First Call: ESPN's QB projection for all of NFL; Steelers assistant Teryl Austin injected into Brian Flores conversation

ESPN.com’s NFL quarterback predictions won’t get Steelers nation very excited. One former Pittsburgh Steeler is in the mix for a coaching promotion, while another is pulling out of one contest. And Steelers assistant coach Teryl Austin has been thrown into the Brian Flores conversation regarding the topic of valid coaching interviews.

All that in Friday’s “First Call.”

Not what you were expecting?

ESPN ran a simulation of the entire NFL quarterback offseason market. And the Steelers didn’t walk away with a new quarterback.

They walked away with two.

The way their formula went, the Steelers ended up signing free agent Jacoby Brissett and drafting Sam Howell with the 20th pick in the first round.

Via their mock draft, the Steelers didn’t draft up and watched Kenny Pickett and Matt Corral go off the board, while passing on Malik Willis.

The model also has the Steelers bidding on, and failing to land — via free agency or trade — Jimmy Garoppolo, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.

I can’t think of an outcome that would inspire me less than this one.

Yawn.

Familiar story

Teryl Austin has become part of the recent conversation generated by former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores.

According to the agent for the Steelers defensive coordinator, back in 2018 the Detroit Lions also conducted what his client felt was a sham interview, just to fulfill the obligations of the Rooney Rule.

That’s when the team hired Matt Patricia instead of Austin. And Austin’s agent, Eric Metz, said that decision was made before Austin had a chance to put his best foot forward.

“(Former Lions general manager) Bob Quinn knew he was hiring Matt Patricia and used Teryl to comply with the Rooney Rule,” Metz said to the AP on Wednesday. “Didn’t work out well for the Lions. Never should’ve fired Jim Caldwell.”

Now Austin is a candidate to replace Keith Butler as defensive coordinator on Mike Tomlin’s staff with the Steelers.

Related:

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So where is he headed?

According to ESPN, former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone is heading back to the NFL. But no one is sure where yet.

Could it be to the Steelers as the offensive line coach?

Chris Low of ESPN.com reports that Alabama has already lined up a replacement for Marrone as the offensive line coach in Tuscaloosa. Marrone filled that job before the start of last season after he was fired as head of the Jaguars staff.

And while the report is clear that Marrone is apparently leaving the Crimson Tide to take an NFL job somewhere, it’s unclear what type of job it is, or what organization is hiring him. That said the Steelers do have an offensive line coaching job open right now.

Marrone — who spent some time in Steelers camp as an offensive lineman after leaving Syracuse as a player in 1986 — took the Jags to the AFC Championship Game his first season. Marrone was also the Buffalo Bills head coach from 2013 to ’14, following a stint as head coach at his alma mater.

Remember that name?

An ex-Steeler is in the mix for a defensive coordinator job.

It’s former defensive back Jason Simmons. He played in Pittsburgh from 1998-2001 before heading to the Houston Texans for six seasons.

Simmons is currently the secondary coach and passing game coordinator with the Carolina Panthers. Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reports that Simmons is now in the running for the defensive coordinator job with the Denver Broncos.

He was a finalist for the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator job last year. The Panthers finished fourth in pass defense this season.

How did that work?

Ex-Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich is not going to be the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars after all.

The Jags alum was believed to be one of the front-runners to replace Urban Meyer. But Leftwich reportedly withdrew his name from consideration.

The reason is that apparently Leftwich doesn’t want to work with Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke according to a source with the Florida Times-Union. Leftwich is the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Former Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson is getting the job instead, according to the Times-Union.