Jaguars fire offensive coordinator
Gardner Minshew was as good as any rookie quarterback in the NFL. Running back Leonard Fournette had a career year. And second-year pro DJ Chark became a weekly threat to defenses.
It wasn’t enough DeFilippo’s job.
The Jaguars fired DeFilippo after one season Monday, becoming the second team to part with him in the last 13 months. Coach Doug Marrone made the decision the day his assistants returned from a brief break following the regular-season finale.
Marrone is expected to keep everyone else on his staff. Finding a replacement for DeFilippo could be tough given it seems to be a playoffsor-overhaul season for the Jaguars.
Owner Shad Khan kept Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell despite public calls for a complete reboot, and Khan made it clear that expectations would be high. Marrone and Caldwell have two years remaining on their contracts.
So Marrone will have to persuade someone to join his staff knowing it could be a one-and-done situation. He also has to replace quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich and assistant running backs coach John Donovan. Milanovich left to become the head coach of the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos. Donovan returned to the college ranks as Washington’s offensive coordinator.
DeFilippo will now be looking for his third job in as many years. The Vikings fired him in December 2018 after less than one year on the job.
The Jaguars (6-10) ranked 20th in the league in total offense and 26th in scoring last season.
In other coordinator news, the Bears reportedly will hire Bill Lazor as offensive coordinator.
Lazor, 47, previously was the offensive coordinator for the Dolphins (2014-15) and Bengals (2017-18).
Head coach Matt Nagy will retain offensive play-calling duties for the Bears. to save
John
Redskins promote Smith: The Redskins continued their organizational overhaul by promoting Kyle Smith to VP of player personnel.
The son of former NFL GM A.J. Smith spent the last three seasons in charge of college scouting and the draft. In his new role, Smith will oversee college and pro personnel decisions.
Chung charges dropped: A cocaine possession charge against Patriots safety Patrick Chung will be dropped with the understanding that he will undergo periodic drug testing and perform 40 hours of community service.
A grand jury in New Hampshire indicted Chung in August. Belknap County Attorney Andrew Livernois had said members of the Meredith, N.H., police department were called to Chung’s home in June and obtained evidence leading to the felony drug charge. Chung pleaded not guilty.
A hearing on Chung’s case was scheduled for Tuesday, but was canceled with the release of the agreement.
Livernois said there are several factors that led the state to agree to drop the charge, including that Chung has no criminal record; that he cooperated with police at his home; that the amount of drugs was small; and that Chung underwent a substance abuse evaluation that indicated he didn’t need treatment.
The agreement says Chung will remain on good behavior for two years, submit to monthly drug testing at a lab for a year, then every 90 days for another year. Chung will agree to provide the state with copies of the results and will sign a waiver allowing the state to communicate directly with the lab to verify the results.
Chung has been a major contributor on defense to three of the Patriots’ six Super Bowl championships.