The GM's, Coach's, Carousel

Browns hire Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator

On the same day the Bills hired Joe Brady to replace Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator, Dorsey has found a new home.

Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Dorsey will be the new offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns.

Dorsey replaces Alex Van Pelt as the man in charge of the Cleveland offense. He’ll be tasked with getting the most out of Deshaun Watson in 2024, the third year of his five-year, fully-guaranteed contract.

Dorsey spent three years with the Browns as a quarterback, from 2006 through 2008. He spent five years as a coach with the Panthers, and four and a half in Buffalo.

 

I was going to post in the Random Opinions thread, but since @Willie mentioned me in two posts here, this seems like the right place.

The big story in Atlanta was presumably that Arthur Blank was mega-hot to get Belichick as the next coach. The only question was whether Belichick would want the job. After two interviews (and dinner with Blank, which really should count as a third interview), nothing. Atlanta eventually moved on.

The other media story is that Belichick wants full control of all things football at his next stop. That part, I'm willing to believe. Allegedly it was a barrier with Atlanta. I'm willing to believe that too, up to a point.

From there a lot of pure speculations got bounced around in the blogs and fringe outlets and podcasts until they became nearly mainstream. Most of that stuff was utterly bogus, particularly anything and everything that focused on Rich McKay as having any kind of a role in coaching decisions or personnel moves. (He did "oversee" football operations for one year, which ended with the hiring of the new coach. Even before that, it had been known that he would take on the top executive role of Atlanta United FC. He's also the guy in charge of Mercedes Benz Stadium operations in addition to being the CEO of the Falcons.)

I'll throw in my own pure speculation. Arthur Blank is HUGE on the idea of process and organizational operations. This is the owner who brought in a consulting firm for a previous coaching search, largely to make sure he was going about the process of a coaching search the right way. The idea of having one person in full control of both coaching and personnel goes against his core beliefs of how an organization should operate.

So Blank wouldn't go there, and without full control Belichick wouldn't come here. To me that's a Good Thing, because the guy who would have been shoved out of the picture isn't Rich McKay, no matter how many podcast and blog jockeys insist that McKay feared for his job. The odd man out would have been Terry Fontenot, who has done a heck of a job as GM.

For the last three years, Atlanta has done a far better job with personnel than New England. The Falcons cleared themselves out of a MASSIVE cap mess and built up an impressive roster that quite frankly should have taken the division title. They are at the proverbial one or two players away from making a deep playoff run. (Yes, quarterback is the key missing piece.) By contrast, would anyone say Belichick's personnel moves have been top shelf over the last three years?

Atlanta came out ahead by keeping the front office intact. Will Raheem Morris turn out to be successful enough on the field to make the whole package better? To be determined...

 

This is a great point. Im leaning on a group of minds, football minds, business minds, logistical minds, financial minds... wrap that all up into a conglomerated close-knit group and in my opinion, it demolishes a one-man show running the whole kit-and-caboodle.

Blank and Belichick had to feel each other out and test the waters, ultimately the right decision seems to have been made.

As for the 2024 newly hired coaches and staff, I dont know enough about them to form a truly honest or legitimate opinion, I just hope it all works out. A good draft is essential, especially if they are going QB.

 

I'm optimistic about Raheem Morris. He was a head coach once before, with Tampa like 15 years ago. Their roster was just plain terrible, and he wasn't able to turn them around. He was also here as a key assistant to Dan Quinn. The strangest part of that, and what might pay huge dividends now, is that Quinn moved him over to offense and had him serve as WR coach. He knew nothing about techniques of running pass routes, but on the X's and O's side of things, he was perfect for showing the offensive players what an opposing defense was trying to do to stop them and how to beat zones or man-zone combinations.

He had been the defensive coordinator for the Rams for the last 3 years, so he was the DC for their 2021 championship. They also made the postseason this year, losing the wild card game to Detroit.


The Falcons themselves have not yet confirmed that Zac Robinson is coming aboard with him as the OC. But enough other sources have listed enough details that it seems to be a done deal. One bit from SI said that his wife gave birth yesterday and that he officially accepted Atlanta's offer 20 minutes later. Cool story if it turns out to be accurate.

Another article has already said that the team will be keeping OL coach Dwayne Ledford, RB coach Michael Pitre, and WR coach T.J. Yates as part of Robinson's staff. Also that the team is keeping special teams coordinator Marquice Williams. No word on the defensive staff or the lower level assistants.

 

James Palmer of NFL Media reports that former NFL quarterback T.J. Yates is going to handle the QB coaching position under Robinson.

 

Chargers working to finalize deal with Joe Hortiz as General Manager

Joe Hortiz is set to go from working with one Harbaugh brother to working with another.

According to multiple reports, the Chargers are working to finalize a deal to make Hortiz their new General Manager. Hortiz interviewed with the team twice and his second meeting took place after the team hired Jim Harbaugh as their new head coach.

Hortiz has been working for the Ravens since 1998, so he has worked with John Harbaugh through his entire run as the head coach in Baltimore. Hortiz has been the team’s director of player personnel since 2019.

The Chargers have serious salary cap issues to clean up as they head into the 2024 season. Once the deal is finalized, Hortiz will be at the forefront of that effort.

PFT

 

It's an interesting move. Yates was a QB himself in his own playing days, mainly as a backup for the Texans but also had a brief moment as a backup here in Atlanta. That was part of then-defensive coordinator Mike Nolan churning nearly the entire defensive roster (and destroying it). He decided former third round pick Akeem Dent no longer fit his needs at linebacker, so at the end of OTAs the team traded Dent to Houston for Yates. Dent played three seasons for the Texans. Yates played here for the 2014 season, was cut at the roster deadline in 2015, resigned with Houston a month later, bounced around a bit and then finished his career once again back in Houston in 2017.

Meanwhile, Nolan turned Atlanta's defense into the worst in the league (by far), showing what I thought was pettiness and favoritism among the players along the way. That season ultimately got the head coach (Mike Smith) fired. So I felt a vindictive glee knowing that Dent lasted longer with Houston and Yates lasted longer in Atlanta than Nolan did in Atlanta following that trade.


If Yates does become the QB coach, it's a relief to know that the OC won't be doing double-duty as QB coach anymore, especially if the team drafts a QB early on. I'd still love to snag someone like Pat O'Hara for the job though. I don't know how well Yates would be able to teach mechanics, footwork, etc. Desmond Ridder works with Jordan Palmer during the offseason, but I want someone here as a full time coach who is good with those things. Someone like O'Hara or Ben McAdoo. Or Jordan Palmer, for that matter, if he would take the job.

 

And it's now official. The Falcons have announced that Zac Robinson will indeed be the new offensive coordinator. They also announced that Jimmy Lake (previously assistant head coach with the Rams, where Raheem Morris was defensive coordinator) will become Atlanta's new defensive coordinator, and that special teams coordinator Marquice Williams will be sticking around in Atlanta.

 

Steelers are expected to hire Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator

Former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith is set to become Mike Tomlin’s top assistant.

Smith is expected to become the next offensive coordinator of the Steelers, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The 41-year-old Smith spent the last three seasons as head coach of the Falcons, finishing 7-10 all three years. Before that he spent two years as offensive coordinator of the Titans in 2019 and 2020.

The Steelers had a highly disappointing offense in 2023, and Matt Canada was fired as offensive coordinator during the season. Kenny Pickett failed to develop the way the team hoped he would, and the most important question facing Smith and the Steelers’ offense is whether Pickett or someone else will be the starter in 2024.

 

Ben Johnson informs Commanders, Seahawks he’s staying with Lions

As it turns out, the Lions won’t have to replace their offensive coordinator.

According to multiple reports, Ben Johnson has informed the Commanders and Seahawks that he is going to stay with Detroit for 2024, withdrawing his name from consideration for their head coaching vacancies.

Johnson, 37, has been Detroit’s offensive coordinator for the last two seasons. Each year, the club has finished No. 5 in points scored.

He was considered one of the hottest head coaching candidates entering the offseason and met with several teams. But according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Johnson’s “asking price spooked some teams.”

 

Per multiple sources, it’s believed the former Michigan coach will receive an average salary of $16 million per year from his new team.

Harbaugh’s deal, based on prior reports, covers five years. If it’s all guaranteed, that’s an $80 million commitment.

 

Money to burn, I guess.

 

My quick take - Harbaugh will have the Chargers running hot for the first 3 years, cool significantly in the last two and return as a college coach (or retire) when this contract expires.

 

This might depend on how much Joe Hortiz has learned in Baltimore. He has seen the best in Ozzie Newsome, but man, the Chargers are in some cap hell.

My assumption is, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are no longer Chargers in less than 60 days... Pretty sad considering Allen just had his best year as a pro.

He could re-work one of the contracts, but I don't see them retaining both.

 

Jerry Gray, assistant head coach/defense just inked an extension.

 

Mike Macdonald is taking his defense to the streets of Seattle.

The Seahawks will hire Macdonald as their next head coach, according to multiple reports.

Macdonald has been the Ravens’ defensive coordinator for the past two seasons. Baltimore finished 2023 No. 1 in points allowed and No. 6 in yards allowed. In 2022, the club was No. 3 and No. 9 in the same categories.

Joining the Ravens in 2014, Macdonald began as a coaching intern. He moved on to coach defensive backs and linebackers before going to Michigan in 2021 to serve as Jim Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator. Baltimore brought him back in 2022 to replace Wink Martindale as defensive coordinator.

Now Macdonald, 36, will become the youngest head coach in the league. Coincidentally, he’ll replace the man who was previously the oldest in Pete Carroll, who is 72.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport noted that the Seahawks were willing to wait if Macdonald had ended up coaching in the Super Bowl. Instead, the organization showed urgency instead of waiting minute by minute after the Ravens fell to the Chiefs. The team’s brass met with Macdonald in Baltimore on Tuesday before bringing him to Seattle on Wednesday to start finalizing an agreement.

Macdonald will receive a six-year contract, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.

The Commanders now have the league’s lone remaining head coaching vacancy.

NBC

 

The ravens defense will take a step backwards this season coming up

 

And Billy Boy is still sitting on the couch... interesting. Anyone think age is the issue? Too much control wanted?

Mike Vrabel will be in the college ranks I think... I wish OSU would get rid of Day and give this man a job.

 

Well, being #1 in points allowed, it sure as hell isn't going up

 

The Packers are expected to hire Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley as their new defensive coordinator, Pete Thamel of ESPN reports.

Hafley was 22-26 in four seasons, with the Eagles earning bowl eligibility three times. Boston College beat No. 22 SMU in the Fenway Bowl, finishing 7-6 this season.

He will replace Joe Berry with the Packers as the third different defensive coordinator that head coach Matt LaFleur has had in six years. Hafley and LaFleur are longtime friends, per Thamel.

Hafley becomes the third college head coach to leave for a coordinator job, as the gap widens between the haves and have nots in the Name, Image and Likeness era of college football. South Alabama’s Kame Wommack and Buffalo’s Maurice Linguist took coordinator jobs at Alabama.

Hafley worked for the Bucs (2012-13), Browns (2014-15) and 49ers (2016-18) as a defensive backs coach before returning to the college ranks in 2019 as Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator.

Bills linebackers coach Bobby Babich, since hired as the Bills’ defensive coordinator, Ravens inside linebackers coach Zach Orr, Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker and Ravens secondary coach Dennard Wilson were other candidates for the job.

PFT