[ad_1]
0 of 6
David Richard / Associated press
One of the most predictable details of an otherwise unpredictable 2020 NFL season was the large number of coaching vacancies expected to reside on the carousel this offseason.
Three teams didn’t wait long to make this obvious enough, as interim coaches took over in Atlanta, Detroit and Houston before long. These openings, along with a few others, make it a league-changing offseason with big names like Marvin Lewis and Urban Meyer entering the fray.
Teams with openings are also an interesting mix. Some have a young quarterback to build. Others have to find that quarterback. And while all would surely like to fight immediately, some are much better placed than others.
The following teams have openings after a dramatic week 17 and a movement packed Monday. Here’s a projection for who will land where based on team needs, the state of the franchise, and the current and / or future team’s vision.
1 of 6
Jennifer Stewart / Associate Press
For a while, it looked like the Atlanta Falcons could roll with interim coach Raheem Morris.
Morris took over after the Falcons fired head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff amid a 0-5 start.
And Morris, who went 17-31 as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009-2011, started 4-2. It looked like he had righted the ship and players responded to the cultural upheaval. But the idea of him as a permanent head coach has since cooled, with the Falcons ending the season with five straight losses.
It would make sense for the Falcons to try another blow on a defensive-minded coach, as the current core around Matt Ryan on offense doesn’t need to be groomed. San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is both one of the hottest names on the carousel and an ideal fit.
Saleh, after all, is the type of culture change that likely helped encourage Richard Sherman to follow him to a divisional rival. His defensive plans spoke for themselves in the Seattle high school for years, and his 49ers unit, despite late-season injuries to Nick Bosa and others, still ranked in the top five against the pass. .
The Falcons have a few ceiling issues to deal with this offseason, but will likely avoid rebuilding. Saleh’s leadership and plans could be the boost the franchise needs.
2 of 6
Don Wright / Associated Press
The Detroit Lions did what everyone seemed to expect, firing Matt Patricia late in November after a 4-7 start, raising his record to 13-29-1.
Like Atlanta, the Lions could be in a win-now mode around veteran passer Matthew Stafford, which opens the door for another blow on a defensive-minded coach who can rebuild culture.
That would seem, at least in part, to explain why the Lions interviewed former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo.
Lewis accomplished a similar feat in Cincinnati, turning a miserable franchise into a playoff regular. He went 0-7 in the playoffs, yes, but the Bengals have since gone 6-25-1 without him.
A proven defensive guru who helped shape Baltimore’s elite defenses before leading defensive teams in Cincinnati, Lewis would likely excel where Patricia has disappointed. He also has a deep coaching tree of big offensive names who could join his squad, highlighted by Hue Jackson and Jay Gruden.
3 of 6
Charlie Riedel / Associated Press
The Houston Texans also pulled a head coach’s record mid-season, albeit like the others, too late.
Head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien started 0-4 this year after taking the heat in the offseason to trade wide DeAndre Hopkins, taking his record to 52-48.
After not making the obvious for so long, it feels like Houston is going to start making the obvious. According to NFL Network, “the attention immediately shifted to Eric Bieniemy” after O’Brien’s sacking, which was easy to predict.
Bieniemy is one of the architects behind the elite Patrick Mahomes’ attack for the Kansas City Chiefs. Not that Deshaun Watson needs to develop – he’s completed over 70 percent of his passes this year with 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
But the previous regime left a mess around the quarterback position that needs some vision. Ruining a franchise passer at the age of 25 in the midst of his prime is arguably as bad as ruining a rookie fortunate enough to reach those same heights.
In an effort to right those wrongs, Houston will likely go with Bieniemy and seek an instant playoff contention.
4 of 6
Michael Conroy / Associated press
Jacksonville Jaguars let Doug Marrone finish the previous season announce its firing Monday.
But even the day before the season finale, Rapoport reported that the Jaguars would not just move on, but the front office would also target former Florida and Ohio coach Urban Meyer. The report noted that Meyer had “lined up a staff and told people he was close to in the football community that he planned to land in Jacksonville.”
That would seem to fix that, right?
Jacksonville stayed with Marrone as the 10-6 sprint to the AFC title game in 2017 was clearly an anomaly. The Jaguars went 5-11, 6-10 and 1-15 over the next three seasons, securing the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Jaguars believe they have the choice of the available coach they want, given their expansive ceiling space, a roster ready to be rebuilt and several first-round picks, including the No.1 who would be the Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Given Meyer’s name and reputation at college stops, if he wants the job, that makes a lot of sense.
Meyer’s track record and extensive coaching tree should produce a mature staff with rebuilding and roster development capabilities in Jacksonville.
5 of 6
Mark Humphrey / Associated Press
Hired by the Jets in 2018 after going 23-25 in Miami, Adam Gase went 7-9 twice before starting this year 0-13 – before winning two games and managing to lose the draft’s first pick. to come up.
According to Rapoport and Pelissero, the Jets planned to part ways with Gase right after the season finale, and Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was one of the names on the list of candidates.
And if the Jets lose a Bieniemy or can’t get into the division and get Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, Smith would make a lot of sense.
Smith, just 38, is an emerging name thanks to his rapid rise in Tennessee. He moved to the offensive side of the ball in 2012 as a quality control coach and has since worked as a coordinator starting in 2019, replacing Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur in Tennessee and spurring the rebirth of Ryan Tannehill’s career.
Owners of the second overall pick and still sitting on a potential franchise passer to Sam Darnold, the Jets could be the last to go with a trendy and younger offensive-minded coach like Smith as they try to rebuild themselves.
6 of 6
Brian Westerholt / Associated Press
The Los Angeles Chargers were arguably the most surprising team to unplug their coaching staff and the last team to do it right. official on this front.
Anthony Lynn, after all, led the Chargers to a 12-4 record in 2018 before declining to 5-11 in 2019 and then posting a 7-9 record this year. But the 7-9 mark included four straight wins to end the season.
It looks like the Chargers want to get the most out of rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, especially during his first contract, so they’re probably looking for an offensive-minded head coach.
Which means it’s time for the Chargers to watch Joe Brady.
Brady, the Carolina Panthers attack coordinator, made his way into the pros calling the historic LSU-led attack Joe Burrow in 2019. This year he aided a Teddy Bridgewater-led attack boasting four different players with 1,000 or more yards of scrum (Robby Anderson, DJ Moore, Curtis Samuel and Mike Davis).
The prospect of Brady orchestrating the same kind of system with a booming Herbert (4,336 yards, 31 touchdowns), Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and others is hard to pass up. Add in $ 22 million of projected ceiling space and defensive centerpieces like Joey Bosa and Derwin James, plus the 13th overall pick for good measure.
Contractual information via Spotrac.
[ad_2]
Source link