Rate how each team did filling their Head Coach vacancy (1 Viewer)

[GregR]

Rate on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10 (best) how teams have done in filling their head coaching vacancies. I won't try to define the scale, just use what you think is right, and give any explanation you think is necessary. There's more value hearing comments so feel free to give commentary beyond just the rating.

The two teams who still haven't made a hire, can come back and edit when they fill in.


Chargers: Jim Harbaugh (U of Michigan HC)

Falcons: Raheem Morris (Rams DC)

Panthers: Dave Canales (Bucs OC)

Patriots: Jerod Mayo (Patriots Inside LB Coach)

Raiders: Antonio Pierce (Raiders LB coach and interim HC)

Titans: Brian Callahan (Bengals OC)



Seahawks: None yet.

Commanders: None yet.

 

[nirad3]

Chargers - 8: Obviously Harbaugh has a terrific track record, but I didn't go with 9 or 10 just because, as it sits now, the Chargers' roster doesn't fit with what Harbaugh has excelled with in the past (a strong run game, to begin). I assume changes can and will be made, which would affect my rating here.

Falcons - 6: Just seems like a retread on an up-and-coming roster, especially offensively. Maybe they hire some offensive wiz-boy that gets the most out of their high-fliyin' skill guys.

Panthers - 6: This team is just a mess from what I surmise and the hire seems completely related to what he did with Baker Mayfield. Maybe it'll translate to Bryce Young? Maybe he gets fired after a year. Dunno.

Patriots - 8: Mayo seems like he's got the head coaching "gene" from what I've heard/read thus far. There's a lot of work to do here, but if I were a Pats fan I'd want a guy like Mayo at the helm.

Raiders - 9: Like Mayo, Pierce seems to have "it".

Titans - 6: Callahan's offense, especially considering he had Burrow/Chase/Higgins/Boyd to work with... was pretty bland. Wait till he get a hold of the junk the Titans have.

 

[Sunday Gravy]

Chargers 10 - Instant winning culture incoming

Titans 6 - Impressive few seasons with a top offense

Panthers 3 - One season as coordinator

Falcons 2 - Odd retread after having Bill in your building twice

Patriots 7 - Been groomed for this

Raiders 3 - Obviously trying to copy Houston

 

[UncleZen]

Chargers 10 - Instant winning culture incoming

Titans 6 - Impressive few seasons with a top offense

Bucs 3 - One season as coordinator

Falcons 2 - Odd retread after having Bill in your building twice

Patriots 7 - Been groomed for this

Raiders 3 - Obviously trying to copy Houston

Bucs? I would like Bowles to be gone but he's still there. I think you meant Panthers.

 

[Sunday Gravy]

Chargers 10 - Instant winning culture incoming

Titans 6 - Impressive few seasons with a top offense

Bucs 3 - One season as coordinator

Falcons 2 - Odd retread after having Bill in your building twice

Patriots 7 - Been groomed for this

Raiders 3 - Obviously trying to copy Houston

Bucs? I would like Bowles to be gone but he's still there. I think you meant Panthers.

Yes fixed it.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Chargers is the best hire so far. Harbaugh builds winners.

I think people are sleeping on Morris. He got hired way too young last time, but has spent the past decade working with some of the top minds in the game and is way more prepared this time around. He'll need a good OC (and a QB) but I think he could be very successful in Atlanta

 

[travdogg]

Atlanta=7, I don't hate Raheem Morris as a hire. I'll echo what @ignatiusjreilly said, that he was too young in 2009 at age 33. I thought he did a good job in LA getting a lot out of some very iffy and inexperienced players. Those TB teams also were pretty lacking in talent for the most part. Who was the best player on those 2009-2011 Tampa teams, Donald Penn? Aqib Talib? Kellen Winslow Jr? I'll like it even more if they get Zac Robinson as an OC. He was my 2nd choice for the Bears, and I think he could be another Bobby Slowik.

Carolina=8, yes Dave Canales only had 1 year as an OC, but he's been in the NFL since Pete Carroll took the Seattle job, and until last year spent a lot of time learning from him. I think he deserves a lot of credit for Geno Smith and especially Baker Mayfield's resurgent seasons. He also had a hand in developing Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett. I think he's a good fit for Bryce Young. I'm surprised there wasn't more interest, as Carolina was his only interview.

Las Vegas=5, I feel like keeping the interim HC the next season almost never works out. The Raiders did go 5-4 after Pierce took over, but other than KC, they beat on some bad teams. Their 2nd most impressive win was over Denver, who benched their QB on a contract issue. I feel extremely comfortable saying the Raiders have the worst HC in their division. I'll be very curious to see what they do at QB, I'd probably make this number lower if they stick with O'Connell.

LA Chargers=10, I think Harbaugh was the best candidate out there, and he goes to a team that has a playoff caliber (when healthy) roster already. Going from Staley to Harbaugh is about as big as coaching upgrades get. Let's not forget Harbaugh never had a losing season in SF, and other than the shortened COVID year, never did at Michigan either. The guy is a winner.

New England=1, I get that Jerod Mayo has been "groomed" for this job. I'm really struggling to see that as a positive. The Belichick coaching tree is about as bad as it gets. Why are we assuming Mayo will be any better than Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia, Eric Mangini, Brian Flores, or Joe Judge? Honestly, I think they would have been much better off sticking with Belichick, if he'd have been amenable to not being GM which I'm assuming by his lack of hiring so far, that he isn't. I think there is every reason to think this might be the worst team in the NFL going forward if they don't knock the #3 pick out of the park.

Tennessee=6, I think I would have probably preferred to keep Vrabel around and maybe have just gotten a new OC, but perhaps Vrabel was opposed to that. Brian Callahan has worked with Joe Burrow his entire career, but I've often felt that Burrow has succeeded despite his coaches rather than because of them. Callahan also was the QB coach for Derek Carr and Matthew Stafford earlier in his career, so I will say its possible I'm not giving him enough credit. Honestly the biggest feather in his cap might be the competency of Jake Browning down the stretch this season. I think Will Levis showed some real NFL tools but has a lot to clean up as well.

I'm not 100% shocked that Bill Belichick nor Mike Vrabel have gotten jobs yet, and at this point I'm not expecting either to unless they are willing tom be DCs. I'd really love the idea of either (but especially Belichick) taking the DC job for McVay, but that's probably a long shot. I actually wouldn't be shocked if McVay brought Brandon Staley back.

I'm under the impression Pete Carroll isn't really a FA. I thought he moved to a front office role in Seattle, but I have seen some speculation he could on Washington's radar if they don't get Ben Johnson who seems to be their 1st choice.

My opinion is the reason Washington and Seattle haven't hired HCs yet, is because those guys teams are still in the playoffs. My Guess is Ben Johnson to Washington, and Mike MacDonald to Seattle. I'd probably call them 9 hires, maybe 10 for McDonald who I really like a lot. I'd be less thrilled with either hiring Dan Quinn, who I don't hate, but would probably put more on the level of Morris. I'm sure Lions fans are hoping somehow Ben Johnson stays in Detroit.

 

[Neil Beaufort Zod]

Carolina picking a first-year coordinator tells me Canales was a candidate willing to take any job, even a bad team with a clown owner and possibly a dud at QB that he's stuck with. And I'm guessing he came pretty cheap as far as head coaches go. Panthers gonna Panther.

I was thinking Morris with the Falcons is also uninspiring, but someone earlier pointed out he was promoted too young his first time. He's been biding his time, so maybe that's a better move than I thought originally. You get a proven coordinator and someone with some actual head coaching experience as a bonus.

Surprised the Chargers actually closed the deal with Harbaugh. Could be a quick turnaround for this team in a VERY crowded AFC field in 2024. Great move for them.

The only silver lining in New England choosing Mayo is that New England fans finally get to experience what it's like to have a mediocre team make moves that ensure their mediocrity. Frustrating? Sense of hopelessness? Welcome to every fan base at some point over the past two decades. Why shouldn't you enjoy it, too?

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Carolina picking a first-year coordinator tells me Canales was a candidate willing to take any job, even a bad team with a clown owner and possibly a dud at QB that he's stuck with. And I'm guessing he came pretty cheap as far as head coaches go. Panthers gonna Panther.

I was thinking Morris with the Falcons is also uninspiring, but someone earlier pointed out he was promoted too young his first time. He's been biding his time, so maybe that's a better move than I thought originally. You get a proven coordinator and someone with some actual head coaching experience as a bonus.

Surprised the Chargers actually closed the deal with Harbaugh. Could be a quick turnaround for this team in a VERY crowded AFC field in 2024. Great move for them.

The only silver lining in New England choosing Mayo is that New England fans finally get to experience what it's like to have a mediocre team make moves that ensure their mediocrity. Frustrating? Sense of hopelessness? Welcome to every fan base at some point over the past two decades. Why shouldn't you enjoy it, too?

Best theory I heard about Carolina is that Tepper was pissed that he gave away Baker and another coach brought the best out of him, so he went and hired the coach. As you say, Panthers gonna Panther

 

[travdogg]

Carolina picking a first-year coordinator tells me Canales was a candidate willing to take any job, even a bad team with a clown owner and possibly a dud at QB that he's stuck with. And I'm guessing he came pretty cheap as far as head coaches go. Panthers gonna Panther.

6-year deal for Canales according to Schefter. With coaching salaries guaranteed, that feels less like willing to take any job, and more like offer I can't refuse.

Worst case scenario for Canales, he flames out, blames ownership, and makes a ton of money, while still being a likely OC afterward.

 

[Deamon]

Rate on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10 (best) how teams have done in filling their head coaching vacancies. I won't try to define the scale, just use what you think is right, and give any explanation you think is necessary. There's more value hearing comments so feel free to give commentary beyond just the rating.

The two teams who still haven't made a hire, can come back and edit when they fill in.


Chargers: Jim Harbaugh (U of Michigan HC)

Falcons: Raheem Morris (Rams DC)

Panthers: Dave Canales (Bucs OC)

Patriots: Jerod Mayo (Patriots Inside LB Coach)

Raiders: Antonio Pierce (Raiders LB coach and interim HC)

Titans: Brian Callahan (Bengals OC)



Seahawks: None yet.

Commanders: None yet.

So many Blue and Red teams! Interesting.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Chargers: Jim Harbaugh (U of Michigan HC)

• 10 - he has turned around every team he has led, little bit bit jerky but he gets results.

Falcons: Raheem Morris (Rams DC)

• 3 - kind of a strange hire, I really don't understand this; happy for Raheem, seems like a great defensive coach.

Panthers: Dave Canales (Bucs OC)

• 2 - I think I would have felt bad for anyone who took this job bc Tepper changes leadership like he's changing socks.

Patriots: Jerod Mayo (Patriots Inside LB Coach)

• 4 - feel kind of lukewarm about this, their offense is a hot mess and this guy is not going to fix that.

Raiders: Antonio Pierce (Raiders LB coach and interim HC)

• 8 - unconventional path to HC but I was impressed with his leadership, well deserved opportunity.

Titans: Brian Callahan (Bengals OC)

• 5 - deserving candidate but this is a another rough one to step into.

Seahawks: None yet, if they land Quinn I would give this a 6.

Commanders: None yet, but presumably an 8 bc it looks like Ben Johnson is headed there.

 

[InDitkaWeTrust]

Chargers is the best hire so far. Harbaugh builds winners.

I think people are sleeping on Morris. He got hired way too young last time, but has spent the past decade working with some of the top minds in the game and is way more prepared this time around. He'll need a good OC (and a QB) but I think he could be very successful in Atlanta

This right here. I've been wondering for a few years when Morris would get a second chance. Hard to believe it's been over a decade since he was HC of the Bucs. As someone above mentioned, Morris at HC with Robinson as OC would make for a pretty dynamic offense and defense. Gotta think it makes the Falcons almost instantly division leader competitive. ATL already has a solid DEF that played uninspired all season and a ton of offensive weapons. If they add a guy like Fields, that offense will be fun to watch.

 

[InDitkaWeTrust]

Re: Panthers

It's a win/win situation for Canales. He will get the benefit of the doubt if his teams faulter because of the owner situation. If he wins with that awful, awful roster then he's a boy genius. Worst case he gets fired mid-season in a Tepper rage and collects a check sitting on the couch for several years while immediately being in consideration for other OC jobs.

 

[InDitkaWeTrust]

RE: Bill Belichick. It is clear to me that the Falcons went into the off season wanting to hire BB. After two interviews, it was clear to them that he either wanted too much control or that the game has passed him by....or both.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Atlanta=7, I don't hate Raheem Morris as a hire. I'll echo what @ignatiusjreilly said, that he was too young in 2009 at age 33. I thought he did a good job in LA getting a lot out of some very iffy and inexperienced players. Those TB teams also were pretty lacking in talent for the most part. Who was the best player on those 2009-2011 Tampa teams, Donald Penn? Aqib Talib? Kellen Winslow Jr? I'll like it even more if they get Zac Robinson as an OC. He was my 2nd choice for the Bears, and I think he could be another Bobby Slowik.

Carolina=8, yes Dave Canales only had 1 year as an OC, but he's been in the NFL since Pete Carroll took the Seattle job, and until last year spent a lot of time learning from him. I think he deserves a lot of credit for Geno Smith and especially Baker Mayfield's resurgent seasons. He also had a hand in developing Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett. I think he's a good fit for Bryce Young. I'm surprised there wasn't more interest, as Carolina was his only interview.

Las Vegas=5, I feel like keeping the interim HC the next season almost never works out. The Raiders did go 5-4 after Pierce took over, but other than KC, they beat on some bad teams. Their 2nd most impressive win was over Denver, who benched their QB on a contract issue. I feel extremely comfortable saying the Raiders have the worst HC in their division. I'll be very curious to see what they do at QB, I'd probably make this number lower if they stick with O'Connell.

LA Chargers=10, I think Harbaugh was the best candidate out there, and he goes to a team that has a playoff caliber (when healthy) roster already. Going from Staley to Harbaugh is about as big as coaching upgrades get. Let's not forget Harbaugh never had a losing season in SF, and other than the shortened COVID year, never did at Michigan either. The guy is a winner.

New England=1, I get that Jerod Mayo has been "groomed" for this job. I'm really struggling to see that as a positive. The Belichick coaching tree is about as bad as it gets. Why are we assuming Mayo will be any better than Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia, Eric Mangini, Brian Flores, or Joe Judge? Honestly, I think they would have been much better off sticking with Belichick, if he'd have been amenable to not being GM which I'm assuming by his lack of hiring so far, that he isn't. I think there is every reason to think this might be the worst team in the NFL going forward if they don't knock the #3 pick out of the park.

Tennessee=6, I think I would have probably preferred to keep Vrabel around and maybe have just gotten a new OC, but perhaps Vrabel was opposed to that. Brian Callahan has worked with Joe Burrow his entire career, but I've often felt that Burrow has succeeded despite his coaches rather than because of them. Callahan also was the QB coach for Derek Carr and Matthew Stafford earlier in his career, so I will say its possible I'm not giving him enough credit. Honestly the biggest feather in his cap might be the competency of Jake Browning down the stretch this season. I think Will Levis showed some real NFL tools but has a lot to clean up as well.

I'm not 100% shocked that Bill Belichick nor Mike Vrabel have gotten jobs yet, and at this point I'm not expecting either to unless they are willing tom be DCs. I'd really love the idea of either (but especially Belichick) taking the DC job for McVay, but that's probably a long shot. I actually wouldn't be shocked if McVay brought Brandon Staley back.

I'm under the impression Pete Carroll isn't really a FA. I thought he moved to a front office role in Seattle, but I have seen some speculation he could on Washington's radar if they don't get Ben Johnson who seems to be their 1st choice.

My opinion is the reason Washington and Seattle haven't hired HCs yet, is because those guys teams are still in the playoffs. My Guess is Ben Johnson to Washington, and Mike MacDonald to Seattle. I'd probably call them 9 hires, maybe 10 for McDonald who I really like a lot. I'd be less thrilled with either hiring Dan Quinn, who I don't hate, but would probably put more on the level of Morris. I'm sure Lions fans are hoping somehow Ben Johnson stays in Detroit.

-Don't agree on the Patriots but I love the way you write and it's relaxing to read your posts and weigh your POV vs where I am on some of these moves.
I enjoy you sharing the reasons in detail for your scores. Looking forward to more of your threads in the off season

 

[GregR]

RE: Bill Belichick. It is clear to me that the Falcons went into the off season wanting to hire BB. After two interviews, it was clear to them that he either wanted too much control or that the game has passed him by....or both.

Yahoo sports has an article someone pointed me to that mentions a source familiar with the Falcons and Blank, that said the crossroads was the realignment that would've needed to take place inside the Falcons to maximize a Belichick hire. Blank and Belichick apparently never discussed a detailed plan of how a linear chain of command under a head coach would work. The source said meetings with Blank crystalized Belichick's continued belief that the full scope of football operations, personnel, and coaching should be under his decision-making umbrella.

 

[Hankmoody]

Chargers: Jim Harbaugh (U of Michigan HC) - 9. Can't argue the guy's success everywhere he's gone.

Falcons: Raheem Morris (Rams DC) - 7. Nice to see them go with their conviction instead of the easy way out with BB. Well deserved second chance, Morris is a sharp dude and had a nice start in Tampa Bay befor the wheels fell off. One failure at 30-young years old a decade ago shouldn't define a career. OH CRUD THE SAME WAS SAID ABOUT JOSH MCDANIELS (Sorry, Raider fan with PJSD).

Panthers: Dave Canales (Bucs OC) - 5.5 One year of sizzle as an OC is a risky play to give the keys to. It was a strong one year though resuscitating Baker Mayfield of all people and follows the hot OC blueprint. It's an overswing from the team that overinvested in Bryce Young and is trying to avoid Chapter 11. If they make clean contact though the payoff is immense.

Patriots: Jerod Mayo (Patriots Inside LB Coach) - 6. Home-grown talent promoted from within. Gonna be popular in the building, can he command the whole ship?

Raiders: Antonio Pierce (Raiders LB coach and interim HC) - 6. It's a risky move going with someone with so little experience and there will certainly be some growing pains and mistakes. Can he put together a staff, especially on the offensive side? AP doesn't exactly have a big network of NFL personnel. Not sure if that's truly a bad thing or not, might force more open/natural interview and recruitment? There's a lot to like though. We played clean, hardass, mistake-free football. Guys clearly loved him and loved playing for him. Best in the league in minimizing penalties.

Titans: Brian Callahan (Bengals OC) - 6.5 Another hot OC swing, one with a bit more experience - 4 years under Zac Taylor and with Burrow. Plus he comes with a free Bill, one of the better OL coaches out there.

Whoever hires Vrabel - 8.5
Whoever hires Ben Johnson - 7.5 Hotshot young OC so lots of potential reward following the hot trend - McVay, Taylor, Stefanski, O'Connell, Steichen, McDaniel, (more) - there's a lot of hits and/or positive vibes out there, and the ones that hit have offensive stability for their QB's for life. We've seen many a QB ruined by shuffling in coach after coach after coach each importing a new system/verbage. This guy maximized on Jared Goff, something McVay took a pass on attempting.

 

[Bri]

I like the sesame street idea of new faces in new places.
Raheem Morris' first time though, reminds me some may not be ready and it's premature.
I'm curious how the new guys will guard against that. Hire an advisor or consultant? A much older experienced coordinator?

I always loved **** Lebeau stories years ago. Peyton told some good Tom Moore stories. I hope they're open to guys like that being around

 

[ChiefD]

Atlanta needed an offense coach. Went with the ‘ol hire a coach opposite of the old guy. That hire is a turd, and I like Raheem.

Raiders - total win IF he can get a good offensive mind AND they draft/get a batter QB

Panthers - turd

Titans - this is gonna be a disaster. Probably have a good OL though.

Chargers - dammit. Chiefs have competition now.

Patriots - Mayo seems WAY too confident and cocky for a guy who has never been a HC. DeMeco Ryans exudes confidence. Mayo talks too much about his confidence.

 

[menobrown]

I can't give a rating right now. Feel like some nuance is needed to grade the hires and we don't have all the info yet. Coach, assistants and GM pairing is what I'm talking about.

I'm almost more focused on the process then the result right now.

I'll revise this later but my early thoughts:

Chargers- Harbaugh's the best hire of the cycle and also very unique in that youth and collaboration is the major trend and he's the older candidate of the group and one who will come in wielding all the power. Old school. Because he has the power his assistants and GM are important but not as much as it is to the others. But the pairing of a guy who brings toughness to a team along with a coachable elite skilled QB is hard to not rate very highly.


Raiders-dubious but it can work. Mark Davis listens to his players to much. He's got a little of the same weakness as Jerry Jones in that he's creating an environment where the players have such a direct link to him it might take away some of the authority and culture building of the coach. In this case it seems to have got the coach hired. The whole hire seems to be riding the emotional wave of the players request so in that respect very down on the hire. But, I like the pairing with a highly experienced GM in Telesco. Big key on the next hires is the assistants. If Pierce can work in a CEO/motivator/leader role and let that be his focus because he's got strong coordinators this can work.

Falcons-Morris record as a head coach is bad but he sure has done a lot of good since. His profile is kind of strong in that he's a SB winning DC who also recently worked on the offensive side, has a great personality and players will want to play for him. Past on the field stuff I think going from dour Arthur to him is going to be a big hit with the fan base. He deserved another shot and this is a good spot, the OC hire will be very critical.

Panthers-Canales could be great but the process gives me pause. Got to start with Fitterer was highly responsible for helping create this mess which is why he was fired. But then they hired his protege who then hired a guy he was familiar with and knew in Canales. It's like they changed out old and tired for young and energetic but did anything else really change?

Titans-I don't know much about the guy, more familar with his dad. Seems like he can probably but a good offensive design together. No team seems to be stressing the collaboration bit between GM and HC more. Adversity will put that to the test later. Probably the most difficult one to have much of an opinion on for me except I know they got rid of a really good coach but for all I know they made a great hire, just don't know much about him but one thing that concerns me is Strunk gave some comments after she canned Vrable which indicated rock solid support for Levis. That makes me think the hire of Callahan was due in part to wanting someone to work well with Carthon who told them both what they wanted to hear about developing Levis. I'm not sure that's the most solid foundation.

Patriots-good interview but we should have learned over past few years how little that means. Can he take the best aspects of the Patriot Way and still be his own guy? Odds are not in his favor. Crummy job, succeding a legend with an old and not very good roster. Kraft's deserves beneift of the doubt for having a keen eye for head coaching talent considering the only head coaches he has hired are Carroll and BB.

 

[Yenrub]

Carolina picking a first-year coordinator tells me Canales was a candidate willing to take any job, even a bad team with a clown owner and possibly a dud at QB that he's stuck with. And I'm guessing he came pretty cheap as far as head coaches go. Panthers gonna Panther.

6-year deal for Canales according to Schefter. With coaching salaries guaranteed, that feels less like willing to take any job, and more like offer I can't refuse.

Worst case scenario for Canales, he flames out, blames ownership, and makes a ton of money, while still being a likely OC afterward.

If I recall properly, the Panthers gave Matt Rhule a six year deal when they hired him.

 

[rockaction]

I'm with menobrown on this one. I want to see the offensive and defensive coordinators—and coaching staffs—that these guys put together. I also would like to see who Seattle and Washington hire.

Belichick not having a job is the shocker here. There are a bunch of potential reasons why he doesn't have a job, but it would seem that somebody who is mentioned with the greatest of all-time would likely have a job if he wanted one.

Pete Carroll sounded, at his press conference and subsequent comments, like he still wanted to coach too.

What role do people think analytics and the receptiveness to analytics (as well as control over player personnel) play in Belichick and Carroll not having coaching jobs right now? I'd venture that both play a lot into the decision-making by the owners. "Hidden" advantages are no longer so hidden, and the edge you get by using advanced stats and probability is huge in the NFL right now.

It's likely player personnel is a bigger sticking point than analytics, though. That's probably the key to it all.

That's my two cents.

 

[Da Franchise]

I can't give a rating right now. Feel like some nuance is needed to grade the hires and we don't have all the info yet. Coach, assistants and GM pairing is what I'm talking about.

I'm almost more focused on the process then the result right now.

I'll revise this later but my early thoughts:

Chargers- Harbaugh's the best hire of the cycle and also very unique in that youth and collaboration is the major trend and he's the older candidate of the group and one who will come in wielding all the power. Old school. Because he has the power his assistants and GM are important but not as much as it is to the others. But the pairing of a guy who brings toughness to a team along with a coachable elite skilled QB is hard to not rate very highly.


Raiders-dubious but it can work. Mark Davis listens to his players to much. He's got a little of the same weakness as Jerry Jones in that he's creating an environment where the players have such a direct link to him it might take away some of the authority and culture building of the coach. In this case it seems to have got the coach hired. The whole hire seems to be riding the emotional wave of the players request so in that respect very down on the hire. But, I like the pairing with a highly experienced GM in Telesco. Big key on the next hires is the assistants. If Pierce can work in a CEO/motivator/leader role and let that be his focus because he's got strong coordinators this can work.

Falcons-Morris record as a head coach is bad but he sure has done a lot of good since. His profile is kind of strong in that he's a SB winning DC who also recently worked on the offensive side, has a great personality and players will want to play for him. Past on the field stuff I think going from dour Arthur to him is going to be a big hit with the fan base. He deserved another shot and this is a good spot, the OC hire will be very critical.

Panthers-Canales could be great but the process gives me pause. Got to start with Fitterer was highly responsible for helping create this mess which is why he was fired. But then they hired his protege who then hired a guy he was familiar with and knew in Canales. It's like they changed out old and tired for young and energetic but did anything else really change?

Titans-I don't know much about the guy, more familar with his dad. Seems like he can probably but a good offensive design together. No team seems to be stressing the collaboration bit between GM and HC more. Adversity will put that to the test later. Probably the most difficult one to have much of an opinion on for me except I know they got rid of a really good coach but for all I know they made a great hire, just don't know much about him but one thing that concerns me is Strunk gave some comments after she canned Vrable which indicated rock solid support for Levis. That makes me think the hire of Callahan was due in part to wanting someone to work well with Carthon who told them both what they wanted to hear about developing Levis. I'm not sure that's the most solid foundation.

Patriots-good interview but we should have learned over past few years how little that means. Can he take the best aspects of the Patriot Way and still be his own guy? Odds are not in his favor. Crummy job, succeding a legend with an old and not very good roster. Kraft's deserves beneift of the doubt for having a keen eye for head coaching talent considering the only head coaches he has hired are Carroll and BB.

Agree with most if not all of this and would just say I think the GM hire in Carolina is by virtue of prospective candidates just not wanting to blow their one shot on Snyder errrrrr Tepper. So they just slid the guy over from the shotgun seat and moved on.

Curious how you will describe Washington because I’m over thinking when the dust settles and it’s Peters/Johnson we will have knocked it completely out of the park. Add in either Maye or Daniels and we are talking about a rare total franchise reset under this Harris regime that is quickly gaining respect throughout the league. Maybe the QB hits or maybe he busts but I am really confident they are building a team that will be consistently good and in not just the fringe but the heart of the playoff mix from year to year with spike years that are legitimate Super Bowl contention. Much like a Baltimore or Philly or SF.

 

[BoltNlava]

Chargers: Gotta give it a 10. Just for actually paying for quality once in their stewardship, the Spanos's have shown they are capable of making a step in the right direction. If it works out or not, it is really amazing this happened. Not since Coryell have they had this kind of leadership in the organization(well maybe Shottenheimer). I still can't believe they went this route.

 

[jabarony]

RE: Bill Belichick. It is clear to me that the Falcons went into the off season wanting to hire BB. After two interviews, it was clear to them that he either wanted too much control or that the game has passed him by....or both.

I don’t know if this would ever get stated publicly, but I wonder if aside from the GM thing, owners are wary of Bb’s staff. He seems to keep bringing back his guys like McDaniels, Patricia, and his son just to name me a few. Maybe BB is a catch, but his crew adds too much stink?

 

[FairWarning]

Re: Panthers

It's a win/win situation for Canales. He will get the benefit of the doubt if his teams faulter because of the owner situation. If he wins with that awful, awful roster then he's a boy genius. Worst case he gets fired mid-season in a Tepper rage and collects a check sitting on the couch for several years while immediately being in consideration for other OC jobs.

It’s really a tough spot for a 1st timer to succeed. He’s dealing with a clown owner, a team with few difference-makers, and no first round picks. It’s not a desirable place for a FA to go to either. His big positive is dealing with the Carolina media vs NY, Boston, or Philly’.

 

[Ilov80s]

LA Chargers=10, I think Harbaugh was the best candidate out there, and he goes to a team that has a playoff caliber (when healthy) roster already. Going from Staley to Harbaugh is about as big as coaching upgrades get. Let's not forget Harbaugh never had a losing season in SF, and other than the shortened COVID year, never did at Michigan either. The guy is a winner.

I agree Harbaugh was a great hire for them but as for this comment, it is Michigan. They have only had 3 losing seasons since 1968.

 

[scothawk]

Seahawks firing Pete and hiring nobody is still a win.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Titans: Brian Callahan (Bengals OC) - 6.5 Another hot OC swing, one with a bit more experience - 4 years under Zac Taylor and with Burrow. Plus he comes with a free Bill, one of the better OL coaches out there.

He might be THE best OL coach.

 

[travdogg]

LA Chargers=10, I think Harbaugh was the best candidate out there, and he goes to a team that has a playoff caliber (when healthy) roster already. Going from Staley to Harbaugh is about as big as coaching upgrades get. Let's not forget Harbaugh never had a losing season in SF, and other than the shortened COVID year, never did at Michigan either. The guy is a winner.

I agree Harbaugh was a great hire for them but as for this comment, it is Michigan. They have only had 3 losing seasons since 1968.

While technically true, those 3 losing seasons were all between 2008-2014, and Harbaugh showed up in 2015.

 

[skol asylum]

I'm kind of surprised it looks like Minnesota might be able to retain Flores. I thought the conventional thinking is he would be one and done in Minnesota and off to be a HC.

 

[menobrown]

Just a random observation.

Some people in the Steeler's thread are losing their minds over hiring Arthur Smith because they think he wants to just run the ball and that's now way to win in today's NFL.

Meanwhile in this thread we got almost everyone giving the Chargers extremely high grades, generally the highest grade, for hiring Harbaugh who has long been known as loving a power running game and not throwing the ball around all over the place.

Makes no sense to me.

 

[wlwiles]

Ben Johnson staying in Detroit as OC for 2024 per X.

Buddy of mine lives outside of DC and says local radio has pivoted to Ravens DC Mike MacDonald as their new target.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

I'm kind of surprised it looks like Minnesota might be able to retain Flores. I thought the conventional thinking is he would be one and done in Minnesota and off to be a HC.

Really? I've assumed Flores was going to have a hard time getting hired while the lawsuit was still pending. I also think that while he did some good things in Miami, there were a lot of questions about how he handled players, especially Tua

 

[travdogg]

I'm kind of surprised it looks like Minnesota might be able to retain Flores. I thought the conventional thinking is he would be one and done in Minnesota and off to be a HC.

I think Flores might not even be a real candidate until 2026. He's got a lot of stink to wash off how his Miami run ended, especially given his lawsuit, and handling of Tua. I also think teams might finally be souring on the Belichick tree, and that could be looked at as not being a positive anymore.

Just a random observation.

Some people in the Steeler's thread are losing their minds over hiring Arthur Smith because they think he wants to just run the ball and that's now way to win in today's NFL.

Meanwhile in this thread we got almost everyone giving the Chargers extremely high grades, generally the highest grade, for hiring Harbaugh who has long been known as loving a power running game and not throwing the ball around all over the place.

Makes no sense to me.

I think its less about philosophy and more about track record. Arthur Smith is viewed as a loser who wasted his best players. Harbaugh is not. I'm not totally opposed to the Smith hire, plenty of guys just aren't cut out to be a HC, and I actually think his Bijan usage was fine, it was more the London/Pitts usage that bothered me. London should have been an 8-10 target a game guy.

Which makes me wonder how long it'll be before George Pickens is sulking about lack of targets? London had 5 games of 5 or fewer targets, and he had Mack Hollins opposite him, not Diontae Johnson.

 

[ex-ghost]

And now Slowik staying. Seahawks and Commanders options drying up.

 

[skol asylum]

I'm kind of surprised it looks like Minnesota might be able to retain Flores. I thought the conventional thinking is he would be one and done in Minnesota and off to be a HC.

Really? I've assumed Flores was going to have a hard time getting hired while the lawsuit was still pending. I also think that while he did some good things in Miami, there were a lot of questions about how he handled players, especially Tua

Maybe but the Minnesota sports guys I listen to have always talked about how he was most likely only going to be a one year rental and off to be a HC again. He did wonders with a Minnesota team with a lot of holes.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

I'm kind of surprised it looks like Minnesota might be able to retain Flores. I thought the conventional thinking is he would be one and done in Minnesota and off to be a HC.

Really? I've assumed Flores was going to have a hard time getting hired while the lawsuit was still pending. I also think that while he did some good things in Miami, there were a lot of questions about how he handled players, especially Tua

Maybe but the Minnesota sports guys I listen to have always talked about how he was most likely only going to be a one year rental and off to be a HC again. He did wonders with a Minnesota team with a lot of holes.

I also think DCs, way more than OCs, often realize they’re better off staying as DCs after flaming out as HCs. Phillips, Fangio, Schwartz, Ray Rhodes back in the day, all ended up settling at their level and being incredibly effective. It wouldn’t shock me if we saw the same with Flores

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

besides the chargers this group is awful

 

[ex-ghost]

Looks more and more like Mike Macdonald to the Hawks. Commanders get Quinn?

 

[Hot Sauce Guy]

Looks more and more like Mike Macdonald to the Hawks.

Done deal. Good hire.

 

[Snotbubbles]

RE: Bill Belichick. It is clear to me that the Falcons went into the off season wanting to hire BB. After two interviews, it was clear to them that he either wanted too much control or that the game has passed him by....or both.

Or BB decided there may be better destinations available next season and taking a year off to recharge the battery was his best case scenario.

 

[SeniorVBDStudent]

RE: Bill Belichick. It is clear to me that the Falcons went into the off season wanting to hire BB. After two interviews, it was clear to them that he either wanted too much control or that the game has passed him by....or both.

a hybrid of this....Blank wanted BB throughout the process, but his front office talked him out of it (for the reasons you mention).

 

[themeistersinger]

Are the Commanders planning to poach somebody from KC or SF? Otherwise why are they waiting to make a hire?

 

[travdogg]

Just to add to my earlier rankings:

Seahawks=9, despite the Quinn rumors, getting a young HC seemed important to Seattle in my opinion, perhaps due to having had the league's oldest for so long. Macdonald has had a pretty quick rise going from Ravens intern to positional coach, to Michigan DC (he's very trusted by the Harbaughs) than as Ravens DC. I feel like he's gotten a lot out of a Ravens D that has talent, but isn't the most loaded D on paper in the league. I think he could really unlock guys like Devon Witherspoon (who had an excellent rookie season) and Tariq Woolen in Seattle. Macdonald was my favorite candidate after Harbaugh in this coaching cycle.

With Ben Johnson opting to stay in Detroit, I'm not really sure what Washington will do. Dan Quinn seems to be a candidate but that feels a little meh. I highly doubt it will be Belichick or Vrabel. Todd Monken or Aaron Glenn maybe on the radar? Maybe Steve Wilks?

 

[travdogg]

Washington=7, Dan Quinn isn't a bad hire, but certainly reeks of 3rd choice. Washington doesn't have a ton of defensive talent to work with, but Quinn has been an excellent DC. His Falcons teams fell off a cliff after making the Super Bowl in his 2nd year there. OC hire will be extremely important here. I think this is on par with the Raheem Morris hire. Quinn earned a 2nd chance, but we'll see what he learned from it.

 

[Grahamburn]

Re: Panthers

It's a win/win situation for Canales. He will get the benefit of the doubt if his teams faulter because of the owner situation. If he wins with that awful, awful roster then he's a boy genius. Worst case he gets fired mid-season in a Tepper rage and collects a check sitting on the couch for several years while immediately being in consideration for other OC jobs.

I definitely didn't want Canales to leave, but you can see why it would feel like an "offer I can't refuse" situation. 6 years?

If you're interested look for any of the interviews he's done. The man is charismatic. Several coaches have now left the Bucs to go to the Panthers' staff as well. A few of them laterally. I credit the Bucs' resurgence this year much more to Canales than anything Bowles did.

I expect Canales will be very successful if Tepper gives him the time to do so.

 

[menobrown]

Washington=7, Dan Quinn isn't a bad hire, but certainly reeks of 3rd choice. Washington doesn't have a ton of defensive talent to work with, but Quinn has been an excellent DC. His Falcons teams fell off a cliff after making the Super Bowl in his 2nd year there. OC hire will be extremely important here. I think this is on par with the Raheem Morris hire. Quinn earned a 2nd chance, but we'll see what he learned from it.

Pretty much agree with everything you are saying here and in fact was prepared to say a lot of the same things but it's just redundant now.

The only thing I might see different is that I'm not huge on Quinn as DC, not down, just see him as more what I'd call fine/good, but I'm not able to label him excellent but not trying to split hairs. His strengths are being a good positive leader and motivator and I think he might actually be a better HC then DC, but assume he'll be both with Washington.

 

[Anarchy99]

I'm not loving what the Patriots are doing so far. Promoted Jerod Mayo to HC . . . who never called a play on offense or defense. Promoted Demarcus Covington to DC . . . who never called a play on defense. No one is interested in the OC position, and the people they are talking to are people who, you guessed it, have never called a play on offense. The big gripe of BB in recent years was his lackluster performance as a GM . . . and they currently have no plans to bring in a GM or promote someone internally. So right now, they don't have a very talented team, they have an inexperienced coaching staff they are having trouble filling, and there's no one really calling the shots in the front office. Can't say that the post-Bill era is off to a very good start.