Ranking the Head Coaching Openings

[rayzor]

Here's a great article detailing all the positives that make their team attractive to their prospective HC candidates.  It might be debatable whether the Jets are 3rd or 4th but i think having Deshaun puts them ahead.  If this is somewhat accurate, fans will have to be realistic and accept that the top 3-4 candidates will not be coming to the Jets.   With that being said,  which candidates will be gone and who will we wind up with?

http://turnonthejets.com/2021/01/ranking-the-nfl-head-coaching-openings/#more-55776

 

Today is a day synonymous with restarts for Multiple NFL franchises every year. This year, the Falcons, Lions, Texans, Chargers, Jaguars and Jets are all in the market for a new head coach. So, with 6 franchises now looking for head coaches, how do they fall in order of attractiveness for perspective candidates and where do the Jets rank on the list?

 

1. 1. Los Angeles Chargers

This opening is far and away the best one available. With the lock for Offensive Rookie of the Year, Quarterback Justin Herbert is coming off a season where he broke the rookie passing TD record with a line of 4,336 yards, 31 TDs, 10 INTs and a 98.3 QB rating. Herbert also has a nice weaponry group with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry (if he is resigned) and Austin Ekeler. On the defensive side of the ball, they  have Derwin James who is coming off an injury, but before that he was one of the top safeties in the NFL. They have Joey Bosa who is an elite pass rusher coming off a season where he battled injuries but still had 7.5 sacks. He also has a really talented running mate in Melvin Ingram who, if he re-signs, adds value with 49 career sacks. The secondary also has a few nice pieces– most notably, former second round pick Nasir Adderley and veteran Chris Harris Jr.

Los Angeles has the pieces to be a true contender; they also have a large market and a loyal ownership group. The Chargers need a coach who can elevate their young talent, bring game management skills that Anthony Lynn lacked and get someone who can be a mentor for Justin Herbert. This opening will likely appeal to the bulk of candidates, but this could be especially appealing to an offensive mind like Joe Brady, Eric Bieniemy or Brian Daboll. The Chargers are very close to taking the jump to contention but they need the right coach and, because they have so many pieces, they are the most attractive location for a new coach.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

This opening is also a very attractive one. The team holds the number one selection in the draft and the right to pick the widely viewed generational quarterback, Trevor Lawerence. The team also has two really attractive offensive players in a franchise running back with James Robinson who rushed for 1,070 yards this year, 7 TDs and an average of 4.5 yards per carry, and a new number one receiver DJ Chark Jr. who had a season of 706 yards and 5 scores despite a rotation of awful quarterback play.

On the defensive side of the ball they have CJ Henderson and Josh Allen who are two cornerstone young defensive pieces. Allen has 13 sacks and 2 Forced Fumbles since being selected in the 2019 draft and is going to be looking for revenge after a rough and injury plagued 2020 campaign. CJ Henderson also battled injuries in his rookie season, but still had 36 tackles a FF, and an INT. Both pieces can be cornerstones for the next decade on the defensive side of the football. They also have a nice veteran leader in linebacker Joe Schobert which is worth noting.

The Jaguars have a plethora of draft capital and the most cap space in the league to go along with those young pieces. The only drawback is owner Shad Khan, who wants to maintain roster control. This is something that could likely push away more respected executives and lead to a less enticing general manager hire, which could, in turn, lead to a less enticing head coaching opening. This is the only real drawback for the Jags, they still are a heavily attractive opening, although it looks like Urban Meyer is the front runner to get the job.

3. Houston Texans

Houston is a unique opening. Where some of these teams like the Jets, Jags and Chargers are more on the younger side and the Lions and Falcons fall more on the older side, the Texans are smack dab in the middle. The team is in a strange place. Bill O’Brien depleted the team of most of its draft capital and made an ignorant trade when dealing one of the best receivers in the game. Since then this team has not been the same.

Despite that, they have a lot of talent. The team has three TRUE stars in DE JJ Watt, LT Laremy Tunsil and, of course, QB Deshaun Watson. Watson is one of the most talented young quarterbacks in the game slinging the rock for 4,823 yards, 33 TDs and 7 INTs. Watson is only getting better and at 25 is locked down for the long term future. Laremy Tunsil is a pro bowler and provides protection for his blindside as one of the best big men in the league. Lastly, Watt is a fiery leader who bleeds the Texans signature red, blue and white. Watt is one of the best edge rushers in the game and the face of this team.

My biggest concern for this coaching opening is that the talent is there, but they have minimal cap space and not many resources to pick up talent. The key to bringing in a better coach then say, the Jets who I view as almost a 3B right now is the general manager hire. If the team can bring in a really talented general manager who can wheel and deal and make the most of what he has and is widely respected, then this is a really prime opportunity for a coach. I believe a guy like Eric Bieniemy would do phenomenally in this organization if paired with someone like John Dorsey or Nick Caserio. There is opportunity here for a young coach to really build a contender considering they were just a year ago.

4. New York Jets

Now, this may be controversial to put the Jets at four. However, the Jets are in a fairly good position to pick their next coach. The team doesn’t have an answer to the quarterback position, but they do have the resources to get whichever quarterback the new coach prefers. The team has the second most cap space in all of football, the second pick, four firsts in the next two drafts, a bunch of mid round and second and thirds, and a few cornerstones.

Mekhi Becton and Quinnen Williams are two MONSTERS who can be fixations in the trenches for the next decade. Having both men on opposite sides of the ball gives the next coach comfort in knowing he will always have one big guy to rely on. Next to Quinnen Williams, the Jets do have a young and hungry defensive line that produced good numbers in the past two seasons. They can also add a couple pass rushers and corners in the draft that would bolster the defense even more.

On the offensive side of the ball, the new coach would inherit Sam Darnold, but have the ability to choose whether or not to trade him, and then they would have their pick of the quarterback class behind Trevor Lawerence. They also have Denzel Mims, Jamison Crowder and Chris Herndon, all of which are decent weapons. The Jets do lack some of the young talent that the other teams have, but with a respectable general manager and a owner who sounds committed to finally changing the culture, maybe that can compensate for some of the talent deficiencies, considering Joe Douglas is so well liked league wide.

In the end, the Jets desperately need a CEO type of coach and that can come from anywhere, but they need a culture changer and if someone thinks they can do that with a younger team, then this is the place for them.

5. Atlanta Falcons

This is a really hard opening to get a pulse of. This is a veteran team that has grossly underperformed expectations and failed to win tight games or hold on to leads consistently. This is a losing culture that needs to be corrected immediately before it gets any worse. However, this is a team that is only a few pieces away from being a really talented bunch. This past season, Matt Ryan put up 4,581 yards, 26 TDs and 11 INTs.  Ryan is still a talented quarterback and he arguably has some of the best weaponry of his career. Here are their three top receivers’ stat lines: Calvin Ridley 1,374 yards and 9 scores, Julio Jones 771 yards and 3 TDs, Gage 786 yards and 4 TDs. Julio Jones missed half the season as well. Not only that, but Hayden Hurst also provides value as a top ten young tight end. The team has more than enough weapons.

On the defensive side of the ball, the team has some talent as well. Grady Jarrett anchored the defensive line and is heading to another pro bowl. AJ Terrell, Isaiah Oliver and Keanu Neal all provide three really talented options in the secondary as well. They also have a very underrated linebacker group in Foyesade Oluokun and Deion Jones. This team is far from void of talent.

So if talent isn’t the issue, what is? Well, the team has barely any cap space, in fact they are really straggled for cap. Their quarterback is beginning to enter the back nine of his career and Julio Jones is in his thirties now as well. The two leaders of the offense find their super bowl window closing rapidly, paired with the fact that the team has little room to maneuver with the cap, the situation is a must win one. The Falcons need a veteran head coach and someone who can come in and turn this thing around very quickly. This may not be the kind of team a young coach would want with the high expectations.

6. Detroit Lions

There is a part of me that feels bad ranking this team this low, but the franchise is directionless. When the owners fired Jim Caldwell after being in the hunt late into December and hired Matt Patricia it was because they wanted someone to bring them over the hump. Instead Matt Patricia pushed them back a few years and the roster is now less appealing than it was then. The team also lacks the large markets of a New York, Los Angeles or even Houston. Detroit needs a complete overhaul. They do have some pieces though.

Matt Stafford has been a phenomenal leader of a sinking ship for a bulk of the years now. However, with another new head coach and his best years being wasted in Detroit, could it finally be time to pull the trigger on a trade. Not only that, but with no real weapon aside from Kenny Golladay who needs to be resigned, it may be time for an offensive overhaul. Stafford can be salvaged, but at this point, a new coach may decide it is best for both parties if they start with a new quarterback.

On the defensive side of the ball, the only real young pieces worth noting are Jeff Okudah who had a very rocky rookie campaign and Romeo Okwara who the team has to make a decision on whether or not to resign considering after a 10 sack season he will likely command a decent amount of money. The team is in a really tough spot moving forward. They are salvageable, but they need a coach who can come in and take the task on a overhaul, with or without Matt Stafford. That just doesn’t sound enticing to me if I am a prospective coach.

[New York Mick]

If I was a future HC I’d probably go

1. Jax

2. Houston 

3. Atlanta 

4. Jets

5. Stay where I was

6. Stay where I was

[QB1]

What’s the appeal of Atlanta? Ryan is a dinosaur and Julio is on his last legs. 

[hamat711]

1. Chargers - A lot of talent on both sides of the ball and Herbert looks like an Elite QB already. 

2. Jaguars - You get the best Prospect since Luck. To go along with that, you have plenty of draft capital, plenty of cap space, and some decent young talent. You also have a Owner who is very patient.

3. Falcons - Matt Ryan still has a few more good years left in him. Their are much more talented than their record suggests. They also have the 4th pick in the draft. They can trade this pick to a QB needy team or select their own QB to groom. This job offers plenty of flexibility.

4. Texans - Deshaun Watson was putting up MVP numbers with nothing around him. A young top 5 QB who can perform under any conditions. Unfortunately, they don't have any cap space or draft capital.

5. Jets - Very similar to the Jaguars, but just worse. They have cap space, draft capital, but only 5-6 good players on the roster. The roster also has holes at most positions. The GM Joe Douglas will also have the least job security of all possible destinations since he isn't a new hire. 

6. Lions - A aging roster with little cap space and a bunch of holes. Their best player is Kenny Golladay and he still needs to be resigned. New coach will also need to make a decision on Stafford.

[hamat711]

26 minutes ago, QB1 said:

What’s the appeal of Atlanta? Ryan is a dinosaur and Julio is on his last legs. 

They still have more talent than any other team besides the Chargers.

Ryan can still play at a high level for another 5 or so years or they can take a QB early.

[Jet Nut]

1.Chargers, they have the QB in place

2. Jets, anyone who's got Jax or whoever is crazy.  Jets and Jags both have picks and cap space.  Jax has a fan base that doesnt give a damn and a city no one gives a damn about.  

3-6.  No one cares

[Jet Nut]

3 minutes ago, hamat711 said:

5. Jets - Very similar to the Jaguars, but just worse. They have cap space, draft capital, but only 5-6 good players on the roster. The roster also has holes at most positions. The GM Joe Douglas will also have the least job security of all possible destinations since he isn't a new hire. 

Jets have more talent than the Jags.  

Jets arent in Jacksonville 

[SackExchangeNYJ]

I'd put Jets third behind Chargers and Jags. Houston's cap space and picks are just not good enough right now.

[Beerfish]

O'Brien totally f'cked up houston.  What a disaster that sucker was.  He flukde into deahsun watson after all his QBs he went after sucked.  Won some divsions when those divs were weak sauce.

 

[NYJ37/12]

Houston has the qb, after that nothing. 

I'd put our Jets at 3 

[nycdan]

37 minutes ago, Jet Nut said:

Jets have more talent than the Jags.  

Jets arent in Jacksonville 

Jags are also going to be likely to play 2 games or more in London every year.  That's a big red flag for me.

[bla bla bla]

1) Chargers

2) Jags

3) Jets

4) Texans

5) Falcons

6) Detroit

[Boynton Beach Jets]

31 minutes ago, NYJ37/12 said:

Houston has the qb, after that nothing. 

I'd put our Jets at 3 

Houston is $30 million over the cap.  They have no 1st or 2nd round pick.  To have them over the Jets is silly.  Houston is going to have to dump players to get under the cap and will not be a player in free agency or the draft.

The Jets have 3 picks in the top 34 in this years draft and 2 1st round picks in the 2022 draft.  The Jets also have the second most cap space in the league.  The Jets will be able to address the QB in the draft.  They are  clearly more desirable to any prospective coach then the Texans.

[heymangold]

I’d say Chargers 1, Jets 2.  Who the bell wants to live in Jacksonville?  It’s like a warm Staten Island.

[Smashmouth]

[hamat711]

1 hour ago, Jet Nut said:

Jets have more talent than the Jags.  

Jets arent in Jacksonville 

The Jets do not have more talent than the Jags. The Jets are going into the off-season with no Strong Safety, Free Safety, Edge Rusher, Cornerback, or outside WR.

 Jaguars also have less holes, so they have more freedom with their cap space.

 

[nyjbuddy]

1 hour ago, hamat711 said:

They still have more talent than any other team besides the Chargers.

Ryan can still play at a high level for another 5 or so years or they can take a QB early.

Atlanta may be trying to move on from Ryan, if possible, and Jones.  Their running game struggled toward the ending of the season and Gurley's time in Atlanta is probably up.  They would have Ridley, Hurst and Gage to build around and possibly a rookie QB at 4.  They are talking rebuild in Atlanta but with bad contracts (i.e. Fowler) and limited picks (comparative to the Jags and Jets).

[hamat711]

12 minutes ago, nyjbuddy said:

Atlanta may be trying to move on from Ryan, if possible, and Jones.  Their running game struggled toward the ending of the season and Gurley's time in Atlanta is probably up.  They would have Ridley, Hurst and Gage to build around and possibly a rookie QB at 4.  They are talking rebuild in Atlanta but with bad contracts (i.e. Fowler) and limited picks (comparative to the Jags and Jets).

If they trade Ryan, they would have just as much capital as the Jets and Jags. Falcons also have good ownership. 

You also have to consider competition. Saints and Bucs won't have a QB in two years. 

 

[Jet Nut]

7 hours ago, hamat711 said:

The Jets do not have more talent than the Jags. The Jets are going into the off-season with no Strong Safety, Free Safety, Edge Rusher, Cornerback, or outside WR.

 Jaguars also have less holes, so they have more freedom with their cap space.

 

Actually they do.

The Jets will resign Maye, caps space 72M, the Jags 74.  They both have holes.  The teams are fairly similar.  No one should ever want to coach in Jax over NYC.  Get over this nonsense.  

The Idea that mJax is two stops over the Jets is pretty laughable and not reality 

[Dunnie]

I only go Jets if they garauntee me 4 years fully. The history of head coaching this team isn't exactly the Steelers.



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[New York Mick]

11 hours ago, QB1 said:

What’s the appeal of Atlanta? Ryan is a dinosaur and Julio is on his last legs. 

It’s not California or the NE. 

[New York Mick]

1 hour ago, Dunnie said:

I only go Jets if they garauntee me 4 years fully. The history of head coaching this team isn't exactly the Steelers.



Sent from my SM-G950U1 using JetNation.com mobile app
 

What HC do you think they should of kept longer?

[jbt]

11 hours ago, QB1 said:

What’s the appeal of Atlanta? Ryan is a dinosaur and Julio is on his last legs. 

Ridley is really good and Gage also looked good towards the end of the year.

[k-met57]

Chargers have terrible ownership. They are notoriously cheap. Being in LA helps.

Jax the owner (who prob knows less about football then us) just came out and said he is going to have input into personnel decisions. It’s also Jax, plz don’t tell me it’s a desirable place to live.

Houston has Watson and that’s it. They have no cap and no picks.

 

not saying the Jets job is perfect but I personally wouldn’t take any of these jobs over the Jets except for maybe the chargers even though the ownership has always been shy to spend $$

[peebag]

12 hours ago, New York Mick said:

If I was a future HC I’d probably go

1. Jax

2. Houston 

3. Atlanta 

4. Stay where I was

5. Stay where I was

6. Stay where I was

Yep.

[MichaelScott]

I dont think there is one set ranking of the candidates shared by all teams. The general list of candidates as a whole might be more or less similar among the the teams. However I dont believe that each team covets the same guys in the same order 

[Dunnie]

What HC do you think they should of kept longer?

Mangini /thread

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[hamat711]

1 hour ago, k-met57 said:

Chargers have terrible ownership. They are notoriously cheap. Being in LA helps.

Jax the owner (who prob knows less about football then us) just came out and said he is going to have input into personnel decisions. It’s also Jax, plz don’t tell me it’s a desirable place to live.

Houston has Watson and that’s it. They have no cap and no picks.

 

not saying the Jets job is perfect but I personally wouldn’t take any of these jobs over the Jets except for maybe the chargers even though the ownership has always been shy to spend $$

Only a homer would say this. 

Chargers - have Herbert and a good roster.

Jax - You are twisting his comment. This is common for owners. Many want some input, but they still let the GM/Coach make the final say. 

Houston -Watson is an elite QB. Watson put up MVP numbers with trash around him. If you fix that defense, you are fine.

[k-met57]

3 minutes ago, hamat711 said:

Only a homer would say this. 

Chargers - have Herbert and a good roster.

Jax - You are twisting his comment. This is common for owners. Many want some input, but they still let the GM/Coach make the final say. 

Houston -Watson is an elite QB. Watson put up MVP numbers with trash around him. If you fix that defense, you are fine.

is that right?

Shad Khan wants the next general manager of the Jaguars to know he’ll be working for a hands-on owner.

Khan told reporters today that he has control of the team’s roster and will retain that control even after the team hires a general manager.

“I kept the roster control and the candidates, the General Manager candidates, I’ve been talking to them, that for the immediate future I’m going to keep the roster control. And I want the coach to know that also,” Khan said.

 

 

[hamat711]

6 minutes ago, k-met57 said:

is that right?

Shad Khan wants the next general manager of the Jaguars to know he’ll be working for a hands-on owner.

Khan told reporters today that he has control of the team’s roster and will retain that control even after the team hires a general manager.

“I kept the roster control and the candidates, the General Manager candidates, I’ve been talking to them, that for the immediate future I’m going to keep the roster control. And I want the coach to know that also,” Khan said.

 

 

Again, this isn't uncommon. 

He is not going to be scouting or drafting players.

[Skeet Ulrich]

Jets have to be worst or second worse situation. Haven't you figured out if you have bad ownership, nothing else matters?

[k-met57]

1 minute ago, hamat711 said:

Again, this isn't uncommon. 

He is not going to be scouting or drafting players.

that isn't the point, if i am a GM or HC candidate...i am staying away from any owner that makes these types of statements publicly. See Washington redskins for the past 20 years. I am sorry i cant explain it any better.

i am not a homer, ive just been a fan long enough to know that...

the chargers are cheap AF, they have constantly had issues with things like rookie signings, issues with paying for stadiums, players complaining about facilities, etc..

that when the owner comes out and says he wants input into the roster...u run

and that when you dont have any draft picks, u won 4 games, and your second best player is about to gtfo of town thats not a good thing...oh and btw...Watson isnt helping...

and again, the jets job is not a "perfect job" by any stretch. but u are in a huge market, u have draft picks, you have cap space, you have owners that have given the highly respected GM complete autonomy on football operations...its a great job if you think you know where you land on the QB situation.

[slimjasi]

The Texans are in a tricky spot because of the lack of draft capital and cap space. They have very limited options for substantially improving the team before next year and I would worry about Watson getting tired of losing there. 

[Ben Had]

I can't figure out why so many on here think Jacksonville is such a bad place to live...

I lived there for 4 years and loved it. And a majore big plus is no state taxes.

How the hell is New Jersey better?

[Skeet Ulrich]

3 minutes ago, slimjasi said:

The Texans are in a tricky spot because of the lack of draft capital and cap space. They have very limited options for substantially improving the team before next year and I would worry about Watson getting tired of losing there. 

Watson is entering his age 26 season, it's not like he's 33. They're easily top 2 because they have a top 5-7 QB entrenched at a reasonable contract.