Quote: @"minny65" said:
Do we have someone on staff behind Shurmur? It doesn't look to me that we have someone being groomed but then again this is Shurmur's first full year with us after the Turner fiasco.
Sparano does have some HC and OC experience but not in the Shurmur mold from what I can tell.
Anyway, we saw what a change in OC can do (Shurmur from Turner) for an offense so this is critical. I think both the Radiers and Falcons lost their OC's last year and both have had a drastic drop off in production.
Basically who is out there from the Shurmur OC tree that we might be able to pluck? He was with the Browns and Eagles, anyone?
Kevin Stefanski is a possibility. He's survived multiple coaching staffs, coached multiple positions including QBs this year, and is only 35. He seems like the logical choice if you are looking for an OC candidate on the roster. Though we don't know what his philosophy would be and if he could replicate much of Shurmur's success from this year.
I don't see Sparano as an OC option. He was dealt a short straw last year, but this season Shurmur took over the running game, changed blocking schemes, and it has been a night and day difference. I think Sparano has proven in his second year that he can still be a very good OL coach, but I wouldn't want him to have a bigger role than that. I'm also holding out hope that we've retired the wildcat for good.
Quote: @"Geoff Nichols" said:
I could see both the Lions and Bears having interest in Shurmur, which kind of sucks from the Vikings point of view. But ultimately a deep playoff run may be enough of a deterrent to keep him on the coaching staff. Teams generally like to get their hires completed early so they can get their staffs lined up without earlier hires diluting the market.
A deep playoff run is our best chance to retain Shurmur, but if enough opportunities become available, then he will be very hard to keep. Since his first HC job was with Cleveland, I do wonder if he may be more selective this time and hold out for what he feels is a good situation? Then again, this may be his best chance to cash in, so who knows.
I also think that teams will sniff around George Edwards. Though he is in a tougher spot, where Zimmer will get the majority of the credit for the success on D and he had a DUI last year, which could make teams reluctant to commit to him. Though if we were to lose him, then some of Zimmer's old coaches from Cincy, like Paul Guenther, who was Zimmer's first choice to be DC here, should be available.
I'd love to read about what responsibilities and impact Edwards has on the D. I'm sure it is undersold a lot because of Zimmer calling the plays and being known as a defensive genius, but I'd love to know what wrinkles, improvements, or aspects of player development Edwards deserves credit for.
Im sure the Viking ownership realizes and appreciates all that Shumar has done while working with multiple quarterbacks and still putting together an amazing Superbowl run.
Money talks. It will be very interesting to see how they handle Shumar’s contract. They could make it very expensive to lure him away.
I also think this team is poised for dominance for the next several years. It could make it tough to walk away from. Its tough towalk away from being the highest paid assistant coach, on a dominant team which you had a large role in developing with an ownership group that appreciates you, to going to a struggling team, rebuilding and dealing with a new regime while doing it.
Between this and the QB situation, it is going to be a very interesting off season.
That's what i'm hoping---wilf make it difficult for the guy to walk away. Cash in and not as much headaches as being head guy could be tempting. A deep run could be just the ticket---especially if the better options fill while we are still playing.
That seems awfully unrealistic... I mean I could see it breaking down like this:
GONERS: Pagano (Colts), Lewis (Bengals), and Fox (Bears)
* McAdoo DOA (Giants)
AXE HANGING OVER NECKS: Jackson (Browns), Koetter (Bucs), and Gase (Miami)
HOT SEATS: Gruden (Skins), Caldwell (Lions), and Del Rio (Raiders)
Maybe Arians retires??? I'm having a hard time coming up with more... and I'm skeptical even half these guys get fired.
Arians gone after this season
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So the Browns are bringing back Hue!
Seems like Caldwell is done...half the North will have new staffs...
Jim Caldwell - C - Lions MMQB's Albert Breer listed Jim Caldwell among the coaches "likely" to be fired after the season.
Breer writes there have been "rumblings" for a "few weeks" Caldwell would be gone if the Lions failed to make the playoffs, and their disappointing loss last week to the Bengals knocked them out of contention. It would be something of a harsh end for a coach with a 35-28 record and two playoff berths in four seasons with the Lions, but the team has failed to move past mediocre the last three years. If Caldwell goes, Breer thinks the Lions might retain respected OC Jim Bob Cooter and hire a defensive-minded coach like Patriots DC Matt Patricia, who GM Bob Quinn worked with in New England.
Caldwell being done is a little surprising. He's definitely not the most charismatic guy, but he's a good coach or at least knows how to put good coaches around him. The Lions have been competitive with him, but I can see where people feel like he's under-performed. I just feel in a year where a lot of teams are looking for coaches and there aren't a ton of great options, that there is a high degree of risk that they won't find someone better than Caldwell. Maybe they feel he's their Leslie Frazier, a nice guy who can't get them over the top, but I could very easily see this move backfire and I hope it does.
I wouldn't mind seeing Caldwell gone... nothing against the guy, but his Lions teams have had our number lately. Has Detroit forgotten how bad their previous coaches have been? They've been to the playoffs twice in four seasons under Caldwell... and had one playoff appearance in the 15 years before they hired him... but yeah, they should definitely fire him.
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