NFL 2023 - Coaching and GM Updates

[Exe Gesis]

NFL future GMs: Will McClay, Adam Peters headline list of future executives - Sports Illustrated

There are plenty of men and women rising through the ranks. Who could be next in line for the league’s most coveted front-office jobs?

www.si.com

 

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Cardinals fired HC Kliff Kingsbury.​

Kingsbury was hired in 2019, which also marked the beginning of the Kyler Murray era in Arizona. The two made sense together on paper as they both operated air raid offenses at the college level. However, Kingsbury never developed the prolific passing offense many hoped for in Arizona. The Cardinals finished in the top half of the league in passing yards just once in his four years at the helm, peaking in 2021 with a 10th-place finish. 2021 was also Kingsbury's only playoff season. The Cardinals were absolutely dismantled by the Rams in the Wild Card Round. They regressed badly in 2022, finishing 4-13, the worst season of Kingsbury's NFL career. As Adam Schefter noted on Twitter, the Cardinals have never had a head coach last longer than six years in their 100-plus-year history.

Steve Keim has stepped down from the Cardinals general manager position to focus on his health.​

Keim is stepping down following a meeting with owner Michael Bidwill. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury was also fired as part of that meeting. The Cardinals will start over in 2023 with a new general manager and head coach as they attempt to recover from their worst record in Kyler Murray's four years as a starter. Having committed to Murray with a new contract in 2022, it would make sense for the Cardinal to prioritize an offensive-minded coach. They will have quite a few decisions to make in the coming months.

CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reports the Cardinals have requested to interview Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham for their general manager vacancy.​

Cunningham joined the Bears last season to serve as an assistant to general manager Ryan Poles. Before joining the Bears, Cunningham spent four seasons with the Eagles, serving as director of college scouting before being promoted to assistant director of player personnel. The Cardinals are certain to string together a long list of candidates to fill the vacancies at general manager and head coach with Steve Keim and Kliff Kingsbury now gone.

 

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Browns fired defensive coordinator Joe Woods.​

The Browns had their moments on defense this season. For example, they held Joe Burrow to just 13 points in Week 8. However, they were highly susceptible to the run this season, becoming one of the biggest run funnels in the league. The Browns allowed the 13th most points this year, but their clear point of attack for opposing offenses made life difficult at times. Woods joined Stefanski in Cleveland when he was hired as head coach in 2020. Woods had previously served as defensive coordinator for the Broncos and has also been a defensive backs coach.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Browns have requested permission to interview Steelers' LB coach Brian Flores for their defensive coordinator vacancy.​

Flores spent all of 2022 with the Steelers after being fired by the Dolphins at the end of the 2021 season. Flores interviewed for a handful of head coaching vacancies after being fired by the Dolphins and went on to file a class-action lawsuit against the Dolphins, Broncos, Texans, and Giants for discriminatory hiring practices. Long viewed as one of the better defensive-minded coaches in the league, Flores was with the Patriots from 2008 to 2018, coaching a number of defensive positions during his tenure before being hired as the Dolphins' head coach in 2019. It wouldn't be surprising if other teams look to interview him for vacant defensive

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports the Browns have requested permission to interview Seahawks' associate HC Sean Desai for their defensive coordinator vacancy.​

Desai served in a number of roles with the Bears from 2013 to 2021, with his last being as defensive coordinator. He was dismissed by the team following the firing of Matt Nagy at the end of the 2021 campaign but quickly latched on with the Seahawks as an associated head coach/defensive assistant. Desai is now one of three candidates expected to interview for the Browns' defensive coordinator vacancy, with Brian Flores and Jerod Mayo also on tap for interviews.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Browns have requested permission to interview Patriots' LB coach Jerod Mayo for their defensive coordinator vacancy.​

Mayo will be a hot name this offseason. The former All-Pro linebacker has served as the Patriots' inside linebackers coach since 2019 and was interviewed by the Raiders at the start of 2022 for their head coaching vacancy. Mayo will likely field multiple interview requests over the next several days and could be coaching elsewhere in 2023.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reports the Browns have requested permission to interview Titans' defensive assistant Jim Schwartz for their defensive coordinator vacancy.​

Schwartz is one of the more decorated coaching candidates in the league, having spent five seasons as the Lions' head coach (2009-2013) while also serving as defensive coordinator for the Titans, Bills, and Eagles before rejoining the Titans as a defensive assistant in 2021. Schwartz has helped lead several top-10 defenses during his time in the NFL and has coached up several All-Pro and Pro Bowl defensive linemen in his career.

 

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Speaking Monday, Patriots HC Bill Belichick told reporters that he will return to coach the team in 2023.​

It was an uncharacteristic season for Belichick, who seemed intent on botching year two of Mac Jones' development. Following offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' departure, he never replaced him. Instead, he ultimately leaned on former defensive coordinator and Lions head coach Matt Patricia. That, somehow, went even worse than expected, with Jones literally screaming at his coaches on the sidelines on multiple occasions. Per ProFootballTalk, when Belichick was asked if Jones would be the Patriots' quarterback in 2023, he said, "Mac has the ability to play quarterback in this league." Given Belichick's all-time resume, 2022's mistakes will be quickly forgotten if the team bounces back in 2023. However, the Patriots have some big decisions to make about their path forward on offense.

 

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Broncos requested permission to interview Cowboys DC Dan Quinn for their head-coaching vacancy.​

Quinn was a hot name last offseason but ultimately opted to stay in Dallas. After the Cowboys turned in a borderline dominant season in pass defense, Quinn is expected to be among 2023's most sought-after coaches. The Denver Gazette's George Stoia noted that Russell Wilson specifically mentioned Quinn when asked about potential head coaching hires. “Dan Quinn, I know him personally, too. He's an amazing coach as well, an amazing person, an amazing soul, great leader." With the Broncos committed to Wilson for next season, it would help to have him fully on board with the head coaching hire. That certainly seems to be the case if the Broncos go with Quinn.

The Broncos have requested permission to interview 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans for their head-coaching vacancy.​

Ryans was a hot candidate this time last year, too, and his star has only risen with the 49ers once again having one of the league's very best defenses. A Pro Bowl player, Ryans also has a strong coaching pedigree working in a Kyle Shanahan system that has churned out coaching candidates on both sides of the ball. Only 38, Ryans' age might have worked against him in the past, but coaching candidates have begun to strongly skew under 40. There's a real chance Ryans lands a gig this winter, though Denver will surely be tempted to hire an offensive mind with an eye toward "saving" Russell Wilson.

The Broncos have requested permission to interview Rams DC Raheem Morris for their head-coaching vacancy.​

It's going to be a strange winter for Morris, who could be in limbo in Los Angeles as Sean McVay mulls his future. A Rams departure for McVay would instantly make Morris one of the favorites to take over in L.A. He's going to have to navigate those odds as he decides what to do with other teams' requests. The long-ago Bucs head coach is still only 46, and has become an annual head-coaching candidate since saddling up with McVay. The Rams' defense remained strong in 2022 despite depth and injury issues.

 

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Falcons DC Dean Pees announced his retirement.​

Pees, 73, spent more than 50 years as a coach at both the college and pro level, first breaking into the NFL in 2004 as the Patriots linebacker coach. He would be hired to the same position by the Ravens and 2010 and later promoted to defensive coordinator for the 2012 season. From there, Pees would go on to serve as the defensive coordinator for the Ravens (2012-2017), the Titans (2018-2019), and the Falcons (2021-2022). During his career, Pees won two Super Bowls, with his last coming in the 2012 season when he helped lead the Ravens to a win over the 49ers in what would be Ray Lewis' final year in the league.

 

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The Saints are expected to retain Dennis Allen as HC for the 2023 season.​

According to ESPN's Katherine Terrell, Allen has already spoken with GM Mickey Loomis about the upcoming weeks and Allen's job appears to be safe. Allen led the Saints to a 7-10 record in his first year at the helm, as his team dealt with a myriad of injuries and underwhelming quarterback play from the likes of Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston. As a team, the Saints ranked 22nd in the league in points per game (19.4) but were ninth in points allowed (20.3). As of now, the Saints sit roughly $45 million over the cap. They'll almost certainly make some moves to allow some flexibility, but this is a roster that could struggle to improve with limited spending resources in 2023.

 

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Interim Colts coach Jeff Saturday has confirmed he would like to return as the team's official head coach in 2023.​

"I have a very clear vision of how I can turn this football team around," Saturday claimed at a Monday press conference. Saturday's stunning mid-season replacement of Frank Reich was an unmitigated fiasco, with the team going 1-7 with a -80 point differential. Unsurprisingly, Saturday seemed to struggle with the finer points of coaching like challenges and clock management. "In his defense," the Colts stumbled into probably the league's worst quarterback situation, but Saturday didn't show anything to suggest he would be the best man to fix the Colts' manifold issues in 2023. It would be far from surprising, however, if owner Jim Irsay remains in Saturday's corner.

 

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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort is amongst six candidates to replace fired Tennessee GM Jon Robinson.​

Ossenfort is one of two in-house candidates, with vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden being the other. Per Rapsheet, 49ers director of player personnel Ran Carthon, Browns assistant GM Glenn Cook, Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters and Bills senior director of pro personnel Mailk Boyd are the initial outside candidates. Whoever replaces Robinson is probably going to end up something of a No. 2 to powerful head coach Mike Vrabel.

 

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NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports the Texans have requested permission to interview Lions OC Ben Johnson for their head coaching vacancy.​

Johnson was promoted from tight ends coach to offensive coordinator before the 2022 season and quickly turned the Lions into one of the league's best offenses. After a 2021 season in which the Lions finished 3-13-1 and ranked 25th in the league in scoring (19.1 PPG), Johnson helped turn the Lions into the fifth-highest scoring team in 2022 (26.6 PPG) as they went on to post their first winning season since 2017. The Texans currently hold the No. 2 overall pick in next year's draft and will likely need a bright offensive mind to lead whatever high-profile quarterback they end up drafting. What Johnson was able to do with Jared Goff under center could be enough to have several teams interested in his services.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Texans requested permission to interview Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon for its head coaching vacancy.​

Gannon figures to be a favorite to land the Texans' head coaching gig after he made it through two rounds of interviews last year. Gannon has served as the Eagles' defensive coordinator since 2021 and had previous stints with the Falcons, Titans, Vikings, and Colts, where he served in a number of roles. His defense allowed the eighth-fewest points per game in the regular season (20.2) and allowed the second-fewest yards per game (301.5).

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Texans have requested permission to interview Eagles OC Shane Steichen for their head coaching vacancy.​

Houston loves what it's seen out of the Eagles this year, as they've now requested interviews with both their offensive and defensive coordinators. Steichen has been with the Eagles since 2021 and has played a key role in elevating Philly's offense to one of the best in the league. Under Steichen, the Eagles ranked 12th and third in the league in points per game, thanks in part to his play calling and willingness to maximize Jalen Hurts' unique skillset. With the Texans currently holding the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, whatever coach they hire will likely have their say in which rookie quarterback helps usher in a new regime.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Texans have requested permission to interview 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans for their head coach vacancy.​

Ryans returning to Houston would spell a reunion for the two sides, as Ryans cut his teeth with the Texans for his first six years in the league after the team selected him in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Ryans has been on staff with the 49ers since 2017, serving as a defensive quality control coach, inside linebackers coach, and defensive coordinator. The former All-Pro linebacker has been in line for a head coaching job for the last few offseasons, but could finally land a gig with one of the many teams lined up to interview him this season.

KPRC 2's Aaron Wilson reports the Texans have requested permission to interview Broncos DC Ejiro Evero for their head coaching vacancy.​

Evero was already slated to interview for the Broncos head coaching vacancy, but will now get a chance to interview for another job elsewhere. For all the struggles the Broncos had in 2022, Evero's defense finished 14th in points allowed per game and allowed the seventh-fewest yards per game (320.0). Even if Evero doesn't land a head coaching gig in 2023, he'll be firmly on the coaching radar heading into 2024.

 

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Weird organisation the Cards, very weird. Rudderless.

Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell said Kyler Murray will offer input on the next Cardinals head coach.​

After giving Murray a lucrative contract extension before the 2022 season, it would only make sense that the Cardinals take his suggestions for the team's next coach into consideration. From what we could see on the sidelines, Murray and Kingsbury appeared to have a contentious relationship at times -- likely thanks in part to information leaking about a film-watching clause the team put into his contract. An impending divorce between the two sides felt inevitable at times and came to a head on Monday when the Cardinals cut ties with Kingsbury less than one year into his new six-year extension.

 

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Culley shouldn't have been fired last year, Texans wouldnt look as bad now if they fired Culley after a second season, Easterby had such a hard-on for fellow God enthusiast McCown that he couldn't wait it out

 

[Exe Gesis]

 

[brutus76]

Killing fields have begun

 

[Exe Gesis]

[Source: Me] Ryan Day will be coaching the Arizona Cardinals

I'm not sure how this works and I can give as much info to the mods without revealing my sources.

But remember this post when it happens.

E: I'm waiting for the mods to reach out to verify.

 

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Ahh yes Reddit users are always the best source.

Let's pretend it is true tho, good one cards, hiring another college coach after they have been nothing but massive fails the past 5 or so years.

 

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[Exe Gesis]

 

[Exe Gesis]

He's not that important. Any decent team should do a proper interview cycle with many candidates, because you never know who might impress you. Eg, Mike Tomlin

 

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Ben Johnson I'd imagine will get the most interviews this offseason.

 

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He's not that important. Any decent team should do a proper interview cycle with many candidates, because you never know who might impress you. Eg, Mike Tomlin

He comes off so desperate. Like he knows he will fail the interview process so wants to skip it. Or he thinks he's above it. Doing nothing but rubbing teams the wrong way. He's learnt nothing from last offseason.

 

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Ahh yes Reddit users are always the best source.

Let's pretend it is true tho, good one cards, hiring another college coach after they have been nothing but massive fails the past 5 or so years.

Sounds more like a disgruntled Buckeyes fan making up fanfic to get him out.

 

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He comes off so desperate. Like he knows he will fail the interview process so wants to skip it. Or he thinks he's above it. Doing nothing but rubbing teams the wrong way. He's learnt nothing from last offseason.

Well apparently the "interest" between Harbaugh and Carolina isnt coming from the Panthers.

So congrats, Panthers did a smart thing

 

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Well apparently the "interest" between Harbaugh and Carolina isnt coming from the Panthers.

So congrats, Panthers did a smart thing

We would have been wasting our time and never a realistic shot, used for nothing more than leverage like the Raiders last season as GG correctly pointed out.