Tag: george edwards

Bucs OLB coach George Edwards talks Randy Gregory, Chris Braswell and more

Hear what Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards had to say about his new offseason additions

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had some turnover in their outside linebacker group this offseason, saying goodbye to a veteran leader, while welcoming multiple new faces to the room.

Shaq Barrett was released for salary cap reasons, but Randy Gregory was signed in free agency to fill the need for experience and leadership at an otherwise young position on Tampa Bay’s roster. The Bucs then spent their second-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Alabama’s Chris Braswell.

Bucs outside linebackers coach George Johnson recently met with the media to discuss what Gregory brings to the table, how Braswell can make an instant impact, and much more:

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Report: Bucs hire Cowboys’ George Edwards as OLBs coach

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are making a new addition to their coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to reload their coaching staff in preparation for the 2023 season, adding another assistant Tuesday, but on the defensive side of the ball.

George Edwards is joining the Bucs as their new outside linebackers coach, per Fox Sports’ Greg Auman.

Edwards spent time with Bucs head coach Todd Bowles with both the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins, and spent the last three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, as Auman points out.

The Bucs are also adding another assistant from last year’s Cowboys staff, as running backs coach Skip Peete will be taking the same position in Tampa Bay.

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Cowboys let go of former Washington defensive coordinator

Remember George Edwards?

Five Dallas Cowboys assistants were informed Thursday the Cowboys are no longer interested in their services, one of which used to coach for the Redskins.

The contracts of all five assistant coaches were expiring, so basically, the Cowboys were informing them they would not renew their contracts for the upcoming 2023 NFL season.

The five Dallas coaches now out of a job are defensive line coach Leon Lett, offensive line coach Joe Philbin, assistant head coach Rob Davis, running backs coach Skip Peete and linebackers coach George Edwards.

Washington fans may remember Edwards. When Dan Snyder fired Marty Schottenheimer after winning 8 of their final 11 games to finish 8-8 in 2001, Snyder hired Steve Spurrier from Florida, making him the NFL’s highest-paid head coach.

Marvin Lewis became the defensive coordinator, and Edwards became the linebackers coach/assistant defensive coordinator. It was a first for Edwards, who had previously coached linebackers and defensive linemen in other coaching locations.

Washington went 7-9 that 2002 season, Lewis departed to Cincinnati, becoming the Bengals head coach, and Edwards was promoted to defensive coordinator for the 2003 season. However, Washington went 5-11 (“not very good”), Spurrier resigned, and Edwards went to Cleveland to coach the linebackers.

Life for NFL coaches’ families can be extremely difficult. A coach must travel multiple times out of state during the season, while there are long hours with no days off during the regular season for coaching staffs.

The most difficult aspect may actually be the emotional instability of knowing you are most likely not going to be in any one location for a long time. For Edwards (age 56), the Cowboys were his 12th employer since he began coaching as an assistant at the University of Florida in 1991 on the Steve Spurrier staff.

Following the Florida Gators, Edwards has also coached for Appalachian State, Duke, Georgia, the Cowboys, Redskins, Browns, Dolphins, Bills, Dolphins, Vikings, Cowboys.

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Report: Duke eyeing Cowboys assistant coach for head coaching vacancy

Sr. defensive assistant George Edwards has been on NFL sidelines for 24 years, but is now being considered to take over at his alma mater. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys fans already know that coordinators Kellen Moore and Dan Quinn will garner significant interest this coming offseason from other teams looking to make a change at head coach. But another Dallas staffer has now reportedly emerged as a candidate within the college ranks.

Senior defensive assistant George Edwards, who has served the Cowboys in that role since January 2020, is being eyed by Duke University for its vacant head coaching position, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, citing sources Monday.

Edwards, 54, attended Duke and lettered in football all four years there. He was a two-time team captain at the linebacker position.

The school parted ways with head coach David Cutcliffe in November after the Blue Devils’ third straight losing season. Cutcliffe had been with the school since 2008 and turned the program around, from a perennial doormat in the ACC to a final ranking in the AP Top 25 in 2013 and six bowl appearances in seven seasons ending in 2018.

Edwards himself was an assistant at his alma mater in 1996, after stints at Florida and Appalachian State. After a subsequent season on Georgia’s staff, Edwards came to Dallas, where he was the Cowboys’ linebackers coach for four seasons, helping to develop Dexter Coakley into a Pro Bowler at the position.

Starting in 2001, Edwards bounced around several NFL organizations: Washington, Cleveland, Miami, Buffalo, Miami (again), and finally Minnesota, where he was the Vikings’ defensive coordinator for six years before finally returning to the Cowboys.

Rumors of this guy or that guy being considered for this job or that job are often nothing more, but Pelissero’s report seems to have some weight; Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones didn’t try to tapdance around it when asked Monday morning on Dallas radio.

“We always root for our guys to have great opportunities,” Jones added, speaking with 105.3 The Fan.

Now, after 24 seasons of coaching NFL defenses, Edwards may get a great opportunity in the familiar setting of Durham, North Carolina.

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Report: George Edwards finally taking lead in coaching Cowboys LBs

The Dallas Cowboys have had George Edwards coaching the linebackers during rookie minicamp.

One of the biggest disappointments of the 2020 season was the play of the linebackers in Dallas. Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan came in as a supposed linebacker specialist, having coached them for several seasons in New Orleans. However his best-laid plans were silenced when Leighton Vander Esch was lost for multiple weeks in the season opener and everything the club worked on in the truncated offseason was thrown away, moving Jaylon Smith back to the Mike. A season of ineptitude followed and Nolan was replaced by Dan Quinn in the offseason.

Now, the 2021 rookie minicamp is underway and the majority of eyes are back on the defense as the club added eight defenders with their eleven selections in an attempt to improve their bottom-five returns from a year ago. Quinn is focused on the defensive line as his specialty and now the LBs have a new leader as well.  George Edwards is now in charge according to the Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill Jr.

Edwards joined the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy’s staff during the 2020 offseason, when he was brought in to be a senior defensive assistant.

Edwards is no stranger to coaching defense, and more specifically linebackers, at the NFL level. In fact, this isn’t even Edwards first stint as the Cowboys linebacker coach, as he manned the role for Dallas from 1998 through 2001.

Edwards was an All-ACC honorable mention linebacker while at Duke University in 1989. The former Blue-Devil quickly found his way into coaching. In total, Edwards has 22 years of NFL experience and 13 of those seasons featured Edwards in a linebacker coach role.

The Cowboys linebacker room is full of young players that will be pivotal to Dallas’ success over the next few seasons. It is crucial that the Cowboys have the right coach working with the likes of Micah Parsons, Jabril Cox, and even Leighton Vander Esch, who is still on his rookie contract. Edwards’ experience could be vital in helping these talented players reach their potential.

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George Edwards could be headed back to the NFC North

Edwards was the defensive coordinator for the Vikings from 2014-2019.

Former Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards might find himself back in the NFC North.

The current Cowboys senior defensive assistant interviewed with the Bears for their defensive coordinator job on Wednesday, per Clarence Hill Jr.

The Cowboys just hired Dan Quinn as their defensive coordinator, which certainly has to feel like a slap in the face to Edwards.

Edwards was the defensive coordinator for the Vikings from 2014-2019. He joined the Cowboys’ coaching staff last season.

Chuck Pagano was Chicago’s defensive coordinator in 2019, but has retired.

 

Report: Bears have requested to speak with George Edwards about defensive coordinator job

The Bears are exploring all avenues to find a new defensive coordinator, which includes speaking with Cowboys assistant George Edwards.

The Chicago Bears have a vacancy at defensive coordinator, and they’re taking their time to examine all of the in-house and other candidates to replace Chuck Pagano, who retired this offseason.

Following a report that the Bears put in a request to interview Indianapolis Colts defensive backs coach Jonathan Gannon, Chicago is also requesting to speak with Dallas Cowboys defensive assistant George Edwards about their defensive coordinator opening, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer.

If the Bears are looking for experience at the defensive coordinator position, Edwards might be their guy. Before serving as Dallas’ senior defensive assistant, Edwards was the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator from 2014-19. Before that, he also served as defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills (2010-11) and the Washington Football Team (2003).

Interestingly enough, Edwards interviewed for the Bears’ coaching vacancy back in 2018 before Matt Nagy was hired. So he’s someone that’s been on their radar.

There have been reports that the Bears are also considering some internal candidates for the defensive coordinator position, namely defensive line coach Jay Rodgers and safeties coach Sean Desai.

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Report: Bears want to talk to George Edwards about vacant DC role

The Dallas Cowboys wanted it all, but they may not be in charge of what chefs are available to cook the meal. In the vein of wanting their cake and eating it to, it appears Dallas was on the verge of not just getting their cake in defensive …

The Dallas Cowboys wanted it all, but they may not be in charge of what chefs are available to cook the meal. In the vein of wanting their cake and eating it to, it appears Dallas was on the verge of not just getting their cake in defensive coordinator hire Dan Quinn, but also the cupcake as my Catch This Fade cohost Patrik Walker phrased it, in being able to retain defensive consultant George Edwards.

But it appears that just like with Kellen Moore having been reached out to by the Philadelphia Eagles, Edwards is on another team’s radar as well. The Chicago Bears are asking (not asking) for permission to interview the former Vikings coordinator to lead their defense, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer.

Chuck Pagano retired from coaching, leaving the Bears searching for a replacement.

Edwards was hired alongside Mike Nolan to help transform the Cowboys defense, but things went horribly wrong as the offseason was wiped away due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nolan insisted on installing a hybrid front defense that changed the roles of personnel like edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, betraying head coach Mike McCarthy’s pledge to marry the scheme to the talents of his players. The results were a defense that ranked at the bottom of the league in almost every statistical category until a crazy end-of-the-year run creating turnovers.

Publicly, there’s been no confirmation of how much Edwards was involved in the day-to-day operations of the defense, or how much the club intended to have him involved with Quinn in the big chair. Still, Edwards experience with the linebacker position seemed to be a paramount focus for a group that has invested so much into the position, drafting Leighton Vander Esch in the 2018 first round and signing Jaylon Smith to a large extension prior to 2019.

Prior to Edwards’ six seasons as DC under Mike Zimmer in Minnesota, he was a linebackers coach at four different spots, including with Dallas during the late 1990s.

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Cowboys News: Zeke’s COVID fallout, Lamb and Cooper run routes, Larry Allen made guys sit out

Also in Cowboys news, a surprising game-by-game prediction for 2020, hypothetical trade targets, and a look at second-chance players.

Slow news day? Never in Cowboys Nation. The revelation of Ezekiel Elliott’s COVID-19 diagnosis is still front and center, possibly casting the league’s best-laid plans for a full 2020 season in jeopardy.

Elsewhere, more buzz from this week’s naming of the “all-decade team,” more eager anticipation of CeeDee Lamb’s Dallas debut, and more trade talk (albeit purely hypothetical) regarding Jamal Adams. Plus, we’re looking at the regular season schedule game-by-game, the Cowboys roster in terms of positional battles, and how Amari Cooper does what he does… with breakdown from the birthday boy himself. All that and more- including a history lesson about a forgotten football pioneer, and a story about how one Cowboys Hall of Famer caused a rash of phantom illnesses for his opponents- make up the Wednesday edition of News and Notes.

Cowboys news: Ezekiel Elliott’s diagnosis re-focuses the issues for the 2020 season :: Blogging the Boys

With Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott testing positive for COVID-19, the NFL is being forced to reevaluate all plans heading into 2020.

NFL all-decade: Best player on each NFC East team, every position :: ESPN

While several Cowboys were named to The WorldWide Leader’s “all-decade” squad, only one can earn the title of Best Cowboys Player of 2010-2019. Tyron Smith helped Dallas “change their draft thought process with his success,” and “an argument can be made that he is on his way” to a bronze bust in Canton.

Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb will lead opponents to slaughter :: Cowboys Wire

Our player profiles continue with an in-depth look at the team’s first-round draft pick, the explosive wideout who will almost certainly “be the foundation of the Cowboys offense in a short period of time.”

Dallas Cowboys: 6 matchups to look forward to in 2020 :: The Landry Hat

The Cowboys will have plenty of interesting one-on-one battles on their roster this season. Lucas Mascherin of The Landry Hat breaks down six of the best.

Film room: Exploring 3 ‘fantasy’ player-for-player trades for the Cowboys, including a deal involving Jamal Adams :: Dallas Morning News

John Owning gets hypothetical (with help from the Twitterverse) and looks at a trio of possible one-for-one swaps. How would you feel about Trysten Hill for Raiders tight end Foster Moreau? Jourdan Lewis for Bengals defensive end Carl Lawson? How about La’el Collins for Jets safety Jamal Adams? Owning would bite on just two of them…

Mailbag: Are people forgetting about Zuerlein? :: The Mothership

Don’t be shocked if the veteran kicker (who’s reuniting with his longtime special teams coordinator) ends being the top free-agency upgrade of 2020. “Zuerlein’s numbers dipped last year,” notes staff writer David Helman, “but he was ridiculously reliable for seven years before that. And he was playing through injuries for most of 2019 – a fact of which I’m sure John Fassel is very aware.”

105.3 Fan ‘Nosebleed Seats’ show: Jerry’s silence, Crayton pulling up :: Cowboys Wire

Our own K.D. Drummond covers all the bases in this radio chat, ranging from the recent Romo-versus-Eli debate to COVID-19 and how it may (or may not) have reset expectations for Mike McCarthy’s first year on the Dallas sidelines.

Cowboys Assistant George Edwards To Participate in NFL Coaching Summit :: Inside The Star

Senior defensive assistant coach George Edwards will participate in a virtual quarterback coaching summit hosted by the NFL and the Black College Football Hall of Fame.

Glazer’s NFL offseason mailbag: Will Josh Allen lead the Bills to the playoffs? :: The Athletic

Scroll past the Buffalo forecast, and there are three Cowboys items of interest from the NFL insider. One, Glazer says the Dallas front office will “absolutely not” let things with quarterback Dak Prescott reach the holdout stage. Two, he thinks the Cowboys will be “a strong contender” this year. And three, he shares a few cool stories about Larry Allen, including how opposing defensive tackles routinely came down with a mysterious illness the very week they were set to square off against the massive Cowboys guard.

Adam Rank’s 2020 record prediction for Cowboys :: NFL.com

Going one game at a time, the network writer sees Dallas starting slow at 1-2, but finishing very strong (including a late-December shocker) to wrap up the NFC East title and claim the conference’s No. 2 postseason seed with a 12-4 record.

Has giving out so many second chances been worth it for the Dallas Cowboys? :: The Athletic

Jon Machota looks at Jerry Jones’s proclivity for taking on risky reclamation projects, from Alonzo Spellman and Adam “Pacman” Jones to Terrell Owens and Charles Haley. Some have worked out; others have not. It remains to be seen which category Aldon Smith will fall into.

How to run the perfect routes with Cowboys WR Amari Cooper :: Touchdown Wire

In an NFL Game Pass Film Session, Kurt Warner and Brian Baldinger sit down with the four-time Pro Bowler for a clinical breakdown of how the wideout technician handles his business- both physically and mentally- on gameday.

NFL pioneer Fritz Pollard’s life story more relevant than ever :: NFL.com

There’s no direct Cowboys connection per se, but the story of one of the NFL’s first Black players- and its first Black coach- is a fascinating and important chapter that fans of every team should know about. Check out this preview of the NFL:360 deep-dive into the groundbreaking life and career of Fritz Pollard.

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Vikings name Adam Zimmer and Andre Patterson co-defensive coordinators

The Vikings have found their next defensive coordinators.

The Vikings have found their next defensive coordinators.

Yes, that was plural.

The team announced Monday that Adam Zimmer and Andre Patterson will be co-defensive coordinators for the Vikings in 2020.

Patterson is entering his ninth season with the Vikings and primarily served as the defensive line coach. Over the last six years, the Vikings rank third in the league in sacks, rushing yards allowed and opponent yards per game.

Zimmer is the son of head coach Mike Zimmer. This next season will be No. 7 for him. His main focus will still be on the linebacker unit led by Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr.

It feels like coach Mike Zimmer will still in charge of playcalling for the second unit, but we’ll likely hear more in the coming months.

Zimmer and Patterson replace George Edwards, who will be the linebackers coach for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. Edwards’ contract wasn’t extended after the 2019 season.

The team also named Andrew Janocko the wide receivers coach, Daronte Jones the defensive backs coach and Phil Rausher the assistant offensive line caoch.