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Seahawks Ex L.J. Collier Signs with Division Rival - NFL Tracker

L.J. Collier was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Jeremy Brener

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MAR. 8 CARDINALS SIGN COLLIER A former first-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks has a new home.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Arizona Cardinals are signing linebacker L.J. Collier to a one-year deal.

Collier, 28, was the 29th overall pick by the Seahawks in the 2019 NFL Draft and spent four seasons with Seattle. He signed with the Cardinals last year but only played one game before being placed on injured reserve.

MAR. 3 BROOKS TO COWBOYS? A Seattle Seahawks free agent could look to sign with the Dallas Cowboys.

"Dallas could be in the market for a linebacker after last season's struggles at the position," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes. "Jordyn Brooks, a Dallas-area native and one of the top free agent linebackers, would be a good fit."

Brooks, 26, recorded 111 tackles in 16 games for the Seahawks in the 2023 season.

MAR. 1 JJ x JSN CONNECTION? Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is about to be drafted to the NFL next month, and he has a few players he'd like to throw passes to.

In an interview with CBS Sports, McCarthy claimed that the three people he wanted to play with the most were Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders and Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks.

While Jefferson and Adams are established in the NFL as top receivers, Smith-Njigba is not quite on that level yet, but to be included on this list with such high-end players should be a sign that McCarthy would love to start his career in the Pacific Northwest.

FEB. 19 JSN's BROTHER LEAVES SEATTLE Well, the Smith-Njigba family reunion was fun while it lasted.

On Feb. 7, the Seattle Mariners claimed Canaan Smith-Njigba, brother of Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, on waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hopefully, Canaan enjoyed his two-week stay in the Emerald City, because the Pirates re-claimed him on waivers Monday.

Canaan, who is three years older than Jaxon, has only appeared in 18 regular-season games in the majors, all with the Pirates. He was a fourth-round pick by the New York Yankees in the 2017 MLB Draft.

FEB. 4 SEAHAWKS CAN'T INTERVIEW MIKE KAFKA The Seattle Seahawks are looking for an offensive coordinator for Mike Macdonald's staff, but it won't be New York Giants coach Mike Kafka, who the team requested for an interview for the head coaching spot last month.

According to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, the Giants blocked the Seahawks' request to interview Kafka.

This means that the team will have to look elsewhere for an offensive coordinator as the search continues to find Seattle's next offensive leader.

JAN. 25 PANTHERS "CLOSING IN" ON CANALES - A former Seahawks assistant isn't return home to be Pete Carroll's successor. Instead, it appears Dave Canales will be the next head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

According to NFL Network, the Panthers are "closing in" on Canales. After a long career on Carroll's staff on the offensive side of the football in Seattle, Canales was this season the coordinator for the Buccaneers. He resurrected the career of Baker Mayfield in Tampa, now he's on to the Bryce Young project in Carolina.

Canales developed receivers such as Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett in Seattle.

The Panthers were scheduled to interview former Titans coach Mike Vrabel Thursday, but have apparently pivoted and decided on Canales.

ESPN is reporting that it is a "done deal."

JAN. 20 SEAHAWKS LEADING COACH CANDIDATES - 

Less than a week after orchestrating the mutual decision to slide legendary coach Pete Carroll into an advisory role after 14 seasons at the helm, the Seattle Seahawks have officially kicked off the search for the eighth head coach in franchise history.

Which candidates will emerge as contenders to succeed Carroll? Check back often as we update our head coach tracker with reported interviews and speculation:

Dan Quinn, Cowboys Defensive Coordinator

Though Quinn's defense ended the season with a dud in a 48-34 wild card loss to the Packers on Sunday, the renowned coordinator oversaw a top-seven scoring defense in each of his three seasons with the Cowboys and has deep ties to the Seahawks after coaching under Carroll in two separate stints. This included serving as defensive coordinator when the team finished first in scoring defense and advanced to the Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons in 2013 and 2014 before accepting the head coaching job with the Falcons, who he led to a Super Bowl berth in his second season.

Due to his close relationship with general manager John Schneider dating back to 2010, Quinn unsurprisingly emerged as the early favorite after news broke of Carroll being ousted as coach. Bringing him on board would undoubtedly be a popular pick with players. But the Seahawks will have competition for his services, as the Chargers, Commanders, Panthers, and Titans also reportedly have requested for interviews with him. Per Albert Breer of SI.com, he will meet with the Seahawks on Thursday, while the Panthers have scheduled to speak with him on Wednesday.

Frank Smith, Dolphins Offensive Coordinator

Offering a far different background than most of the sought after candidates in this year's coaching cycle, Smith cut his teeth as an assistant offensive line coach with the Saints, who finished with the third-fewest sacks in the NFL during five seasons with the organization. After serving as a tight end coach for the Bears and Raiders in separate tours, he took over as the Chargers run game coordinator and offensive line coach in 2021, coaching a unit that gave up the sixth-fewest sacks in the league that year.

Smith took his talents to Miami as part of coach Mike McDaniel's staff starting in 2022 and played a vital role in the Dolphins offensive resurgence. Taking advantage of his run game and offensive line background, the team improved to sixth in rushing yards and first in rushing touchdowns in 2023 under his watch. Teams will have questions about his play calling background after McDaniel handled those duties the past two years, but his track record of success developing quality offensive lines will be appealing to teams such as the Seahawks, who NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported had requested for an interview.

Update: Per Ian Rapoport, the Seahawks met remotely with Smith for a coaching interview on Thursday.

Ejiro Evero, Panthers Defensive Coordinator

One of the hottest young coaches on the market, Evero's lone season in Carolina proved to be a mixed bag. On one hand, the Panthers finished 29th in scoring defense, yielding 24.5 points per game. But a terrible offense significantly factored into that number and the unit ranked fourth in total yardage allowed, indicating they were far better than scoring numbers suggested. Only two years ago, the Broncos ranked seventh in yards allowed and 14th in scoring defense with him as the defensive coordinator, showing plenty of promise in his first season as a play caller.

Formerly serving as a defensive pass game coordinator for the Rams when they won the Super Bowl in 2021, Evero already has kicked off his interview circuit, interviewing with the Panthers for their vacancy as well as the Falcons. With the Seahawks eyeing him as a potential option to spruce up their struggling defense in a return to the NFC West, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the team has an interview scheduled with the 43-year old assistant on Wednesday.

Raheem Morris, Rams Defensive Coordinator

On only one occasion as a head coach or defensive coordinator - the 2010 Buccaneers - has one of Morris' teams finished in the top 10 in scoring defense, which could lead to some hesitation from teams about his candidacy. Even in the Rams' Super Bowl year in 2021, the team finished in the middle of the pack with a 15th ranked scoring defense. But he deserves major kudos for what he accomplished in Los Angeles this season after the team lost a number of stars and replaced them with unproven youngsters, steering them to a 19th overall ranking in scoring defense.

Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
Formerly serving as a head coach for the Buccaneers, Morris hopes to have earned a second chance after finding success in Los Angeles under Sean McVay / © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Now 47 years old, Morris hasn't been a head coach for more than a decade when he held the title in Tampa Bay. But his experience working under Quinn and Rams coach Sean McVay should bolster his chances of receiving a second opportunity. Looking into the prospects of stealing from a division rival with the goal of improving one of the NFL's worst defenses, ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that the Seahawks requested an interview with him for their head coaching vacancy and he's expected to meet with them via Zoom this week along with the Panthers and Commanders.

Update: Per multiple sources, Seattle interview Morris remotely on Friday.

Mike Kafka, Giants Offensive Coordinator

Though Kafka most recently served as the play caller for New York the past two seasons on Brian Daboll's staff, his name has been on the radar as a head coaching candidate in large part due to his previous stint as quarterback coach and passing game coordinator in Kansas City, where he oversaw Patrick Mahomes development into a superstar early in his NFL career. While the 2023 season wound up being a disaster for the Giants offense with three different quarterbacks taking snaps, the team did make the playoffs one year earlier behind an improved Daniel Jones and finished 16th in scoring offense, which now looks even better considering circumstances.

Only 36 years old, Kafka has already interviewed with the Titans for their vacancy to replace Mike Vrabel and per Schefter, the Seahawks have placed a request to interview him. Given his past experience working as a quarterback coach under one of the best coaches in the league in Reid, the organization likely is intrigued by that background to potentially to pair him with Geno Smith and/or an incoming rookie signal caller.

Update: Per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Kafka and the Seahawks were scheduled to interview remotely on Friday.

How Does Seahawks Head Coach Opening Stack Up Against Competition?

Patrick Graham, Raiders Defensive Coordinator

A disciple from Bill Belichick's coaching tree in New England, Graham worked his way up the coaching ladder serving multiple roles for the Patriots, including linebacker and defensive line coach. Joining the Dolphins on Brian Flores' staff in 2019, he endured a difficult first season as a defensive coordinator with the team finishing dead last in scoring defense. However, his second opportunity went somewhat better with the Giants, who finished ninth in scoring defense in 2020 before regressing the following season. After the Raiders struggled on defense in his first season as coordinator in 2022, the team improved dramatically this season, allowing fewer than 20 points in six of their final nine games after Antonio Pierce took over as interim head coach.

Spending brief stints as a coordinator with three different teams, Graham has had inconsistent results. However, he's been lauded for his football acumen and leadership skills, which would serve him well as a first-time head coach. After interviewing with the Chargers for their vacancy, per Pelissero, the Seahawks have requested an interview with him as a potential successor to Carroll.

Ben Johnson, Lions Offensive Coordinator

One of the sport's most promising young offensive minds, Johnson has served as a key architect in Detroit's ascendance from perennial bottom dweller into a viable threat in the NFC. With him calling the shots on offense, Jared Goff has evolved into a top-10 quarterback and the Lions have built a juggernaut with a top-five rushing attack to complement him. In each of his two seasons as play caller, the team has finished fifth overall in scoring offense, and they jumped up to second in total passing yardage and fifth in total rushing yardage in 2023.

Bypassing head coaching opportunities this time a year ago, Johnson may be the most coveted coordinator on the market, as evidenced by upcoming interviews with the Panthers and Commanders on Friday and six total interview requests in total. Among the teams reportedly courting his services, per Pelissero, the Seahawks would like to meet with him about their vacancy. Based off of his success with Goff, pairing him with Smith or a young quarterback could be a potential home run, but the team will have competition to land him.

Update: Per Ian Rapoport, Seattle will host a remote interview with Johnson on Saturday prior to Detroit facing Tampa Bay in the Divisional Round on Sunday.

Bobby Slowik, Texans Offensive Coordinator

A former apprentice under 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan who previously has coached offense and defense at the NFL level, Slowik took his talents to Houston to join Demeco Ryan's staff as a first-time offensive coordinator. Showcasing his coaching chops, he has thrived in his first opportunity as a play caller in Houston, helping rookie C.J. Stroud throw 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions while guiding the team to an AFC South title and a berth into the Divisional Round next weekend. Somehow, the offense hasn't missed a beat even after losing standout rookie wideout Tank Dell to a season-ending ankle injury in the second half.

Like Johnson, Slowik has been a hot commodity so far for teams pursuing a new head coach, reportedly drawing interview requests from as many as five teams. According to multiple reports, the Seahawks threw their hats in the ring on Tuesday by requesting an interview of their own. Per NFL rules, the team can schedule a virtual interview with him this week, but in-person visits would have to be put on hold until Houston's season ends.

Update: Per SI.com's Albert Breer, the Seahawks will be one of three teams to interview Slowik remotely on Sunday regardless of whether the Texans win or lose against the Ravens on Saturday.

Mike Vrabel, Former Tennessee Titans Head Coach

Formerly a standout defender for multiple Patriots championship teams, Vrabel enjoyed tremendous success in his first four seasons at the helm for the Titans, leading them to three playoff berths and a surprise AFC Championship Game appearance in 2019. Tennessee won at least nine games in all four of those seasons and captured AFC South titles in 2020 and 2021. Unfortunately, an exodus of talent coupled with injuries quickly knocked the team out of contention the past two years and ownership decided to move on from him after a 6-11 finish last season.

While some speculated Vrabel may opt to sit out a year, the 48-year old has already drawn significant interest from teams looking for a new head coach. Schefter reported the Chargers would meet with him on Friday, while the Seahawks and Falcons also had expressed interest in interviewing him for their respective vacancies. An interview has yet to be announced in Seattle, but given his relationship with Schneider built over several years and previous success building tough, physical teams in Tennessee, he should be viewed as a viable option taking over a far more talented team than the one he coached the past two years.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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