill to seal the win in the opening round of the playoffs the year before.

Tannehill’s ultra-efficient quarterback play in 2019 and 2020 helped turn the Titans into an AFC contender. Over that stretch, he threw 55 touchdown passes and had just 13 interceptions, but he managed to finish with only 21 touchdown passes this season.

More importantly, Tannehill was intercepted 14 times as well, which is more than the past two seasons combined.

MIAMI

The Dolphins make their second straight minority hire at the head coach position.  Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com:

The Dolphins have agreed to a deal with San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel to make him their next head coach, the team announced Sunday.

The Dolphins gave McDaniel a four-year contract, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

McDaniel’s hiring marks the end of a nearly month-long search since the Dolphins fired Brian Flores on Jan. 10.

Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was the other finalist for the job.

McDaniel, who identifies himself as multiracial, joins the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin, Washington Commanders’ Ron Rivera and the New York Jets’ Robert Saleh as the league’s only minority head coaches. The 49ers will receive two third-round draft selections (one in 2022 and another in ’23, per a league spokesman) as compensation under the Rooney Rule for developing a minority assistant who was hired for an NFL head-coaching job.

McDaniel, 38, gets his first head-coaching job at any level after spending 15 seasons in the NFL and two in the UFL. He spent one season as San Francisco’s offensive coordinator after being promoted in January 2021. In that season, the 49ers had the league’s seventh-best offense in terms of yards per game and produced an All-Pro in wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

McDaniel began his NFL career as an intern for the Denver Broncos in 2005, then spent three seasons as an offensive assistant with the Houston Texans under Gary Kubiak. He spent another three seasons as an offensive assistant and a wide receivers coach for Washington — on a staff that included current head coaches Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers, Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams and Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers.

NEW ENGLAND

Mike Reiss of ESPN.com on who might replace Josh McDaniels as OC:

Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Filling OC void: A Bill Belichick story from 30 years ago applies today as it relates to the important question of whom New England’s coach plans to hire as offensive coordinator to succeed Josh McDaniels.

Belichick was interviewing for the Cleveland Browns head-coaching position and shared his philosophy with owner Art Modell, and later repeated something similar 10 years later to Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

“We’ll teach coaches our system, and develop them from within so we don’t have to change philosophies when coaches change. I have my [X’s and O’s] philosophy, that’s what we’re going to do, obviously with modifications. But we weren’t going to change offensive, defensive and special-teams philosophies in personnel every time we make a coaching change. I’ve tried to live by that my entire head-coaching career.”

That’s how Belichick himself, at the 2016 NFL annual meeting, described one of his core principles.

As for what that means for the 2022 Patriots, and the offensive coordinator position, here is one view of the most notable points:

System isn’t changing. This is critical for second-year quarterback Mac Jones. He won’t have to learn a new system as much as hearing a different voice in his helmet.

Opportunity to modify. One smart football personnel mind relayed this as an easy-to-overlook layer. Losing McDaniels isn’t ideal, but it also creates an opportunity for Belichick to potentially streamline an offense that has grown in depth, and possibly make it a more player-friendly scheme.

Playcalling duties. Would Belichick entrust someone who has never done it before? Those familiar with his thinking have doubts, which might be why some of the buzz at the Senior Bowl last week was that the Patriots would be targeting someone from outside the organization with playcalling experience.

Few truly know what Belichick is thinking, with media-based speculation centering on possibilities such as Bill O’Brien, Adam Gase, Joe Judge, Mick Lombardi and Nick Caley, among others.

The only givens: Whoever it is will be running Belichick’s system, and Belichick doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to move on it as he was enjoying some personal time out of the office last week.

2. Feeding pipeline: One benefit of Belichick possibly going outside of the organization for a playcaller with experience is the opportunity to expand his coaching network and open a new pipeline of coaches to develop. For example, when Greg Schiano joined the team briefly in 2019, he brought along Bob Fraser. Or when Matt Patricia returned in 2021, he did so with research/analysis specialist Evan Rothstein. Someone like O’Brien or Gase would likely come with a couple of their own assistants, and that could be ideal to fill in some holes.

3. Billy O’s fit: O’Brien is a proven fit as Patriots offensive coordinator based on his past experience with New England, but other than his Massachusetts roots, I’ve wondered why he would want to return for a second stint. That’s a top job at Alabama, where he is the offensive coordinator, and if he has another productive season in 2022 he’ll continue to be on the NFL head-coaching interview circuit as he was this year with Jacksonville. Likewise, as new Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler noted about Belichick’s forward-thinking approach, surely the Patriots coach has considered that bringing O’Brien back in 2022 might only be a short-term fix and could leave him looking for another OC in 2023.

THIS AND THAT

TEAM BRADY

The Denver Broncos may sell for $4 billion this year.  Could any recent player be in a position to put up, say, half of it?  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com has his eye on Tom Brady – not necessarily for the Broncos, but sometime.

There’s plenty of talk that Peyton Manning could become part of the next ownership group of the Broncos. But Manning, alone or with his family members, doesn’t have the capital both to purchase 30 percent of an NFL team and to operate the franchise. Eventually, Manning’s top on-field nemesis may.

Freshly-retired quarterback Tom Brady gradually has been building an empire. His wife, Gisele Bundchen, has built her own. They eventually could have enough between them to buy controlling interest in a franchise. (Maybe they already do.)

Consider the contents of a Sunday item from Liam Killingstad of FrontOfficeSports.com. With $450 million in football and sponsorship earnings (pre-tax, of course), Brady has other business interests that could grow and grow and grow.

Cryptocurrency. NFTs. Clothing line. TB12. Production company. Maybe more. Maybe much more.

He’ll need more to eventually reach oligarch status. If he does, it would be interesting to see whether someone who knows the sport as well as he does would do a better job as an owner than someone who made a ton of money in some other industry and bought a football team — or someone who 23-and-me’d their way into inheriting a franchise.

One of the unspoken realities for those NFL owners who know how to properly manage a team is that they love to welcome really rich bozos into the club. The presence of poorly-run football organizations makes it a lot easier to win football games. Brady would potentially be a formidable presence, channeling his uber-competitiveness and his intimate, detailed understanding of the sport into an operation that could become as successful as the franchise with which he won six of his Super Bowls.

In other words, fans who have no choice but to accept the owners of their favorite teams perhaps should start hoping that their favorite team will be for sale right at the time Brady is ready to buy one. Plenty of fan bases could do a lot worse — and are doing a lot worse — than having someone like Brady in charge of the organization.

How would Roger Goodell feel about the man he suspended because some footballs may have been slightly under-inflated becoming one of his bosses?

TONY CORRENTE

Although his last notable moment was going out of his way to flag a taunting penalty on Cassius Marsh of the Bears, Tony Corrente was an outstanding NFL referee who is retiring after 27 seasons.  Kevin Seifert of NFL.com:

Longtime NFL referee Tony Corrente will retire after officiating Sunday’s Pro Bowl, the league announced Saturday.

Corrente, who served the league in various capacities for 27 years, is one of eight officials who have decided to retire.

Retiring NFL officials

Referee Tony Corrente

Down judge Ed Camp

Field judge Scott Edwards

Field judge/side judge Greg Gautreaux

Side judge Joe Larrew

Replay official Johnny McGrath

Line judge Mark Steinkerchner

Field judge Steve Zimmer

The referee in Super Bowl XLI after the 2006 season, Corrente recovered from throat cancer five years later. According to information he provided to the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance, Corrente began feeling pain in his head and back after being knocked to the ground while separating players during a Week 1 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. He later began coughing up blood and, after seeking medical assistance, was found to have a cancerous mass at the base of his tongue. He continued working for much of the season and returned full-time in 2012.

This season, Corrente drew the ire of Chicago Bears fans when he flagged pass-rusher Cassius Marsh for taunting after a key fourth-quarter sack in the Bears’ 29-27 loss to the Steelers in Week 9. The NFL supported the decision, however, as part of its crackdown on taunting throughout the season.

2022 DRAFT

Dane Brugler of The Athletic has a list of moneymakers from last week in Mobile:

For my practice wrap-up, I wanted to highlight one player from each position who “won” the week.

I’m not saying these players will be the first drafted at their position among Senior Bowl players (although some will). But these are the players who consistently stood out from Tuesday to Thursday and were the best at their position this week.

Quarterback: Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh (6-3, 217)

I struggled making a pick here because although each quarterback had moments this week, there wasn’t a no-doubt-about-it winner. Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder started slow but got better throughout the week. Liberty’s Malik Willis was terrific in the elements Wednesday but was up-and-down inside during Thursday’s practice. In terms of overall consistency, I have to go Pickett.

Also, I heard glowing reviews from several scouts about Pickett and the way he handled himself during interviews this week. For teams willing to bet on high-upside traits, Willis could be QB1 on some draft boards. But for teams looking for a quarterback ready to step in and compete for starting reps from day one, Pickett will have the edge. One thing is for sure, we didn’t have one quarterback separate himself throughout the week of practice.

Running Back: Dameon Pierce, Florida (5-9, 220)

I thought Missouri’s Tyler Badie had his moments, especially as a receiver. As did Alabama’s Brian Robinson and Baylor’s Abram Smith. But Pierce consistently showed out, both as a pass-catcher and in pass protection drills, and was the easy choice for me here.

Pierce never eclipsed 600 rushing yards in any of his four seasons in Gainesville as he shared the workload. But he can be as productive as his volume and be an every-down back capable of a larger role. Pierce has an NFL build and run style, and scouts were talking positively after practice about his performance this week as a blocker.

Wide Receiver: Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama (6-1, 195)

Several wide receivers stood out this week. The plant, burst, and short-area acceleration from Memphis’ Calvin Austin created separation for him all week. Boise State’s Khalil Shakir was the best route-runner I saw, and he was consistent at the catch point. SMU’s Danny Gray showed an explosive gear that gave cornerbacks trouble and belongs in the NFL.

But in terms of overall consistency, Tolbert unsurprisingly impressed. Once Penn State’s Jahan Dotson pulled out, Tolbert became the clear top wide receiver on the Senior Bowl roster, and he lived up to that high billing. Though not a burner, he can win at the line of scrimmage and mixes his gears really well to out-leverage coverage. Tolbert was at No. 49 overall in my recent mock draft, but I’m not sure he lasts that long.

Tight End: Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State (6-5, 250)

Even though he missed Thursday’s practice with a minor injury, Ruckert impressed during the first two days. He is smooth in his routes to uncover downfield, and his ball skills were on display, consistently snaring throws away from his frame.

Although Colorado State’s Trey McBride is the favorite to be the first tight end drafted, that isn’t a consensus opinion around the league, and Ruckert is very much in the mix. A pair of “F” tight ends (tight ends who play more as receivers or H-backs) who looked good this week and are also in the early round discussion are Coastal Carolina’s Isaiah Likely and UCLA’s Greg Dulcich.

Offensive tackle: Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa (6-6, 330)

It wasn’t always pretty with Penning this week. He struggled to consistently play with balance, either because he gave up his chest or tried to overpower everything. And some of his finishing techniques were out of control. But all the NFL scouts I talked to this week raved about his nasty temperament and his ability to piss off edge rushers as a result of that.

Coming from the FCS level, Penning has dominant tape against inferior competition, so this was an important week for him. And although there were rough patches, he showed steady improvement each day and had his most consistent day of practice Thursday. I don’t think Penning had the type of week that will put him in the conversation to be a top-10 pick. But with his impressive length (34 3/4-inch arms) and movement skills for that size, I think he likely solidified himself as a top-32 prospect.

Guard/Center: Zion Johnson, Boston College (6-2, 314)

Chattanooga’s Cole Strange and Memphis’ Dylan Parham also deserve high praise for their week of practice. But Johnson is just on another level, especially considering he played most of the week at center, a position he had never played before. I gave Johnson a first-round grade based on his 2021 tape, and nothing that happened during Senior Bowl practices has changed that projection.

Like Penning, it was far from perfect. But his ability to reset multiple times mid-rep stood out consistently during each practice. Johnson is stout at contact and plays with strong, precise hands to plant and re-leverage himself as he works to stay centered. Watching him work from 30 feet away gave me even more appreciation for his muscle twitch and reaction skills.

Edge Rusher: Jermaine Johnson, Florida State (6-4, 259)

Defensive line was the most competitive position all week. With his skilled and heavy hands, South Carolina’s Kingsley Enagbare was my runner-up. And there were no shortage of worthy candidates that who deserve mention (Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie and Jesse Luketa, Miami (Ohio’s) Dominique Robinson, Cincinnati’s Myjai Sanders, etc.). But Johnson entered the week as the top-ranked defensive player in Mobile and he only exceeded expectations.

Johnson is long, agile and powerful, and he understands how to use all of those traits to break down the rhythm of blockers. He was already considered a potential early-round prospect a year ago when he was part of Georgia’s rotation-heavy scheme. Since then, he established himself as the alpha of the Florida State defense, led the ACC in tackles for loss and sacks, and stood out as the top defensive player at this year’s Senior Bowl. Johnson was already in the first-round conversation, and now the question is, how high could he realistically go?

Defensive Tackle: Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma (6-3, 303)

Like edge rusher, the defensive tackles were awesome this week. Georgia’s Devonte Wyatt and UConn’s Travis Jones were tough to block all week and showed why they are potential top-50 picks. Houston’s Logan Hall backed up why I believe he is a top-32 prospect in this draft. Arkansas’ John Ridgeway had several splash plays in each practice, and Missouri State’s Eric Johnson impressed at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and continued that momentum in Mobile.

But Winfrey was consistently disruptive all week and is going to force a lot of evaluators to revisit their initial grades. During one-on-one’s, he slammed his heavy hands into blockers and consistently created movement with natural power and remarkable length (35 1/2-inch arms and a wingspan that is just shy of 86 inches). Winfrey also showed his quickness, using an explosive rip-swipe move a few times to create his own rush lane. He also brought an infectious energy to every practice that rubbed off on all of his teammates.

Linebacker: Troy Andersen, Montana State (6-3, 242)

For “small school” prospects, the main thing at these all-star games is to show you belong — and Andersen did exactly that with his impressive athleticism. He was frequently called out in a positive way by the Jets’ coaches for his range and speed during 7-on-7 drills, making plays all over the field. Before Thanksgiving, I tweeted that some west coast-based NFL scouts believed Andersen was a top-100 draft pick, and he hasn’t done anything to hurt that projection.

This was one of the best plays I saw after studying Thursday’s practice tapes. Andersen finds himself out of position for a split-second, but he recovers, stays under control and plays through the hands of the tight end to break up the pass without drawing the flag. After spending much of his college career on offense as a quarterback and running back, Andersen has only been playing the linebacker position full-time for two years, so he is still raw in areas. But plays like this are why you bet on his athletic traits.

Cornerback: Tariq Woolen, UTSA (6-3, 205)

A tall drink of water, Woolen has elite height, length (33 1/2-inch arms), and speed (expected to run in the 4.3s). As a former receiver, he is still learning the details of the position. But he showed during practice drills that he is more than just impressive size/speed traits.

This rep in receiver-cornerback one-on-one’s is a perfect example. For a player with his long legs, Woolen does an outstanding job staying on top of the route and balancing with his footwork to transition with the receiver. Obviously, you want to see him finish the play with the interception, but the main takeaways from this clip are his composed feet and transition skills. My updated top-100 draft board comes out soon — and Woolen is a lock to be on it.

Safety: Jalen Pitre, Baylor (5-10, 196)

After playing the “star” position in Dave Aranda’s defense, Pitre was well-equipped to show out in the drills during Senior Bowl practices. With his athletic versatility and toughness, he showed the coverage skills to challenge backs and tight ends man-to-man at every level of the field.

Something that stood out on college tape with Pitre were his spatial awareness and natural feel for angles, both in the passing game and in pursuit. And that carried over to practices this week as Pitre confirmed what we thought going in. It is a shame Penn State’s Jaquon Brisker wasn’t here, because Pitre and Illinois’ Kerby Joseph both had a good week of practice and helped themselves in the eyes of NFL scouts.

We heard a lot more buzz about WR CHRISTIAN WATSON than we did about Brugler’s choice Tolbert.  Watson found his way to North Dakota State from Plant H.S. in Tampa.  This from WindyCityGridiron.com:

Perhaps no wide receiver did as much with their appearance at the Senior Bowl as Christian Watson.

The 6-foot-4, 211-pound weapon with 10-inch hands was consistently able to overcome the competition during practices, and that was no different in the game itself on Saturday. He was able to beat Sam Houston State defensive back Zyon McCollum with a jab on his speed release to the outside, adjusting to an underthrown ball incredibly well for a big gain. His combination of size, straight-line speed and fluidity across the middle of the field should have him propelled well into Day 2 territory.

If Allen Robinson doesn’t come back to the Bears, they’ll be in need of a new ‘X’ wide receiver to fill their need of a big-bodied receiver. Watson could be a player worth targeting.

NFL Nation at ESPN.com has an extensive article where the 2022 QB market is “played out” by their team correspondents acting as GMs. Let’s start where they ended – with the QBs broken down by division:

NFC

North

DET      Jared Goff                 Malik Willis

CHI       Justin Fields

GB       Aaron Rodgers

MIN      Kirk Cousins

East

DAL      Dak Prescott

NYG     Daniel Jones

PHI       Jalen Hurts

WSH     Derek Carr

South

ATL      Matt Ryan

CAR     Sam Darnold        Kenny Pickett            Cam Newton

NO       Jameis Winston

TB        Jimmy Garoppolo

West

ARI       Kyler Murray

LAR      Matthew Stafford

SF        Trey Lance

SEA     Russell Wilson

AFC

North

BAL      Lamar Jackson 

CIN       Joe Burrow       

CLE      Baker Mayfield 

PIT       Jacoby Brissett      Sam Howell

East

BUF      Josh Allen        

MIA      Tua Tagovailoa

NE        Mac Jones

NYJ      Zach Wilson

South

HOU     Davis Mills      

IND       Carson Wentz   

JAX      Trevor Lawrence           

TEN      Ryan Tannehill

West

DEN     Teddy Bridgewater

KC        Patrick Mahomes          

LAC      Justin Herbert

LV         Marcus Mariota  Matt Corral

Let’s pick one situation in each division to see how they resolve it.

AARON RODGERS stays in Green Bay:

Why he might be available: Despite being disgruntled during the 2021 offseason, Rodgers returned to the Packers on a reworked deal this past season — though the team agreed to revisit his situation during the 2022 offseason. Rodgers has said he expects to make a decision on what he wants to do by the time free agency opens, and the options include returning to Green Bay, requesting a trade or even retiring.

Broncos’ offer: 2022 first-rounder (No. 9), 2023 first-rounder, 2022 second-rounder, 2022 third-rounder and a WR/TE from current Denver roster for Rodgers

There would also have to be assurances that Rodgers and his representatives would be ready to do an extension beyond 2022 that makes sense. The Broncos need a solution at quarterback, with Teddy Bridgewater being an unrestricted free agent and Drew Lock headed into the final year of his rookie deal. Rodgers isn’t a long-term solution, even with an extension, so the Broncos would need to at least entertain the idea of also drafting a quarterback. — Jeff Legwold

The Packers’ decision: No deal

The Packers simply aren’t ready to move on from Rodgers, who provides Green Bay with the best chance to get back to a Super Bowl. Unless Rodgers says he wants out now, we’re not trading him. Jeff, call back in a month or so, and perhaps we can talk after we’ve given Aaron some time to think about what he wants to do. — Rob Demovsky

Seahawks turn down trade offers for RUSSELL WILSON:

Contract status: two years left, $37M/$40M cap hits

Why he might be available: Wilson voiced frustrations with Seattle last February, and though he didn’t demand a trade, he listed four teams that he would consider lifting his no-trade clause for: the Cowboys, Saints, Raiders and Bears. The QB was vague about his future at the end of the 2021 regular season, too. It’s unclear if Wilson’s four-team list has evolved and expanded, so each offer below would also need Wilson’s approval, in addition to the Seahawks’ acceptance.

Panthers’ offer: QB Sam Darnold, RB Christian McCaffrey, 2022 fifth-rounder, 2023 first-rounder and 2023 third-rounder for Wilson and 2022 third-rounder

We’d also send half of Darnold’s $18.9M salary as part of the deal. The Panthers need a long-term solution at quarterback, and Wilson would be a good fit on many levels. — David Newton

Browns’ offer: QB Baker Mayfield, 2022 first-rounder (No. 13) and 2023 first-rounder for Wilson

Wilson would seemingly fit in well in coach Kevin Stefanski’s run-heavy/play-action/rollout scheme, while Mayfield would get a new start with a franchise that could be ready for a transition. The Browns have a roster that is ready to win now, and perhaps it’s time for a bold move. — Jake Trotter

Raiders’ offer: QB Derek Carr, S Johnathan Abram and 2022 second-rounder for Wilson and 2022 fifth-rounder

While Carr holds virtually every passing record in franchise history, he has probably reached his ceiling, and his contract situation makes things tenuous. Both QBs could benefit from a change of scenery. — Paul Gutierrez

Saints’ offer: 2022 first-rounder (No. 18), 2023 first-rounder, 2022 third-rounder and 2023 second-rounder for Wilson

The Saints have a hole at QB as long as Jameis Winston remains unsigned as a free-agent — and they have a win-now roster with stars like Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis and Malcolm Jenkins in their 30s and Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas still in their prime windows. Although it doesn’t look like we have the cap space, we can make it work. — Mike Triplett

Giants’ offer: QB Daniel Jones, 2022 first-rounder (No. 5) and 2022 second-rounder for Wilson

If Wilson really wants to be in New York, the Giants could build around him. — Jordan Raanan

Eagles’ offer: QB Jalen Hurts, two 2022 first-rounders (Nos. 15, 16) and 2023 second-rounder for Wilson

While Hurts has shown promise, Wilson is a sure thing and immediately elevates Philadelphia into the top-tier of teams in the NFC and opens up a legitimate championship window. — Tim McManus

Commanders’ offer: 2022 first-rounder (No. 11), 2022 second-rounder, 2023 first-rounder and 2023 conditional second-rounder for Wilson

The 2023 conditional pick would become a 2024 first-rounder if Washington wins the Super Bowl next season. The Commanders need to land a QB who can be the face of a rebrand, and Wilson — who is from nearby Richmond, Virginia — has a Super Bowl on his resume and is a top-10 quarterback. He’s also an excellent play-action passer, something Washington likes to use. — John Keim

The Seahawks’ decision: No deal

Any discussion of a return for Wilson needs to be rooted in the understanding that the Seahawks don’t have to trade him and can be exceedingly picky while listening to offers. Unless he becomes so disgruntled that he tries to force his way out — there’s been no indication that he’s nearing that point, and he has said his preference is to stay — it’s not as though the situation is so toxic that it’s untenable. Wilson remains an elite quarterback, even after a down year in which he suffered a serious finger injury. We’re probably talking something in the neighborhood of three first-round picks and, most important of all, a viable path to a QB who can win them a Super Bowl.

This is a bad draft for quarterbacks, and any 2023 first-rounder acquired in a Wilson trade would likely be near the end of the round, given how much better he’d make his new team. The Giants may be an exception (and Seattle liked Jones coming out of the 2019 draft), but the rest of their offer isn’t nearly good enough. The Browns’ and Raiders’ offers get Wilson out of the NFC, but the trade packages aren’t strong enough to make up for the drop-off from Wilson to Mayfield or Carr. Ditto for the Eagles’ and Panthers’ offers. Washington and New Orleans both proposed decent deals that included two first-rounders and then some, but again, they wouldn’t clearly position us to find Wilson’s replacement. We’ll pass. — Brady Henderson

JIMMY GAROPPOLO to the Buccaneers:

Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers

Contract status: one year left, $26.9M cap hit

Panthers’ offer: 2022 fourth-rounder and 2023 second-rounder for Garoppolo

Garoppolo has proven he can lead a team to the playoffs, and the Panthers believe with a rebuilt offensive line and a defense built to win now, he would do the same for them. And Carolina can use its first-round picks over the next two years to add help around him, starting with a left tackle. — David Newton

Steelers’ offer: 2022 third-rounder, 2023 sixth-rounder and half of Garoppolo’s salary for Garoppolo

Garoppolo can help transition the Steelers’ offense following Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement. — Brooke Pryor

Buccaneers’ offer: 2022 second-rounder for Garoppolo

Assuming the Bucs can keep their core roster intact, one could argue that they’re really only a quarterback away from staying in contention — and this one wouldn’t break the bank, allowing them to keep their key free agents. Garoppolo is no Tom Brady, but he has Super Bowl experience, played with Brady in New England and could, at the very least, serve as a bridge to Kyle Trask. — Jenna Laine

Commanders’ offer: 2022 third-rounder and 2023 fourth-rounder for Garoppolo

Garoppolo is considered a strong leader, and while his injury history is concerning, the cost is not prohibitive. He’d be an upgrade — though perhaps just a temporary one, depending on his play. — John Keim

The 49ers’ decision: Tampa Bay

Finding the right match was a bit more difficult than expected, considering Rodgers and Wilson ultimately weren’t traded. The offseason’s QB market demand far outweighs supply in that case, and while the Niners are happy to recoup the second-round pick they traded to New England for Garoppolo in 2017, I was hoping for an additional mid-to-late-round pick in 2023, too. But this is a fair deal for both sides, as we clear the decks for Trey Lance, who spent the year learning from Garoppolo and bolstered his stock with the team for how he handled everything and improved as the year went on. Lance will be our starter for 2022. — Nick Wagoner

The Buccaneers’ aftermath: Garoppolo’s cap hit would be a challenge for the Bucs, who only have about $20 million in salary cap space at this time. But Tampa Bay could convert about $23.2 million of Garoppolo’s deal to a signing bonus, which would drop the cap number to $5.9 million. Then the question becomes, how long would they extend him for if he’s simply viewed as a “bridge quarterback” until Kyle Trask is ready? — Jenna Laine

DEREK CARR to Washington:

Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

Contract status: one year left, $19.8M cap hit

Commanders’ offer: 2022 first-rounder (No. 11) and 2023 conditional fourth-rounder for Carr

The conditional pick would become a second-rounder if Carr signs an extension, and if Washington makes the playoffs and wins 10 games in 2022. Washington has started eight quarterbacks over the past three seasons and has been stuck in QB purgatory for nearly three decades (32 starters since it won the Super Bowl in the 1991 season). It has a roster that is capable of being a consistent playoff contender — with the right quarterback. Carr finished last season well in part because the Raiders used a lot more play-action down the stretch; Washington attempted the fifth-most play-action passes. — John Keim

The Raiders’ decision: Washington

While Raiders owner Mark Davis said Las Vegas was not in a rebuild or a reload after hiring new coach Josh McDaniels, it is a fresh start. And if the Raiders could get an immediate first-rounder for Carr, who is in need of an extension, as well as a potential third-rounder next year to quicken said fresh start, what’s the debate? — Paul Gutierrez

The Commanders’ aftermath: Washington has the NFL’s worst Total QBR since Kirk Cousins left after the 2017 season. With a rebrand of the name and franchise identity, it needs to win fans back with on-field success. Carr might not be a top-10 quarterback, but he’s in that 12-15 range, an area Washington hasn’t consistently been in a while. This trade would enable the Commanders to keep building, too. As far as an extension goes, he would likely receive more than $100 million in guaranteed money and a salary between $30-35 million. It’s a lot for a QB of his stature, but Washington has paid the price for not having someone in this category for too long. — John Keim   

The Broncos re-up with TEDDY BRIDGEWATER:

Teddy Bridgewater

2021 team: Broncos

Broncos’ offer: Two years, $39M ($20M guaranteed)

The deal has an additional $2M bonus for 70% of offensive snaps in 2022 or 2023, $2.5M bonus for 80% of offensive snaps in 2022 or 2023 or $3M bonus for 85% of offensive snaps in 2022 or 2023 — so it could actually be worth as much as $45M. The Broncos have a core of youthful playmakers at the skill positions with a newly-minted offensive-minded head coach in Nathaniel Hackett. — Jeff Legwold

Bridgewater’s decision: Denver

I like it here! Hopefully Denver doesn’t draft my replacement this year, though. — Dan Graziano

The Broncos’ aftermath: Look, this isn’t the scenario most Broncos’ fans want, but until Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson is actually in the trade market, the Broncos have to have a plan to play in 2022 and move forward. The free-agent class of QBs is ho hum at best, and Bridgewater fits what the Broncos will do on offense. And if Denver does use an early draft pick to select a quarterback, Bridgewater will be the best option as a mentor, as well. — Jeff Legwold         

The Steelers end up with JACOBY BRISSETT and SAM HOWELL:

Jacoby Brissett

2021 team: Dolphins

Steelers’ offer: Two years, $10M ($10M guaranteed)

The total value could increase up to $15M based on playing-time incentives. We’ll give you a shot to compete for the starters’ gig, and our offense has plenty of targets for you in the passing game. — Brooke Pryor

Brissett’s decision: Pittsburgh

If that’s my only offer, I’ll take it. Good spot, with an organization that always has a chance to win. Maybe I have a chance to compete for the starting job, but if not, it’s not a bad place to be the backup. — Dan Graziano

The Steelers’ aftermath: Pittsburgh wasn’t willing to part with the draft capital necessary to land Jimmy Garoppolo, and Marcus Mariota’s asking price was higher than expected. So we went with a different mid-tier veteran in Brissett. He’s an intriguing candidate partly because of his mobility, something that both coach Mike Tomlin and owner Art Rooney II have emphasized as a priority in the next quarterback. Bringing him in also gives the Steelers the flexibility to draft a quarterback in 2022 or use him as a bridge option to get to a stronger 2023 or 2024 class. And as veterans of the Steelers’ system, Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins could compete with Brissett. — Brooke Pryor

20. Steelers: Sam Howell, UNC

The Steelers come out of free agency and the draft with not one, but two new quarterbacks. Because of his mobility and big arm potential, Howell is a fit for the Steelers. Brissett and Howell (and perhaps Rudolph) could compete for the starting job in camp, but the team would have flexibility to sit Howell for a year — or as long as possible in the 2022 season — and develop. — Brooke Pryor

The Texans stay the course with DAVIS MILLS:

Texans keep Davis Mills

Although Mills struggled in his first six-start stint replacing an injured Tyrod Taylor, he showed enough improvement in his final five games to be considered the starter going into the 2022 season. The Texans will need to sign a backup quarterback — and could choose a veteran quarterback who could truly compete with Mills for the starting spot — but Houston is also waiting for some clarity on Deshaun Watson’s legal situation before a potential trade. — Sarah Barshop

The Dolphins keep TUA TAGOVAILOA

Dolphins keep Tua Tagovailoa

After spending the fifth overall pick on Tagovailoa in 2020, the Dolphins will want to give him an opportunity to develop under an offensive-minded coach who can extract the most out of him. That mindset should not, however, stop them from adding a high-level backup who could push Tagovailoa for the starting job if he fails to improve in 2022. — Marcel Louis-Jacques