The Miami Dolphins continue their search for a new head coach with two scheduled virtual interviews. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Miami will interview Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on Thursday. Both candidates were identified earlier in the week as the team made requests […] The Miami Dolphins continue their search for a new head coach with two scheduled virtual interviews. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Miami will interview Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on Thursday. Both candidates were identified earlier in the week as the team made requests for the interviews. Under NFL rules, no in-person interviews are authorized for coaches under contract with another team until January 19. Coaches on playoff teams cannot conduct an in-person interview until their team is either eliminated from the playoffs or during the bye week before the Super Bowl if the team advances that far. A coach interviewed during the Super Bowl bye week has to have already completed a virtual interview before that point. Minter has been the Chargers’ defensive coordinator since 2024, having moved over from the University of Michigan, where he was the defensive coordinator for two seasons, following head coach Jim Harbaugh in the transition. Minter has also worked at Vanderbilt, Georgia State, Indiana State, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame on the collegiate level; he had a four-year stint from 2017 through 2020 with the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL. The 2025 season was the first year of Saleh’s second stint as the 49ers defensive coordinator. He previously served in that role from 2017 through 2020 before being hired by the New York Jets as their head coach. After being fired during the 2024 season in New York, Saleh had a brief in-season stint with the Green Bay Packers as an offensive consultant. He has also spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, and Houston Texans during his NFL career. He started coaching in the college ranks, working at Michigan State, Central Michigan, and Georgia. The Dolphins have not announced the interviews. Miami has already held interviews with former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Stefanski, as a fired coach who is no longer under contract, conducted an in-person interview. See More:
Dolphins conducting two virtual interviews on Thursday
John Harbaugh’s NY Giants coaching staff: Examining coordinator options
The New York Giants came to an agreement with former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh late Wednesday night. In doing so, the Giants immediately brought stability to a rudderless franchise and delivered true hope to the fanbase for the first time since the 2023 off-season. The veteran coach is lauded as a “culture builder” who eschews concentrating on either side of the ball in favor of overseeing the whole roster and leaving his offensive and defensive coordinators to run their units. That, however, brings us to the question of who will run the offense and defense for the Giants. Let’s look at some of the possibilities. Offensive coordinator Defense has been the fanbase’s main pain point over the last year, but the development of Jaxson Dart is paramount to the Giants’ — and Harbaugh’s — long term success. That will make the offensive coordinator hire one of the most important moves of the off-season. Todd Monken – Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator at Baltimore is the natural first option. In fact, the current belief is that biggest obstacle to Monken becoming the Giants’ offensive coordinator is the possibility that the Cleveland Browns could hire him to be their head coach. Monken is a creative and experienced play-caller who has had success at both the collegiate and NFL levels. He called a pair of National Championship offenses for the Georgia Bulldogs in 2021 and 2022, and also helped develop Lamar Jackson into more of a Pro Style passer in 2023 and 2024 after Greg Roman’s read-option based offense grew stale. Monken runs what is generally termed a “spread offense”, but is an amalgamation of a wide range of concepts and philosophies from both college and the NFL. Harbaugh fought for Monken to remain in Baltimore, which is believed to be one of the reasons the Ravens fired him. So, it makes sense Harbaugh would bring him to the Giants. Mike Kafka – The Giants’ offensive coordinator and interim head coach from 2022 to 2025 is the best option to provide stability and continuity for Jaxson Dart. In addition to his relationship with Dart, nobody knows the Giants’ offensive personnel better than Kafka, which would allow him to hit the ground running. The Giants’ offense has consistently punched over its weight class with Kafka calling it, however he’s never had the opportunity to build an offense from the ground up. Kafka has already drawn interest from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions for their offensive coordinator positions. Mike McDaniel – This is the big name pie in the sky hope. McDaniel is in high demand as an offensive coordinator and also getting interviews for open head coaching positions. That said, he’s one of the NFL’s best offensive minds, even if the Dolphins’ offense has had to overcome a plethora of injuries. McDaniel’s use of speed and motion combined with the “New West Coast” concepts popularized by Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay makes his offense one of the most challenging to defend in the NFL. Davis Webb – The Giants’ 2017 third-round pick (and Denver Broncos quarterbacks coach) is already a hot commodity on the coaching circuit. He’s pretty widely regarded as on the fast track to a head coaching role, as evidenced by the fact that he’s received several head coaching interviews this cycle. It might be a bit early for Webb to become a head coach and he might need to prove that he can build an offense and run a unit before he gets the big office. That said, Daniel Jones had his best season as a Giant with Webb as a “coach in the locker room” and Bo Nix has made the playoffs twice under his tutelage. Webb also has the distinction of being the only Giant to throw a touchdown to Kenny Golladay. Nate Scheelhaase – The Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator is a name most Giants fans won’t be familiar with. However, he too is hot name on the coaching circuit and has the pedigree of being a “Sean McVay” coach. Scheelhaase is something of an unknown, so he could benefit from being able to build and run his own offense. Like Webb and Kafka, Stepping out of the shadow of an offensive genius could help Scheelhaase establish himself in the eyes of the NFL. Defensive coordinator As mentioned above, defense was the Giants’ biggest pain point last year. The team invested a huge amount of resources in the defensive side of the ball last year, but got little return for their investments. While the offensive coordinator will be instrumental in maximizing Jaxson Dart’s development and the Giants’ long-term success, this hire will be crucial for success this year. Jim Leonhard – Leonhard is a former undrafted free agent defensive back who entered the NFL back in 2005 and did spend a year under Harbaugh in 2008 (Harbaugh’s first year as a head coach). He became a coach in college ranks in 2016 as the defensive backs coach for Wisconsin. He quickly became the Badgers’ defensive coordinator in 2017 and was their interim head coach in 2022. Leonhard made the jump to the NFL in 2024, when he was hired as the Denver Bronco’s defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator. He added the title of “Assistant Head Coach” in 2025 and was quickly linked to the Giants after Harbaugh agreed to become the Giants’ head coach. Charlie Bullen – Bullen didn’t get much time as the Giants’ interim defensive coordinator, and much of his work was spent fixing bad habits that took hold under Shane Bowen and recommitting the Giants to sound fundamentals. Eventually his efforts began to pay off and we saw the team play faster and much more sound football. At the same time, he was much more aggressive than Bowen and many of the Giants’ disappointing players began to play up to expectations. He’s received requests to interview for defensive coordinator jobs, and is viewed favorably by the NFL. Antonio
Eagles offensive coordinator search reportedly includes Charlie Weis Jr.
The Philadelphia Eagles have shown interest in LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. for their vacant offensive coordinator position, according to a report from Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. The exact phrasing Leonard used was that the Eagles “have poked around on him.” Bleeding Green Nation has also heard of the Eagles’ […] The Philadelphia Eagles have shown interest in LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. for their vacant offensive coordinator position, according to a report from Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. The exact phrasing Leonard used was that the Eagles “have poked around on him.” Bleeding Green Nation has also heard of the Eagles’ interest in Weis Jr., which is why he was mentioned in our “6 offensive coordinator candidates the Eagles should consider” article from earlier this week. It’s currently unclear if he’s actually formally interviewed for the job opening. Here’s a snapshot of the 32-year-old’s coaching career thus far (while also noting that he was obviously around his father, who worked in coaching from 1979-2014): 2011 — Florida offensive quality control coach 2012-2013 — Kansas team manager 2015-2016 — Alabama offensive assistant 2017 — Atlanta Falcons offensive assistant 2018-2019 — Florida Atlantic offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach 2020-2021 — South Florida offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach 2022-2025 — Ole Miss offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach 2026 — LSU offensive coordinator Two big things that immediately stand out here: 1) his NFL experience is limited to one year and 2) he overlapped with Hurts at Bama in 2016. Speaking of connections to the Eagles, we should also note that Nick Sirianni overlapped with his dad on the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010 (Weis Sr. was OC while Sirianni was assistant quarterbacks coach). Weis Jr. is generating buzz due to the success that Ole Miss has had under Lane Kiffin. Here’s a look at how the Rebels have ranked offensively over the last four years: 2022 — 7th in yards per game, 29th in points per game 2023 — 12th in yards per game, 16th in points per game 2024 — 2nd in yards per game, 3rd in points per game 2025 — 2nd in yards per game, 10th in points per game Ole Miss notably produced 2025 first-round pick Jaxson Dart and now Trinidad Chambliss is an interesting quarterback prospect. One would think the Eagles will be looking for an offensive coordinator who has more of a proven NFL track record than Weis Jr. does. But if he’s truly a bright up-and-coming talent, maybe they’d take a big swing on him. That is, assuming Weis Jr. is comfortable leaving Kiffin hanging after accepting the LSU job back in November. At the very least, it doesn’t hurt for the Eagles to talk to him and pick his brain. See More: Philadelphia Eagles News
John Harbaugh’s hiring and what the new head coach means for NY Giants
Earlier this week, I wrote that the New York Giants desperately needed to land the plane and convince John Harbaugh to be their next head coach because the losing, and the creeping irrelevance of an NFL crown jewel franchise, had to stop. Mission accomplished. The Giants got their man, with word leaking out in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday that Harbaugh was cancelling other meetings and would become the team’s head coach. The Giants were not relevant to the NFL landscape on Wednesday. Nobody talked or wrote about them unless they had to. There was no excitement. No buzz. No real interest. On Thursday, all of that is different. John Harbaugh makes it that way. Harbaugh might or might not win a Super Bowl with the Giants. No Super Bowl-winning coach has ever gone to a new team and done that. That’s, for me, not how this should be judged. Harbaugh has brought instant credibility back to a franchise that was badly in need of it. In that same post, you see reactions from a thrilled fan base. Our ongoing poll shows that more than 95% of voters think hiring Harbaugh was the right move. Now, Harbaugh and the Giants have to capitalize on all of that by putting a quality, competitive team on the field that stays competitive and relevant. Today, though, is the best day Giants fans have had since Feb. 5, 2012, the second time Eli Manning and the Giants walked off the field victorious over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl. ‘Kudos’ to John Mara, Joe Schoen and the Giants organization The Giants clearly understood where the franchise was entering the offseason. In a bad place. They clearly understood the assignment. No more fliers on first-timers. Get the best, most credible, most-decorated coach they could find to restore credibility to an iconic franchise that had lost its way, to establish a winning culture in the locker room and around the organization. To return the Giants to what they are supposed to be. Forget those lower case letters. They are supposed to be the NEW YORK GIANTS. An NFL standard-bearer that is looked up to, not down at. The Giants were described as relentless in their pursuit of Harbaugh. Joe Schoen, the GM who has to know he is fortunate to still have that job, knew this is what his bosses wanted. He knew this was his chance to get the franchise pointed back in the right direction. He was said to be in constant contact with Harbaugh or his representatives from the time Harbaugh was fired by the Baltimore Ravens until he entered the building Wednesday for his in-person sit down. Throughout the process, Schoen, reviled by many in the fan base and thought by some to be a detriment in their search for a top-notch coach, convinced Harbaugh that they could work together. John Mara, fighting cancer, fought for the franchise his family has owned and loved for more than 100 years, by making calls and participating in meetings despite his health. Chris Mara, pictured by fans as a clueless meddler who should keep his nose out of the team’s football operations, stepped up for his big brother by traveling to Baltimore to have lunch with Harbaugh and make a pitch for the organization. Tom Coughlin, Eli Manning, and even the fired Daboll vouched for the organization. Co-owner Steve Tisch lent his support and his private airplane, which has been tracked by Internet sleuths the last couple of days as though it belonged to Taylor Swift. Tisch, rarely seen in New Jersey, was also reportedly at 1925 Giants Drive for Wednesday’s sit-down with Harbaugh. Quarterback Jaxson Dart reportedly stopped by to say hello. Cam Skattebo, too. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the Giants broke out a Ouija Board and tried to contact the spirit of Wellington Mara to make a pitch to Harbaugh on Wednesday. Once Harbaugh became available, the Giants knew what had to be done. As O’Connor said, they were not going to be denied. They deserve props for that. Next steps for NY Giants coaching staff Now, Harbaugh will have to put a coaching staff together. Will Giants coaches like offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo, interim defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen, or even venerable defensive line coach Andre Patterson get to stick around? Todd Monken, Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator in Baltimore, seems like the heavy favorite to get the job of shepherding Dart’s growth with the Giants. That makes sense because one of the reasons Harbaugh lost his job with the Ravens was his refusal to fire Monken, a veteran coordinator. On defense? Bullen deserves an audience. Best guess is he lands as a coordinator somewhere in this cycle after doing a good job taking over from Shane Bowen midseason. On defense, Harbaugh has a lot of choices. There are a number of good coaches working around the league who passed through Baltimore on their way to bigger opportunities. Chris Pflum will have more on the hunt for assistant coaches a bit later. One name that is fun to talk about, but almost certainly isn’t happening is Wink Martindale. The former Giants defensive coordinator parted ways with Harbaugh before coming to New York. The two are said to be friends, but I don’t see Harbaugh running it back with Martindale. Biggest event ever? The New York/New Jersey sports scene has a rich history. Putting aside Super Bowls or championships of any kind in other sports, has there ever been a bigger, more stunning, more potentially franchise-altering move than this one by a New York team? I can’t think of one. The Yankees signing Reggie Jackson? The Mets outbidding the Yankees for Juan Sota? The Giants trading for Manning? You tell me if you can think of one. It’s a new world in journalism. Social media, blogs, money, the dominance of ESPN, reporters and talking heads who get information because
Re-ranking the quarterbacks from the 2025 NFL Draft
Trevor Sikkema re-ranks the 2025 NFL Draft’s quarterbacks after their rookie years. Re-ranking the quarterbacks from the 2025 NFL Draft Cameron Ward maintains the top spot: He didn’t have an ideal rookie year, but Ward showed enough promise to stay atop this list. Jaxson Dart is not far behind: His season-long performance was a mixed bag of some fantastic plays mixed with regrettable ones, but he had the highest rushing grade of any first-year quarterback at 76.9. 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team. Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes With each rookie quarterback’s season in the books, we wanted to have some fun by re-ranking these quarterbacks after their first year. It’s a bit of a tricky assignment because one year is not enough time to truly judge who a quarterback is going to be in the NFL. However, there were some elements of progression to discuss for each. Ward was not the best from a statistical, grade or advanced data standpoint among rookie quarterbacks. Nonetheless, in the context of his situation, it’s hard to really punish him all that much, especially since the players who did perform better didn’t do so by all that much. Ward played 1,066 snaps this season, the most of any rookie quarterback, while recording a 58.9 overall offensive grade (remember, 60.0 is neutral) with a 56.3 passing grade and a 70.1 rushing grade. His offensive line, run game and supporting cast at receiver left a lot to be desired. The biggest knock on his rookie season is actually fumbling. He fumbled 11 times in 2025, which was also an issue for him in college. If you take out his fumbles, his turnover-worthy play rate goes all the way down to 2.3%. That must be cleaned up. However, he was our No. 1 quarterback going into the draft, and he maintains that spot heading into Year 2. Dart’s rookie season was more of a roller coaster than the common statistics will lead you to believe, but he was still very impactful and should give Giants fans a lot of excitement for the future. He recorded 16 big-time throws for a 4.7% big-time throw rate, but he also recorded 14 turnover-worthy plays with a 3.4% turnover-worthy play percentage. His season-long performance was a mixed bag of some fantastic plays mixed with regrettable ones, which is why he earned a 64.8 passing grade. He earned the highest rushing grade of any first-year quarterback at 76.9, as he rushed for almost 500 yards and nine rushing touchdowns, setting up promising Year 2 potential. Shough didn’t start the whole season, but in the 605 snaps, he earned the highest overall grade (74.6) and PFF passing grade (73.1) among rookie quarterbacks. In his 10 games as a starter, Shough recorded 13 big-time throws and just seven turnover-worthy plays, a 4.0% big-time throw rate and a 1.8% turnover-worthy play rate, a fantastic ratio for a rookie. He also recorded a 76.5% adjusted completion percentage while adding three rushing touchdowns. Sanders waited his turn behind Dillon Gabriel in Cleveland’s quarterback carousel, and though his play was not as consistent as it needed to be, he gave his team a chance to win. Sanders earned a 42.3 passing grade this season with 10 big-time throws and 15 turnover-worthy plays. That came out to a 4.7% big-time throw percentage and a 5.9% turnover-worthy play percentage. He was in trouble when pressured, as his passing grade dipped even further to a 39.0. If he starts in 2026, playing better under pressure is a top priority. Gabriel had a handful of moments as the Browns starter where he was able to be methodical with shorter passes and march down the field. However, he simply did not push the ball downfield enough to win games at the NFL level, even with an elite defense behind him. He recorded a 49.5 passing grade on the season and threw just two big-time throws to 10 turnover-worthy plays. That led to a 1.1% big-time throw percentage and a 4.6% turnover-worthy play percentage. He was slightly better under pressure than Sanders, but not by much. Leonard didn’t play much this season (130 snaps to be exact), but he was decent when he was out there. On a small sample size, he earned a 65.5 overall offensive grade with a 61.8 passing grade and 74.0 rushing grade. In his final game of the season, he earned an 84.2 overall offensive grade, the second-highest single-game offensive grade from the rookie quarterbacks, behind a Jaxson Dart game. Leonard looked good in that final contest due to a combination of arm and leg talent. He recorded four big-time throws in just that one game and added a rushing touchdown as well. Ewers started a few games this season after the Dolphins benched Tua Tagovailoa. He played a total of 180 offensive snaps but recorded just a 40.6 passing grade. He earned two big-time throws and five turnover-worthy plays. It’s hard to judge him too harshly because even Tagovailoa struggled throughout the year. Nevertheless, Ewers didn’t do much to individually elevate the offense. 8. Brady Cook, New York Jets The Jets’ offense was painful to watch this season, no matter who their quarterback was. Cook started the last five games because, well, someone had to. He recorded just one big-time throw and 13 turnover-worthy plays. As an undrafted free agent, he was not ready for NFL action in 2025, and the fact that the Jets put him in there was an indictment of how bad their season was. Brosmer was given a tough job. He was undrafted in 2025 and thrust into playing a few games when both Carson Wentz and J.J. McCarthy were hurt. He wasn’t ready. He recorded just a 28.0 overall offensive grade with a 27.4 passing grade, and he failed to pass for more than 60 yards in three of the four games where he
L.A Rams News: Do you know their record against Caleb Williams?
Just curious, do you know what the Los Angeles Rams win/loss record is against Caleb Williams? It’s 0-1. That’s right, Williams beat the Rams last year in his rookie season, and he’s 1-0 vs. the Rams, Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay. So, I ask, how do the Rams beat the Bears this weekend? If Williams […] Just curious, do you know what the Los Angeles Rams win/loss record is against Caleb Williams? It’s 0-1. That’s right, Williams beat the Rams last year in his rookie season, and he’s 1-0 vs. the Rams, Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay. So, I ask, how do the Rams beat the Bears this weekend? If Williams and his Bears beat the Rams last year with Matt Eberflus at head coach and Shane Waldron at offensive coordinator, how can the Rams take on Ben Johnson and his revamped and revived Bears? (Tell us in the comments!) Afterall, this Bears team is better than last year’s team, right? And that team beat L.A. I don’t say this to say the Rams can’t win, but for anyone saying this will be easy, I don’t feel that way. For anyone who wants to point to certain stats and conclude Williams isn’t that good, or that this is a great matchup for L.A.’s offense, I hear you, and the Rams’ fan in me hope you are right! But the football fan in me knows that it’s hard to get to this point in the season. The Bears have, and they have as good a chance to win as the Rams, if not a better chance in Chicago to end L.A.‘s season. It’s Thursday, we are well on our way to this matchup, and it could very well be epic. But easy for the Rams? A blowout for the Rams? I’m not buying it. Please comment on whatever you want and thanks for checking out Turf Show Times! Caleb Williams leads 4 scoring drives as Bears beat Rams 24-18 (espn.com) “CHICAGO — — Once Caleb Williams and the Bears’ offense found their rhythm, they started stringing together the sort of possessions the team and its fans envision on a regular basis. Williams led four scoring drives, D’Andre Swift had 165 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, and Chicago held off the Los Angeles Rams 24-18 on Sunday. The Bears (2-2) scored touchdowns on back-to-back possessions in the second half after struggling early. Jaquan Brisker intercepted Matthew Stafford with about a minute remaining following a punt on the previous play. Williams threw for 157 yards and a touchdown after setting a Bears rookie record by passing for 363 yards on 52 attempts in a loss at Indianapolis last week. He said this performance was a step forward.“ “Ahhh the ol fg game when the Rams had Tutu…whit…drob and Park as our recievers….such a bad game” -BubbaKincaid A 900K-acre land sale just made LA Rams owner Stan Kroenke the nation’s largest private landowner (nypost) “Kroenke, 78, topped Land Report’s annual list of the country’s 100 largest landowners, leading a pack of billionaires eager to beef up their rural portfolios.“ Is Soldier Field heated? How the Bears and other NFL stadiums handle snow (sports.yahoo) “Yes, the Bears have a heated field. That doesn’t mean the snow will magically melt on contact, though. From a practical standpoint, heated NFL fields are designed to keep the ground from freezing and the grass alive, not to turn December games into slush bowls. Sometimes snow sticks. Sometimes it doesn’t. Here’s how heated fields at Soldier Field and around the NFL actually work. How do heated NFL fields actually work? You know that cocky neighbor who always has a clean driveway when it snows, even though you’ve never seen them throw salt out? They probably have an electrically heated driveway. That’s not what NFL stadiums are doing.“ “The Bears have earned the right to be in this game. Taking them lightly will be a huge mistake.” -delusionalramfanslosteve See More: Los Angeles Rams News
Former NFL GM discusses fixing the Bengals
The Podcast “With the First Pick,” featuring former Titans GM Ran Carthon and CBS Draft Analyst Ryan Wilson, recently did an episode entitled “How to Fix the Cincinnati Bengals this Offseason.” Here are some of my takeaways from that episode. Carthon worked in the front office of the Falcons, Rams, and 49ers before landing the […] The Podcast “With the First Pick,” featuring former Titans GM Ran Carthon and CBS Draft Analyst Ryan Wilson, recently did an episode entitled “How to Fix the Cincinnati Bengals this Offseason.” Here are some of my takeaways from that episode. Carthon worked in the front office of the Falcons, Rams, and 49ers before landing the general manager job with the Titans, who promoted him to Executive Vice President after his first season and demoted him to podcaster after his second. Wilson dogged the Bengals for the size of their scouting department, but Carthon didn’t take the bait. He was complimentary of the Bengals’ scouts, specifically mentioning Mike Potts as a rising star in the field. He believes that the Bengals should bring back Joseph Ossai. Why? Join the conversation! Sign up for a user account and get: Fewer ads Create community posts Comment on articles, community posts Rec comments, community posts New, improved notifications system! Because, as he points out, the Bengals have drafted 21 players on defense since 2022, and 10 of them were defensive linemen. Yet, Ossai was the only one of those players who was a Week 1 starter. They hit at a position they haven’t hit on often. They need to keep him around. He points out that they have been pretty solid drafting defensive backs. He also added that the linebackers they drafted this year (Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter) looked like “good, quality players.” Defensive line is where the misses have been. Carthon added that this is in part about scouting but also about coaching and the coach’s input in the process. He talked about how the transition from Lou Anarumo’s defense to Al Golden’s could change this. He added that when you put so much money on offense with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, you need a defensive scheme that is friendly to young players. Carthon isn’t down on the Bengals coaching staff either. He thinks the team is right to bring Zac Taylor back next season. He said that he wins when Burrow is on the field and challenges people to find a coach who has a Burrow and then wins when that guy isn’t playing. He points out that it is the key (keeping Burrow healthy) and said the Bengals could be a playoff team next season if they can do that. In terms of prospects, they didn’t say anything too groundbreaking. They talked about three players who Bengals fans are already talking about: Caleb Downs, Peter Woods, and Rueben Bain. Carthon is big on Downs but didn’t talk much about the Ohio State safety. He likes Woods, but thinks the Clemson defensive tackle could go top five. The player he talked about most was Bain. He isn’t high on Bain overall due to a lack of consistent performance, but praises him for his game against the Buckeyes. He also thinks Bain could be a good partner for Shemar Stewart because they have similar backgrounds and are from a similar place in Southern Florida. If you want to hear more, check out “With the First Pick” and scroll back to the January second episode. While you are on your podcast player of choice, be sure to subscribe to Bleav in Cincy. While you are on your podcast player of choice, be sure to subscribe to Bleav in Cincy. See More: Cincinnati Bengals Analysis
Las Vegas Raiders coaching search 2026: Thoughts on where it stands
The Las Vegas Raiders’ have had a head-coaching opening for nine days since they fired Pete Carroll early on the first day of the offseason. What have we learned from the early stages of the search, led by part owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek, thus far? It has been slow and methodical […] The Las Vegas Raiders’ have had a head-coaching opening for nine days since they fired Pete Carroll early on the first day of the offseason. What have we learned from the early stages of the search, led by part owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek, thus far? It has been slow and methodical and it may take a while to complete. Last year, the process to hire Carroll took 17 days from the point Antonio Pierce was fired. If the Raiders stayed the same course this time around, they would be making their hire a week from Thursday. While anything can happen, it would be a surprise if the process is completed soon. The best best for the Raiders to finalize their decision on this job will likely the week of Jan. 26. The Raiders have interviewed five candidates (whose season is either or or they had the byes in the playoffs. They have also asked permission to talk to six other candidates. The coaches who the Raiders have already interviewed for Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Broncos passing-game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, former Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. The six coaches who the Raiders recently asked permission to speak to are Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Los Angeles Rams passing-game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. The timeline may take a while as teams can’t bring in team employee into their buildings until Monday. It is worth noting if the Raiders finalize interviews with everyone on their interview list, they will be compliant with the NFL”s Rooney Rule. It won’t be a surprise if the Raiders add some names to their interviews after the Divisional Playoff round. Keep an eye out for names such as San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Late in the season, The Athletic reported the Raiders wanted an first-year coach and others pointed that they may lean to an offensive-minded coach before they are expected to draft Indiana’s Fernando Mendzoa. Of the 11 names secured, six are offensive coaches and fives are defensive specialists. Just three of the candidates, Joseph, Nagy and Stefanski have NFL head-coaching experience. So, the Raiders are doing their homework and we should buckle in for a fairly long process. See More: Las Vegas Raiders News
Giants land Harbaugh; Dolphins miss out on top coaching candidate
The Miami Dolphins were interested in John Harbaugh — but John Harbaugh was not interested in the Miami Dolphins. Late on Wednesday night, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that former longtime Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and the New York Giants were working towards finalizing a deal that would bring the Super Bowl winning […] The Miami Dolphins were interested in John Harbaugh — but John Harbaugh was not interested in the Miami Dolphins. Late on Wednesday night, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that former longtime Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and the New York Giants were working towards finalizing a deal that would bring the Super Bowl winning coach to East Rutherford, New Jersey. Harbaugh was reportedly high on Miami’s list of potential coaches to replace former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, but in the end, the Dolphins didn’t even get a chance to make their pitch to the 63-year-old coach despite owner Stephen Ross being close friends with the entire Harbaugh family. The Dolphins will now turn their attention towards other candidates — of which there are many. Miami concluded an interview with former Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski on Wednesday. They’ve also interviewed Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, in addition to completing a virtual interview with Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Candidates who have been requested for an interview, but have not spoken with the Dolphins’ brass at the time of this writing include, San Fransisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. See More: Miami Dolphins News
Dane Brugler pairs Lions with Taylor Decker successor in latest NFL mock draft
Wednesday marked the final day for college players to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, prompting analysts to release a new round of mock drafts. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler—arguably the most respected NFL Draft analyst in the business—got in on the action and published his latest mock draft installment. Most Lions writers and NFL analysts […] Wednesday marked the final day for college players to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, prompting analysts to release a new round of mock drafts. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler—arguably the most respected NFL Draft analyst in the business—got in on the action and published his latest mock draft installment. Most Lions writers and NFL analysts are projecting the Lions to key in on the trenches in the first round (keep in mind it’s only January), so let’s take a look at how Brugler projected the offensive and defensive linemen leading up to the Detroit Lions’ pick. Brugler’s first two linemen—offensive tackles Spencer Fano (Utah) and Francis Mauigoa (Miami)—went off the board in the first six picks of his mock, followed by the top two edge rushers—David Bailey (Texas Tech) and Rueben Bain (Miami)—in the top 10. Making things even more challenging for the Lions, Brugler’s top guard, Vega Ioane (Penn State), and next best edge rusher, Keldric Faulk (Auburn), were both off the board before pick 15. With the top three offensive linemen and defensive ends off the board before pick 17, the Lions could go in a few different directions, but Brugler elected to stick with the next best lineman on his board. And with the No. 17 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Lions select … Here’s Brugler’s explanation for his projection: “It shouldn’t surprise anyone if the Lions address their offensive line early, although I am intrigued by which prospect Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell would see as the best fit. “I have questions about Lomu’s play strength, which might be an issue for this team in particular, but his above-average athleticism and processing will be strong selling points.” A two-year starter at Utah, Lomu’s strengths are in pass protection. As Brugler points out, he’s a terrific athlete but isn’t a dominant run blocker the Lions typically target for their offensive line. That being said, if the Lions opt to keep Lomu at left tackle (assuming Taylor Decker retires or as Decker’s replacement), his pass protection skills will be their highest priority. While Lomu could very well be OT3 in this class, I am also keeping a close eye on Alabama left tackle Kayden Proctor, whom Brugler projected to come off the board a few picks later. Proctor is stylistically a better fit for the Lions, and is also a super athlete, especially for his size (6-foot-7, 360). The hang-up for most analysts with Proctor is that he’s still raw for an offensive tackle, and some teams are rumored to want to push him inside to guard. Additionally, while they aren’t getting the hype of the other offensive tackles in this class, I’ve also been intrigued by offensive tackles Monroe Freeling (Georgia) and Caleb Tiernan (Northwestern). If the Lions wanted to look at edge rushers, Brugler had two selected in his mock draft after the Lions pick: Cashius Howell (Texas A&M), who is a dynamic pass rusher but has questions surrounding his run defense, and Akheem Mesidor (Miami), who is stylistically an ideal fit for what the Lions look for in their edge rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson, and has been raising his stock throughout the College Football Playoff. See More:
