NFL hirings underwhelming on surface
We don’t know how the latest round of NFL head coach hirings are going to play out in the long term. Sean McDermott could be a wonderful find for the Buffalo Bills. Anthony Lynn could turn the Los Angeles Chargers into a winner following years of losing in San Diego. Sean McVay could be the right man at the right team for the Los Angeles Rams.
Yet, for all of that optimism, there is plenty of reason to wonder if any of these teams have truly found a leader among men.
For starters, only one of the five coaches who have been hired enjoy any previous experience at this position … at any level. Doug Marrone is the lone dissenter from the group, with one year at Buffalo after running the show at the University of Syracuse. That’s not to say it can’t work out. Hell, Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi were never NFL head coaches (Lombardi was a head coach in high school) but they turned out just fine. Still, without a strong background, it could be tough to turn around losing cultures.
The Denver Broncos are the only team potentially poised for a good 2017 season barring major surprise, and even then, Vance Joseph has his work cut out for him. Joseph was the defensive coordinator with the Miami Dolphins, overseeing a unit that finished in the bottom third of the league in yards allowed. Joseph now comes to Denver where popular coordinator Wade Phillips moved on from, leaving a huge void. He also inherits Paxton Lynch and Trevor Siemian at quarterback, a mediocre situation at best.
As for McVay, he’s dealing with a bad general manager, lacking fans and a roster that includes one playmaker on offense in Todd Gurley. He’s also the youngest head coach in the league and has to figure out how to fix Jared Goff. Let’s just say it won’t take a few minutes. Lynn is a quality coach from all accounts, but he’s taking on a franchise in a massive state of flux. He does have Philip Rivers and Melvin Gordon, but is that going to be enough in the league’s toughest division. On a positive note, the hiring of defensive coordinator Gus Bradley was a terrific move.
For all their dysfunction, the San Francisco 49ers might walk away with the best hire in Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan is still coaching the Atlanta Falcons as their offensive coordinator, but could head to San Francisco after their season concludes. If Shanahan can find a competent general manager and a quarterback, things could be on the upswing by the bay.
