Tag: Interview

Cowboys interviewing new DC candidate with ties to McCarthy, Quinn

From @ToddBrock24f7: Marquand Manuel played for Mike McCarthy’s Packers and coached under Dan Quinn in 2 different cities; he’s up for the job Quinn just left.

In the pool of candidates to replace former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the team has included a few fish with big names and splashy reputations. But one interviewee has apparently slipped in, a little under the radar perhaps, who has connections both to the man he’d report to in Dallas and the man whose office he’d be taking over.

Marquand Manuel was reportedly set to interview to be the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator on Thursday, joining a list that- so far- includes former NFL head coaches Mike Zimmer, Ron Rivera, and Rex Ryan, as well as current Dallas defensive line coach Aden Durde.

Manuel, 44, has served as the New York Jets’ safeties coach for three seasons. Prior to that, he’d been with three other NFL teams in various capacities over the past decade and enjoyed an eight-year career as a player.

A sixth-round draft pick by Cincinnati in 2002, Manuel spent two years as a Bengal and then two years as a Seahawk, making a start in Super Bowl XL. A month later, he signed as a free agent in 2006 with the Packers under their newly-hired head coach, Mike McCarthy. Manuel started all 16 games that season for Green Bay.

His playing days lasted three more seasons- one each in Carolina, Denver, and Detroit. After spending two years out of the game, Manuel returned to Seattle in 2012 as an assistant special teams coach. He returned to the Seahawks staff the following season, as a defensive assistant under new coordinator Dan Quinn, and the two helped lead the Legion of Boom defense to a victory in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Manuel stayed with Quinn in Seattle one more year and then followed him to Atlanta. There, he worked his way up from defensive backs coach in 2015 to secondary coach in 2016 for the team’s trip to Super Bowl LI, and finally to defensive coordinator in 2017.

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He left the Falcons after the 2018 campaign and next spent the 2020 season as the Eagles’ defensive backs coach before finally signing on with the Jets in 2021 under head coach Robert Saleh.

How Manuel might fit into a ranking of the other candidates the Cowboys have spoken to isn’t immediately clear, but he brings a lot of defensive experience and has been around an impressive list of coaching talent.

The Cowboys were said to have wanted to get Manuel’s interview on the books before owner Jerry Jones and others leave for Las Vegas to attend NFL Honors on Thursday night and Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday.

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Report: Cowboys deny Commanders permission to speak with DB coach Al Harris

From @ToddBrock24f7: Dallas has now blocked requests for Dan Quinn’s new team to interview 2 key assistants. They granted permission to speak to 2 others.

Apparently Lunda Wells wasn’t the only Cowboys coworker Dan Quinn wanted to bring with him to Washington.

One day after it was revealed that the Dallas front office blocked the Commanders’ request to interview their tight ends coach for an opening on Quinn’s new staff in the nation’s capital, ESPN’s Todd Archer reports that the Cowboys’ longtime divisional rivals have had their eye on several other coaching assistants, too.

Per Archer, who cited a source, the Cowboys also denied the Commanders’ request to interview defensive backs coach Al Harris. Harris has been a popular name among some circles within Cowboys Nation to replace Quinn as the defensive coordinator in Dallas.

The 49-year-old hinted just a few weeks ago that he would drop everything to join a Quinn-led coaching staff.

“If Q was to go and get a head coaching job,” Harris said, “honestly, in whatever capacity he wanted me to come, I’m there. I’m there.”

It seems as though he won’t get that chance, at least not this year with Washington. League rules state that assistants must be allowed to interview with new clubs for a promotion to a coordinator role, but employers may block opposing teams from speaking to assistants about lateral moves to another assistant role.

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The Cowboys clearly have plans for Harris, but they did grant permission for the Commanders to speak with assistant defensive line coach Sharrif Floyd and defensive assistant Pete Ohnegian. Both were hired last February for the Cowboys’ 2023 season.

Upon his hiring last week in Washington, Quinn moved quickly to hire away Cowboys defensive passing game coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and make him the Commanders’ new defensive coordinator.

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Chris Olave reflects on playing with Derek Carr, moving on from Pete Carmichael

Saints star wideout Chris Olave reflects on his experience playing with Derek Carr, moving on from longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael:

It wasn’t pretty at times as Derek Carr worked to get in sync with his young wide receiver Chris Olave, but the playmaker made some big strides as the 2023 season wore on. Olave improved on all of his numbers from his 2022 rookie year, catching more passes at a higher rate and picking up more first downs while putting more points on the board.

So how does Olave feel about catching passes from Carr again in 2024? An expected contract restructure will tie Carr to the team (and Olave, critically) for at least the next two seasons.

“Oh yeah he’s a veteran, man,” Olave told the CHGO Sports podcast. “He’s 10 years in the league, he’s played real good ball with the Raiders. First year with the Saints offense, we’ve just got to build. It’s just about chemistry.”

Of course that’s just one part of the equation. Few positions are as reliant on others to find success as wide receivers. They need a talented quarterback to throw the ball their way and a skilled play caller to put them in a position to win.

To that end, he’s grateful for what he learned from Pete Carmichael through his first two years in the NFL. But Olave can’t help but be excited about what’s ahead of him, telling Bleacher Report’s Scott Polacek: “We had really good relationships with the offensive coaches my past two years, but I wish (Carmichael) the best moving forward. Having someone new come in means there’s going to be a new scheme and new offense, so I’m excited to learn the playbook here and keep moving forward.”

San Francisco 49ers passing game specialist Klint Kubiak will be coming to New Orleans as their new offensive coordinator after Super Bowl LVIII; he can’t formally accept the job and sign a contract until after the title game, but the Saints have already begun pursuing candidates to fill out his staff. And Kubiak’s experience in the high-flying 49ers offense could be tremendous for Olave. More reps with Carr and a more-creative play caller should help him take the next step and, hopefully, earn his place among the league’s best receivers.

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Report: Cowboys block Commanders’ request to interview key offensive assistant

From @ToddBrock24f7: Lunda Wells was being eyed to coach Washington’s O-line under Dan Quinn and new OC Kliff Kingsbury, but he’ll remain the Cowboys’ TE coach.

Just days after losing their defensive coordinator to a division rival, the Cowboys are now doing some defending of their own against Dan Quinn.

The Cowboys have reportedly blocked a request from the Washington Commanders to interview tight ends coach Lunda Wells for a position on their offensive coaching staff. That development comes courtesy of NFL insider Ian Rapoport, who cited sources.

Shortly after arriving in Washington to take over his new team, Quinn moved quickly to hire away Joe Whitt Jr. from Dallas. The former secondary coach and defensive passing game coordinator will join Quinn’s staff as the new defensive coordinator.

Quinn also named former Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury as his new offensive coordinator, ousting Eric Bienemy from the role. Now looking to rebuild a staff under Kingsbury, the Commanders had come to the Cowboys requesting permission to interview Wells about becoming Washington’s new offensive line coach.

While assistant coaches cannot be blocked from interviewing with other clubs for promotions to coordinator positions, employing teams do reserve the right to decline an opponent’s request to speak to their assistants about assistant-to-assistant moves, which are considered lateral.

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The 40-year-old Wells was an assistant O-line coach with the Giants for several years before taking over their tight end room for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He joined the Cowboys staff as tight ends coach in 2020, where he has overseen the development of Blake Jarwin, Dalton Schultz, and Jake Ferguson, who was named to his first Pro Bowl for the 2023 season.

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Derek Carr responds to Michael Thomas: ‘I probably didn’t throw the best ball’

Derek Carr says he understands why Michael Thomas became so frustrated last season, taking accountability for throwing a poor pass on the receiver’s season-ending injury:

Michael Thomas raised an uproar on social media this week when he publicly criticized the New Orleans Saints — taking aim at the play calling, coaching decisions, and quarterback Derek Carr, all of which he blamed for his poor production in 2023. It’s likely going to be his last year in black and gold.

To his credit, Carr didn’t disagree with Thomas’ assessment. He responded to the criticism during an appearance on the Two Gs in a Pod show with James Jones and Amber Theoharis. Carr took some accountability for the play that resulted in a season-ending injury to Thomas, which the receiver described as being “set up by a bad ball.”

“I probably didn’t throw the best ball. If that’s how he wants to view it and how he wants to see it, completely fine by me,” Carr said. Carr placed the ball too high and too far behind his target, requiring Thomas to awkwardly contort in midair to try and make a play. His legs tangled up with those of the defender covering him, which led to Thomas’ left leg initially catching in the turf before whipping around painfully, injuring his knee. A lower pass leading Thomas in stride could have lessened the risk of injury.

Thomas also pointed out that the Saints weren’t making an effort to get him the ball last season, which Carr validated. Their younger second-year wideout Chris Olave was the focal point of the offense, not Thomas.

Carr continued: “I also understand that when I came in the building we had Chris Olave, who they were trying to train to be the number-one guy. So all of a sudden, every rep and every read in practice is Chris first. And as a superstar that Mike is and as he has been, I can understand you’re dealing with all the injury noise, you’re dealing with Chris becoming the guy — and he loves Chris, that’s his guy at Ohio State and all that — but I can understand where the frustration starts to build. I understand where all those things begin to take place.”

No position is more dependent factors outside their control than wide receiver. They can’t draw up the plays to have the ball go their way, and they can’t throw it to themselves. If a receiver is stuck playing with a bad quarterback or play caller their numbers are going to suffer for it. It’s why the position generates so many big personalities. Like it or not, it’s an approach a lot of receivers take. As Brandin Cooks expressed back in 2016, “Closed mouths don’t get fed.”

Still, Carr adds, he wishes Thomas had reached out privately to hash out these frustrations rather than aired them online. If this it for them as teammates, Carr said he wishes Thomas all the best: “I hope Mike finds what he’s looking for. I hope he gets everything he wants, in life, because I do love Mike. But in that moment I didn’t really like it. Just call me bro.”

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Report: Mike Zimmer officially interviewing to become Cowboys DC

From @ToddBrock24f7: The 67-year-old won a Super Bowl ring with the Cowboys the last time they were there. Now he’s talking to them about returning for 2024.

What was once an intriguing notion and then a rumored possibility has taken a very real step. The Cowboys are officially interviewing Mike Zimmer for their open defensive coordinator job.

The news comes from NFL insider Adam Schefter, though many have suspected for a while that the 67-year-old could be a candidate for the role that was vacated by Dan Quinn. On Saturday, Quinn signed his contract to become the next head coach of the Washington Commanders.

Zimmer last held the Cowboys’ DC role in 2006 before moving on to serve as defensive coordinator in Atlanta and Cincinnati. He then served as head coach in Minnesota until the conclusion of the 2021 season.

Known as a fiery coach who tends to develop strong and lasting relationships with his players, Zimmer spent the 2022 season as an analyst and consultant for one of his former players, Cowboys legend Deion Sanders, as head coach of Jackson State.

Zimmer spent the 2023 campaign away from the game but studying current trends as part of an effort to return to the sidelines.

He may get the opportunity with the franchise that rewarded him with a Super Bowl ring in 1996.

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The Cowboys are also set to interview former Commanders head coach Ron Rivera in the coming days. Potential internal candidates could include Joe Whitt Jr., Al Harris, and Aden Durde, though there’s a chance some or all of them could end up following Quinn to the Commanders. Other outside names that have been mentioned as possibilities (all purely speculative at this point) are Mike Vrabel, Brandon Staley, Wink Martindale, and even Bill Belichick.

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Broncos had multiple interviews with QB Michael Pratt at the Senior Bowl

The Broncos met with Tulane QB Michael Pratt multiple times at the Senior Bowl. Pratt, who emulates Drew Brees, is a 3rd-round prospect.

Speaking to media members at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama on Wednesday, Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt said he has already had “a couple of interviews” with the Denver Broncos.

After completing 60.6% of his passes for 9,611 yards with 90 touchdowns against 26 interceptions in four years (46 games) with the Green Wave, Pratt (6-2, 200 pounds) believes he would be a good fit for coach Sean Payton’s offense in Denver.

“I think that’s something that I excel in — my intermediate pass game, being consistent, that kind of stuff,” Pratt said, via Andrew Mason of DenverSports.com. “So just from what I have seen from his style of offense, it’s something that I feel like I would definitely fit into really well.”

Having coached in New Orleans for 16 years, Payton has a good relationship with Tulane University, where the Saints often held training camp practices. He knows former Green Wave head coach Willie Fritz, and Tulane offensive line coach Dan Roushar coached under Payton with the Saints from 2013-2021.

Payton has plenty of connections to the school, so he should be able to find out anything he needs to know about Pratt. It’s also worth noting that Pratt told Tulane sideline reporter Maddy Hudak that he watches clips of former NFL quarterback Drew Brees to learn from the QB’s film.

The stars might be aligning for Denver to select Pratt in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft, just as Draft Wire has predicted. Pratt will be a notable QB to keep an eye on during the Senior Bowl on Saturday.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
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Saints offensive coordinator search: Who’s interviewed twice, who’s off the board

New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator search: Who has interviewed twice, who is off the board, and who is still available?

There isn’t a more important question for the New Orleans Saints to answer right now than this: “Who is calling plays in 2024?”

For the first time in more than a decade, the Saints are searching for a new offensive coordinator — and one who will be calling plays, not just helping Sean Payton design the game plan each week. Getting the most out of cornerstone players like Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Taysom Hill while curing what ails the offensive line is critical.

It’s no exaggeration to say this is the most important hire that Dennis Allen will make as head coach. If he gets this wrong and the Saints offense starts out on a cripplingly slow pace again, it’ll be curtains for him. He needs to find the right coach who can carry Carr’s positive momentum over into 2024 while reviving one of the NFL’s least-creative rushing attacks. That’s no small task.

And names keep getting added to the search as the Saints interview more and more candidates. We’ll keep this list updated and check in on who is still available, who has gotten a second interview with New Orleans, and who has been taken off the board by other teams:

Saints to host ex-Bears OC Luke Getsy for second interview

Ex-Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s first interview with the Saints flew under the radar. They’re meeting with him for a second time on Wednesday:

This is big news: the New Orleans Saints will be interviewing former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy for a second time after his first meeting was not reported, having flown under the radar. The MMQB’s Albert Breer reports that Getsy will speak with Saints brass in New Orleans on Wednesday.

That’s a benefit to speaking with candidates virtually at first; fewer people are involved, leading to fewer leaks. The Saints have probably interviewed other candidates whose names have not been made public.

But back to Getsy. He’ll turn 40 in February having worked in the NFL since 2014, with a college coaching career dating back to 2007. Before arriving in Chicago in 2022 he coached quarterbacks for the division-rival Green Bay Packers from 2019 to 2021. He also worked with wide receivers in Green Bay prior to that.

He has play calling experience, but the Bears weren’t exactly a model of success during Getsy’s two-year run. Chicago ranked 18th in points and 20th in yards per game in 2023, which was a gradual improvement over their ranks in 2022 (23rd and 28th, respectively). But between Justin Fields’ slow progress and the opportunity to reboot with the first overall draft pick and their choice of rookie quarterbacks, the Bears chose to go in a new direction this offseason.

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Kellen Moore returning to NFC East? Eagles ask to interview former Cowboys OC

From @ToddBrock24f7: Moore interviewed to be the Eagles head coach after the 2020 season; now he’s on their radar again to perhaps become their new OC.

The Los Angeles Chargers are hiring Jim Harbaugh to be their next head coach, and the ripple effects of that move could send Kellen Moore back into the NFC East pond.

The offensive coordinator and the Cowboys parted ways nearly one year ago, with Moore being quickly snatched up by L.A. to serve in the same role under Chargers head coach Brandon Staley. Staley only made it through 14 games of the season, being let go after compiling a 24-24 record with the team over two-plus seasons. The Chargers finished 5-12 for the season and in last place in the AFC West.

Despite a lackluster year with Justin Herbert and the Bolts offense, the 35-year-old Moore is still considered a promising young offensive mind in league circles. The Chargers are reportedly going to let Moore test that theory.

According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the Philadelphia Eagles have requested an interview with Moore for their offensive coordinator position, as have the Cleveland Browns. Given the new administration coming to L.A., the Chargers are expected to let him speak with clubs about new opportunities.

The Eagles fired Brian Johnson as OC early this week after one year at the helm and a playoff appearance. Philadelphia is in the midst of an extensive coaching staff revamp, with veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio signing on to lead that side of the ball.

Cleveland also fired Alex Van Pelt as their OC, following their own postseason exit in the wild-card round. He had spent four years with the club. Every single team in the NFL has now had to replace its offensive coordinator since 2022.

Moore has been looked at by the Eagles before. He was a popular name for head coach interviews following the 2020 season and was courted heavily by his college alma mater, Boise State. Philadelphia met with him as well and the two sides got on well, according to Moore. The Eagles ended up hiring Nick Sirianni instead; Moore returned to the Cowboys on a lucrative three-year extension.

By the end of the next season, the Cowboys finished No. 1 leaguewide in yards, second in passing yards, and ninth in rushing yards. In 2022, they had the NFL’s top-ranked red zone offense. Dallas scored 530 and 467 points in those seasons, their highest-scoring consecutive seasons in franchise history. But the team and Moore parted ways after a divisional-round loss to San Francisco, with head coach Mike McCarthy taking over play-calling duties and installing Brian Schottenheimer as the official offensive coordinator.

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In all, Moore spent eight years with the Cowboys: three as a quarterback, one as the team’s QB coach, and four as OC.

Moore would have plenty of weaponry to work with in Philadelphia. Quarterback Jalen Hurts and their talented crew of pass-catchers and ballcarriers would closely mimic what he had in Dallas with Dak Prescott & Co.

And seeing Moore, the wunderkind once thought to be in line for the Cowboys top job, on the opposite sideline twice a year would only lend more juice to the Cowboys-Eagles rivalry.

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