Detroit Lions promote Hank Fraley to OL coach; could another assistant be on the move?

Another spot has been filled on the NFL's coaching merry-go-round, and that could leave Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia with another vacancy on his staff.

Baylor coach Matt Rhule has agreed to become the next Carolina Panthers head coach, according to multiple reports.

Last year, Rhule was considered the favorite for the New York Jets job, but the two sides couldn't agree to terms after the Jets balked at allowing him to hire his preferred choice for offensive coordinator: Lions quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan.

Rhule has not yet named a staff in Carolina, but Ryan is still believed to be a candidate for the coordinator job. He acknowledged the two's close relationship last month.

"Matt and I coached together for the Giants for one year and we’ve just always stayed in touch," Ryan said. "We’re friends."

Asked about the possibility of joining Rhule in 2020, Ryan did not rule it out, repeating, "I am under contract with the Detroit Lions and happy to be here."

More: Lions staff, Matt Patricia set to coach in Senior Bowl this month

Ryan, who spent the 2012 season with Rhule on the New York Giants' coaching staff, helped keep the Lions offense above water this season while starting three different quarterbacks.

Matthew Stafford threw for 2,499 yards in the first eight games, but missed the second half of the season with fractures in his back. Jeff Driskel (three starts) and David Blough (five) finished the season, and the Lions cycled through 10 different backups during the 2019 calendar year.

"Sean is a very detailed coach," Lions coach Matt Patricia said last month. "He does a great job. He’s obviously coached some great players at the quarterback position before, and I think he just comes in every single day prepared, ready to go, and those guys in that room work really hard. You have to be that detail kind of mentality, and I think he gives that to those guys. Really, I think Sean has done a really good job at that position group.”

Before working with Stafford, Ryan worked with Eli Manning as Giants quarterbacks coach in 2012-13, and Deshaun Watson as Houston Texans quarterbacks coach in 2017-18.

The Lions already have seen major turnover on their coaching staff this offseason.

Patricia fired six assistants, including strength coach Harold Nash and special-teams coordinator John Bonamego, two days after the season, and two days later the Lions announced defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni and offensive line coach Jeff Davidson were stepping away from football.

On Tuesday, the Lions promoted assistant offensive line coach Hank Fraley to Davidson's old job, and named Billy Yates, a coaching assistant the last two seasons, assistant offensive line coach.

More: Why assistant coach Fraley got a game ball after beating Eagles

Fraley, who played 11 NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and St. Louis Rams, was a favorite among players, while Yates played offensive line for eight seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Browns and New England Patriots.

The Lions currently have six openings on their coaching staff, plus Yates' assistantship to fill: Defensive coordinator, special-teams coordinator, linebackers coach, tight ends coach, defensive backs coach and head and assistant strength coach.

Defensive assistant Steve Gregory is a top candidate to fill one of the defensive openings.

Roster move: The Lions signed running back Tra Carson to a futures/reserve contract on Tuesday. Carson, 27, was claimed off waivers by the Lions in October. He had 12 carries for 34 yards against the Giants on Oct. 27. But he suffered a hamstring injury in November and was placed on injured reserve. He was released a few days later.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Read more on the Detroit Lions and sign up for our Lions newsletter.