Reports: Cardinals want interviews with Patriots’ Flores, Eagles’ DeFilippo
Jan 21, 2018, 7:57 PM | Updated: 8:07 pm
The Arizona Cardinals are looking to hold second interviews with New England Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores and Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, according to Sunday reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Rapoport adds that Flores’ and DeFilippo’s interviews must come before Monday, Jan. 29, as both coaches will be preparing next week for the Super Bowl on Feb. 4.
Schefter added that Flores would consider bringing on former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell as his offensive coordinator.
They would follow Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and Atlanta Falcons special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong as finalists. Wilks and Armstrong have already met with Arizona for follow-up interviews.
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Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher additionally remains in the running for the coaching opening, reported NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Sunday.
DC James Bettcher is still very much alive in the #AZCardinals coaching search, and his coordinator candidates help make him an attractive candidate: DC Chuck Pagano and OC Mike McCoy, who will have a few options.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 21, 2018
Flores has been with the Patriots since 2004, working all the way up from a scouting assistant at the age of 23 to the safeties coach in 2012. He spent four seasons with the safeties before turning his focus to the linebackers. The Cardinals are reportedly the only team that requested an interview with the Patriots linebackers coach the past two seasons.
If the interview goes well and the Cardinals offer him the job, it’s reported that he may already have an offensive coordinator lined up in former Lions head coach Jim Caldwell. He spent four seasons as the Lions head coach, compiling a 64-36 record before being fired on Jan. 1.
Prior to his stint with the Lions, Caldwell saw success with the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts.
In 2012, he was promoted from Ravens quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator during the final seven games of the season, helping the team reach a 5-2 record during that span. The offense averaged a little more than 400 yards per game under Caldwell. The Ravens went on to win Super Bowl XLVII over the San Francisco 49ers with quarterback Joe Flacco earning the Super Bowl MVP.
As the Colts quarterbacks coach and later an assistant head coach from 2003-09, Caldwell worked with former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Under his tutelage, Manning not only won four NFL MVP awards, but also took home Super Bowl XLI, along with the game’s MVP honors.
According to reports, Flores was the fifth coach the Cardinals met with following the departure of Bruce Arians.
