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Dave Canales is in place as the new head coach of the Panthers, and his choice to fill the offensive coordinator role comes as no surprise. Carolina is set to hire Buccaneers receivers coach Brad Idzik as OC, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Canales and Idzik have a history with each other dating back to their Seattle days, and for that reason, it was reported over the weekend that the latter was the likeliest candidate for Carolina’s OC post. Canales will likely take on play-calling duties with the Panthers after he did the same during his time with the Buccaneers in 2023, but Idzik will be a central figure on Carolina’s staff.
The Panthers were again all-in with respect to their pursuit of Lions OC Ben Johnson. While that did not materialize, it remained the expectation that an offensive candidate would be tapped as head coach. Canales will be tasked with overseeing quarterback Bryce Young‘s development after a poor rookie season. Idzik will assist in that regard as both staffers take on their respective new titles for the first time.
Idzik, 32, began his coaching career in 2019 with the Seahawks. During much of his time in Seattle, he worked with the team’s wide receivers, though he also had one year as an assistant QBs coach with the added title of offensive quality control coach. His first year with the Bucs came in 2023 as he followed Canales from Seattle to Tampa Bay, and their relationship will now continue in a new environment once again.
The fate of incumbent Panthers OC Thomas Brown has remained uncertain through the hiring cycle, but it had been expected that a new face would be added once the team’s next head coach was in place. Brown drew praise upon arrival on Frank Reich‘s staff, but he struggled in a play-calling capacity as the Panthers underwhelmed on offense both before and after Reich’s firing. Tuesday's news means Brown (who has been connected to multiple outside OC openings) will be free to pursue other options.
Carolina ranked at or near the bottom of several offensive categories in 2023, and improvement from Young, along with developments along the O-line and at the skill positions will be needed moving forward. Plenty of attention will be on Canales to deliver that, but Idzik will remain a key confidant along the way as his rise through the NFL coaching ranks continues.
More must-reads:
- What Bryce Young thinks about Panthers hiring Dave Canales
- Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles reacts to Dave Canales joining Panthers
- The 'Four touchdown passes in a playoff game' quiz
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Dolphins considering drastic Tua Tagovailoa move
Tua Tagovailoa's future as the Miami Dolphins' starting quarterback may be on shaky ground. Through nine starts, Tagovailoa is 2-7 and has posted a below-average 43.6 QBR. If his play doesn't improve soon, the team may make a drastic move. Dolphins are reportedly considering benching Tua Tagovailoa In a story published Sunday, NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reported the Dolphins could bench Tagovailoa in favor of Zach Wilson or rookie Quinn Ewers later this season. Rapoport added, "Tagovailoa's play would really have to fall off for Miami to turn to either Wilson or Ewers." However, the QB may be nearing that point. In his past four games, the 2020 first-round pick has tossed seven of his 11 interceptions. Wilson and Ewers have both filled in for Tagovailoa during blowout losses this season. Former New York Jets flop Wilson completed 5-of-8 passes for 32 yards in a 33-8 Week 1 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Ewers, a seventh-round pick out of Texas, finished 5-of-8 passing for 53 yards in a 31-6 Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns. What would happen if the Dolphins benched Tua Tagovailoa? The Dolphins' benching of Tagovailoa would signal they want to move on from the QB, but that would be challenging. In July 2024, the former Alabama star signed a four-year, $212.4M contract extension with $167.1M guaranteed. The deal is now an albatross for the franchise. According to Rapoport, Miami would incur an NFL-record $99.2M cap hit if it released him this offseason. The Dolphins could designate him as a post-June 1 cut to spread the amount out over the next two seasons ($67.4M in 2026 and $31.8M in 2027). The Denver Broncos did the same in March 2024, after taking an $85M cap hit following the release of former starting QB Russell Wilson. To avoid these expenses, the Dolphins could consider trading Tagovailoa with a post-June 1 designation. A pre-June 1 trade would leave $45.2M in dead money against Miami's salary cap. But a declining and injury-prone Tagovailoa shouldn't attract many suitors. The sixth-year veteran has had four documented concussions in his NFL career. The Dolphins should hope Tagovailoa gets his act together. Per Over The Cap, his deal runs out of guaranteed salary in 2027. Until then, they're likely stuck with the 27-year-old passer.
Brad Marchand Reportedly Refused Trade to Different Team Before Joining Panthers
** Author’s Note: We’re working to get verification and footage of the comments from Marchand. This report comes from multiple social accounts that claim they heard the remarks firsthand. According to a report by @j_vmess on social media, former Boston Bruins captain and now Florida Panthers veteran star Brad Marchand shared a surprising story during Pantherfest this weekend. Apparently, he confirmed that he was nearly traded at the NHL trade deadline to a different team. He refused that trade, which led him to joining the Florida Panthers. Revealing that the Bruins moved him to a different NHL club, Marchand said he told the team he would not accept a trade there and would refuse to report if dealt. Ultimately, the Bruins pivoted and traded Marchand to Florida. Marchand went on to win a Stanley Cup with the team and re-sign there this past offseason as a free agent. @flatcatsandrats added to the report, noting that according to Marchand, the deal came together just before the deadline closed. “I got traded to another team about an hour before the deadline,” Marchand is said to have told fans. “When they called me, I said no — I wasn’t going.” Marchand didn’t specify which team had acquired his rights; the assumption is that the Los Angeles Kings had expressed serious interest. Marchand has reportedly noted in previous interviews that he wasn’t interested in playing for the Kings or on the West Coast. So too, back in June, Elliotte Friedman wrote that the Kings thought they had a trade for Marchand completed. At the time of Friedman’s article, Marchand was weighing his free agency options, Friedman explained: “Florida is first up, obviously, with the advantage of already being a perfect fit and good state taxes. If he doesn’t stay, Toronto and Utah are expected to be among the serious pursuers. Utah has indicated it is not crazy about term, Toronto could prefer to stretch it out, but, watching him in the final, who wouldn’t want him? Los Angeles (who had a deal with Boston, only to find out Marchand wanted Florida), New Jersey, Washington, etc., etc., he can fit anywhere.” “This was the only team I was coming to,” suggested another person who cited Marchand’s comments this weekend. It was common knowledge that teams were interested in Marchand at the deadline, but knowing that a trade had been finalized and that Marchand was the one who squashed it is an added wrinkle.
Chiefs have a no-brainer trade target after loss vs. Bills
The last time the Kansas City Chiefs lost four games in a season, they went on to make the Super Bowl and beat the San Francisco 49ers. Six years have passed since, and Andy Reid's team will have to make some adjustments to replicate that fortune. That's especially evident after another heartbreaking regular-season loss to the Buffalo Bills, which exposed what might be the Chiefs' biggest flaw on offense: a lack of an explosive running game. That's why they need to pick up the phone and reach out to the New York Jets to trade for Breece Hall. Chiefs need to trade for Breece Hall According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Jets are more than open to trading Hall, who's in the final year of his contract. "The Jets have been getting calls on RB Breece Hall for a while, and while there is interest, New York is looking for at least a third-round pick in return," wrote Russini. Hall is just 24 years old, and while he had a major injury as a rookie, he's been pretty durable since. This season, he's up to 117 carries for 581 rushing yards and two touchdowns, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. He also has 21 receptions on 30 targets for 178 receiving yards. The Chiefs average 121.2 rushing yards per game, the 12th most in the NFL. That's with Patrick Mahomes accounting for one-third of their rushing yards, though. Neither Isiah Pacheco — who's currently out with an injury — nor Kareem Hunt has been efficient, and rookie Brashard Smith might not be ready to take on a bigger role. The Chiefs ran for just 79 yards against a Bills defense that gives up the fourth-most rushing yards per game (141.4), and Hall could certainly fix those woes.
Auburn makes massive decision regarding HC Hugh Freeze
The college football coaching carousel is alive and well. Just one week after Brian Kelly was fired from LSU, it's now the Auburn Tigers' turn to make a coaching move. Hugh Freeze fired According to multiple reports, Auburn has officially parted ways with head coach Hugh Freeze. The firing comes after Auburn managed just three points Saturday against the Kentucky Wildcats, one of the SEC's worst defensive teams, in a 10-3 loss. Freeze's tenure Freeze will finish his tenure at Auburn with a 15-19 (44.1 percent) record, much worse than his career winning percentage of 61.3 percent. His return to the SEC after seven seasons away ultimately did not turn out the way he or the university had hoped. Expected buyout Freeze's expected buyout is set at $15.8 million, one of the largest across college football. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, that amount "is not subject to off-set and mitigation." Potential replacements The amount of top-notch coaching talent fired this season will give Auburn plenty of options to go after to fill its head-coaching vacancy. Those names include Billy Napier, Brian Kelly, James Franklin and others. A head-coaching job in the SEC is a dream job for many coaches, meaning there should be plenty of suitors to fill the vacated role for both next season and beyond.
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