Tag: Jerrod Johnson

Browns to interview Texans’ QB coach Jerrod Johnson for vacant OC job

The former NFL quarterback will meet with the Browns this week

The search for a new offensive coordinator in Cleveland will continue this week as Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson comes to town for an interview.

This move would make sense as Johnson has played a part in rookie quarterback CJ Stroud’s success in Houston this year. He has worked closely with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik who has completely turned around the Texans offense this year. When you look at the type of offense the Texans run you see the same things the Browns want to do with Deshaun Watson in 2024.

Johnson started his coaching career, after bouncing from team to team as a quarterback, with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017. He worked with DeMeco Ryans in San Fran which led to his hire this year in Houston. He also spent time with Kevin O’Connell on his staff with the Minnesota Vikings.

With the candidate and interview list growing by the day, it will be interesting to see who Kevin Stefanski ultimately adds to his staff.

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Saints request interview with Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson

The Saints requested an interview with Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson, who may be the up-and-comer fans have been asking for at offensive coordinator:

Here’s a new name for the New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator search: CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports that the Saints have requested an interview with Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson. He’s played a major part in helping Texans rookie C.J. Stroud acclimate to the NFL as one of the season’s most exciting young quarterbacks.

Johnson, 35, was a standout quarterback himself at Texas A&M (Saints head coach Dennis Allen’s alma mater) from 2008 to 2010, turning pro with the second-most career passing yards in school history to his credit. He joined the Philadelphia Eagles for training camp in 2011 and bounced around the league after that, spending time with the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and Dallas Cowboys during the years that followed.

Since turning to coaching in 2017 with the Bill Walsh Diversity coaching fellowship (first on the San Francisco 49ers under Kyle Shanahan, then the Indianapolis Colts with Frank Reich) he was risen quickly through the ranks. Johnson worked as the Minnesota Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach in 2022 and joined the Texans last year, working closely with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. Now he’s drawing attention for an OC job of his own. Johnson has worked with many successful coaches in this league and could be the up-and-comer Saints fans have been asking for. We’ll see how his meeting with New Orleans plays out.

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6 offensive coordinator targets for Browns after firing Alex Van Pelt

These six assistant coaches should be on the top of the Browns’ OC wishlist

On Wednesday, the Browns decided it was time for the offense to go in a different direction as they let offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt go after four seasons with the team. The move was surprising but when you think about it, it does make sense that the offense must change. With Deshaun Watson returning, it is clear that a fresh voice is needed to reshape the offense to fit his skill set.

Cleveland tried to mold the offense and it just didn’t produce the results they hoped this year, though Watson was playing better before his injury. They need a new voice that can help to reshape this offense, someone with experience working with mobile quarterbacks or an innovative offensive mind from a successful coaching tree.

Kevin Stefanski showed a willingness to make changes last year by moving on from Joe Woods, and this year deciding that as good as Van Pelt is, he just isn’t the one to help take this offense in a different direction.

Here are six potential candidates that make the most sense as the team searches for its new OC.

Moving on from Pete Carmichael is just part of the Saints’ path forward

Moving on from Pete Carmichael is just part of the Saints’ path forward. Finding the right offensive coordinator is the most important decision of Dennis Allen’s career:

It wasn’t an easy decision, but the New Orleans Saints did it: they fired longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael on Tuesday, cutting off one of the last remaining pieces of their Super Bowl XLIV-winning team.

Now what?

Moving on from Carmichael isn’t enough. The Saints must replace him with a play caller who brings something new to the table: an upgrade, not a lateral move. By parting ways with Carmichael (and assistant coaches like Kodi Burns and Bob Bicknell) they’re signaling that it was Carmichael holding back the offense for the first three months, not quarterback Derek Carr.

So finding an offensive coordinator who can get more out of Carr while improving the run game is going to be key. Maybe that’s someone already on staff like passing game coordinator Ronald Curry. Maybe it’s someone who has worked with Carr before, like Jon Gruden. Or maybe an entirely fresh perspective could be the answer. There are assistant coaches on the rise around the league like San Francisco 49ers passing game specialist Klint Kubiak and Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson who could be in demand.

At the same time, Allen has tried and failed to recruit upgrades in each of his first two years on the job. He could be in a similar tough spot again this year with candidates looking elsewhere for better opportunities. If that’s the case, Allen might have to settle for a retread like Ken Dorsey (ex-Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator) or Jim Bob Cooter (the Indianapolis Colts’ OC, who defers play calling to head coach Shane Steichen). This is the most important hire Allen will make in his three-year run as head coach.

If Allen misfires and the Saints miss the playoffs yet again in 2024, that has to be the end of the line. That must be what’s at stake here: playoffs or bust. Another average-at-best showing from the offense and near-.500 record can’t be good enough. Not when the Saints marketed Allen’s own hiring two years ago as a move that would keep them competitive in the playoffs. After hiring his own coaches and drafting his own players and getting his own quarterback, Allen won’t have any excuses or anyone else to blame if he can’t guide this team to the postseason next year.

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C.J. Stroud has worked additionally on his own to learn the Texans offense

Houston Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud has put in extra work to learn the offense, a process he admits “doesn’t happen overnight.”

As the Houston Texans begin the second week of organized team activities at Houston Methodist Training Center, one player will be eager to return to the field and apply everything he is learning daily.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is soaking up information from new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson like a sponge.

“They’ve been very methodical and want to get me to learn it step by step, just like how they would teach anybody else,” said Stroud last week during his press conference. “I feel like I’ve tried to do a lot of work on my own, so when I come back the next day, I have that to put in the bank to be able to move on to the next install, whatever it is.”

With the first glimpse, the media had to observe Stroud as he took second-team reps; he looked like a rookie quarterback learning the basics of running an NFL offense. He made mistakes that should be easily fixable during training camp this summer with more repetitions and film study.

“It’s coming,” Stroud said about learning the offense. “I mean, it’s going to be a process. It doesn’t happen overnight. Just trying to learn from the guys who have been in the offense before. Learn from some of the vets. That’s kind of just been my approach is learn it little by little.”

Stroud, who completed 69.3% of his passes at Ohio State during his last two seasons as the signal caller, is a very quick learner and a borderline perfectionist when it comes to playing the quarterback position. It was a trait he learned from his head coach Ryan Day while playing in the NFL-type system the Buckeyes use.

“They do a great job in our building; it is a mini-NFL team,” Stroud answered at the NFL combine in March about learning how to run an offense at Ohio State. “They make you get on the board and explain the plays back.

“It is not them coaching you all the time, you have to be the coach on the team, and that is something I took very seriously. Not only being the leader but being that coach on the field. If somebody forgot a route or protection, I think on film, you can constantly see me pointing things out. That shows what I am willing to do to be great and be a coach on the field.”

The media will have an opportunity to observe Stroud’s progress on Wednesday as practice will be open for a brief period.

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What would a bad year from Texans QB C.J. Stroud look like?

C.J. Stroud is a rookie after all, and his initial season could be underwhelming. What would that look like for the Houston Texans?

The Houston Texans drafted C.J. Stroud No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL draft to upgrade their quarterback situation. Long term, the decision should work out.

For the 2023 campaign, Stroud will have to prove himself better than 12-year veteran Case Keenum and incumbent starter Davis Mills. The former Ohio State product should be able to win the job on talent alone, but Stroud isn’t exactly taking on the Big Ten. Stroud will basically take on Georgia every week.

There is an expectation that Stroud will do well for Houston, but what exactly does a bad rookie year look like for the 21-year-old?

According to Chris Trapasso from CBS Sports, a worst-case scenario for Stroud would be if he had a 57% completion, 6.3 yards per attempt, 2,993 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, and 48 sacks on the season with a 71.5 passer rating.

Stroud’s worse-case scenario numbers aren’t too different than what they got out of Mills last season through 15 games. The former 2021 third-rounder from Stanford had a 61.0% completion, 6.5 yards per attempt, 3,118 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and 33 sacks with a 78.8 passer rating.

The context of Stroud’s final stat line would have to be taken into consideration. If Stroud compiled such a worse-case scenario from being hesitant about taking shots downfield, refusing to scramble, or being late with getting rid of the ball, then a perception would develop that the Texans’ young quarterback just needed more work.

If Stroud’s interceptions were the result of one or two games wherein he threw three or four, and his passing touchdowns were impacted by the offense’s rushing touchdowns, there would be more confidence that the former Buckeye was doing his part as he learned the entire offense.

The most troubling aspect in either view of Stroud’s worse-case scenario is the sacks. Houston can’t afford to have their future under center taking that type of punishment.

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Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson to participate in NFL Coach Accelerator program

Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson will take part in the NFL Coach Accelerator program at the NFL owners meetings May 21-23.

On Wednesday, the NFL announced its participants in the Coach Accelerator program that will be held on May 21-23 at the NFL owners meetings in Minneapolis. The program is designed to promote greater diversity across the NFL.

It aims to increase exposure between owners, executives, and diverse coaching talent, providing ample opportunity to develop and build upon their relationships.

“In the year since its inception, we’ve been encouraged by the positive response to the Accelerator from both club owners and participants,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “We look forward to continuing to build on an incredible program that supports diverse talent.”

The Houston Texans will be represented by Humble native Jerrod Johnson, who is in his first year with the team as the quarterbacks coach. He previously served as the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings last season. After being undrafted out of college at Texas A&M, Johnson played for six different NFL teams.

The participants this year are attending based on their high potential to be considered for a head coaching position in the future. In addition to networking, further development of the participants is a critical component of the accelerator, with curated content sessions scheduled that will further engage each participant in advancing their executive leadership skills and business acumen.

“It was a great experience to be a part of the first Accelerator, and I’m excited to continue this journey,” said Charles London, Game Coordinator and Quarterback Coach for the Tennessee Titans. “I look forward to networking and growing my professional development.”

Former Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton was Houston’s participant last offseason, and is one of three at-large participants this year.

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Houston Texans 2023 coaching staff: Meet DeMeco Ryans’ crew

The Houston Texans announced their 2023 coaching staff, the first for DeMeco Ryans.

The Houston Texans announced their new coaching staff.

DeMeco Ryans stated in his introductory presser that he wanted a staff that reflected diversity because players process information differently. Having a multitude of experiences and approaches on the staff can allow players an opportunity to understand the objectives without a monolithic approach.

There were some holdovers from the Lovie Smith era, which reflected a commitment to merit-based performance as well. However, most of the hires were from the San Francisco 49ers or had such Kyle Shanahan connections.

Houston hopes to rise from the bottom of the AFC South in 2023. If they are to do so, it will be with this coaching staff.

Vikings lose another assistant coach

The Vikings have now lost six assistants so far this year

The Minnesota Vikings had some coaches earlier this offseason requested for interviews with all of them coming on the offensive side of the football. None of them resulted in new positions for them, but they have lost multiple assistant coaches since then.

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Cardinals took the Vikings sixth assistant coach in hiring assistant linebackers coach Sam Siefkes to be their linebackers coach.

The Vikings had already lost five coaches prior to Siefkes accepting the job with the Cardinals.

  • Assistant quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson-Houston Texans
  • Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell-Terminated
  • Inside linebackers coach Greg Manusky-Terminated
  • Defensive line assistant A’lique Terry-Oregon Ducks
  • Assistant special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica-Denver Broncos

Siefkes joined the Vikings in 2021 as a quality control coach before getting promoted to assistant linebackers coach with new head coach Kevin O’Connell.

Expect new defensive coordinator Brian Flores to continue building up his staff with his own guys.