The cynical way to look at this is that the Patriots have fulfilled their obligation to the Rooney Rule by interviewing Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton today and are now moving on to their main target. Guess we’ll see just how cynical things are. Vrabel has been rumored to be the main target of the Patriots for weeks ahead of Jerod Mayo’s firing and has already been linked to interviews for the Jets, Bears, Raiders, and Saints jobs. This is, of course, an obvious fit of former team and a highly-respected head coach who seems to be the top choice for many teams this hiring cycle.

With minority owner Tom Brady reportedly having more influence in this process, it would have been stunning if Vrabel wasn’t on the Raiders radar. Coen caught eyes around the league for his innovative screen designs as the Buccaneers finished well above offensive expectations in his first year as offensive coordinator. Carroll has not, as far as we know, taken an interview yet but obviously has a very distinguished history as an NFL head coach. The hardest thing for the Raiders may be selling potential candidates on the current state of their roster.

It turns out that not being told anything different yesterday didn’t actually mean much. Pierce, who went 5-4 as an interim coach last year, went 4-13 in 2024 with a roster that had almost no offensive upside. The little it did have walked out the door midseason when the team parted with Davante Adams in a trade to the Jets. Pierce was often bafflingly conservative as a game manager, giving Daniel Carlson 40 field-goal opportunities, and spoke after the season about not trusting his gut when it came to starting Aidan O’Connell over Gardner Minshew. The Raiders got a little scrappier after installing Scott Turner at offensive coordinator after the bye, but ultimately neither side of the ball played above their meager talent levels. It’s not Pierce’s fault the Raiders weren’t a winner, the seeds of that were sewn several years ago. But he clearly wasn’t elevating them either. Pierce’s future is an open question at this point as the NCAA has banned him from coaching through the year 2032 as part of a show-cause penalty against Arizona State. He may resurface as a defensive coordinator or, more likely, a linebackers coach on an NFL staff.

Grier also noted that the team was “in a couple of top flight backup QBs” last offseason and that “every stone will be unturned” at backup QB this offseason. It sure sounds like Tagovailoa will be healthy enough to go in to next season as the No. 1 signal caller after missing the last two weeks of the season with a hip injury. But the Dolphins also appear to realize they can’t take it for granted that Tagovailoa will start 17 games now that he has missed at least four games in four of his five NFL seasons.

The downside is that Hill “didn’t walk back his comments.” This looks like a situation that hasn’t been resolved completely yet and is being slow-pedaled by a Dolphins regime that knows it wants to keep Hill happy. There’s also the tricky bit of language of not asking *the GM* for a trade, opening up the door that perhaps it was asked elsewhere. “Mike and I had conversations with Tyreek, productive conversations. I will keep those between us. In a frustrating season, he was very emotional in a game where we had a chance coming back from 2-6,” Grier added. This is still something to monitor going forward.

Graham is also interviewing for the Bengals defensive coordinator role that was left vacant by firing Lou Anarumo. The fact that Graham is getting interviews and even considering a horizontal move says a lot about the current job status situation in Las Vegas. Graham interviewed with the Chargers and Seahawks for their head coaching vacancies last year and has been a fixture on the coaching carousel in the 2020s.

Leftwich, who nearly landed the Jaguars head coaching job three years ago, will be among the many candidates the Patriots talk to about their head coaching job after parting ways with Jerod Mayo. Leftwich’s NFL coaching experience includes one year as Arizona’s OC and four years as Tampa’s coordinator, calling plays for the Tom Brady-era Bucs and winning a Super Bowl during the 2020 COVID season. In New England, Leftwich would work with Drake Maye after an up-and-down rookie season.

Monken will be a popular name on the head coaching vacancy circuit after he led the Ravens to a league-high in yards and the third most points, along with the second best offensive success rate. The Jaguars could very well lean toward an offensive-minded head coach who could help revive Trevor Lawrence’s career following his disastrous 2024 season, which was marred by injury. The Jags are also requesting head coaching interviews with Robert Saleh and Kellen Moore, among others.

Moore is going to be a popular name in head coaching searches over the next few weeks. The Saints have also requested a head coaching interview with Moore after he guided the Eagles offense to the sixth highest EPA per play and the 13th best offensive success rate, fueled by a nearly historic campaign from Saquon Barkley. In Jacksonville, Moore would be tasked with reviving Trevor Lawrence’s career after a horrendous 2024 season and developing Brian Thomas into an elite NFL wideout following his tremendous rookie campaign.

Saleh, fired by the Jets back in October after he went 20-43 over three and a half seasons, is among eight coaches Jacksonville wants to interview for its head coaching vacancy. Saleh would be an upset pick over names like Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, and Todd Monken, though the Jaguars could be seeking a players coach and a defensive specialist who could improve a Jags defense that was one of the league’s worst in 2024. Saleh, 45, should see another head coaching opportunity after he was railroaded by Jets ownership this year.