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Once Mike McCarthy withdrew his name from consideration for the Saints’ head coaching job – the only such vacancy that remains in this year’s cycle – Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore became the clear favorite for the post. As ESPN”s Adam Schefter reports, Moore is indeed expected to be named as New Orleans’ next HC.
Of course, Moore will first try to win a championship ring as Philadelphia seeks to prevent a Chiefs three-peat and avenge its narrow loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII. In Moore’s first year with the club, the Eagles finished seventh in points scored and eighth in total offense, a performance that bolstered his already strong head coaching stock.
In three of his four seasons as Cowboys offensive coordinator from 2019-22, Dallas ranked sixth or better in scoring, and Moore became a popular name on the head coaching circuit as a result. While he did not end up landing an HC gig, he never fell below the coordinator ranks, taking a job as the Chargers’ OC in 2023 before moving on to the Eagles in 2024. He was even rumored to be the frontrunner for the Dallas HC post that McCarthy (his former boss) just vacated, before Jerry Jones surprisingly pivoted to Brian Schottenheimer.
Given the Saints’ middling roster, uncertain quarterback situation and familiar salary cap woes, the New Orleans opening is not considered an especially attractive one, so landing a sought-after candidate with strong credentials can reasonably be classified as a coup for GM Mickey Loomis & Co. One of Moore’s first tasks as the Saints’ sideline general will be to shape the club’s direction at quarterback, including how to proceed with incumbent Derek Carr .
Another clear indicator that Moore will remain in New Orleans after the Super Bowl in the Superdome is the fact that the 36-year-old was making calls to potential staffers prior to Super Bowl week, via Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler names 49ers assistant coach Brandon Staley and Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards as potential defensive coordinator candidates.
Staley was Moore’s boss in 2023 when the former served as the Chargers’ head coach, though neither he nor Edwards received a defensive coordinator interview this year. Just as the Eagles’ playoff success delayed Moore’s eligibility to join another club and may have forced the Cowboys to go in a different direction at head coach, that delay also could have prevented Moore from landing some of his preferred assistants.
Klayton Adams and Matt Eberflus, who recently accepted Dallas’ offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator jobs, respectively, were also seen as strong candidates for Moore’s first staff, according to Fowler. Eagles quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier, who has worked with Moore in Dallas, Los Angeles and now Philadelphia, is seen as a potential OC option for the Saints if they move forward with the Moore hire.
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NFL coach has bad news for Colts' Anthony Richardson after Daniel Jones signing
It's now clear that former Minnesota Vikings backup quarterback Daniel Jones signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts in free agency largely because Jones believes he can win the Indianapolis starting job from 2023 first-round draft pick Anthony Richardson this coming summer. During a recent chat with Mike Sando of The Athletic, one unnamed offensive coach from another team suggested Jones could revive his career working under Colts head coach Shane Steichen. "This is a perfect match," the offensive coach said about Jones joining the Colts. "They do not have to change game plans for him because that guy (Jones) can do some of what Richardson can do running around. That is how Jones had his best year in New York anyway." The coach was referencing how Jones guided the 2022 New York Giants to a playoff berth and a road postseason win over the Vikings. Per the StatMuse, Jones finished that season ranked fifth in the NFL among quarterbacks with 708 rushing yards. According to Pro Football Reference, he ended the 2022 campaign ranked sixth with a 62.9 adjusted QBR. Meanwhile, the numbers show that the Colts called more designed QB runs for Richardson this past campaign following a two-game benching that occurred after he took himself out of a contest because he was "tired." Both Richardson and Jones have worrisome injury histories, so it's possible the winner of the open competition won't start the bulk of Indianapolis' games next season. "This will be the freest Daniel Jones that we have ever seen," the offensive coach added. "Expectations are off. The media market is totally different." Angry Giants fans routinely jeered Jones this past season. Additionally, he had to deal with the fact that a television program made it known the team's general manager (Joe Schoen) and head coach (Brian Daboll) wanted to make a blockbuster trade so Big Blue could acquire a top quarterback prospect during the 2024 NFL Draft. Richardson and not Jones is the bigger disappointment among Indianapolis fans. The actual competition hasn't yet begun, but it sounds like some within the league view Jones as the favorite to enter September as the Colts' QB1.
Former Vancouver Canuck appears to already be in doghouse with New York Rangers
Former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy is looking to put this weekend behind him after being in a tough spot with the New York Rangers. Just before the trade deadline earlier this month, the Vancouver Canucks dealt Carson Soucy to the New York Rangers in exchange for 2025 third-round pick. The move came just over a month after the Vancouver Canucks placed the blueliner on the trade block, and so far, his time in the Big Apple isn't going as well as Soucy would've expected. New York Rangers scratch Carson Soucy for both games on weekend The New York Rangers are in a battle for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and had back-to-back games this past weekend against the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Edmonton Oilers. Ahead of Saturday night's game in Columbus, New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette decided to make Carson Soucy a healthy scratch, marking his third stint in the press box this season, the other two coming with Vancouver. Without Soucy in the lineup, the Rangers rolled to a big 4-0 win over the Blue Jackets to jump into the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Less than 24 hours later, the Rangers were back home at Madison Square Garden for a date with Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers, with Laviolette sticking with the same lineup, scratching Carson Soucy for a second consecutive game. Since joining the New York Rangers back on March 6, Carson Soucy has appeared in four games, scoring one goal, along with two penalty minutes, a minus-two rating and is averaging 13:42 of ice-time per night — a nearly five-minute drop from his time with Vancouver this season. The Rangers will be back in action Tuesday night as they host the Calgary Flames and it's going to be interesting to see what Laviolette does with his lineup after Sunday's loss to Edmonton and if Carson Soucy draws back in.
Maple Leafs get encouraging sign at practice as team prepares for major boost
As the Maple Leafs took practice ahead of their game against Calgary on Monday, they saw the return of two big names who have dealt with some serious injuries. With a key game against the Flames on Monday, the Maple Leafs are hoping they can weather the storm and put out any potential fire that Calgary brings, and while the lineup may be less than ideal at this point, as long as the team wins, that's what matters. So at its practice on Monday, the team got a couple of big surprises from two injured players. It could be a sign of their potential return whether at the end of the regular season or the playoffs. While it was a positive sign to see both Pacioretty and Hakanpaa skating, both men aren't playing against Calgary, and we have no real definitive timeline for either of their returns. End of the line for Jani Hakanpaa and Max Pacioretty? The way that Hakanpaa was moving was encouraging, but it was clear he was still trying to take things slow, which, while trending in the right direction, is not conducive to any type of playoff success. Pacioretty is more likely to come back before Hakanpaa and could be a key factor in the Maple Leafs' playoff run come April and May. He was injured in the middle of February, placed on IR at the beginning of March and has dealt with two separate injuries which have kept him off the ice for half the season. Hakanpaa, on the other hand, is a huge question mark given that his season has been a complete disaster physically, and even he admitted that he may need to throw in the towel and call it a season. Both men were signed to one-year deals in the offseason. Hakanpaa was initially signed to a two-year pact, but rightful concerns about his injury history led to that being adjusted. Pacioretty signed on a PTO in the summer and impressed enough to earn a contract after two years of serious injuries. Pacioretty has played 37 games this season, registering 12 points (5G, 7A) and was bringing a physical edge to the Maple Leafs while adding some good defense and veteran leadership on and off the ice. Hakanpaa has only played twice this season, registering no points, although he did block four shots. He last played in November and has been on the shelf ever since; he was picked to represent Team Finland in the 4 Nations but couldn't get healthy enough to participate. It's a great sign to see both players on the ice. However, it's still a long ways away from their return, if they even end up coming back at all.
Mitch Marner and John Tavares heavily linked to Stanley Cup contender in free agency
Pending free agents Mitch Marner and John Tavares are expected to entertain offers come July 1, but one team has decided it'd like to cause a storm this summer. As the days tick away, the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to figure out whether Mitch Marner and John Tavares are going to re-sign with the team. While they want to make a championship run with the Leafs, they've been unsuccessful for several years, and they may want to move on. Several teams will be looking at both men come July 1, and with Mikko Rantanen off the market, Marner is undoubtedly the biggest free agent. Speaking of, one of the teams interested knows all about how Rantanen's deal played out; considering it dealt him there in the first place. According to NHL TSN insider Pierre LeBrun, the Carolina Hurricanes are expected to make a big play for not only Marner, but Tavares come summer. "The Carolina Hurricanes are 'expected to pursue' Mitch Marner if he ends up hitting free agency this summer. Carolina will have ample cap flexibility in part because Stankoven is still on his entry-level contract through next season. The Hurricanes project to have $36 million to work with, though Taylor Hall, Brent Burns, Dmitry Orlov, and Frederik Andersen are among the club's biggest pending unrestricted free agents," LeBrun wrote. "That cap space could allow Carolina to go big-game hunting this summer, with Marner headlining a group of top UFAs-including a whole bunch of other high-profile names and even fellow Leaf John Tavares." Carolina Hurricanes Big Players For Mitch Marner and John Tavares Come July 1 It isn't surprising that the Hurricanes are interested in Marner, as the team was close to a deal to acquire the pending free agent for Rantanen before it sent him south to Dallas. But Tavares is certainly an interesting case. Carolina would offer him a solid role in its top nine, an equal or better chance at winning at the end of his career and could join Marner knowing he has some stability and chemistry from years past. It could also set its sights on adding names like Aaron Ekblad or Sam Bennett (if he doesn't re-sign) or perhaps it could grab someone like Yanni Gourde as a smaller but still valuable piece. If Toronto isn't careful, not only is it going to lose out on Marner, who is more than likely headed out of town unless the Leafs pull off a wild bit of negotiation over the next few weeks. It may also lose out on Tavares, who may have more to give in his eyes and look for a payday that Toronto might not be able to afford.
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