Tag: Antwaan Randle El

Amon-Ra St. Brown breaks down coach Antwaan Randle El’s departure for the Bears

Amon-Ra St. Brown breaks down coach Antwaan Randle El’s departure for the Bears

Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown isn’t normally known for breaking news, but maybe the “Sun God” needs to add that to his job title. He was in position to be the first to report that wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El was leaving the Lions to become the new passing game coordinator of the Chicago Bears.

In the latest edition of the St. Brown Podcast, the Lions All-Pro reveals he inadvertently learned Randle El was leaving for the Bears.

“I hit up the group chat, I go, ‘El, ain’t you from Chicago?” St. Brown said. “I sent that. Next one. ‘You following Ben?’ Literally, I sent that at 6:17 p.m. Two minutes later, I get a call from him. ‘The f***?’ I answer.

“He said, ‘What’s up, man.’ He goes, ‘Hey man. How’d you know? Did that get leaked?’ I said, ‘Nah, I was just messing around.’”

The surprised reaction from St. Brown was a genuine one. Randle El was in line to climb the coaching ladder in Detroit, but he opted to go to his hometown Bears with Ben Johnson instead. No. 14 has no hard feelings for his longtime coach.

“I get it. He’s from Chicago, too. So, it’s a step up, he gets to be receivers coach, knows the offense, knows Ben. It just makes sense for him,” St. Brown said. “I’m not upset. I’m not upset about it. I’m happy for him. It’s just funny how it all went down.”

 

Report: Lions WR coach Antwaan Randle El leaving for the Bears

Report: Lions WR coach Antwaan Randle El leaving for the Bears to become assistant head coach under Ben Johnson

The Detroit Lions are set to lose wode receivers coach Antwaan Randle El to the Chicago Bears, according to a report from ESPN and Adam Schefter.

Randle El is leaving the Lions to become an assistant head coach with the Bears. He is following new Bears head coach Ben Johnson, the former Lions offensive coordinator. Randle El has been with the Lions for the entirety of the Dan Campbell coaching regime beginning in 2021.

This comes on the heels of the Lions retaining offensive line coach Hank Fraley,retaining offensive line coach Hank Fraley, who was also promoted to run game coordinator.

 

 

 

Analyzing potential Lions internal candidates as offensive coordinator replacements for Ben Johnson

Analyzing potential offensive coordinator replacements for Ben Johnson already on the Lions staff

The Detroit Lions are out of the playoffs earlier than expected, immediately ramping up the coaching carousel in the NFL.

Head coach Dan Campbell said Monday he’s preparing for the possibility that he loses both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. That quickly became a reality as reports came out later that afternoon that the Chicago Bears were finalizing a deal to bring Johnson in as their new head coach.

Let’s take a look at possible internal replacements for the highly-touted OC.

Tanner Engstrand

The Lions are likely to keep their offensive coordinator search in-house, immediately bringing to mind passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand.

Engstrand has served five seasons with the Lions, just finishing his second in his current position. The Lions’ passing game ranked second in the league in passing yards this season and helped Jared Goff establish himself as a key part of one of the best offenses in the NFL.

This choice feels as close as you can get to keeping pace with what Johnson established with the Lions offense.

Scottie Montgomery

Assistant head coach/running backs coach Scottie Montgomery is another in-house option for the Lions.

Montgomery has 18 years of coaching experience in either the NFL or college and his work has helped the Lions become one of the premier rushing attacks in the league. In 2024, the Lions ranked sixth in rushing yards and tied for second in rushing touchdowns.

He’ll be a coach Campbell can trust immediately, and his experience justifies the opportunity for a promotion.

Antwaan Randle El

It would also fit the makeup of this Lions team to promote a coach like Antwaan Randle El.

Randle El has been the Lions wide receivers coach for five years and has been an obvious voice of reason and leadership on the sidelines for a talented receiving core.

Before coming to the Lions he spent two seasons as an offensive assistant in Tampa Bay, picking up a Super Bowl ring in the process.

Randle El fits the mold Campbell has used to gather his staff to this point, which includes experienced coaches who were also above-average professional players during their careers.

Hank Fraley

Hank Fraley has spent the most time with the Lions among the top candidates for this job.

Fraley just finished his seventh season with the team, the last five of which he’s served as offensive line coach. He’s been a mainstay on this team as it’s grown into what it was this season behind one of the better offensive lines in football throughout his tenure.

There’s a risk that Johnson could poach a coach like Fraley for his staff in Chicago, but if he stays, he could be an easy culture fit for the open OC job in Detroit.

Lions WR coach says Amon-Ra St. Brown not changed by money

Lions coach WR Amon-Ra St. Brown says Amon-Ra St. Brown not changed by money

Lions wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El played in the NFL for a long time. He’s seen a lot of prominent wide receivers in his time, both as teammates and rivals, and how getting paid big money has impacted them.

Now he’s coaching one of them in Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Lions All-Pro earned a contract extension this offseason that made him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. Randle El hasn’t seen St. Brown fall into any of the traps that often snag receivers after they get the big paycheck.

Talking to reporters during OTAs this week, Randle El seemed very confident that none of those negatives will happen with St. Brown in Detroit.

“Cats get complacent and you don’t see it in him,” Randle El said of St. Brown. “You haven’t seen it in him yet, and I don’t expect you will. So I think he’s in a good spot (and will) continue to move forward.”

Randle El elaborated a little more about why he isn’t worried about the money going to St. Brown’s head.

“The challenge that I always speak to him about and guys who sign these big contracts that they disappear in a lot of ways and a lot of times. He’s not one of those guys. He hasn’t changed in terms of his work ethic and how he comes out and prepares, and that’s good to see.”

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Lions WR coach Antwaan Randle El interviews for Buccaneers coordinator opening

Antwaan Randle El was on the TB staff before joining the Lions in 2021

The Dan Campbell coaching tree could be spawning off a new branch. Lions wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El has interviewed for the offensive coordinator position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Randle El is one of two candidates noted by Aaron Wilson who have completed interviews to be the new OC under head coach Todd Bowles. Tampa Bay is looking to replace Dave Canales, who left to become the head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

Randle El has been with the Lions throughout the Campbell era, joining the team in 2021. Before that, the longtime NFL wideout was on the Buccaneers offensive staff for two seasons.

Bucs complete OC interview with Detroit Lions’ Antwaan Randle El

Randle El is no stranger to Tampa Bay, as he was an offensive assistant under Bruce Arians when the Bucs won the Super Bowl in 2020.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have completed another interview for their offensive coordinator position, and the candidate in question has some notable Tampa Bay ties.

The Bucs announced Monday that they interviewed Detroit Lions wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El for their offensive coordinator position. While the team announced it on Monday, they revealed that they conducted the interview over Zoom on Friday before Randle El coached in Detroit’s 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Randle El is no stranger to the Bucs and even has some Super Bowl pedigree with the team. He joined Bruce Arians’ Bucs staff in 2019 as an offensive assistant and won a Super Bowl with the Bucs in 2020. He joined the Lions in 2021 and has been there since as a wide receivers coach.

Randle El, much like Dave Canales the year prior, has not called plays. Under his coaching in 2023, the Lions wideouts have netted 30 TDs, 4,401 yards on 408 receptions.

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Former Steelers WR helps lead Lions to NFC divisional round of playoffs

Ex-Steelers WR Antwaan Randle El has been part of the Detroit Lions staff since 2021.

The Detroit Lions have just won their first playoff game since 1992, and former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antwaan Randle El is part of the reason why.

Randle El spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons as an offensive assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and helped lead them to a 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

And now he’s making another postseason run in the quest for a second ring.

Randle El was hired as Detroit’s wide receivers coach in 2021.

As a player, Randle El came into the NFL via the second round (No. 62 overall) by the Steelers 2002 draft.

In five seasons with the Black and Gold (2002-2005, 2010), Randle El produced 2,265 yards and seven touchdowns. He was also a threat as a special teamer, adding 1,650 yards and four scores on punt returns and 1,742 yards and one touchdown on kick returns.

And, of course, who can forget the beautiful touchdown pass to Hines Ward in Super Bowl 50? Not us.

Another former Steeler, cornerback Cam Sutton, is also a member of the Lions.

Best of luck to Randle El and Sutton as the Lions host the winner of tonight’s Buccaneers-Philadelphia Eagles wild card matchup.

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Commanders season opener in 82 days: Washington’s best No. 82?

Michael Westbrook never lived up to his potential, but still did some good things for Washington.

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Commanders Wire continues a countdown to the Commanders season opener for 2023 in 82 days. Who was Washington’s best player wearing number 82?

There have been some unheralded Washington players who wore No. 82 and one who was a Pro-Bowler.

Here are my top five Washington players who wore No. 82

  • 5. Jimmie Jones was a 6-5, lean pass rusher that George Allen brought to Washington. Jones was part of three playoff teams (1971-73) and was a 3rd down pass rusher for the Redskins whose record on those three teams was 9-4-1, 11-3 and 10-4. Jones enjoyed a significant impact on the 1971 team, not starting, but still collected 7.5 sacks in 14 games.
  • 4. Dallas Hickman (1976-81) never started a game for Washington. But the linebacker made his impact on special teams covering punts and kickoffs. He was an animal and known for his self-sacrificing hustle. He did collect 2.5 sacks in 1980. Drafted in the 9th round (228th) from the California Golden Bears, Hickman played in 91 games for Washington.
  • 3. Current Commanders analyst Logan Paulsen in his five seasons with Washington (2010-14) was a big physical blocking tight end for the most part. Paulsen did collect 28 receptions in 2013 and 25 in 2012.
  • 2. Antwaan Randle El came to Washington (2006-09) following four seasons in Pittsburgh (2002-05).  The former Indiana Hoosier quarterback converted to wide receiver in the NFL and caught 32, 51, 53 and 50 receptions, averaging 11.0, 14.3, 11.2 and 10.6 yards per reception in his four seasons in Burgundy and Gold. He returned a punt for a touchdown in 2006.
  • 1. Michael Westbrook was drafted fourth overall in the 1995 NFL Draft out of Colorado and enjoyed 7 seasons in Washington (1995-2001). Westbrook was gifted physically at 6-3, 220. He caught 285 receptions for 4,374 yards (15.3) and 26 receiving touchdowns.

Westbrook was the leading receiver for the NFC East champs in 1999 when he collected 65 receptions for 1,191 yards averaging a career-best 18.3 yards per reception. He caught 47 first downs that season, as well as 9 touchdowns.

Unfortunately, Westbrook might best be remembered by Washington fans for his attack on teammate running back Stephen Davis during the 1997 training camp. Westbrook suddenly struck Davis several times in the face. Several teammates were upset with the outburst by Westbrook, which left Davis with his right eye swollen nearly shut. Davis was recovering from knee surgery and was in shorts and a T-shirt.

Westbrook was fined $50,000, suspended for the final preseason week, and demoted from starting the 1997 season opener at the Carolina Panthers.

 

 

 

Ron Rivera, Eric Bieniemy on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for 2024

Alex Smith and Antwaan Randle El were among other former Washington players who were on the ballot.

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Several former and current members of the Washington NFL organization were named on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame in 2024.

Among those prominent names are current head coach Ron Rivera and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

Rivera played at California from 1980-83, leading the Golden Bears in tackles in each of his final three seasons. Rivera was a consensus All-American in 1983 and the Pac-12 defensive player of the year. Rivera was a second-round pick of the Chicago Bears in 1984, where he played nine NFL seasons.

Bieniemy played for Colorado from 1987-90, finishing his college career with 3,940 rushing yards and 41 rushing touchdowns. He led the Buffaloes to a national championship in 1990.

Other former Washington players — and a coach — were also on the ballot:

  • QB Alex Smith [Utah]: 2018-20 w/Washington
  • DE Marco Coleman [Georgia Tech]: 1999-2001 w/Washington
  • WR Antwaan Randle El [Indiana]: 2006-09 w/Washington
  • S Mark Carrier [USC] 2000 w/Washington
  • RB Ki-Jana Carter [Penn State] 2001 w/Washington
  • QB Matt Cavanaugh [Pitt]: Washington’s QB coach/OC from 2015-19

Congratulations to each of the nominees.

NFL draft history: Every player chosen with the 62nd pick since 2010

We’re looking at every player selected No. 62 overall since the 2000 NFL Draft and the Philadelphia Eagles’ chances of landing an impact player.

The Eagles need impact players on both sides of the ball, and with two first-round picks in this month’s draft, Howie Roseman will have another opportunity to add depth to a Super Bowl-caliber roster.

With so much parity in college football now, second-round picks are expected to be dynamic players, but the list of No. 62 overall selections leaves a lot to be desired.

The previous 13 choices at 62nd overall have combined for two All-Pro selections, three Pro Bowl selections, and two All-Rookie Team selections.

With the NFL draft fast approaching, we’re looking at every player selected with the 62nd pick since 2000.