Pin the Head Coach on the Donkey....

[GunnerBill]

Okay, Black Monday was a damp squib but with Antonio Pierce's firing we are at technically seven openings right now. However, I am pretty sure McCarthy and Dallas are going to come to an agreement on an extension in the next week after the Cowboys refused him permission to interview with the Bears. It feels like there is a mutual interest in continuing that relationship so I am going to exclude them for now, which leaves us with six. The game is quite simple: predict who will end up as the Head Coach in each of the six spots:

 

New England Patriots - Mike Vrabel - I think this one is the easiest to peg. The Patriots have raced through their two Rooney Rule interviews (with Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich) and I feel like Mayo's firing was in part triggered by the thought of Vrabel taking the Jets job. Kraft has also shown he is willing to give out a large degree of personnel control to coaches and I think that is what Vrabel is looking for. 

New York Jets - Aaron Glenn - Which will leave the Jets looking at plan B. I suspect plan B is Aaron Glenn and if they can snag the Lions defensive coordinator I think they will. The Saints are in play for him too. 

Chicago Bears - Ben Johnson - Johnson has told the Jets they might as well not bother putting in an interview request and is leaning towards declining an interview with the Jaguars. That leaves the Bears and the Patriots as his two options. He could decide to return to Detroit again as OC. The Bears is a job with a decent roster, a young 1st overall pick at QB... but in the toughest division in football. 

New Orleans Saints - Joe Brady - Mickey Loomis will be the man making this hire and the speculation is the three real candidates are the three guys the 69 year old GM already knows and is comfortable with: Aaron Glenn, Joe Brady and interim coach Darren Rizzi. I suspect their preference would be in that order too. If Glenn doesn't go to the Jets he gets hired here. If he does then Joe Brady is the man in line. If he passes to stay with the Bills they will hire Rizzi and no doubt do the whole thing again in two years time. 

Jacksonville Jaguars - Liam Coen - The Jags are hard to pin my guess is they end up going with another offensive mind in a last ditch attempt to turn around the career of Trevor Lawrence. Coen's work with the Buccs offense has shot him into contention and unlike Johnson and Brady who might feel confident betting on themselves to be in contention again next year is they don't fancy jobs in this cycle, Coen feels a bit like a now or never guy.  

Las Vegas Raiders - Brian Flores - Tom Brady's influence here makes me feel like they are going to try and "Patriot Way" themselves out of the current mess. I'm sure they'd love to snag Vrabel but if he goes back to New England then maybe Belichick's former defensive coordinator who went 24-18 after starting 0-7 in his three seasons as the Dolphins Head Coach. 

 

 

There is my attempt. Fire away with yours. 

 

Edited 17 hours ago by GunnerBill

[Coach Tuesday]

Good stuff.  But you’re missing a “dark horse” like Gruden going back to the Raiders, or Carroll finding a chair before the music stops.  There is almost always one head-scratcher and I expect the same will happen this cycle.

[DJB]

I think the only way Joe Brady leaves is if the Bills win a SB. 
 

I feel confident he runs it back if we don’t 

[Chandler#81]

17 minutes ago, DJB said:

I think the only way Joe Brady leaves is if the Bills win a SB. 
 

I feel confident he runs it back if we don’t 

🤞

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

Brady is not seasoned enough to be a HC. sure, I'm no football guru but why the hell would he leave a gig like he has with JA? maybe 2027 he may be ready?

 

if he leaves for the saints he is sure to fail.

[Mr. WEO]

i had read Johnson was uninterested in Chicago

[GunnerBill]

5 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

i had read Johnson was uninterested in Chicago

 

The latest is Chicago and New England are the only places he will interview. Obviously Vegas only came on late... so maybe add them, though I doubt it. 

 

EDIT: was Albert Breer who had that report yesterday and then late last night Jacksonville apparently bowed out after originally requesting permission to interview. 

Edited 16 hours ago by GunnerBill

[transient]

You give the Jests too much credit. Wrecks Ryan and the Jets are a match made in football heaven (for fans of other AFCE teams, at least).

[NoSaint]

Yea I’m not sure Brady is eager to go to a 3 year project (2 years of major cap work) today. 
 

if it’s his dream job it almost feels like you let someone else unbury the team financially, and follow them in 24 months

 

and I’m one that stretched his resume more than most when bringing him permanently as OC but there’s a reality he’d have a failed OC, failed HC and one year with Josh Allen as his nfl resume and that could be a tougher spot to rebound from - so being selective might be more important

Edited 16 hours ago by NoSaint

[Mr. WEO]

17 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

The latest is Chicago and New England are the only places he will interview. Obviously Vegas only came on late... so maybe add them, though I doubt it. 

 

EDIT: was Albert Breer who had that report yesterday and then late last night Jacksonville apparently bowed out after originally requesting permission to interview. 

 

weird:

 

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/report_chicago_bears_make_odd_request_of_ben_johnson/s1_17081_41530720

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

2 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

weird:

 

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/report_chicago_bears_make_odd_request_of_ben_johnson/s1_17081_41530720

"I know when to call time outs.  That's my plan.  Eberflus didn't."

*
Well, word is that Johnson doesn't interview well. 🤔😁

[Sweats]

I can't ever see Brady going to NO's, as they have a dismal roster, they have no QB to speak of and they are in cap hell........that's a sure-fire fail trifecta right there.

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

Okay, Black Monday was a damp squib but with Antonio Pierce's firing we are at technically seven openings right now. However, I am pretty sure McCarthy and Dallas are going to come to an agreement on an extension in the next week after the Cowboys refused him permission to interview with the Bears. It feels like there is a mutual interest in continuing that relationship so I am going to exclude them for now, which leaves us with six. The game is quite simple: predict who will end up as the Head Coach in each of the six spots:

 

New England Patriots - Mike Vrabel - I think this one is the easiest to peg. The Patriots have raced through their two Rooney Rule interviews (with Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich) and I feel like Mayo's firing was in part triggered by the thought of Vrabel taking the Jets job. Kraft has also shown he is willing to give out a large degree of personnel control to coaches and I think that is what Vrabel is looking for. 

New York Jets - Aaron Glenn - Which will leave the Jets looking at plan B. I suspect plan B is Aaron Glenn and if they can snag the Lions defensive coordinator I think they will. The Saints are in play for him too. 

Chicago Bears - Ben Johnson - Johnson has told the Jets they might as well not bother putting in an interview request and is leaning towards declining an interview with the Jaguars. That leaves the Bears and the Patriots as his two options. He could decide to return to Detroit again as OC. The Bears is a job with a decent roster, a young 1st overall pick at QB... but in the toughest division in football. 

New Orleans Saints - Joe Brady - Mickey Loomis will be the man making this hire and the speculation is the three real candidates are the three guys the 69 year old GM already knows and is comfortable with: Aaron Glenn, Joe Brady and interim coach Darren Rizzi. I suspect their preference would be in that order too. If Glenn doesn't go to the Jets he gets hired here. If he does then Joe Brady is the man in line. If he passes to stay with the Bills they will hire Rizzi and no doubt do the whole thing again in two years time. 

Jacksonville Jaguars - Liam Coen - The Jags are hard to pin my guess is they end up going with another offensive mind in a last ditch attempt to turn around the career of Trevor Lawrence. Coen's work with the Buccs offense has shot him into contention and unlike Johnson and Brady who might feel confident betting on themselves to be in contention again next year is they don't fancy jobs in this cycle, Coen feels a bit like a now or never guy.  

Las Vegas Raiders - Brian Flores - Tom Brady's influence here makes me feel like they are going to try and "Patriot Way" themselves out of the current mess. I'm sure they'd love to snag Vrabel but if he goes back to New England then maybe Belichick's former defensive coordinator who went 24-18 after starting 0-7 in his three seasons as the Dolphins Head Coach. 

 

 

There is my attempt. Fire away with yours. 

 

Wow! That's some good pinning or reading the tea leaves. I'm buying it all!

[947]

The Saints are in Cap hell, as usual, Carr has probably 1 more year, draft too late to get a QB, and have an awful lot of needs. Their next coach will have a very tough time turning around that situation in a year or 2. I can't see an up-n-comer like Brady viewing that as the right opportunity.

[BuffaloBillyG]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

Okay, Black Monday was a damp squib but with Antonio Pierce's firing we are at technically seven openings right now. However, I am pretty sure McCarthy and Dallas are going to come to an agreement on an extension in the next week after the Cowboys refused him permission to interview with the Bears. It feels like there is a mutual interest in continuing that relationship so I am going to exclude them for now, which leaves us with six. The game is quite simple: predict who will end up as the Head Coach in each of the six spots:

 

New England Patriots - Mike Vrabel - I think this one is the easiest to peg. The Patriots have raced through their two Rooney Rule interviews (with Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich) and I feel like Mayo's firing was in part triggered by the thought of Vrabel taking the Jets job. Kraft has also shown he is willing to give out a large degree of personnel control to coaches and I think that is what Vrabel is looking for. 

New York Jets - Aaron Glenn - Which will leave the Jets looking at plan B. I suspect plan B is Aaron Glenn and if they can snag the Lions defensive coordinator I think they will. The Saints are in play for him too. 

Chicago Bears - Ben Johnson - Johnson has told the Jets they might as well not bother putting in an interview request and is leaning towards declining an interview with the Jaguars. That leaves the Bears and the Patriots as his two options. He could decide to return to Detroit again as OC. The Bears is a job with a decent roster, a young 1st overall pick at QB... but in the toughest division in football. 

New Orleans Saints - Joe Brady - Mickey Loomis will be the man making this hire and the speculation is the three real candidates are the three guys the 69 year old GM already knows and is comfortable with: Aaron Glenn, Joe Brady and interim coach Darren Rizzi. I suspect their preference would be in that order too. If Glenn doesn't go to the Jets he gets hired here. If he does then Joe Brady is the man in line. If he passes to stay with the Bills they will hire Rizzi and no doubt do the whole thing again in two years time. 

Jacksonville Jaguars - Liam Coen - The Jags are hard to pin my guess is they end up going with another offensive mind in a last ditch attempt to turn around the career of Trevor Lawrence. Coen's work with the Buccs offense has shot him into contention and unlike Johnson and Brady who might feel confident betting on themselves to be in contention again next year is they don't fancy jobs in this cycle, Coen feels a bit like a now or never guy.  

Las Vegas Raiders - Brian Flores - Tom Brady's influence here makes me feel like they are going to try and "Patriot Way" themselves out of the current mess. I'm sure they'd love to snag Vrabel but if he goes back to New England then maybe Belichick's former defensive coordinator who went 24-18 after starting 0-7 in his three seasons as the Dolphins Head Coach. 

 

 

There is my attempt. Fire away with yours. 

 

The only issue I have here is Vrabel in New England. That may be a common sense move but if I've learned anything through the years it's that when something seems so slam dunk, everyone thinks it's going to happen...it rarely comes to fruition. It makes perfect sense and reading the way the search is going...it all points to Vrabel being the guy they want. 

 

I think Vrabel slips away. Be it Chicago or possibly joining up with Brady in Vegas...I can see things going sideways. The New England job is a sneaky spot for Ben Johnson to finally land IMO. 

 

After Johnson, Joe Brady just may be the biggest "get" on the offensive side of the coaching ranks. Not only for what the Bills put up points wise, but this time last year Josh was considered a "turnover machine" and this year...not so much at all. I'm almost sure he lands a gig, if not with the Saints, but maybe the Jags pull him in to tweak Duval Barbie.

[GunnerBill]

32 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

Yea I’m not sure Brady is eager to go to a 3 year project (2 years of major cap work) today. 
 

if it’s his dream job it almost feels like you let someone else unbury the team financially, and follow them in 24 months

 

and I’m one that stretched his resume more than most when bringing him permanently as OC but there’s a reality he’d have a failed OC, failed HC and one year with Josh Allen as his nfl resume and that could be a tougher spot to rebound from - so being selective might be more important

 

I think that is right on Brady. Both Brady and Ben Johnson are realistic "no thanks" guys to me. Because they can both be pretty confident of still being among the top names last year and as I keep saying, this year's market is stacked with bad jobs. I know that's always the case to an extent but normally there are one or two where you see a patch to win quickly. Not sure that is the case this year. 

25 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

weird:

 

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/report_chicago_bears_make_odd_request_of_ben_johnson/s1_17081_41530720

 

Yea I've seen that too. It does make sense to a degree. The Bears want two things: 1. a leader; 2. a guy who can fix the offense. With most people the bigger Q is #2, with Johnson it's #1. 

[NewEra]

If we lose to Denver, Ben Johnson better be the HC in Buffalo

[Don Otreply]

10 minutes ago, NewEra said:

If we lose to Denver, Ben Johnson better be the HC in Buffalo

I could see Sean’s seat getting warmer with that outcome, it will be a tuff game likely, but we will handle the ponies, and move on. 

[Charles Romes]

I don’t see Brady going to a team in QB purgatory. It set his career back years going to Carolina.  

[hondo in seattle]

I wonder if the Raiders firing of Pierce has  something to do with Brady and  his desire to make a run at Vrabel before the Pats or someone else snags him.