One (very) early grade on coaching hires...

Chicago Bears: Matt EberflusThe remarkable thing about the Bears hiring Matt Eberflus was how early it came in the cycle. Chicago was one of the first teams to hire a head coach, and nobody expected the Colts’ defensive coordinator to be a hot commodity.
I tend to think too much is made of a coach’s prior role, but it at least offers insight into their top priorities. For the life of me I cannot understand why Chicago went for a defensive-minded coach when the No. 1 priority should be to develop Justin Fields. It just makes no sense to me.
Eberflus must have interviewed extremely well, because this is a serious head scratcher. He’s not exactly young, or dynamic, or anything you’d expect Chicago to be looking for. It could be good, but the tea leaves are pointing to this being another mediocre coaching hire for the Bears. It’s a damn shame.
Grade: D
Denver Broncos: Nathanial HackettEveryone is losing their mind over the potential of this hire because Hackett has been Aaron Rodgers’ offensive coordinator to the last two years. If this ends up being the move that is able to bring Rodgers to Denver for a Peyton Manning-esque Super Bowl run, then this hire gets an A+ without any reservation.
However, there’s a darker side to this, and that’s before Hackett was the braintrust behind the Packers he spent more time as the offensive mind behind the Jaguars, who were atrocious. Prior to that he was offensive coordinator behind the Bills in 2013-14, when they were 6-10 and had one of the sorriest offenses in the NFL.
People grow, I get it, but this feels like a hiring with baggage attached. If the sole plan of this hire is “he can bring Aaron here,” then it’s a hell of a play — but to my mind there were better offensive minds on the market.
Grade: C
Houston Texans: Lovie SmithTrying to understand what the hell Houston does from year-to-year will make you lose your mind like staring into a Lovecraftian cosmic horror. Firing David Culley, who showed promise in his first season, only to replace him with defensive coordinator Love Smith makes no sense.
I’d award points for Smith’s awesome beard, but this isn’t a beauty contest. I hate this hire, and it’s old, stodgy thinking. 
Grade: F
Jacksonville Jaguars: Doug PedersonI don’t love Doug Pederson in this role, but I get it. The question will always be what could have been, with Byron Leftwich seemingly having the job in the bag until the Jaguars botched it. That said, Pederson is a hell of a consolation prize that will unquestionably make the Jaguars a far better team than the debacle with Urban Meyer.
No, this isn’t an exciting, revolutionary hire that will shape the Jags into the modern NFL team, but it’s also not a major whiff. That’s a win as far as I’m concerned when it comes to this organization. I expect the bare minimum from Jacksonville, and when I get anything more than that I’m pleasantly surprised.
At the minimum Pederson will have time to develop players, and I think he’ll be a positive influence on Trevor Lawrence. All things considered I like this.
Grade: B+ 
Las Vegas Raiders: Josh McDanielsThe Raiders will never, ever make the smart move over the flashy one — and I’ve come to accept that. Josh McDaniels follows in the mould of big, brash head coaching hires as Las Vegas becomes the second chance for a coordinator perennially mentioned as a head coach hopeful.
I don’t like this. Las Vegas was a playoff team already, and I think McDaniels likes to get cute just for the sake of getting cute. He’s inherited an already established team, and I can’t help but think he’s going to do something to mess with it.
The hope is that he learned from his mistakes the first time around with Denver, but my hopes are rock bottom. I think this team needed a steady hand, not a splash — and in the end they went for more headlines. I don’t see this ending well.
Grade: D+

Miami Dolphins: Mike McDanielThe question isn’t whether McDaniel is good, as far as I’m concerned, it’s whether he’ll get the time he needs. The former 49ers offensive coordinator is an exceedingly bright NFL mind, but he’ll need time to evaluate and shape the roster to start getting results.
I’m going to work off the assumption he will have a little time, especially considering the scrutiny following Brian Flores’ dismissal. I think McDaniel has an incredibly bright mind in the NFL, and he’s going to be a fan-favorite for his unconventional press conferences.
The truth is: The Dolphins are already a really solid team. He’s walking into a great position, and will have the ability to make some draft moves to shape this team in his image. The future may be inexorably linked to whether he can maximize the talent of Tua Tagovailoa, but this is still my favorite hire of the cycle thus far.
Grade: A
Minnesota Vikings: Kevin O’Connell (unofficial)The Vikings have been really, really cautious during this coaching search. It takes guts to interview Jim Harbaugh and not just hand him the job immediately, but it shows that ownership and new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah want to make sure they get this right.
O’Connell’s name has been in the mix for head coaching jobs the last two seasons as the leader of a potent Rams’ offense, and the move marks a stark change in approach by the Vikings. Moving from an old-school defensive coach like Mike Zimmer to O’Connell is an appreciation for the direction modern football is heading.
There will be a year for the new braintrust to evaluate Kirk Cousins before moving on, or at least offering a drastically reduced contract. At the very least this should be a huge boon for Justin Jefferson with a coordinator who helped turn Cooper Kupp into the most dangerous receiver in the NFL.
Grade: A+
New Orleans Saints: Dennis Allen (unofficial)This is a garbage hire, and Saints fans should be furious. It was always going to be difficult to follow in Sean Payton’s footsteps, but Allen has no business getting the job. This could be a one-year stopgap in the hopes Payton may return, but that’s the only way this remotely makes sense. 
Allen has been middling at best as the Saints’ defensive coordinator since 2015, and went 8-28 as a head coach with the Raiders. This is an out-of-touch hiring when much, much better candidates were out there. 
Between a lackluster coach and a salary cap nightmare there is no way this works.
Grade: F
New York Giants: Brian DabollThere’s nothing functionally wrong with Brian Daboll, but nothing amazing either. It wasn’t long ago that the former Bills’ offensive coordinator was one of the hottest coaching commodities in the NFL, but in high-pressure situations his offense has been found wanting.
Everyone hails the QB duel of Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes in the AFC Divisional Round, but go back and watch that playcalling in crunch-time from Buffalo and try to tell me it was good. The truth is that it was piss-poor, and Allen made up for a lot of mistakes in playcalling by improvising.
Look, head coach is a very different gig I know, but it’s kind of difficult to imagine Daboll being the kind of personality to turn the Giants around. This was a team in need of modernization, and Daboll is an old school coach.
Grade: B-

Lol, fire alarm going off during the Texans presser. 

On brand.

Lovie just got a nice golden parachute. One and done. Ill bet on it.

"The Vikings have been really, really cautious during this coaching search. It takes guts to interview Jim Harbaugh and not just hand him the job immediately, but it shows that ownership and new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah want to make sure they get this right"

I really like the approach to the hiring. I am also glad that Harbaugh talked his way out of the job. That interview generated a lot of buzz and rumors but kudos to the Vikings for not hiring a known name. They dug deeper. Hopefully they have learned from previous searches.

I disagree with the take on Daboll...

1 frigging special teams decision cost the Bills a probable chance to get to the SB...13 seconds. I think if I'm Danny Dimes? I'm a pretty happy camper. 

I also disagree with his take on Hackett - I would have absolutely considered him for here.

And I like what Miami did with boy wunderkinder too. 

@"JustinTime18™" said: Lol, fire alarm going off during the Texans presser. 

On brand.

Lovie just got a nice golden parachute. One and done. Ill bet on it.

Dennis Allen same deal I bet. He’ll be there just long enough to get them out of salary cap hell (possibly even tank this year?) and then it’ll be bye bye after a year or two I suspect. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s even in on the joke. 

@"purplefaithful" said: I disagree with the take on Daboll...

1 frigging special teams decision cost the Bills a probable chance to get to the SB...13 seconds. I think if I'm Danny Dimes? I'm a pretty happy camper. 

I also disagree with his take on Hackett - I would have absolutely considered him for here.

And I like what Miami did with boy wunderkinder too. 

The only thing that worries me about Daboll is I think the Bills throw too much...  they can get away with it because Allen can tuck it and run, but it'll be interesting to see how he does away from Buffalo with different personnel.

I'm with you on Hackett.  The Jaguars were not a good football team for most of the time Hackett was there, but their offense was good under him despite Blake Bortles at QB.  I would have been fine with him, but preferred O'Connell.

@"Wetlander" said:

@"purplefaithful" said: I disagree with the take on Daboll...

1 frigging special teams decision cost the Bills a probable chance to get to the SB...13 seconds. I think if I'm Danny Dimes? I'm a pretty happy camper. 

I also disagree with his take on Hackett - I would have absolutely considered him for here.

And I like what Miami did with boy wunderkinder too. 

The only thing that worries me about Daboll is I think the Bills throw too much...  they can get away with it because Allen can tuck it and run, but it'll be interesting to see how he does away from Buffalo with different personnel.

I'm with you on Hackett.  The Jaguars were not a good football team for most of the time Hackett was there, but their offense was good under him despite Blake Bortles at QB.  I would have been fine with him, but preferred O'Connell.

Those early 2010s Washington coaching staffs were stacked man.

Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Matt Lafluer and Mike McDaniel pic.twitter.com/3cTm4zuo9n

— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) January 17, 2022

Did the Vikings Hire the Right Person From the McVay/Shanahan Tree?

Circling back on the Shanahan/McVay coaching tree. It’s tough to argue against what this NFL power circle has accomplished in a short amount of time. Since 2016, the Shanahan/McVay coaching tree has been responsible for:

• One Super Bowl champion (to be crowned on Sunday)
• Five Super Bowl appearances (two from Shanahan, two from McVay, and one from Zac Taylor)
• Eight Conference Championship Game appearances (three from Shanahan, two from McVay, two from LaFleur, and one from Taylor)

And while folks are quick to point out that LaFleur inherited a team in Green Bay led by Aaron Rodgers, it’s important to remember that these accolades also include teams that were quarterbacked by:

• Matt Ryan (2016)
• Jared Goff (2018)
• Jimmy Garoppolo (2019 & 2021)
• Joe Burrow (2021)
• Matthew Stafford (2021)

Not exactly a who’s who of household signal-callers.
When you consider that O’Connell and McDaniel are different flavors of the NFL’s most successful coaching tree in recent memory, it’s fair to ask: Did the Vikings decide to hire the right Shanahan/McVay understudy?
Let’s start by taking a look at McDaniel. The newly christened Dolphins head coach spent his 15-year NFL career working under Mike and/or Kyle Shanahan. With stops in Denver, Houston, Washington, Cleveland, Atlanta, and San Francisco, McDaniel was alongside Kyle every step of the way since 2006 — except for a brief stint with the Sacramento Mountain Lions from 2009-10.
McDaniel spent the ’13 and ’14 seasons as the wide receivers coach for Washington and the Cleveland Browns but quickly shifted his focus to overseeing the running game once the San Francisco 49ers hired Kyle as the head coach in 2017. McDaniel has been credited with being the brains behind Kyle Shanahan’s innovative run game concepts.
And while McDaniel’s next-level wizardry in the run game can’t be disputed, would Justin Jefferson and the Vikings be the best fit for the Yale graduate to implement his run-centric scheme? With Jaylen Waddle cut from a similar cloth as San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel, McDaniel should be right at home with finding innovative ways to manufacture touches for his new dynamic receiver — whether it be downfield, in the screen game, or out of the backfield.

Enter, Kevin O’Connell.
Before landing with McVay and the Rams, O’Connell spent three years in Washington, including the 2017 season with Kirk Cousins and one season with San Francisco and Cleveland.
O’Connell has spent his NFL coaching career as part of offenses that relied heavily on their wide receivers. Since 2017, O’Connell’s offenses have utilized 11-personnel (one running back, one tight end, and three wide receivers) at the following rates:

• ’17 (Washington): 59% (10th highest)
• ’18 (Washington): 71% (7th highest)
• ’19 (Washington): 70% (6th highest)
• ’20 (Los Angeles Rams): 65% (13th highest)
• ’21 (Los Angeles Rams): 85% (highest in the NFL)

After the Vikings and Mike Zimmer stuck Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and Jefferson in an archaic offense that was dominated by the running game, O’Connell’s background in these receiver-centric systems will be a sight for sore eyes of Skoldiers who still hold on to fond memories of Randy Moss and Cris Carter.
Most recently, O’Connell played a vital role in Cooper Kupp achieving one of the most successful seasons for a wide receiver in NFL history. Kupp led the league in receptions (145), yards (1,947), and touchdowns (16) this year. And with Robert Woods, Odell Beckham Jr, and Van Jefferson, life was made a heck of a lot easier for Kupp when other dynamic threats surrounded him.

Not to take anything away from Kupp, but I think we can all agree that Justin Jefferson is the far more talented receiver. And if O’Connell knows how to turn Kupp into the most statistically impressive receiver of the 2021 season, then the sky is truly the limit for Jefferson in this offense.
With Adam Thielen playing the 1b role — like Woods or Beckham this year for the Rams — Jefferson has the capability to reach new heights in Year 3. 
When comparing O’Connell and McDaniel, it’s apparent that Minnesota’s offensive firepower with Jefferson, Thielen, Dalvin Cook, Kirk Cousins, and Irv Smith Jr. made more immediate sense for O’Connell’s passing concepts. And not to take anything away from McDaniel, but his run-game prowess isn’t exactly the best fit for a team that currently has the only wide receiver in NFL history to record over 3,000 receiving yards after his first two seasons.
And with the way the Rams have prioritized the wide receiver position over the past two offseasons — spending second-round picks on Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwellin consecutive drafts — Skoldiers shouldn’t be surprised if this new regime led by Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell spends serious draft capital on WR for the 2022 season. Jameson Williams or Garrett Wilson at the 12th-overall pick could provide O’Connell with the quintessential 11-personnel for his debut season in Minnesota.
Pull your Three Deep posters out, Skoldiers, because O’Connell is going to recreate the magical offensive firepower that we saw with Moss, Carter, and Jake Reed by slinging the pill across the yard.
did-the-vikings-hire-the-right-person-from-the-mcvay-shanahan-tree

I wouldn't destroy my TV if we went WR @ 12, but...c'mon man...

@"JustinTime18™" said: I wouldn't destroy my TV if we went WR @ 12, but...c'mon man...

I would. Our biggest needs CB and DE are stacked with first round talent. I can live with WR in 2nd round

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"JustinTime18™" said: I wouldn't destroy my TV if we went WR @ 12, but...c'mon man...

I would. Our biggest needs CB and DE are stacked with first round talent. I can live with WR in 2nd round

Lovey last coached a team to a winning record, including college & pro, in 2012…! Great hire  :p 

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"JustinTime18™" said: I wouldn't destroy my TV if we went WR @ 12, but...c'mon man...

I would. Our biggest needs CB and DE are stacked with first round talent. I can live with WR in 2nd round

@"purplefaithful" said:

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"JustinTime18™" said: I wouldn't destroy my TV if we went WR @ 12, but...c'mon man...

I would. Our biggest needs CB and DE are stacked with first round talent. I can live with WR in 2nd round

Yup!

History shows us there's plenty of wr greats drafted rd 2 and beyond.