NFL's Black Monday 2014

[schisno]

It would only lead to the Donahue/Mariucci/Erickson parallels being that much stronger.

[realmofotalk]

Whoever they hire as head coach is going to a no-win situation. If they promote from within and the team doesn't win, the narrative will be that the Harbaugh assistant isn't head coach material. If they hire a veteran from outside the organization and they still don't win, it'll be because the coaching change messed with the team chemistry. I feel this is parallel to the scenario with the Red Sox that if John Farrell had been Terry Francona's immediate successor, he would have been canned after just one year instead of Bobby Valentine in reality.

[LeroyBoss]

How is Mel Tucker still employed???

Sigh

There's always next year...

[schisno]

General Manager Search Spotlight:
New York Jets

General Managers usually come into the job expecting to hire their guy as head coach, for John idzik, that will never happen. Woody Johnson fired both Rex Ryan and John Idzik and looks to start fresh with the New York Jets. Ryan was a popular coach with the players and fans alike. He was brash and made for entertaining press conferences, and with two back-to-back trips to the AFC Championship game the sky was the limit.

Until he was left with a roster void of any starting talent because Idzik let his best players walk away, much like AJ Smith did in San Diego. Four years is a long time between playoff appearances, of course that goes back to when Bill Parcells ran the team. The Jets would miss the playoffs for a season or two, but would manage to make an appearance.

Of course Terry Bradway and Mike Tannenbaum both got to bring in their guys, Herman Edwards (2001-2005) and Eric Mangini (2006-2008) for the former and Rex Ryan (2009-2014) for the latter. Now Woody Johnson wants to find a General Manager with player personnel experience over a financial expert like Idzik and he’s hired Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf to do just that.

The Consultants

Ron Wolf last helped the San Diego Chargers with their search after AJ Smith and Norv Turner were let go, and led to the eventual hire of Tom Telesco from the Indianapolis Colts and Mike McCoy from the rival Denver Broncos. With Charley Casserly on board to help find a new GM and coaching duo there is already speculation that Houston Texans Director of Pro Scouting Brian Gaine, who some may remember as Assistant GM under Jeff Ireland for the Dolphins, has the inside track. Gary Kubiak is linked to the New York Jets Head Coach position if Brian Gaine was hired. Brian Gaine makes a lot of sense with his Texans ties, but don’t forget he did spend time under Bill Parcells and has ties to the Jets as well. Of course he was part of the regime that led to a long bout of mediocrity for the Dolphins, with one playoff appearance.

New York has a lot of traditions and one of them is hiring a defensive minded coach to lead their football club. The first candidate the Jets are expected to interview is Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who would have probably been Idzik’s guy if he had the chance to fire Rex Ryan last offseason. It makes sense, Quinn was a Hofstra assistant, there are the New York Jets ties as Quinn did spend time as an assistant under Eric Mangini’s Jets tenure and he’s a defensive guru. Of course Rex Ryan is one of the NFL’s best defensive minds but he couldn’t get the offense to click. A Head Coach needs to have all aspects of his club working.

Why got back to the defensive well after your Herm Edwards, Eric Manginis and Rex Ryans? San Diego went with a young General Manager with a personnel background and then hired an offensive coordinator and that led them to a playoff appearance last season, including an upset of the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wildcard round. They just happened to be a win away from another postseason appearance if not for a well coached Kansas City Chiefs team.

A Real Personnel Man's Man

Even if Quinn is already being interviewed it’s important for the Jets to bring in a General Manager that can quickly refill this bare Jets roster with some talent at offense and cornerback. It could very well be Trent Kirchner who is considered one of Seattle General Manager John Schneider’s key talent evaluators. He’s got that player personnel background and would make sense if they decide to hire Dan Quinn. It also helps that Ron Wolf played an instrumental role in John Schneiders development as a GM and makes for a natural connection with Trent Kirchner. Can they go back to the Seattle well one more time?

One of Charley Casserly’s favorites is Vikings Assistant GM George Paton who has been following Rick Spielman from team to team since their days with the Chicago Bears, prior to his arrival in Minnesota Paton was a part of the Dolphins Personnel department from 2001-2006 during the Dave Wannstedt and Nick Saban eras. So he has a history in the AFC East. Of course Minnesota has had some misses as of late with Matt Kalil and Corderelle Patterson but he could bring an aggressive approach to the draft which could help replenish the Jets roster.

If we’re talking about draft gurus then there has to be interest in Dallas Cowboys assistant director of player personnel Will McClay who headed the draft this year, then again is one year enough to hire a General Manager on? He’s got an unusual background with a lot of coaching experience in the Arena Football league where he was both defensive coordinator and head coach of the Dallas Desperados, not to mention his stint as the XFL’s Orlando Rage director of player personnel, which could lead to a look at Western Kentucky’s Head Coach Jeff Brohm as Jets Head Coach. Brohm spent the 2001 season as quarterback for the Orlando Rage.

Ron Wolf might want to take a look at a familiar face with his son Eliot. Eliot Wolf is very young and might not be ready yet, but the apple can’t possibly fall far from the tree. If we’re talking Green Bay Packers though, then ears should be perking up with the name Brian Gutekunst, the director of college scouting has been instrumental in the Packers drafting and in part of the Ted Thompson lineage. If Gutekunst gets hired then you may see Winston Moss finally get his shot at Head Coach or Green Bay Offensive Coordinator Tom Clement.

Woody will need to settle on a General Manager first, because it rarely works out when a head coach is installed before the man picking the players. All signs point to a combination of Trent Kirchner and Dan Quinn. However don’t be surprised if the Jets buck trend and go with an offensive minded coach. Oh who am I kidding, it’s the Jets.

Up Next: Head Coach Search Spotlight - New York Jets

[schisno]

Head Coach Search Spotlight:
New York Jets

Perfect. That is what the New York Jets can claim as a team with a Superbowl Championship, except that one Superbowl victory was close to fifty years ago and this football club has been anything but since then. Unlike their superior and more successful counterparts the New York Football Giants, the Jets have been unable to nail down a franchise quarterback or a long-term solution at Head Coach. Even Bill Parcells couldn’t take the Jets to the promise land. Then again you don’t win Superbowls with retreads, even though recent history has stated otherwise.

Since the start of the 2000s, former Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Dick Vermeil has proven that coaches on their second or third chance can win Superbowls. There isn’t a better poster child then former New York Jets Head Coach Bill Belichick (All of one day) making the most of his chance in New England by turning that franchise into a Dynasty with three Superbowl Championships in five appearances and numerous AFC East titles. Tom Coughlin, another Parcells disciple managed to win two Superbowls on his second stint as Head Coach with the New York Giants, after a successful tenure in Jacksonville. Of course Jets fans only have to be reminded that one of their former Head Coaches just won the most recent Superbowl, one Pete Carroll. If you throw in Tony Dungy, three of five retread coaches have been defensive minded which means recently fired Rex Ryan will have a very good chance of being a Superbowl winner elsewhere.


The Retreads:
Gary Kubiak

With Charlie Casserly helping lead the charge for a new Head Coach and General Manager, former Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak will get a long look to be the Jets next Head Coach. Although he only made the playoffs twice in his eight years at the helm of the Texans, it was during his tenure that the team started to turn things around. Houstons 2-14 season that led to Kubiak’s dismissal can be blamed on quarterback play as much as anything, and some still argue he should have had another season to prove himself with a new quarterback.

Everything about a Kubiak hire for the New York Jets makes sense, he’s a great offensive mind with a ton of experience helping get the most out of his offense and quarterbacks. He’s worked with a couple of hall of famers in Steve Young and John Elway, so he can inject some life in that limp New York offense and maybe develop Geno Smith into a viable starter or a young signal caller they find in this years draft. New York already have some pieces on defense like Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson, so they can definitely spend more time and resources on the offense.

Tom Cable

Another candidate that makes a lot of sense in terms of connections is former Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable, who like Dan Quinn will get a look as the Jets have a strong interest in the Seattle Seahawks personnel. He’s a strong personality that had notable clashes with other staff members, but if Trent Kirchner is hired then it could be a toss up between Dan Quinn and Tom Cable. Cable gets the nod with coaching experience and did help lead Oakland to their best record in close to a decade, but the conflicts and his time in Oakland are black marks on his resume leaves Dan Quinn as the most likely candidate to be hired.


Fresh Blood:
Dan Quinn

Dan Quinn leads a long list of defensive coordinators that the New York Jets have interests in to lead their team. So you can forget the likes of Josh McDaniels, Pep Hamilton and Adam Gase being hired to lead this team. There isn’t much new to be said for the 44 years old defensive coordinator. He has a history with the Jets coaching the defensive line under Eric Mangini and is from the area. Quinn has been highly thought of, being recommended by Monte Kiffin to Jim Mora Jr. during his first stint with the Seahawks and being retained when Pete Carroll took over the team. He would go on and put together a top ten defense during his two years as coordinator for the University of Florida, but came back to a top ten NFL defense after Gus Bradley became coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Dan Quinn deserves a lot of credit for the play of the defensive line, especially Michael Bennet’s emergency as a key piece at defensive end since arriving in 2013 with Quinn. However I am hesitant to give him too much credit for the Legion of Boom. The only problem with Quinn is whether he can turn around the talent deprived offense of the Jets, especially with Gus Bradley’s problems in Jacksonville. Quinn could very well be in a similar position as Rex Ryan. Great defense, but no idea how to run an offense. John Fox has proven a defensive specialist can get by with the right quarterback and offensive coordinator, then again not everyone can have a Peyton Manning under center.


Todd Bowles

Todd Bowles is another hot name that is being interview by the team, especially with running one of the stingiest defenses to play against. In the first ten games this season his team only allowed one team to rush for 100 yards or more. The passing defense is also a top ten unit, which is a hall mark of the experienced secondary coach. What makes him enticing to the Jets is his defensive prowess and link to the Jets where he spent the 2000 season as secondary coach under Al Groh. As an interim Head Coach for the Miami Dolphins in 2011 he managed to finish the season 2-1 after Tony Sparano was let go. In 2012 the Philadelphia Eagles moved on from defensive coordinator Juan Castillo and installed Todd Bowles, who then made the Eagles pass defense ninth best. If there is one weak spot on the Jets defense it is their defensive backs unit. Though Bowles would fulfill the Rooney rule, he is a viable candidate and should be prowing an NFL sideline next season, especially with maintaining such a dominant defense with injuries to so many key players like Karlos Dansby and Tyrann Mathieu.


B-E OFFENSIVE

What the New York Jets need to do is hire an offensive guru because of the league being a passing league, otherwise the New York faithful will just see a team that can’t keep up with today’s NFL. If they decide Gary Kubiak isn’t their man, then they need to consider Adam Gase, Pep Hamilton or Tom Clements as all their teams are top ten in points scored this season.

[Kingdom]

Tom Cable

[schisno]

I'm sure Mach is excited at the prospect of Eric Mangini becoming the next Raiders coach, he'll be the guy who remembers being at...

[Bizkit]

I see Gary Kubiak, and Tom Cable and think... should have just kept Rex.

[schisno]

Head Coach Search Spotlight:
Oakland Raiders

A black hole, a place where coaching careers go to die, that’s the best way to describe what the Oakland Raiders have become. Their downfall was swift as a franchise Oakland, like Barret Robbins they couldn’t shake off the Superbowl hangover.

Al Davis, the NFL’s resident outlaw was destroying the team from the inside with is mismanagement of drafts and trades for trouble players. The principles that once defined the franchise were becoming outdated and harmful. Then there was the parade of coaches including yet another failed Head Coaching stint for Norv Turner, the reanimated corpse of Art Shell, the silver tongued devil that was Lane Kiffin, the rampage of Tom Cable and Hue Jackson. All of that led to no winning seasons and only helped set up Dennis Allen for failure when Reggie McKenzie succeeded the late Al Davis.

Hue Jackson was never going to win the power struggle once Al was gone. It only led to the gutting of a team full of overpaid veterans. It was a rebuild, and any coach walking into a project like the Raiders was never going to see the fruits of their labour. If Jason Campbell was never benched near the end of Tom Cables tenure or broke his collar bone during Hue Jackson’s, we might be talking more optimistically about the Raiders.

Egos are an insurmountable truth, something that can’t be escaped in the landscape of pro sports. The right amount of ego and belief in oneself can push a player to great heights, but in the front office can lead to the destruction of a franchise. There are many men in Raiders history that has let their hubris lead to them losing the war. Reggie McKenzie will ultimately be seen as someone who set back the Raiders rebuild, though not entirely his fault but there is plenty of blame to be had.

If Hue Jackson had remained Head Coach of the Raiders he would have known how to use Carson Palmer to his potential in Oakland, or might have kept Jason Campbell around to bridge to a better tomorrow. Instead Greg Knapp and his ineffective offense was brought in and Dennis Allen showed that he was not ready to coach after just one season as a defensive coordinator. Now we’re left with Tony Sparano vying for the Head Coaching job on a permanent basis, and that certainly won’t help. Interim coaches leading their teams anywhere doesn’t work, though Sparano can’t be any worse then Mike Singletary.

The Quest To Save A Kingdumb

There is some hope in the black hole that is Oakland, because after the nightmare that was Matt McGloin and Terrelle Pryor at quarterback the Raiders may have finally found an answer with Derek Carr, if he can continue to develop. The Raiders will have to consider an offensive minded coach, even though their recent track records through the 2000s have been abysmal. Dennis Allen proved that he was no John Madden. Being an unproven defensive oriented coach is the only thing both men share. There have been a lot of mismanaged moves like letting respected defensive line coach Mike Waufle walk away to the St Louis Rams, not to mention allowing key players like Jared Valdheer leave through free agency as well.

Reggie McKenzie claims her brought in Dennis Allen to win championships, but that was the furthest thing from the truth if the intention was to gut the roster and move in a different direction. You don’t give a young, unproven coach Matt McGloin or Terrelle Pryor and expect to win. To save face as is kingdom fell around him McKenzie got desperate and started to fill his team with aging veterans like Justin Tuck, Lamar Woodley and Charles Woodson and was rewarded with a 3-13 season, befitting for a man who’s ego could never allow for a stable franchised to be built.

Now the Raiders need to find a coach who will settle for a rebuild, in other words a former head coach who has become radioactive or desperate enough to lead a team that is willing to be set up for the same failure as Dennis Allen. Except the doltish son of the late Al Davis wants to make a splash with a named head coach like Jim Harbaugh, as unrealistic as that is. No respected coach worth his weight in gold would jump at the chance to watch his career die in Oakland. Rod Marinelli and his 0-16 record he holds with the Lions, is more appealing than men who have been touched by the plague of the Raiders. Which has led to the likes of Eric Mangini and Pat Shurmur headlining the list of Raider candidates after Jim Harbaugh ran away to the Big House.


A Mangini In Shining Armor

If there’s one coach in the NFL right now that embodies the Raider spirit it’s the former Jets and Browns Head Coach. Eric Mangini is the definition of a maverick and heretic after he blew the whistle on the Patriots, leading to the Spy Gate scandal. He managed to have two winning seasons in his three with the Jets and might have had more success if Brett Favre didn’t let his penis loose on New York city and its reporters, or if he had benched Favre when he injured his shoulder. Bret Favre would have you believe he was innocent, even though he knew his iron man title was on the line. There was also the misfortune of being in the same division as the New England Patriots, who are the division and a Miami Dolphins team who lucked out for a year with a gimmick offense.

Rex Ryan didn’t do any better in the regular season then Mangini the year before, he was just lucky that he avoided getting duped by the Wild Cat like a lot of other teams that year. Eric Mangini would then set himself up for failure much like Dennis Allen by accepting a job with a franchise just as poisonous as the Raiders in the Cleveland Browns. More bad luck would follow as Mike Holmgren was hired after a 5-11 season that saddled Mangini with a faltering Derek Anderson and a pedestrian look-a-like wearing a Jamal Lewis jersey. Eric Mangini was meant to fail, so Holmgren can bring in his own coach. This must sound familiar to a lot of Raider fans. Once again being saddled with the ghost of Jake Delhomme and the farce that was Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace, Mangini was never able to get on track.

Eric Magini is a smart coach with potential left, though the track record of a Belichick disciple hasn’t been great except for current Texans coach Bill O’Brien, Mangini more than Josh McDaniels can turn that image around. He’s been an assistant on both sides of the ball and has had two tenures that have humbled him and dulled his hubris. Fans wouldn’t be happy to hear his name as the man to be hired, but he would be the smart choice for Mark Davis as he brings in a coach with some name recognition, regardless of it being good or bad and puts in place a coach that can be fired with Reggie McKenzie if he continues to fail. It won’t change the perspective prospective coaches have on the Raiders job, but allows for an easy and expected out for the buffoonish owner. The Raiders image won’t change until they bring in a General Manager who garners enough respect around the league, someone like a Tom Gamble. Eric Mangini for what he is the perfect fit for the Raiders as the black sheep and maverick most would expect of a Raider, but with an intelligence that could lead to the Raiders beat lowly expectations.


Shumur You Jest

It’s almost comical Pat Shurmur is on the list of Raiders candidates and not Rob Chudzinski because like Eric Mangini, neither man got a fair shot. Pat Shurmur was know for developing quarterbacks like Donovan McNabb and Sam Bradford, but that didn’t help in his tenure with the Browns as they were a mistake riddled club and Colt McCoy was never going to develop into anything more than a serviceable backup. It did not help matters that Jimmy Haslam would go onto purchase the team and lead into Mike Holmgren and Pat Shurmur’s days being numbered. Many questioned Chip Kelly hiring Pat Shurmur as his offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles because he is seen as more conservative with a philosophy that runs counter to Chip Kelly’s uptempo spread offense. The big question is what does Shurmur really do? There is no doubt Chip Kelly is the one calling the plays, but Shurmur has been able to mask the stink of the Browns with two years under a coach with an explosive offense.

Shurmur becomes a buyer beware situation for the silver and black, because you might not be getting what you expect. Sure he has seen a lot of the spread offense, but you can be sure he’ll reign it in and use more of a traditional west coast offense with wrinkles of the spread thrown in. If the Raiders really want a retread they should be looking elsewhere.


A Return

Mark Davis failed to land Jon Gruden or Jim Harbaugh, but if he really wants to make a splash there is the option of Mike Holmgren and his Superbowl ring, and the fact that he took the Seahawks there. It’s been a while since he’s marched up and down the sidelines but he could offer a name and the most experience of any candidate. Holmgren is also the only proven winner on the list, unlike the proven failures of Shurmur and Magini. In the end it might be a desperation move of a dim owner and decrepit former coach leading to the complete collapse of the Raiders, then again if they moved to Los Angeles, Holmgren can be that big ticket coach Mark Davis envisioned and more.

If we’re talking about Southern California, then we have to make mention of former Jacksonville Jaguars Jack Del Rio, who happened to be a name bantered around for USC during their search for a head coach. Del Rio had a successful run with the Jaguars and has the temperament and respect to actual turn the Raiders around and might have a longer leash then any other candidate other then Mike Holmgren. He’s currently having enough success as the Broncos defensive coordinator to keep his name in circles for a head coaching job, so it wouldn’t be a surprised to see him considered. Unlike Dennis Allen, Jack Del Rio would be more than ready for a rebuild and to continuation into a competitive team, especially after working on a defense that faces Peyton Manning on a consistent basis in practice. Will he be as desperate as some of the other men listed? If he continues to get passed up regardless of the work he’s done with the Broncos, he can see his window closing and might jump on the chance.


For A Few Fist Bumps More or A Beautiful Magini

Tony Sparano is a well like coach and fist pumps better than any man who’s prowled a NFL sideline and offers an escape for Mark Davis from the McKenzie regime if he were to be retained as the full time Head Coach. Except he doesn’t offer the potential or benefits that Eric Mangini would bring to the team as head coach, and if there was ever a life preserve for either McKenzie or Davis, it is a renegade who needs a second chance where he is given a fair opportunity to show that if not for bad luck and a hall of fame penis, he could be on the same level as Bill O’Brien as a successful Bill Belichick disciple, of course a black hole can’t kill a Head Coaching career then many have already considered dead.

[Kingdom]

What has Sham Badford developed into?

[schisno]

A bust, Shurmur was lucky Bradford had a good rookie season and looked like he could be good. Poor St Louis couldn't see through the facade.

[Porter]

49ers should steal one of the Seattle coaches. Porter would like that.

If it's Dan Quinn, then yes.

[HollywoodLeo]

What has Sham Badford developed into?

The sickest individual on Pro Football Mock?

[Prynce]

I'm tired of losing coordinators that go on to become head coaches. Rex, Caldwell, now Kubiak.

[HollywoodLeo]

Did I miss some kind of announcement?

I read the Jets were interviewing Kubiak....and 4 others (to include Frank Reich)

I haven't heard anything about actual hires.