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Welcome In. Super Bowl teams are practicing, the musical chairs game of coaching moves is winding down and we've got an early look at 2025 rookie safeties and running backs.
Plus Cecil Lammey and Bob Harris have the News and Notes you need.
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RELATED: See our staff's top players at the offensive skill positions. Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver (coming) | Tight End
Recently, we asked the Footballguys staff for their top rookies at each position. Over the next several weeks, we'll get deeper into the 2025 draft class and release our massive 2025 Footballguys Rookie Guide after the Super Bowl. For now, here's a quick look at how our staff sees the running back position.
Remember that it is early in the process. Showcase events like the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl will allow us to better compare these players, and the NFL Combine will add even more clarity.
Key
Rank: the player's rank at the position.
Pts: the number of points the player gained in the voting; the max changes based on how many staff members participated and how deep the voting was, but bigger numbers are always better.
Firsts: the number of first-place votes the player received from a staff member.
Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has no intention to coach in 2025 and will instead focus on the 2026 hiring cycle, according to multiple sources.
Our view: The Saints are the only opening left, and Eagles OC Kellen Moore seems to be the frontrunner there. McCarthy has a sterling reputation in coaching circles, and he should be considered among the top candidates available in the 2026 hiring window.
Las Vegas Raiders special teams coordinator Tom McMahon will remain on the staff under new head coach Pete Carroll, according to sources Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Our view: McMahon, 55, has been with the Raiders since 2022, when Josh McDaniels was hired as head coach. Former head coach Antonio Pierce retained him when he got the full-time top job in 2024. McMahon has previously been with the Rams, Chiefs, Colts, and Broncos as special teams coordinator. He was also an assistant with the Falcons.
Former Washington Commanders and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy was considered 'a top candidate' for the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator vacancy and has spoken with multiple teams around the league regarding a position on their staff, according to multiple sources.
Our view: UCLA fired Bieniemy in early December, and he's looking to get back into the NFL. Bieniemy was the Chiefs' offensive coordinator from 2018-2022, and QB Patrick Mahomes has always had good things to say about him. Having a couple of Super Bowl rings with the Chiefs will always garner attention when there's an opening for an offensive coach in the NFL.
Former Tennessee Titans cornerbacks coach Chris Harris interviewed with the New York Jets for their defensive coordinator vacancy Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Our view: The Titans announced earlier this week that Harris would not return and that former Jets assistant Tony Oden will fill his role on Brian Callahan'sstaff. Harris has also spent time with the Commanders, Chargers, and Bears since retiring as a safety and moving into the coaching ranks after the 2012 season. Incoming head coach Aaron Glenn revealed at a Monday press conference that he will not call the Jets' defensive plays, so whoever lands this job will handle that responsibility.
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Former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks will interview with the New York Jets for their defensive coordinator vacancy, according to sources Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Our view: Wilks is getting some interest as a defensive coordinator with both the Falcons and Colts interviewing him as well. While those two teams filled their jobs with others, the Jets are now looking at the former 49ers DC. With Aaron Glenn as the new head coach, having a seasoned veteran like Wilks to run the defense would be a benefit.
Detroit Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand is reportedly the frontrunner to fill the New York Jets' offensive coordinator vacancy, according to multiple sources.
Our view: Engstrand has been a key member of the Lions staff since 2020 and spent the last two seasons as the passing game coordinator. Detroit's offense has taken off with Engstrand in the role, leading the NFL with 8,875 yards, ranking second with 69 touchdown passes and a 105.0 passer rating over the last two seasons. After being passed over as offensive coordinator (John Morton was hired to fill that role), it makes sense for Engstrand to pursue other options. Working with former Lions DC Aaron Glenn in New York is now on the top of that list.
Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Klayton Adams interviewed with the Dallas Cowboys for their offensive coordinator vacancy, according to sources Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Our view: New Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer is looking for help on offense. Adams has been with a couple of teams in the NFL as an assistant (Cardinals, Colts) and has experience running an offense at the college level (Colorado). Schottenheimer is the likely play-caller no matter who gets hired as offensive coordinator.
Washington Commanders assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough has been requested to interview with the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars for their quarterbacks coach vacancies, according to sources Wednesday, Jan. 29. Blough also has a request to interview with the Chicago Bears for their passing-game coordinator vacancy.
Our view: Blough only stopped playing football a year ago, and now he's a fast riser in the coaching ranks. That's what working with Jayden Daniels will do for you. Blough is just getting his coaching career started, and apparently he's gaining well deserved attention.
Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley (non-injury), WT A.J. Brown (non-injury), OG Landon Dickerson (knee), RB Kenneth Gainwell (concussion, knee), TE Dallas Goedert (ankle), C Cameron Jurgens (back), DT Moro Ojomo (shoulder), WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and OT Brett Toth (knee) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Jan. 29. WR Britain Covey (neck) was limited during practice. The Eagles did not hold a practice Wednesday, so the practice report is an estimation.
Our view: The Eagles have a lot of time before they have to be ready to play the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, so this bye-week injury report isn't determinative. That said, Smith's injury bears watching. As Profootballtalk.com notes, Smith was not listed on Philadelphia's report last week. He was on the field for 83 percent of the Eagles' offensive snaps in the NFC Championship Game and caught all four targets for 45 yards. Gainwell, who has to work through the concussion protocol, is also a concern. Goedert, Dickerson, and Jurgens also bear watching. Running back Saquon Barkley and receiver A.J. Brown should be non-issues, but we'll follow up as needed.
Kansas City Chiefs S Bryan Cook (quadriceps), RB Kareem Hunt (quadriceps), QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle), OT Jawaan Taylor (knee) and CB Jaylen Watson (ankle) fully participated in practice Wednesday, Jan. 29. The Chiefs did not hold a practice Wednesday, so the practice report is an estimation.
Our view: Mahomes remains on the report with his lingering ankle injury. The Chiefs have had him on the report every week since Week 16 after he sprained his right ankle against the Browns in a Dec. 15 game. He has remained a full participant since the start of the postseason. Mahomes is 34-of-51 for 422 yards and two touchdowns in two postseason games. He also has run for 57 yards and two touchdowns. That Hunt would have practiced fully had there been an actual session is also a positive. We'll follow up as needed but expect every player with a pulse to be available for next week's Super Bowl LIX against the Eagles.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass-game coordinator Josh Grizzard was interviewed internally for the team's offensive coordinator vacancy Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Our view: The Buccaneers have done their due diligence by requesting several interviews outside the organization for their now-vacant offensive coordinator position. But they're also looking inward. As SI.com notes, the Bucs are reeling after Liam Coen left to become the head coach of the Jaguars when it seemed like he was going to stay, and now, the Bucs have interviewed one of the staff members he brought on. Grizzard served as the team's passing game coordinator and also handled the team's third-down calls, per Coen. He excelled in that area -- the Bucs were the best third-down team in the NFL, converting on it 51 percent of the time. In addition, Grizzard knows the offense well, so continuity may offer him an edge over external candidates. That being said, Grizzard will also be a candidate to head to Jacksonville with Coen. Grizzard would not be able to call plays with the Jaguars, though, so the Bucs do have an intrinsic advantage there.
Free-agent RB Kazmeir Allen, DT Viliami Fehoko Jr., OG Julian Good-Jones, QB Sam Hartman, TE Tyree Jackson, DE Andre Jones Jr., WR Chris Moore, S Ben Nikkel and TE Cole Turner signed Reserve/Futures contracts with the Washington Commanders on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
Our view: We'll stubbornly monitor Jackson in crazy deep dynasty formats. The converted quarterback has made the transition to tight end, and that's something that Washington was able to do successfully years ago with Logan Thomas. We doubt Jackson works out like Thomas did (who was great when healthy), but it's worth keeping an eye on.
Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Darrell Bevell interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders regarding their offensive coordinator vacancy on Tuesday, Jan. 28. According to multiple sources, Bevell is believed to be the Raiders' first choice for the job.
Our view: Bevell was new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll's offensive coordinator in Seattle for eight seasons, and the two won a Super Bowl together. This would be an easy connection for Carroll who has his work cut out for him in Sin City. If/when hired, the Raiders then have to find some sort of answer for their starting quarterback job.
Jacksonville Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. impressed new head coach Lian Coen with his work from the slot last year. 'To be able to put him in a slot and run lookie, run choice, run the option routes, run the middle of the field a little bit,' Coen said of Thomas. 'And then also be able to throw screens to him and he's going to go do something with it.'
Our view: Coen should be able to craft a scheme for QB Trevor Lawrence that gets the best from his targets like Thomas. We could see Thomas playing the Chris Godwin position for Coen as the former Buccaneers assistant created with his former team. Expect Thomas to get fed the ball, from the slot and other spots, in 2025.
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We Help You Win More At Fantasy Football
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