NFL roundup: James Franklin to interview with Redskins, Chiefs will try to extend Alex Smith

The Washington Redskins will not rest until they've interviewed every potential head coaching candidate on the face of the planet. The team has added Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin to its list and will interview on Thursday, according to reports. (Franklin may have an offer from Penn State on the table as well, at least according to a report by the Scranton Times-Tribune.) Franklin has also been linked to the head coaching spot at Penn State. He led the Commodores to back-to-back 9-4 seasons, which is a big deal given that team's long-lasting struggles.

The Kansas City Chiefs will give quarterback Alex Smith a contract extension this offseason. The team will offer him one, at least. Smith is entering the final year of a contract he signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. Since the team traded him this offseason, Smith has been fantastic for the Chiefs, taking them from the worst record in the league to an 11-5 mark and a playoff berth. He boasts a passer rating of 89.1 and has 23 touchdowns to seven interceptions this year.

The Oakland Raiders will retain head coach Dennis Allen for another season. Allen met with owner Mark Davis on Tuesday and Davis is keeping Allen in charge through the 2014 season. Allen led the Raiders to a 4-12 mark this year, the same record the team had last season. Allen was reportedly at odds with Davis over multiple assistant coaches and whether or not they would be retained, and for how long. Most felt that might get him fired, but it seems the two came to an understanding.

The Redskins apparently consider Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden their top candidate. The team interviewed Gruden on Wednesday. There is a huge list of coaches the Redskins apparently have on their list, but this is the first we've heard of a front-runner for the job.

Johnny Manziel has submitted his name to enter the 2014 NFL Draft. Manziel is considered a first-round pick by many experts, and one of the top quarterbacks to enter the draft. He'll scare some with the fact that he's a scrambling quarterback, but many of those players have had success in recent seasons, including Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson. There are multiple teams in the top 10 of the draft that need a quarterback.

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will no longer be a candidate for the head coaching position with the Cleveland Browns. Apparently, the Browns and owner Jimmy Haslam came away from the meeting with McDaniels feeling positive, but McDaniels has elected to remain with the Patriots for the time being.

The Miami Dolphins will continue their search for an offensive coordinator by interviewing Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor. The team actually interviewed him on Wednesday, but there are no reports on how it went. Philadelphia VP of Player Personnel Tom Gamble is the leading candidate to take over as general manager in Miami, so the move would seem to make sense if Lazor interviews well.