Despite interest from the Commanders and Seahawks, the Lions are retaining their offensive coordinator. However, it’s uncertain if he was the preferred choice for Washington.
• Ben Johnson will return to the Detroit Lions for the 2024 season.
This is something I didn’t think to write about three weeks ago. It was an achievement few in the NFL expected at the time. But today Ben Johnson told the general managers of Washington and the Seattle Seahawks that he will remain in Detroit as offensive coordinator.
A year ago, Ben Johnson removed his name from the Carolina Panthers roster. The Lions then convinced him to take promotion (which they eventually gave him) and if he didn’t fit into the team chasing them, there was a better opportunity waiting for him at the other end of the system.
I don’t think Detroit will stand by this time and try to stop him from going to the Commanders, Seahawks or any other team. But now, Ben Johnson has a team that loves him, a family, a career at a very high level, and a tacit understanding that by January 2025 he will have disappointed the coaches he is supposed to keep. I think.
That’s the point.
There is another side to the coin. Washington loved Ben Johnson. However, this was not entirely successful. From what I hear, commanders are gently restarting the process this week, asking for one-on-one meetings and remaining open about where those conversations will go. The Seahawks, who will face Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike McDonald for the first time, are taking a similar approach. And despite his best efforts, Johnson never lost sight of his first meeting with Washington.
Add it all up and it’s clear why Ben Johnson decided to return to the Lions for another year. At the same time, there are risks too. Under such circumstances, junior assistants may not always maintain a warm demeanor. Johnson’s name is attractive and this is no different.
• Emphasize the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line naming former Falcons coach Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator – a great move all around.
Mr. Smith plans to restart his career after being laid off in Atlanta and is moving to the Maldives with his wife to settle down. After his departure, interest grew and six teams approached him about adding him as an assistant. Smith wanted to go somewhere with stability and the opportunity to learn from coaches, and Pittsburgh offered both. There, he promised Mike Tomlin that his first stop after returning from the Indian Ocean would be the Steelers.
He met with Tomlin Monday through Tuesday and was scheduled to travel to Tampa Tuesday night to interview for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM job. But thanks to Smith’s playmaking, offensive creativity and teamwork with the quarterback, the Steelers and Tomlin felt the need to try to keep Smith from flying to Florida.
• I don’t think there’s anyone better suited to play Jim Harbaugh on the Los Angeles Chargers than Joe Hortiz, the Ravens’ director of player personnel. He’s a quiet scout who can help Harbaugh prepare for his vision for the Chargers. Of course, Hortis has worked with John Harbaugh for the past 16 seasons. But here the situation is much better.
Hortis also developed a close relationship with Jim Harbaugh after several years at the University of Michigan. At the University of Michigan, the Wolverines understandably rolled out the red carpet as the Baltimore crowd showed up to check out the players.
In addition, there is a connection between Mr. Hortis and the alleged executive in Los Angeles. If Greg Roman becomes offensive coordinator as expected, Hortis will bring with him four years of experience (2019-2022) running the offense under Roman. And the roster is also relevant, as Jesse Minter is expected to lead the Chargers defense. Hortis recently studied Mike McDonald’s plan, which McDonald gave to Minter two years ago when he became Michigan’s district manager. Hortis also worked with Minter’s mentor Wink Martindale for many years.
That’s why hiring a Chargers general manager makes a lot of sense, as did Harbaugh bringing in Minter and strength coach Ben Herbert from Michigan. That means, at least on paper, Harbaugh is doing what he always does: building a Bears team ready to take on a new role.
• The Houston Texans did the same thing with Bobby Slowik that the Lions did with Johnson last year. They further improved the young trainer’s mood by making him understand that he should not jump if there was no alternative. This is exactly what he wants.
Houston in recent days agreed to a new contract with Slowik that will include a big raise, according to people familiar with the situation, and he is available as Washington and Seattle (both teams interviewed on Jan. 21) accelerate the final stages of their coaching efforts. He reportedly helped the team cross the finish line. . I don’t know if Slowik should have performed those duties, but Houston was smart enough to do what was necessary to protect CJ. in Game. Stroud, who has taken over as an excellent quarterback, is looking to continue his rookie year.
And to me, it’s another sign that general manager Nick Caserio and coach DeMeco Ryans are always doing the right thing for their young forward. An example from last year was when they rejected a trade offer from Case Keenum because they felt Keenum was too valuable for Stroud during a roster cut before Week 1. Obviously, this would be an example of a good investment in a potentially excellent young signal-caller.
• As the number of coaches at the Mobile Four Senior Bowl week gets smaller and smaller year after year, it’s becoming increasingly clear that first-year Panthers coach Dave Canales is at practice. Action. He and newly promoted general manager Dan Morgan teamed up on Tuesday, and it’s certainly a good learning curve for both (they worked together for eight years in Seattle) as well as a chance to work together and try to get back on track. opportunity.
• The New Orleans Saints will negotiate with former Bears defensive end Luke Ghezzi on Wednesday as they continue their search for a new offensive coordinator. Getsy’s name has been trending in the arena for the past week. He spoke with the New England Patriots on Tuesday and the Raiders late last week.
• Who will be the favorite to win this year’s Senior Bowl? I asked around and got four names. Two were tackles (Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton and Oregon State’s Talese Fuaga), one was a linebacker (UCLA’s Layatu Latu) and one was a defensive back (Toledo’s Kujon Mitchell).
• And of course, defenders are also under scrutiny. In this sense, Michael Penix Jr. He looked good on the practice field Tuesday, according to several scouts I spoke with. What about the rest of his house? Not very good (although the first day here usually goes pretty bad for quarterbacks).
Want to end up as big as Patrick Mahomes ?
Here’s a photo of Matt Nagy expressing what seems to me like the quarterback taking the situation of “not winning on the road in the playoffs” personally.
“Well, he dedicated a week to focus and realize, okay, you’re going to doubt us,” Nagy remarked. “Great players do this, creating an advantage. He did it. Exceptional players do it on the field, complementing it with good performances. Finally, he goes to bed and says, ‘I dream of this moment.’ ‘When I get third place.’ This is what he dreams about. A person dreams about it but does not realize it. He dreams about it and makes it come true. This is very important.”
Actually, it’s very good.
