Category: 2024 season

Ronald Curry joining ex-Saints assistant Joe Brady on the Bills

It didn’t take long for Ronald Curry to land on his feet. He’s joining ex-New Orleans Saints assistant Joe Brady on the Buffalo Bills:

It didn’t take long for Ronald Curry to land on his feet. He’s joining ex-New Orleans Saints assistant Joe Brady on the Buffalo Bills, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The Bills had a vacant quarterbacks coach position and Curry is likely filling it. News broke Tuesday evening that Curry would not return to the Saints for 2024.

Curry was a respected coach in New Orleans — he had spent years working with the wide receivers and quarterbacks before being promoted to passing game coordinator, but there wasn’t a role for him on incoming offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s staff. The Saints are shedding more and more pieces from the Sean Payton era.

With that said, it’s a little surprising that Curry didn’t land with two head coaches he’s worked for in the past: Sean Payton on the Denver Broncos and Jim Harbaugh with the Los Angeles Chargers. But there’s obvious familiarity between him and Brady, and Buffalo is a good fit with a playoff-ready roster and a talented young quarterback in Josh Allen. Good luck RC.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Why the Raiders hired former Bears OC Luke Getsy as their offensive coordinator

Luke Getsy left a strong impression on Las Vegas after the Bears dominated the Raiders without Justin Fields last season.

The Chicago Bears fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy after two disappointing seasons, where he failed to develop quarterback Justin Fields and struggled to build an offense around his players.

But just one month after being fired by Chicago, Getsy has found a new offensive coordinator role with the Las Vegas Raiders. The move comes after Kliff Kingsbury backed out of the job to take the offensive coordinator position with the Washington Commanders.

New Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce explained what impressed him about Getsy, referencing the Bears’ dominant 30-12 win over the Raiders last season with Justin Fields sidelined with a dislocated right thumb.

“(Getsy) whopped our a** when we played them,” Pierce said, via Vic Tafur. “Who was their quarterback? I don’t know. Who was their running back? I don’t know. But they still beat us pretty good.”

The quarterback was undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent, making his first NFL start in place of an injured Fields. Chicago was also down starting running back Khalil Herbert, but D’Onta Foreman — who nearly had 1,000 rushing yards last year with the Carolina Panthers — stepped up in his absence.

There’s no denying it was impressive that the Bears were able to win — and in dominant fashion — down their starting quarterback and running back. But it was a bad Raiders team that Chicago dismantled, which helped lead to Josh McDaniels’ firing later in the season.

It wasn’t all bad with Getsy at the helm, as the Bears had a top-two rushing attack in back-to-back seasons. But it was Getsy’s inability to build an offense around his quarterback — and failure to develop Fields — that led to his firing in Chicago.

But, just a month after being fired, Getsy already has a new gig in Las Vegas.

Roger Goodell believes Bears could host Super Bowl with new domed stadium

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell believes a domed stadium would provide an opportunity for the Bears to host a future Super Bowl.

The Chicago Bears’ new stadium remains a work in progress, but a recent update indicates the organization has shifted its focus to the Chicago lakefront.

During Super Bowl Opening Night, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about the importance of a new stadium.

“I think it’s important to the Chicago Bears, their fans, and I also think it’s important to that community,” Goodell said, via WGN.

According to Greg Hinz of Crain’s Chicago Business, the Bears are re-focusing on the lakefront in Chicago as the location to construct their new stadium instead of Arlington Heights.

The Bears would build a state-of-the-art domed stadium on the Soldier Field south lot with the goal of hosting Super Bowls, Final Fours and other events, which was the plan in Arlington Heights, as well.

Goodell believes a domed stadium would provide an opportunity for Chicago to host a Super Bowl, among other events, in the future.

“As we’ve seen here (in Las Vegas), a great stadium can host additional events. I think that’s true in Chicago,” Goodell said. “I think the domed stadium that their talking about, both in downtown and potentially in Arlington Heights, I think those are both great opportunities I think they need to explore.”

While the Chicago lakefront is the new focus, the organization is still far off from finalizing any stadium plans.

“The good news is that they have quite a bit of time on their lease and the Bears are committed to being in Chicagoland,” Goodell said. “I think they’ll be able to develop a proposal good for the fans, but I also think it will be great for Chicago.”

Why the Cowboys should remain optimistic for TE Luke Schoonmaker’s future

Luke Schoonmaker had a poor rookie campaign, but the Cowboys should remain optimistic about what the young TE can still offer this offense. | From @ReidDHanson

Luke Schoonmaker’s rookie season didn’t go as expected in Dallas. As the No. 58 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the Cowboys had high hopes for the former Michigan TE. He was supposed to make up for the loss of free agent departure, Dalton Schultz. He was supposed to be the TE1 by season’s end.

And with 37 collegiate games under his belt and entering the NFL at nearly 25-years-old, he was supposed to be a plug-and-play selection. Supposed to. Things didn’t turn out that way, but there’s plenty to remain hopeful about as Schoonmaker enters his second offseason.

Schoonmaker’s start with Dallas got off to a slow start when a case of plantar fasciitis kept him out of the action early in the offseason. Second-year TE Jake Ferguson held onto the TE1 spot with a firm grip but behind him the competition was wide open. After easing into training camp, the rookie started to rise up the depth chart.

Sean McKeon was largely capped in his potential and second-year player Peyton Hendershot took what appeared to be a step back. TE2 became Schoonmaker’s, almost by default.

But the rookie would go on to play just 368 offensive snaps in 2023. He caught eight balls for a total of 65 yards, but worse than that, it was the miscues that largely defined his rookie season.

With three official drops on his resume, Schoonmaker’s drop percentage sat at 20%. His shallow goal-line route in the Cowboys’ first matchup against the Eagles likely cost Dallas the game. And his blocking, perceived to be his bread and butter, wasn’t quite as polished as it was made out to be in the draft process.

It was a season to forget for the rookie TE and a pick many Cowboys fans wish they had back. Fan favorites like O’ Cyrus Torrence, Tank Dell and DeVon Achane were all on the board at the time of the pick, and all would have offered the offense far more in return.

But the story is not yet written on Schoonmaker and there’s reason to believe good days await the former second round pick.

One big factor to consider is the difficulty of the position. TE is part WR and part OL. It has all the blocking nuances of one and all the pass catching nuances of the other. It’s a notoriously difficult position in which to assimilate and its learning curve is unique to everyone – even seemingly polished players like Schoonmaker.

For every Ferguson and Witten who hit the ground running, there are dozens of prospects who struggle in the early days. Schultz, Schoonmaker’s predecessor in Dallas, only took 300 offensive snaps as a rookie. Hailing from Stanford, aka “Tight End U,” Schultz was also someone who the Cowboys thought would develop quickly. Yet like many who came before him, Schultz also took some extra time in his development. Schultz only had 13 receptions in his first two seasons in the NFL and didn’t truly breakout until his third season.

The impact of the plantar fascia tear clearly factors into Schoonmaker’s poor rookie season. He was robbed of offseason work, including valuable time in the weight room and practicing routes. A full offseason of both things should get him on a much better path in Year 2.

Finally, there’s the pressure. Ferguson established himself as a fan favorite and clear TE1 in the NFL. Playing in his first Pro Bowl this winter, Ferguson has a bright future with the Cowboys. Because of that, Schoonmaker doesn’t have the pressure of stepping up into the TE1 role in 2024. With Ferguson under contract for the next two seasons, Schoonmaker won’t face that kind of pressure until 2026 at the earliest. All Schoonmaker has to do is be the best TE2 he can be, and things will sort themselves out.

The Cowboys struggled mightily in 12 personnel last season and a big reason why is because Schoonmaker wasn’t a viable threat downfield. The Cowboys adjusted by playing their 11 personnel more often, and their 12 personnel far below league average. They would love to change that in 2024.

With better play from Schoonmaker, the Cowboys can shift back to more two-TE personnel groups. Their offense will then be less predictable and more in tune with league trends. So, while the TE1 position may not be open for Schoonmaker any time soon, a much bigger TE2 role could be instore for the second year TE and that could have a significant impact on the Cowboys offense in 2024 and beyond.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Ronald Curry will not be a part of the Saints coaching staff under Klint Kubiak

Ronald Curry will not be a part of the Saints coaching staff under Klint Kubiak. It’s a whole new look for the New Orleans offense:

This is tough news, but it was always a possibility with the New Orleans Saints overhauling their offensive coaching staff. The Times-Picayune | Advocate’s Jeff Duncan reports that longtime New Orleans Saints assistant coach Ronald Curry will not be part of the team with Klint Kubiak coming in as offensive coordinator. He’ll be pursuing other opportunities.

Curry was popular with his players. A standout college quarterback himself, he steadily rose through the ranks in New Orleans as a wide receivers coach before working with the quarterbacks, and he was promoted further as the team’s passing game coordinator under former offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. But he isn’t part of the plans with Kubiak bringing in his own staff.

So what’s next for Curry? That’s yet to be determined, but odds are he’ll wind up in Denver. Sean Payton tried to coax him into joining the Broncos last year but Curry opted to stay in New Orleans instead. It shouldn’t shock anyone if Payton tries to recruit him again.

And with Curry leaving the team the Saints will need to hire a new quarterbacks coach, and maybe a passing game coordinator if that role exists in Kubiak’s offense. What’s clear more than anything else: Dennis Allen is giving Kubiak a lot of leeway to organize the offense as he sees fit. If that means parting ways with well-established, popular assistants like Curry, so be it.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Report: Saints retaining tight ends coach Clancy Barone for 2024

Locked On Saints host Ross Jackson reports that tight ends coach Clancy Barone will stay in New Orleans on Klint Kubiak’s staff for 2024:

This is a good move: Locked On Saints host Ross Jackson reports that tight ends coach Clancy Barone will stay on board with the New Orleans Saints, joining incoming offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s staff for 2024.

Barone, 60, previously worked with him on the Denver Broncos when his father Gary Kubiak was head coach; Barone coached the offensive line while the younger Kubiak was an offensive assistant. Their paths diverged from there, with Barone most recently coaching tight ends for the Chicago Bears before coming to New Orleans.

So it makes sense to keep someone with familiarity to the system Kubiak is installing. Hopefully Barone can sustain the success the Saints’ tight ends found late in the season. Juwan Johnson finished strong by catching three touchdown passes and averaging 54 yards per game in the final four weeks. Taysom Hill was impactful throughout the season but they should be getting more out of Foster Moreau. Still, if the opportunity is there to add a game-changing talent like Georgia tight end Brock Bowers in the 2024 NFL draft, the Saints should consider it as an upgrade.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Cowboys CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson on former OC Kellen Moore joining Eagles

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys playmakers wish their former OC well in his return to the NFC East, “when he’s not playing us or when we need them to lose.”

It took long enough for the news to become official, but former Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was finally named to the same role with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday. After one season with the Chargers, Moore will return to the NFC East and face the Cowboys at least twice a year beginning with the 2024 season..

Several of Moore’s former playmakers in Dallas are looking forward to seeing him again, even if he’ll now be wearing enemy colors.

“It really just shows how crazy this league can be,” Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson said, per Olivia Reiner of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I mean, it’s so many different moving pieces. One guy might be on your team next year, one might be on the opponent the other. I think it’s really cool. I’m proud of him.”

Wideout CeeDee Lamb said he’s “looking forward to playing against” Moore. At the Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, he gave several Eagles players a preview of what they can expect.

“Should be very fun,” Lamb told them. “You’re going to have a lot of options, obviously. Your receivers are going to love it because, obviously, it’s more passes.”

Moore’s Cowboys offenses put up big numbers more often than not. In three of his four seasons as Dallas OC, the team finished in the top 10 in both total points and total yards. The one year they didn’t was 2020, the season in which Dak Prescott played in just five games… but was on a record-setting pace before his ankle injury.)

Even Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni- without directly acknowledging their Dallas rivals by name- subtly gave a tip of the hat to the Cowboys’ production during Moore’s time there.

“During Kellen’s tenure as an NFL coach,” Sirianni said in a statement following the announcement of Moore’s hire, “he has helped to develop some of the best quarterbacks in the league and directed some of its best offenses.”

For all the fireworks under Moore, however, Lamb and Ferguson actually went on to enjoy career-high numbers in the first season after his departure, once head coach Mike McCarthy took over play-calling.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

But given the Eagles’ stacked roster, Ferguson expects Moore to spread the ball around plenty in Philly.

“I think there’s a lot of plays to be made,” Ferguson explained from his first Pro Bowl. “I think he puts the guys in the right spot where they need to be and puts it in their hands. I think that’s something that’s important when calling plays and creating that offensive scheme.”

As much as Lamb and Ferguson both say they admire the 34-year-old offensive mind and wish him well at his new post, Moore’s place on the wrong side of the two clubs’ storied rivalry will prohibit the Cowboys stars from actively cheering for him most weeks.

“Excited to see what he can do- not when he’s playing us,” Ferguson admitted. “Or when we need them to lose.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=video id=01hnzhaw8xnz8mceycat playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01hnzhaw8xnz8mceycat/01hnzhaw8xnz8mceycat-b58066ef4d4a344e41bac1d68f946b43.jpg]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Fixer Upper: Cowboys LB corps a rebuild project worthy of DIY TV

The Cowboys will need to make multiple additions to the LB group in 2024, leaning on both free agency as well as the NFL draft. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys’ issues at the linebacker position have been well-documented. A shallow position group coupled with a major injuries atop the depth chart resulted in disaster for Dallas last season. Things were never the same once Leighton Vander Esch joined DeMarvion Overshown on IR.

The Cowboys were forced to lean on the safety group far too often, exposing their run defense and overworking their nickel group. It resulted in a late season collapse that extended into the playoffs.  Unlike other many offseasons, the situation is unlikely to correct itself through the natural healing process.

Vander Esch’s neck injury, coupled with his gaudy medical history, make him seem a longshot to return in 2024. Overshown may be expecting a full recovery from his preseason ACL tear but the same was said of Terence Steele and Michael Gallup once upon a time. Cautious optimism is probably the responsible way to view Overshown.

Additionally, Marquese Bell is likely to bounce back to his natural position of safety. He made the transition to LB out of utter desperation, but at 6-foot-3, 205-pounds, he’s better suited for a box safety role again. And with Jayron Kearse likely to leave in free agency, the opportunity for Bell to claim a top-3 safety role will be there for the taking.

Damone Clark will return for his third season with the Cowboys, but his 2023 was largely underwhelming. Like everyone else, he was leaned on too much and forced into too many ill-fitting roles.

So the two, starting-caliber LBs expected to return in 2024 both have some obstacles to overcome: Overshown a significant knee injury and Clark some inconsistent play.

And all of that is based on the scheme of the departed defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. The needs may expand to three starting-quality LBs depending on who assumes the title next. Either way, major moves will be needed in Dallas just to reach bare minimum levels.

Given the situation, the Cowboys will likely need to utilize both free agency and the draft to build out the unit.

Off-ball LB tends to be a plug and play position so Dallas should lean on the draft to do the heavy lifting.

It’s noteworthy that of PFF’s top-20 graded LBs last season, 15 of them are 27-years-old or younger. It’s a position that often burns out quickly so any veteran signing should be done with caution.

Since the Cowboys probably need to find a starter in the 2024 draft, there’s a good chance they’ll use a top-100 pick to address the position. But they need to be prepared for anything since sometimes the draft doesn’t fall the way a team thinks it will. That requires Dallas to, at the very least, pick up a serviceable option in free agency.

Expect major changes this offseason.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Losing Phil Galiano could be a big hit to the Saints special teams units

Losing Phil Galiano would be a big hit to the Saints special teams units. Only one team has allowed fewer return yards since he was hired:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are interviewing Phil Galiano for their open special teams coordinator job on Tuesday — and losing him could be a big hit to the New Orleans Saints kicking units.

Galiano isn’t a big name in New Orleans. He’s worked as the assistant to Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi since they were both hired in 2019, rarely speaking to the media or taking the spotlight. But they have both played a key role in maintaining the Saints’ excellence in the game’s third phase.

We tend to think of special teams as being all about kicking field goals and punting the ball away. But it’s a real team effort. Finding the right players who can get downfield in a hurry and limit returns is critical. And Galiano deserves some credit for helping the Saints outperform the rest of the league in that phase.

Since Rizzi and Galiano arrived in 2019, the Saints are the only team in the NFL to allow fewer than 1,000 punt return yards (998) and 2,500 kick return yards (2,350). Only one team, the Washington Commanders, has given up fewer total return yards with 3,103 to the Saints’ 3,348. The other 30 teams in the NFL have all allowed 3,500 or more.

Here’s how they all stack up:

It’s possible the Buccaneers end up hiring a different candidate for their special teams coordinator opening. At the same time, there’s a chance Galiano could leave for the promotion. If he does exit this isn’t a loss that Saints fans should overlook. Hopefully Rizzi already has an idea of possible replacements should he need to hire a new assistant.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Lincoln Riley downplays rumors that Caleb Williams doesn’t want to play for Bears

USC head coach Lincoln Riley said the rumors about Caleb Williams not wanting to go to the Bears is a “smokescreen.”

We haven’t even reached the peak of the 2024 offseason yet — as there’s still one game left to be played — but the Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams discussion has dominated the headlines.

There’s been rumors and speculation about whether Williams wants to come to Chicago, who’s expected to draft him with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

USC head coach Lincoln Riley, who recruited Williams to Oklahoma and then USC, appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show”  and sounded off on all of the rumors that Williams doesn’t want to be drafted by the Bears.

“I think it’s a total smokescreen,” Riley said Monday. “I think it’s people playing the game. Like knowing Caleb, location-wise, I don’t think he cares one bit about where he’s at. All of these franchises are in really good cities. There’s advantages to anywhere that you could go. He wants to win. He wants to be a guy that’s playing [in the Super Bowl]. I think for him, it’s less about location and it’s more about getting in the right situation where he can continue to develop and do the things that he needs to do to help a franchise be successful.

“That’s it. He’s got a one-track mind that way. No, I don’t think there’s any truth to that all. The guy wants to win. He’s a competitor. He’d love to go first overall. Who wouldn’t? But at the end of the day, it’s about winning for him and nothing else.”

As far as situations go, Chicago would be a great one for a first overall pick like Williams. The Bears weren’t the worst team in the league; they acquired the top selection from the Carolina Panthers. Chicago has a dominant, ascending defense, some impressive weapons on offense and they’re trending in the right direction.

If there’s anything that might give Williams’ camp cause for concern, it’s the Bears’ inability to develop quarterbacks in its storied 100-plus-year history. But, if Williams really is as good as people believe, he should be able to break that curse (with some help from general manager Ryan Poles).