In this episode of the Red Light Sports Ramble, Evan and Troy discuss the open coaching vacancies in the NFL and talk about who might be headed where. The first Monday after the NFL season is almost a National Holiday, well at least for NFL fans. This is the day nicknamed “Black Monday” because it is the day that NFL teams will fire their coaches. This day has come and gone, and now we are left trying to figure out this coaching carousel in the NFL. One college coach; who does have NFL experience, will lead the Houston Texans next year. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to hire long time Chicago Bear Head Coach; Lovie Smith, after a year lay off.
This leaves five NFL teams searching for a replacement. The list of candidates is very qualified with many assistants getting a shot to interview to the head man for the first time. Some have held the position and are looking for a second chance. Needless to say; each of the five teams searching for a coach, have unique characteristics.
Of the five positions open, two of them seem to have the most promise for immediate success. The Detroit Lions have play-makers on both sides of the ball, but lacked organization and structure. This is a team that was in control of their own destiny and let it slip away. The new coach will have some pressure to win immediately with the amount of talent on the roster. Who is the right fit to help this team win immediately?
Tennessee decided that it was time to part ways with Mike Munchak. However, when you look at this roster, they have a good young nucleus and success may not be to far away. Quarterback will be a priority, but they have a proven running back and a defense that kept them in many games throughout the season. People may argue that they were not a legitimate playoff contender, but they hung around the wild card chase up until the last few weeks of the season. Does Tennessee fill the job with a raw rookie head coach, or do they go after someone who has held the reins before?
Minnesota has quietly been lurking around the coaching carousel and look to be hand picking a coach that may still be coaching in the playoffs. It was obvious that Leslie Frazier was going to be on his way out and has already landed a gig being the Defensive Coordinator in Tampa Bay with Lovie Smith. This organization already has a future hall of fame running back in Adrian Peterson, but have not had strong quarterback play in the last couple of years. What is Minnesota looking for in its next head coach?
Finally, the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns bottom out the list of desirable jobs. The Browns gave up on their coach after just one season. Lets not forget that they also traded away their number 1 pick from the previous year. The front-runner looks to be Josh McDaniels, the Offensive Coordinator in New England. It is most likely his job to turn down, and would he consider turning down another opportunity to be a Head Coach in the NFL? In Washington, when most teams are cutting their list of candidates, Daniel Snyder continues to add names to his list. When the lights dim out in the offices and people leave for the day, everyone knows that Daniel Snyder is the one in control here. He is the one who has tried to buy a championship, and it is evident from the list of candidates that he is probably going to have to find someone who has no head coaching experience. A veteran coach may not be willing to levy all the power to the owner, so which way will Snyder lean?
So with that said, tune into the Red Light Sports Ramble and listen to who the boys think will be coaching these teams next year.