My choice for next Browns Head coach is...
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Tom, I think we have a ton of very talented players on this team. I really do:Quinn
Thomas
Steinbach
Winslow
Cribbs
Lewis/Harrison
Stallworth (just watch)
Edwards
Look at the big picture: Any team would die to have these guys. And I think Rucker will be a very, VERY good player.
On defense:
Rogers
Williams (next year when his shoulder is healed)
Shaun Smith
D'Qwell
Eric Wright
Jones
Pool
Hall/Wimbley
I think we're a cornerback and Rey M. away from a terrific defense.
I want an exciting, smart, dynamic young coach. I really am a Lane Kiffin fan and he really is a Brady Quinn fan, as we know. Along with a serious DC, I'd be all in favor of that.
Pittsburgh beats us in the front office folks. They don't make the wrong decision on the Coach or QB. And when they do choose the wrong QB - they just lose in the playoffs. It hasn't even mattered who carried the ball whether it was Ernest Jackson, Barry Foster, Bam Morris or Willie Parker - they all became 1000 yard rushers drafted by Pitt or signed as rookie FAs. Worth noting, they drafted guys like Hines Ward, Plex Burress and Santonio Holmes, which was always enough to make more plays than Phil's hand picked guys. They're undefeated against us just like rookie Joe Flaccoseagulls is. When McGay-he can't play - they have 2 rock solid rookies in Ray Rice and Mclain. They draft studs all over that D that tackle, intimidate, sack QBs and cover the pass. Phil needs to be able to DRAFT like that or we're just going to keep thinking "aw shucks" every Monday is acceptable as the way it's supposed to be.
Stallworth doesn't have heart and he hasn't made 1 franchise happy that he's played for yet. Hence the availablity every off season. I HAVE seen unfrtunately Shep, he wasn't brought here to make an impact 10 years from now - he was paid dearly to give us soem help opposite Edwards THIS year. Jamal ran slower than Fred Sanford walked when he thought he was having a heart attack. While I LIKE Harrison a ton - 5 touches a game and only in an early quarter isn't allowing him to HELP us enough.
And alot of the guys you list are getting soured on the lack of leadership where it's needed most. I'm VERY unimpressed with the body by Savage. D'Qwell was awful the other night. Watch the replay of him unable to tackle Daniel Graham. He was terrible for the 2nd straight week. Last year Sean Jones (not brought here by Savage - same as Winslow and Pontbriand and Heiden) was one of my favorite players on defense. THIS YEAR I gotta agree with Atenears noticing his game has dropped off. I think it's from injury BUT all it takes to lose your game is more than one knee surgery. Shaun Smith hasn't shown any resemblence to the guy we saw playing inspired football near the end of 2007. That's been kind of obvious. He's missing games because he had a sore wrist? Is this football or soccer? I want TOUGH players. And Wimbley's only sack I can recall all season came when nobody felt he was a big enough threat to block at all. You don't give up almost 500 yards to a team that's going 1 dimensional throwing the ball every play if you have ANY talent. You just don't. There was only 1 player on our defense that wanted to tackle anybody the other night and that was Willie McGinest, who's almost old enough to be Willie Nelson.
I'm venting because I don't think we've drafted ENOUGH good players since Savage came here saying that was his biggest strength. The best player on our team is Josh Cribbs and he didn't even get drafted.
- Tom F.
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Now that we've (well, most of us) put the QB controversy to rest, it seems like as good a time as any to discuss the replacement for scapegoat #2, Romeo Crennel.My choice would be Giants DC Steve Spagnuolo.
Innovative, fiery, and smart. Three things our current buffoon ain't.
Just a question: If Phil Savage chooses a Kam Wimbley over a Justin Tuck on draft day - are we setting up Spags for the same level of success? The reason the Giants are good is because they are LOADED at pass rushing, RB, WR, oline, secondary and even freakin kicker Youmeanbasterd goes down and his replacement? 1st round pick Kiwanuka. Last year they were 6 deep at RB so they could afford to let Ryan Powell go and be a superstar in Green Bay. They got Jacobs, Ward, Bradshaw and Droughns in the hole. At WR, Hixon would be our best WR today and he can't even get on the field much in NY. Your BEST franchises today are there because they have GOOD front offices. Does it matter who coaches in Pittsburgh? They always OUTDRAFT us so they're less overwhelmed when they get injured. Their FAs come in as backups like Mewelde Moore, Nate Washington, Byrons Leftfoot, etc.
Coughlin NEVER was a post season success when he worked as a dual functioning HC and GM. I have no idea who their GM is in NY but look at the TALENT levels they have without overpaying. They paid top dollar for Arrington and got burned. Now they gave a raise to Plex and that's backfired eversince as Steve Smith a draftee has quietly become the receptions leader in operation move the chains on 3rd downs in 2008. Smith was their leading receiver in last year's post season too while Burress got all the headlines as usual.
We overpay for FAs that come here and lay eggs or get injured so it ALWAYS gets back to WHO are we drafting? We're losing in the front office so we can change Coordinators and Head Coaches non-stop but at some point you have to ask are we finding and signing the RIGHT character in Cleveland?
This isn't year #1, year #2, year #3 of the Savage plan - it's year #4. I gotta believe even Spagnola wouldn't be able to play chess with pawns. I honestly didn't see 1 guy besdides Willie looking like they wanted to tackle anyone Thursday.
This doesn't mean I LIKE RAC or want him here any longer. It just means I think we're getting beat as high as the owner/GM tandem. I'm learning Savage isn't ready to be THE guy and the best example I can give you is the following players and coaches all got hefty raises before getting injured or laying eggs or both:
Denise Northcutt, Orpheus Roye, Andra Davis, Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis, Leigh Bodden, Ryan "AWOL" Tucker, Todd Granthom and the much maligned Romeo Crennel.
If I'm a SMART owner I ask: "what did I get in return for opening my wallet to any of the following? Don't be as SHALLOW as saying guys got injured and it's NOT their fault - GRASP what happens when you put all your marbles into free agency after promising you'd improve the draft for better continuity for the franchise. Take a look at all the SHIT we overpaid:
Trent FREAKING Dilfer - You gotta be kidding me.
Antonio Bryant - thought he was good BUT most people saw him the way they see BE today
Joe J - how many starts has he missed in 3 years now?
Donte Stallworth - there's a reason this is his 4th or 5th team and he'll be on his 6th in 09.
LeCharles Bentley -highest FA signing ever for the Center position
Corey Williams - a second round pick would have played for less
Jason Fisk - highest contract he ever had - worst performance to show for it
Robaire Smith - LOVED what he did but now that he's injured - our draftees SUCK.
Ted Washington - How many 38 year olds with 50 " waistes are ready for their best ball?
Matt Stewart - Out of football right now right?
Kenny Wright - preferred marijuana to football - horrible job there.
Eric Steinbach - one of my FAVORITE signings but injured right?
Jamal Lewis - was there a reason his first team got impatient? Think so suddenly.
Antwaan Peek - More like Peakaboo - he's dressed for 1 or 2 games tops prolly.
Gary Baxter - Admired his fight to come back but his salary ranked in the top 3 on our team.
Willie McGinest - Good outing Thursday BUT how many games has his wornout body missed?
Derek Anderson - Dumb Ass was a better player when his market value was a bag of stale potato chips.
------ these weren't TINY contracts folks. They're diversions to hide how poorly we DRFATED dline, pass rushers and LBers for a 3-4 scheme Savage wanted us to use so bad.
All these hot shots and the BEST player on our team today is Josh Cribbs. Nobody offers MORE to this team in effort or production.
To THIS day our fans always refuse to hold GMs like Policy or Savage the least bit accountable. A couple years ago - everyone was so certain that all we needed to do was change OCs and all our problems were over. A couple years before that - everything was Butch Davis' fault. A couple years before that it was ONLY Chris Palmer's fault. Guess what? Problems don't START at middle management if Upper Management has the FIRST clue. RAC and our Coordinators are just Middle Management. Savage and Lerner need to WEAR more accountability than we annually given them. For ONCE, set your Head Coach up for success and DRAFT players worth keeping. Lener NEEDS to hire the right GM and the opie "Aw Shucks" show just isn't doing it for me.
Quinn & Cribbs are the pillars of this team but why does EVERY season have to feel like it's 1999? We're just SUPPOSED to just feel lucky we have a team wearing our colors and getting rich off a storied history/tradition they aren't even CLOSE to emulating. They're missing by a DA touch pass, whic equates to a country mile IMO. Get us a GM that UNDERSTANDS how to draft people instead of overpaying people that will spend more time wearing blue jeans on game day. We can sit here and BLAME RAC for 100% of the problems because he IS largley responsible BUT we ALSO have to look at WHO our GM pays more money to when it comes time to decide who gets the carries between Harrison and Lewis or even Quinn and DA, etc, etc. etc. Can't the same be said for WHY Willie and Wimbley play more than Alex Hall? Can't the same be said for WHY I gotta see more of Andra Davis looking like a Houdini Rabbitt than a Leon Williams who IMPRESSED me in 2007? I don't SEE a good marriage between HC and GM and scapegoating 100% of that to HC - only treats 1 of many symptoms. RAC does suck but that's NOT my #1 concern. It's WHO isleading this business they want to pass off as the Cleveland Browns tradition.
- Tom F.
Great post Tom and full of facts and hard cold data about what it is and what we are.....................
So in short, based on what I read..........you are now agreeing with me that Savage is the real problem.........cause Randy has no clue and he is not telling anyone what to do............as opposed to Pittsburgh where the owners have a philosophy which the GM architects players to fit...................
I do hope you respond after such a brilliant detailed insightful post
and oh Cribbs is the best player on the team........and Quinn has one good game under his belt and he lost..........sorta like in he lost 8 of 11 big games in college so before he gets anointed he better win a big game .........if we ever get in one
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Great post Tom and full of facts and hard cold data about what it is and what we are.....................
So in short, based on what I read..........you are now agreeing with me that Savage is the real problem.........cause Randy has no clue and he is not telling anyone what to do............
- Rich
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Thanks but I'm too miserable and frustrated to feel brilliant Rich. I feel like a dumb gullable basterd almost every year I get excited. Unfortunately, I think our brass has 3 prongs/layers of incompetance: Lerner, Savage and RAC.
I can't do anything about the owner - he needs another hobby like Paris Hilton needs more cocaine in front of her nose. He's a terrible owner and it gets VERY obvious every year we end up seeign HOW we did in our own division. On a good year we SPLIT with Cincy? Whatever! It's deeper than just chasing RAC and probably even Opie out of town. It's not like Lerner is capable of getting the NEXT GM right which only means the next HC is going to be a disappointment.
I thought you were WRONG about Savage at first but I'm not seeing the SAME type of defenders Ozzie Newsome brought to Baltimore so I think Ozzie's personal secretary became on opportunistic infection to Cleveland. I didn't see 1 guy that WANTED to tackle somebpody the other nigth and I wish it was as simple as thinking it was ONLY RAC in the same way we ALL thought it was as simple as ONLY replacing Mo Carthon. You can't BEAT cancer unless you REMOVE all of it. If you choose to just treat 1 symptom of it what happens? It metastasizes (spreads).
Lerner has to be a moron giving an open wallet to Opie and seeing the following starting QBs:
Trent Dilfer (true story)
Charlie Frye (I was the ultimate HOMER with that kid)
Dumb Ass
Charlie Weis told this organization from day 1 - Quinn's already your best QB and I can't forgive Opie & RAC for throwing away the entire season on Derek Anderson. It's too late. Half the team had a why bother attitude after Sunday's disaster from Dumb Ass throwing the INT to Sugs for a TD after Cribbs got us right back IN the game with a kickoff return for a TD.
I'm not sure why our fanbase continues to think EVERY HC sucks while GMs like Policy and Savage never made their first mistake. RAC got a raise from Opie right? There you be about him.
We've been stuck on pause pretending losing is completely acceptable since the day Policy's notion of we're going to compete right way was punctuated with his statement: "Chris Palmer was never our first or second choice."
Randy Lerner has NO clue about how to run an NFL franchise and it doesn't get ANY more obvious than seeing where teams like Baltimore and Pittsburgh have gone vrs where we continue to stay.
- Tom F. (Too bad Calvin Hill's group never GOT this franchise)
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No, no, no on Marty. That move would reak of desperation. Reaching back 20 years to recapture past glory? No thank you.I don't quite understand why there is interest in him. He didn't do so well in Cleveland the last time (although he was well liked).
uhh..wait, what?
For those of you who think he's a good choice (again)...is it because our FO has changed or has something about his style changed?
How about the fact that LITERALLY everywhere he has been he has turned into at least a good football if not a great one. How much better is SD now after firing Marty? For that matter, how much better was CLE after firing him?
We want a guy who knows how to be a HC - Marty and Cowher both do.
I don't what it is with people wanting to bring in young, unproven head coaches, or coaches with no experience. Let someplace else act as their training grounds. I'm tired of doing that.
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But where did Marty take over a bad football team (not that I really think CLE is a bad football team, but an underachieving one)? So in that manner, he probably would do well that he'd get the most out of them. But at the same token, his teams underachieved once it got passed the regular season (not that CLE has been getting there).
I just think getting Marty is too much of reaching back to CLE's past success. That would just reeks of desperation to me. Plus, Marty is in his mid 60's now.
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But where did Marty take over a bad football team (not that I really think CLE is a bad football team, but an underachieving one)? So in that manner, he probably would do well that he'd get the most out of them. But at the same token, his teams underachieved once it got passed the regular season (not that CLE has been getting there).I just think getting Marty is too much of reaching back to CLE's past success. That would just reeks of desperation to me. Plus, Marty is in his mid 60's now.
I think it reeks of someone making a smart choice - picking a coach who has had success building teams into winners. Marty being in his 60s isn't a problem - he'll probably be ready to retire in a few years, at which point we can go after the young guy - it works nicely because you can get that guy and hand a good team to him (assuming Marty is successful).
My top two choices would be Marty and Cowher, then Mooch, and Vermeil. I just don't want another NFL rookie head coach.
If we could steal someone like Jeff Fisher, that would work, too.
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But where did Marty take over a bad football team (not that I really think CLE is a bad football team, but an underachieving one)? So in that manner, he probably would do well that he'd get the most out of them. But at the same token, his teams underachieved once it got passed the regular season (not that CLE has been getting there).I just think getting Marty is too much of reaching back to CLE's past success. That would just reeks of desperation to me. Plus, Marty is in his mid 60's now.
I think it reeks of someone making a smart choice - picking a coach who has had success building teams into winners. Marty being in his 60s isn't a problem - he'll probably be ready to retire in a few years, at which point we can go after the young guy - it works nicely because you can get that guy and hand a good team to him (assuming Marty is successful).
My top two choices would be Marty and Cowher, then Mooch, and Vermeil. I just don't want another NFL rookie head coach.
If we could steal someone like Jeff Fisher, that would work, too.
I'd agree completely with Cowher or Mooch (along with stealing Jeff Fisher). As well as getting some unknown up and coming coach (unless it is a coordinator everyone knows is ready).
With Marty, if you assume he's gone in a few years, then you have to worry players not playing for him (if you know a guy isn't gonna be around, players tend to kind of say F it, which we already got). Don't get me wrong, I like Marty, and if we were talking about any other team he hadn't previously coached, I'd say sure. But when a team reaches back in its history to hire a guy who was the last truly successful head coach for that team, it spells disaster. It's like when the Yankees rehired Billy Martin years ago (or when they considered bringing back sweet Lou).
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If we could steal someone like Jeff Fisher, that would work, too.I think at this point Fisher is probably tenured for life in Tennessee, unless Rug Adams loses his gourd like the Alameda Cryptkeeper.
I think there is actually a small part of my cold and bitter soul that is warming to the idea of having Spit Chin come in here and raise hell.
The pickings for quality experienced pro coacking material is mighty slim.
Doug
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Our needing to develop some young LB's is part of the reason why I think Ron Rivera might be an interesting choice.\ said:
Then again, I'd be happy with Singletary. The position we are hurting the most at, is LB, whether it be a lack of talent, or that the talent doesnt see the field.Just like how Singletary got a lot of credit for coaching up Patrick Willis, Rivera received some praise for turning an unknown UDFA (Jyles Tucker) into a starting-caliber 3-4 OLB.
Also, San Diego just promoted Rivera to DC, and early reports are very positive:
Word out of San Diego is that there is a renewed sense of energy with new defensive coordinator Ron Rivera in charge. Players are putting in extra time to fix technique issues that had previously gone unaddressed, and the defense’s overall enthusiasm is higher than it had been all season. Also, the playbook has been cut down to make things simpler and more straightforward.
His contract expires after this season, so we might be able to get him to come here & be our DC. More likely, it'll take a promotion to the top job to get him to come to Cleveland. -
Personally I agree with some of these other guys, I'm sick of being a guinie pig (sp) for new coaches. Lets get someone in here with some damn experince and do this job right. I am sick to death of losing. Enough already.
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If we could steal someone like Jeff Fisher, that would work, too.
I think at this point Fisher is probably tenured for life in Tennessee, unless Rug Adams loses his gourd like the Alameda Cryptkeeper.
I think there is actually a small part of my cold and bitter soul that is warming to the idea of having Spit Chin come in here and raise hell.
The pickings for quality experienced pro coacking material is mighty slim.
Doug
Ain't happening for a couple reasons.
a) Cowher wants a lottery payday.
and he wants to win.Both of wich are pretty much out of the question up there in dirty, dirty Cleveland.
Regards
..... an`at
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A) Lerner has plenty of money
We have our QB, we have talent, we just need the Coach and we will winC) I think you sound worried about the possibilty of us getting Cowher
Shouldnt you be worrying about how your QB is going to keep his arm on this week?
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I think yinz are over-rating the coaching spot - especially Cowher. He was a great motivator and a pretty good defense guy, but he couldn't draft offensive players for shit and he needed a strong o-coordinator and GM. Many an o-coordinator took a bullet under Cowher along with a GM.Over-rating? I used to think coaching was over-rated, too. Until RAC came into town, and I learned that you might not need a great coach, but a bad coach will hurt you just as much as a bad QB.
Maybe we're over-rating Cowher, but his record while in PITT speaks for itself.
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Per Tony Grossi:
Decide on who's calling the shots
Will the Savage-Romeo Crennel partnership survive a fifth season? Will both go or just Crennel?
If Savage stays, who's the next head coach? The instant front-runner would be Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, one of Savage's best friends in the business. Why him? Savage's contract gives him control over the draft and the selection of the 53-player roster. Few experienced NFL coaches would agree to those conditions.
Hiring Ferentz -- who has resisted NFL overtures several times -- would probably mean a new offensive system, too. Considering the state of the defense, that might be biting off more than the Browns can chew in one off-season.
One alternative is to wipe the slate clean and hire Bill Cowher at $8 million a year. If owner Randy Lerner did that, he would reinstitute the coach as football czar -- something he swore off after the Butch Davis debacle.
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No, no, no on Marty. That move would reak of desperation. Reaching back 20 years to recapture past glory? No thank you.I don't quite understand why there is interest in him. He didn't do so well in Cleveland the last time (although he was well liked).
For those of you who think he's a good choice (again)...is it because our FO has changed or has something about his style changed?
Ummm.... He didn't?
I seem to remember playoffs and AFC championship games under his tenure.
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Marty's coaching record speaks for itself.Team Year Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result CLE 1984 4 4 0 .500 3rd in AFC Central - - - - CLE 1985 8 8 0 .500 1st in AFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Miami Dolphins in Divisional Game. CLE 1986 12 4 0 .750 1st in AFC Central 1 1 .500 Lost to Denver Broncos in AFC Championship Game. CLE 1987 10 5 0 .667 1st in AFC Central 1 1 .500 Lost to Denver Broncos in AFC Championship Game. CLE 1988 10 6 0 .625 2nd in AFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Houston Oilers in AFC Wild-Card Game. KC 1989 8 7 1 .533 2nd in AFC West - - - - KC 1990 11 5 0 .688 2nd in AFC West 0 1 .000 Lost to Miami Dolphins in Wild Card Game. KC 1991 10 6 0 .625 2nd in AFC West 1 1 .500 Lost to Buffalo Bills in Divisional Game. KC 1992 10 6 0 .625 2nd in AFC West 0 1 .000 Lost to San Diego Chargers in Wild Card Game. KC 1993 11 5 0 .688 1st in AFC West 2 1 .667 Lost to Buffalo Bills in AFC Championship. KC 1994 9 7 0 .563 2nd in AFC West 0 1 .000 Lost to Miami Dolphins in AFC Wild-Card Game. KC 1995 13 3 0 .813 1st in AFC West 0 1 .000 Lost to Indianapolis Colts in AFC Divisional Game. KC 1996 9 7 0 .563 2st in AFC West - - - - KC 1997 13 3 0 .813 1st in AFC West 0 1 .000 Lost to Denver Broncos in AFC Divisional Game. KC 1998 7 9 0 .438 4th in AFC West - - - - WAS 2001 8 8 0 .500 2nd in NFC East - - - - SD 2002 8 8 0 .500 3rd in AFC West - - - - SD 2003 4 12 0 .250 4thin AFC West - - - - SD 2004 12 4 0 .750 1stin AFC West 0 1 .000 Lost to New York Jets in AFC Wild-Card Game. SD 2005 9 7 0 .563 3rdin AFC West - - - - SD 2006 14 2 0 .875 1stin AFC West 0 1 .000 Lost to New England Patriots in AFC Divisional Game. Total[4] 200 126 1 .613 5 13 .278
I'd be ok with being a contender EVERY YEAR.
If you remember, Cowher had a reputation for losing in the big game as well. He lost a ton of home AFC championship games and home playoff games.
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Honestly, I thought Romeo was kinda yesterday's news. He's about as inspiring as old dough, and I don't care if they're pros... that trickles down.The Steelers hit it out of the park again with a very young, very smart, very intense head coach. I like that route.
And the Ravens got a guy in John Harbaugh who just SEEMS like the guy in charge and the face of the organization.
Does Romeo seem like anybody's idea of the guy in charge?
Never liked it.
I am not sure which route I would like to go...young or established (established I like Art Shell, he is only 60 and if you take away the last years debacle he was 54-38....pretty good with Hostetler at QB and no RB)....but if you want to go new....here is a great article from ESPN on the HOT COACHING PROSPECTS (from last December, but many are still viable):
Ryan brothers among the assistants ready to become head coaches
Green
By Jeremy Green
Scouts Inc.
(Archive)
Updated: December 14, 2007, 10:47 AM ET
With the resignation of Atlanta head coach Bobby Petrino, the time has come to start talking about NFL assistant coaches who are ready to make the jump to head coach. The recent stints of Nick Saban and Petrino show that college head coaches moving to the NFL isn't always a great fit. Saban and Petrino were too spoiled, couldn't deal with the losses and as soon as things didn't go their way, they turned tail and looked for the next best college job.
This list is a group of guys that have spent time at the NFL level and understand that commitment it takes to build a program and win in the league. It should also be noted that coaches out of the NFL right now such as former Pittsburgh head coach Bill Cowher and San Diego's Marty Schottenheimer are not on the list but their résumés clearly speak for themselves. Obviously, any franchise would be lucky to bring them into their organizations.
1. Rex Ryan
Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator
He has pioneered one of the best defenses in the NFL over the past few years. Injuries have hurt this unit in 2007, but it remains a top 10 defense because of the leadership of Ryan and the respect that every player on that unit has for him as a person and as a coach.
He is now the AHC, so if he could be pulled it would be a coupe!!!
2. Jason Garrett
Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator
Even though he only has one year as an offensive coordinator in the NFL, he is ready to take the next step. Garrett spent the majority of his career as the No. 3 QB and learned a lot in the process. He has an excellent offensive mind and would be a great fit for a young organization that can be patient and watch him mature into an excellent head coach.
With the current meltdown in Dallas, he is likely to make the jump from AHC to HC in Dallas
3. Josh McDaniels
New England Patriots offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach McDaniels is not talked about very often, but should not be ignored. Belichick gets all the credit for what has become "Patriots football" but look at the success Romeo Crennel is now having and the success Eric Mangini had in 2006. Those guys are solid head coaches because they learned from the best, so there is no reason to think McDaniels will not be successful as well.
No thanks, the genius in NE is Belichick...not any of his castoffs!
4. Clancy Pendergast
Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator
Pendergast does not receive as much attention because the Cardinals have not had a ton of success, but he's done a great job with the defense. He has a "gym rat" mentality when it comes to coaching and no assistant coach watches as much film or does as many weekly and offseason breakdowns as Pendergast. He has a great defensive mind and is a master at adjusting his schemes on a weekly basis.
I like DC's as HC's...and the Cardinals have a tough run D...but it is primarily a 4-3!!! Still, I think with a few additions this team could transfer to a 4-3 nicely.
5. Mike Martz
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
Unlike the first four guys on this list, he would fall more into the retread category. Say what you want about the guy that has been labeled by some as the "Mad Scientist," but the last time I checked, being a head coach is still about winning and Martz did that consistently in St. Louis and brought a Super Bowl championship to the city. Martz's teams score points and they put people in the seats.
In SF now. Not a big fan of Martz....but imagine what he could do with Quinn!!!
6. Mike Singletary
San Francisco 49ers assistant head coach/defense
He has never been a coordinator or a head coach, but his name is going to come up because as an ex-player who gets a ton of respect from the players that play for him. That's huge because gaining the respect of the players is half the battle in becoming a good NFL head coach and Singletary will have that from Day 1. He is not as polished right now as you may want, but he is still learning and a great fit for an organization that will allow its coach to grow on the go.
Wow....the jury is out, but he sure is making a mess right now!!!
7. Russ Grimm
Arizona Cardinals assistant head coach/offensive line coach
Grimm's name has come up in several places over the past few seasons and will again this year. He is tough, but fair and everywhere he has been, the players had a lot of respect for him. He is not real flashy and might be a step behind some of the guys mentioned ahead of him on this list in the Xs and Os area, but give him two solid coordinators and he will be fine because he is the type of guy that sees the entire big picture. That is more important then trying to be an offensive or defensive genius, as other NFL failures in the past have been labeled.
Right now he is AHC/OLC for Zona...and their offense is kicking it, big time!!!
8. Rob Ryan
Oakland defensive coordinator
Some say the Raiders defense has underachieved at times this season, but how consistent can you be on defense when you get inconsistent performances on offense every single week? Last season, there was a lot of animosity between the offense, defense and some of the coaching staff, but it was Ryan who worked behind the scenes to keep the team together. Some were lobbying for him to get the job this year and he has the coaching pedigree to be successful. The coaches that work for him and the players that play for him swear by him. He deserves an opportunity to take the next step.
Kiffin tried to get rid of him...and their D is terrible...so pass on this one.
9. Jim Haslett
St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator
Like Martz, he would fall into the retread category. Haslett has done a very good job with a Rams defense that is beat up and void of big time playmakers. Haslett made some mistakes as a head coach in New Orleans, but I'm willing to bet he has learned from them and will have more success the second time around.
HC of Rams...he isn't going anywhere!
10. Rob Chudzinski
Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator
You could make a case for him being the assistant coach of the year. In one season he has taken a historically terrible Browns offense and made it one of the best in the NFL. He has been a winner everywhere he has been, whether it was a player or coach at the University of Miami or his stint in San Diego under Schottenheimer. He is young, talented and knows the game. It might be a little early, but his time is coming.
I don't think he is ready. He showed signs...but unless the offense takes off in a big way under Quinn...I don't see him as a real option.
Anyway, interesting options.
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Isn't Martz with SF now?
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That wouldn't go against what I said. I said bad football teams. I agree he turns around underachieving ones.
I don't knock Marty with the old can't win the big one. Just like with Cowher. You get down to that part of the season and anything can happen.
My reasoning for not going for Marty are age and that to me it seems like reaching back into Browns past for glory. Of course if Marty came to CLE again, I'd welcome him w/ open arms. But I like Cowher or Mooch as an option more than Cowher.
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