Analyzing The Open Coaching Positions

I hate sports journalism during this time of the offseason because instead of publishing educated articles with critical analysis it becomes an arms race of which journalist predicted the landing spot for who first. And sometimes the takes are flat out bad.

That said I wanted to look at the open coaching positions and look at the facts to determine what MAKES SENSE to happen.

Broncos: The most win ready team of the the pack, and they have deep pockets. Borderline HOF QB, already solidified defense, good skill position players, and one would say this should be a dream job for the next coach coming in but I think it’s the exact opposite.

From a candidate perspective this is the highest risk highest reward job to take, we just saw this team’s offense absolutely implode under a rookie HC despite being loaded with skill. The QB they had liquidated pretty much all of their current assets for was the laughing stock of the league and didn’t seem to deal with the adversity in a great way.
The candidate accepting this role should be very confident in their ability to turn the Denver offense around immediately otherwise they may get chewed up and spit out much like Hackett did seeing as how they are handcuffed by Wilson.

From the Broncos perspective the defense is stout and where as your D coordinator has been interviewed by other teams I don’t think he goes anywhere. Hiring an offensive coach would be the ideal move, especially one with experience. That’s where the team needs to see improvement, and fast.

The hire: Sean Payton, the draft picks are a wildcard in this but he’s the best fit for the team as it stands. The Broncos need someone with experience to get Wilson back to the production Carrol got out of him. I think they revisit Payton after other hires are made.

Colts: This may be the least attractive job on the market right now. The team is built to win now but has had no success the last couple years despite bringing in previous MVP QB’s. The previous HC was the first one hired this off-season and it’s pretty clear he wasn’t the problem.

From a candidates perspective this is rough. You have some skill players to work with on offense and a few studs on D but it’s not nearly as great of a built team as it was made to seem going into this season. There is a high draft pick which almost undoubtedly will be used on a QB and the chance to lose a lot of additional assets to trade up. Outside of the QB position it seems like a this is what you have to work with situation.

From a team perspective it would be nice to get the offense back to being explosive again. With Taylor in and out of injury and the revolving QB door it’s no wonder it wasn’t. But the defense was the bigger surprise here. Getting the defense back to standard is really important as the offense rebuilds. But then there is Jeff Saturday, who ownership somehow is still intrigued by.

The hire: Raheem Morris he’s a young energetic coach who will get the defense back in shape while rebuilding the culture of the team. I do think they bring Pep back to Indy as OC to see if they can recreate the development with their new QB that they had with Luck if they make this hire.

Cardinals: This team, like the other two was built to win now. Young, dynamic QB skill at receiver and tight end, a good RB. The offense is great on paper. The Defense has some playmakers but could use some help. Luckily the draft capital available can fix that.

From a candidates perspective this could be the dream job especially for an offensive minded coach. You have all the weapons you need and with a little work on the OL this could be a league leading offense. The defense has some playmakers and if you use the 3rd pick to grab a DL to replace Watt things are looking pretty good. Connecting with Murray is important for the next candidate because there seemed to be some friction last season.

From a team perspective the Kingsbury hire back in the day was the right move he just couldn’t get it done. I think if you’re the Cardinals you’re looking for another dynamic offensive coach to take the team to the next level.

The hire: Shane Steichen this is the biggest no-brainer of them all the offense has a very similar makeup skill position wise to Philly and I think he would make the Cardinals offense explosive.

Texans: Finally, us. One could argue we have the most attractive coaching position open on the market with all the assets we have. One could also say we are the least attractive with how raw our team is. One thing is certain, there will be job security with how many coaches we have let go recently a one and done season certainly won’t happen.

From a candidate perspective. This is your team, aside from a handful of young players on both sides of the ball you’ll get to work with Nick to build your vision of a team. And we have the picks and cap space to do it. The next season isn’t playoffs or bust like it may be for other teams so this could be a really good position to get your feet wet as a rookie HC.

From a team perspective. The focus needs to be bringing in a new QB and winning the fans back. The defense was the bright spot of the team but still needs work in the run game. The offense needs a complete overhaul besides giving Pierce touches. So that HAS to be a focus. A young coach who will re define Texans culture is the best fit here.

The hire: DeMeco Ryans I’ll preface this with saying I think Shane Steichen is a smarter hire for us but we aren’t the best fit for him. Ryans was a star in a Texans uniform, his players love him, he will rebuild the culture, but most importantly to Cal he will win the fans back. As for Ryans we have the ability to allow him to establish himself as a HC and he won’t be handcuffed by an underperforming QB.