Lake Forest, Illinois — All eyes have been on the Chicago Bears’ search for an offensive coordinator, but the team also has a defensive opening. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network said on Sunday that the first applicant is on the board.
According to Pelissero, the Bears plan to interview Chris Harris, the Tennessee Titans’ defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach, for the defensive coordinator position. Harris, a former Bears sixth-round draft pick in 2005, played two seasons before being dealt to Carolina. Harris returned for a second time with Chicago in 2010-2011 before retiring after one season with Jacksonville in 2012.
Harris was respected in the Bears locker room as a player and is rising through the coaching ranks.
Following his playing career, Harris joined the Bears as a defensive quality control coach in 2013, but was not retained on John Fox’s staff in 2015. He subsequently joined the San Diego Chargers as an assistant defensive backs coach in 2016, before becoming the Washington Commanders’ defensive backs coach in 2020. Last season, he served as Tennessee’s defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach.
After Alan Williams quit early last season, Matt Eberflus took over as defensive playcaller. Eberflus then hired Phil Snow as a senior defensive analyst.
Julio Jones is eager to’make plays’ during Tennessee Titans’ playoff trip.
It took ten games, but Tennessee Titans wide receiver Julio Jones scored during Sunday’s victory over the Houston Texans. Jones is eager to return to his old form as a difference-maker on offense as his team enters the playoffs as the AFC’s top seed.
“It felt good to get out there and start hitting some shots and making some plays for the offense,” Jones stated this week on the Titans’ official website. “It was good.” For me, it’s been a process of switching between playing and not playing.
“The guys just supported me all the way, and they came out there and celebrated (after the three-yard touchdown catch), and we shared that moment.” It was just nice to have your brothers there. “We play one play at a time for each other.”
Jones caught five catches for 58 yards against the Texans and played a significant role in the Titans’ game plan. According to Titan analyst Jim Wyatt, Jones has appeared in eight playoff games and has 61 catches for 834 yards and six touchdowns.
Jones, an 11-year veteran, performs best in the postseason.
“I have been playing the game for so long,” Jones added. “I’m here.” I am willing and capable of doing everything the team asks of me. If defenses, defensive coordinators, or whomever underestimate me, that’s fantastic. I love it, and we will take advantage of it.
“It was good being a part of the offense (in Houston), and moving forward, helping where I can help to help the team.”
Jones and the Tennessee offense will also benefit from more assistance. The Titans have recently designated All-Pro running back Derrick Henry for the playoffs.
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The fellow former Alabama standout has not played since October 31 and will relieve significant burden on Ryan Tannehill and the passing offense.
“Derrick is a heck of a player,” Tannehill said. “Any time we can get him back out here working, and working his way to going out and competing with us, is going to be huge for us.”
Things I Think I Know About The Browns: Staff Shake-Up Is A Good Sign; Defense Must Evolve. JOK Extension Awarded
Why the Cleveland Browns’ offensive staff shake-up is a good indication, how the defense needs to evolve after a successful season, and why Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah’s terrific season deserves an extension.
The Cleveland Browns were eliminated from the playoffs in the wild card round by the Houston Texans, 45-14. It was an unsuitable conclusion for a team that had overcome so much on its route to an 11-6 regular season.
This offseason will be key as the Browns seek to capitalize on their success in 2023-24.
They did not wait long to make some changes, as they have parted company with running backs coach and run game coordinator Stump Mitchell, tight ends coach TC McCartney, and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
The Browns invited former Carolina Panthers running backs coach to interview for their open running back job, and Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports that they will make him an offer. They will face competition, however, since the Jets have also made an offer to Staley.
Some appealing offensive coaching candidates are available on the coaching market, and it will be interesting to see which route head coach Kevin Stefanski chooses. Whether or whether he intends to keep the offensive play-calling responsibility may influence which applicants are interested in the offensive coordinator position in Cleveland.
In this week’s ‘Things I Think I Know About The Browns,’ we look at why the coaching changes are a good sign for the future, how the defense needs to improve this offseason, and why Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s outstanding season should win him an extension.
Why is an offensive coaching shake-up a good sign?
Some were surprised by the Browns’ decision to replace three offensive assistant coaches after an 11-6 season in which Stefanski deserves Coach of the Year honors.
Stefanski’s choice to make changes around him after four years with the same staff, on the other hand, bodes well for the future.
Without Nick Chubb, the Browns were unable to sustain an efficient run game this season. Stefanski and company could have easily cited offensive line injuries and Chubb’s departure as the primary reasons for decreased performance, but Stefanski was willing to make the difficult decision and pursue true offensive improvement regardless of who was on the field.
The run game coordinator was 64-year-old Stump Mitchell, and while Mitchell is a class act and well-liked by the players, the Browns fell short when it came to finding methods to get the run game going late in the season.
It is not a stretch to speculate that a lack of answers in the run game may prompt Stefanski to seek out a coach with expertise of more cutting-edge tactics and philosophies who may assist the Browns in improving their rushing assault heading into the new season.
They must also find a way to combine the play-action game that worked so effectively for Joe Flacco with the shotgun game that Deshaun Watson enjoys. Some innovation in that area, notably an increase in pre-snap motion utilization, may be accomplished with new eyes and ideas on the offensive staff.
Job one is to ensure Watson’s success in the Browns’ offense moving forward, and some additional experience working with similar-style quarterbacks on the staff could also be beneficial.
In the NFL, teams must continually adapt and evolve. Stefanski realizes that, despite his success this year, the offensive has room to improve, which is a great indication.
Brown’s defense must build on its success.
The Browns’ defense improved substantially under Schwartz this season, and their newfound identity on that side of the ball was well appreciated.
However, it became evident that they needed answers for what the Texans and Bobby Slowik threw at them during Wild Card Weekend. The Texans put pressure on the Browns horizontally and exploited their aggressiveness.
The Browns will need to build on what they did well this season by finding new methods to slow down opponents, particularly those who apply the same ideas that beat them this year.
Again, it appears that some staffing changes are in the works. Schwartz, shockingly, retained several of the incumbent defense coaches after his hiring.
With Mike Vrabel’s firing having torn up the Tennessee Titans staff, he is expected to bring in some recognizable names. Schwartz updated some of his coverages based on what he saw in Tennessee, but he needs to take a step farther.
The Browns’ defense does not need to change who they are, but it does require more choices when opponents have answers for their “A” stuff. More pressure isn’t always the answer, and this summer, the defense must evolve into a unit capable of defeating you in multiple ways.
JOK’s excellent season should earn him an extension.
Owusu-Koramoah recorded a career-high 761 snaps in 2023-24, putting together a breakout season. He had 101 total tackles, two interceptions, 3.5 sacks, and a whopping 20 tackles for loss.
He embraced his job in Schwartz’s defense, playing downhill and with exceptional pace. His awareness of how to assess run plays and the angles to follow the ball carrier increased this season, and he popped off the screen anytime the Browns’ defense came on.
He was passed over for a Pro Bowl selection primarily because of the NFL’s illogical classification of its positions for the award. However, owing to a late-season injury to Pittsburgh Steelers Outside Linebacker or EDGE rusher T.J. Watt, Owusu-Koramoah will make his first Pro Bowl appearance, which is well-deserved.
This offseason, the Browns should attempt to extend Owusu-Koramoah’s rookie contract, which only has one season remaining. He has immediately proven to be a unique player. In a position where it is typically difficult to identify true difference-makers, he has done just that, and the Browns should try to make him a fixture in their defensive core for years to come.
This is a time when the Browns will be shifting their assets to the middle of the table in order to produce a championship squad, and Owusu-Koramoah should be a part of it.
Latest details on Titans OL Isaiah Wilson’s situation with the team
Former first-round pick Isaiah Wilson announced this week that he had played his final down with the Tennessee Titans, and the AFC South franchise is apparently looking to trade him for valuable assets.
CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora said this week that the market for a guy who has failed since joining the league is uncertain.
“Hard to recall a quicker flameout for a first round pick — while doing literally nothing on the field and being nothing but a problem off of it — than this forthcoming Titans divorce with Isaiah Wilson,” La Canfora wrote in an email. “I doubt they get much of anything worthwhile for him. That’s not to say he’d definitely clear waivers, but if he did and became a free agent once his rookie contract expired, no lack of teams would jump at the chance to sign him at their price.
The former University of Georgia star was a dominant offensive lineman in the SEC during his time between the hedges, but the move to the NFL has proven difficult. Wilson spent the majority of his rookie season away from the field, appearing in only one game in 2020—three offensive snaps against the Indianapolis Colts on November 29.
Wilson was added to the team’s Reserve/COVID-19 roster in July 2020. Shortly after, he allegedly attended an off-campus party at Tennessee State University and leaped off a second-floor balcony in an attempt to elude authorities. In September, he was again placed on the reserve list.
One week after being added to the list for the second time, he was arrested for DUI. A few months later, in December, Wilson was suspended by the team prior to their Week 13 game. After being activated from the reserve/suspended list, he was transferred to the Reserve/Non-football Illness list two days later, with general manager Jon Robinson stating that he was dealing with some personal concerns.
That leads us to earlier this week, when Wilson tweeted that he was finished with football in Tennessee. The message was promptly erased.
It’s difficult to fathom a player picked No. 29 overall falling out of favor so soon when he was a must-see prospect coming out. NFL Network draft analysts Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks predicted Wilson would succeed in the Titans’ run-first offense.
The two had similar views on Wilson on the “Move The Sticks” podcast, saying he would be an excellent fit to bring additional power along the offensive line.
“I think of Orlando Brown.” “Not Orlando Brown Jr., who is with the Ravens, but his father, Zeus,” Jeremiah stated. “Isaiah Wilson, that’s the career you’re hoping to have out of him, which is a dominating run blocker and hold on for dear life in pass protection.”
Ryan Tannehill is optimistic about the Tennessee Titans entering 2021.
Following back-to-back playoff visits, including a trip to the AFC Championship Game to conclude the 2019 season, Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill feels the organization is built to last and is certain that the 2021 season will lead to a breakthrough.
Tannehill, who signed a long-term agreement with the Titans this summer, had the best season of his NFL career this fall and will seek to continue his rise to the top of the NFL’s positional rankings.
“My approach to getting ready to play won’t be very different,” Tannehill stated on Tennessee’s official website this week. “I’m still going to do everything I can to get back ready and lead this team to victory. Definitely some doubt has been eliminated, and I am no longer waiting for other individuals or decisions to be made (regarding my contract). I’m looking forward to spending time with my family and returning ready to go next year.
This season, Tannehill led an offense that moved the ball and scored points with ease, setting a franchise record with 40 total touchdowns. He hopes Tennessee can keep free agents Corey Davis and tight end Jonnu Smith, who helped the Titans finish second in the league in total offense.
Combining those two with one of the NFL’s finest ballcarriers, Derrick Henry, and the Titans have a roster of potential that might lead to titles in the future.
“I love both of those guys,” Tannehill added. “Great people, great teammates, guys I enjoy playing the game with, who play the game the way we like to play, so I’d love to have them back.” Obviously, there are a lot of moving elements involved, and things must align in order for that to occur. But those guys had excellent seasons for us this year. They did an excellent job of completing the tasks we assigned them.
“They came up to the plate because they were in the final year of their contracts; both of those guys stood up and played quite well for us. They deserve everything they’re about to get. “I would love to play with those guys again.”
The Titans are looking for a new offensive coordinator to work with Tannehill, Henry, and others after play-caller Arthur Smith left to become head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
