La Canfora: Redskins very likely to promote Matt Cavanaugh to OC; Wes Phillips to LA

Sean McVay has been the Washington Redskins Offensive Coordinator for the last 3 seasons, but has moved on to become the Head Coach of the Los Angeles Rams. That leaves a big position to fill(along with the open Defensive Coordinator position). Head Coach Jay Gruden could be returning to playcalling after handing over those duties to McVay recently. The Redskins are expected to promote someone on their offensive staff, and have several coaches with past experience as an OC.

Jason La Canfora is reporting that the Redskins are very likely to promote one of those candidates. QB Coach Matt Cavanaugh. The other coach with past OC experience, OL coach Bill Callahan, would likely remain in his position. Cavanaugh has served as OC in the NFL for the Chicago Bears(‘97-’98), and the Baltimore Ravens(‘99-’04). He also was the OC for his alma mater, the Pittsburgh Panthers, from 2005-2008.

Cavanaugh, a former NFL QB, has spent the last 8 years as a QB coach for the several teams, including the last two with the Redskins. If Cavanaugh is promoted, the team could hire another coach to work with the QBs, but did not have on on the roster for Gruden’s first year.

The other potential OC candidate on the Redskins offensive roster is the coach that took Sean McVay’s job as TE’s coach when he was promote to OC. Wes Phillips, son of new Rams Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips, will also reportedly join McVay in LA in an unknown position, but likely as the OC. Phillips was talked about as a person to move up, but with his predecessor and father in LA, it seemed inevitable that he would move west.

Nothing has happened yet, and La Canfora’s reports about the Redskins have been...hit or miss.