2012 NFL Offseason Thread

[chuckymack]

I tend to think that McNair was a good quarterback who could play great -- at times. Kind of in the same range as Randall Cunningam, Boomer Esiason, or more recently, Rich Gannon.

And I'd take Stephen Jackson over Eddie George any day of the week.

[BBTV]

Brian Billick? I see him as a total failure. Granted, he won a Super Bowl thanks to his defense, but he was a supposed offensive mastermind who couldn't put together a solid offense despite having potential hall of famers at TL and TE. I don't get why he is mentioned as a hot candidate now.

As for the 2011 Rams being more talented than the 99 Titans - no. Eddie George was one of the top RBs in football for a few years and he averaged 4.1 ypc in 1999. The Titans also had some pretty good receivers, though nothing compared to the Rams. McNair might not be a hall of famer, but he was a borderline great QB and one hell of a competitor.

This is one of the reasons why I don't understand why in the world teams think that being the OC or DC of a top O or D automatically qualifies someone as being a good head coach. Some HCs are more hands on than others, but most of the time they are hiring coordinators of their own to handle things. Being a "hot" OC or DC doesn't mean that you necessarily have any of what it takes to be a good HC. I'm sure that there are plenty of guys who would make great HCs that are toiling as line coaches or position coaches, not even as coordinators.

[WJMorris3]

I wouldn't even trust Brian Billick to win an episode of Match Game, much less be an NFL head coach these days.

[The_Admiral]

I tend to think that McNair was a good quarterback who could play great -- at times. Kind of in the same range as Randall Cunningam, Boomer Esiason, or more recently, Rich Gannon.

But McNair had the added dimension of being one of the gutsiest SOBs we've ever seen in the league. And I think he won an MVP or two.

Oh, and Rich Gannon was a bust.

[dfwabel]

Dolphins talk to Chip Kelly's agent

And Mark Davis, both Pete Rose and Jimmy Connors called. Each wanted their three decades old haircut back before Elton John and Moe Howard got in touch with you.

[rams80]

As a kind-of Raiders fan (my family is entirely made up of Raiders fans, but the Patriots are Number One in my heart), here's hoping the next coach can finally finish the rebuilding process, so that this team can at least compete regularly in the craptastic division that is the AFC West.

Jeff Fisher, please. I know it's not going to happen, but it's a nice thought.

Jeff Fisher.

17 seasons...6 playoff appearances.

7 season at 8-8 or 7-9.

The Rams have a .188 winning percentage over the last 5 years. I would kill for that success right about now.

[DEAD!]

The Rams have a .188 winning percentage over the last 5 years. I would kill for that success right about now.

I would suggest Kim Jong-Il ... but somehow, he found out and beat me to it.

[TFoA]

The Falcons now have an opening at both coordinator positions. Brian Van Gorder was hired by Auburn to become their Defensive Coordinator (good move for them. He's MUCH better on the collegiate level), & Mike Mularkey has become the new Head Coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars (head scratcher there.).

[tBBP]

In news no one cares about...

...Redskins appear to be eyeballing Mo-Mo. And speaking of Mo-Mo's former team...

...the Buccaneers are wanting someone with previous experience. Some of the names being bandied about: Brad Childress (uhh...no), Wade Phillips (ehh...I'll pass), Marty Schottenheimer (I can do without MartyBall in Tampa), Mike Zimmer (as in the Bengals' defensive coordinator--I think he'd be a good candidate), and Mike Sherman (hmmm...muy interesante).

Linky

FALSE EDIT: hold up...someone took a flyer on Mike Mularkey as a head coach? Figures it'd be Jacksonville...head scratcher there, indeed.

[The_Admiral]

Mike Mularkey has become the new Head Coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars (head scratcher there.).

Operation Farmers Or St. Louis Venue To Be Determined

[pmoehrin]

As a kind-of Raiders fan (my family is entirely made up of Raiders fans, but the Patriots are Number One in my heart), here's hoping the next coach can finally finish the rebuilding process, so that this team can at least compete regularly in the craptastic division that is the AFC West.

Jeff Fisher, please. I know it's not going to happen, but it's a nice thought.

Jeff Fisher.

17 seasons...6 playoff appearances.

7 season at 8-8 or 7-9.

The Rams have a .188 winning percentage over the last 5 years. I would kill for that success right about now.

Fisher has a career .542 winning percentage and his teams are hardly ever bad.

I'll take that over changing my head coach every two-three years when he fails to be .500 for the year. More then half the leagues coaches have less then four years of experience with their current club. I don't know how you can expect to have any sense of order you have a head coach who knows that in almost every game he's coaching for his job. Yeah some guys deserve to be fired but if a team is on their third or fourth coach in a decade, its not that they keep hiring bad head coaches. That team just sucks. I don't think its a coincidence either that the teams playing merry go round with their coaches like the Browns, Lions, Redskins, Dolphins, Bills, Chiefs, Bucs hardly ever win. While the teams that actually stick with a guy for more then a couple seasons like the Packers, Eagles, Giants, Steelers, Saints, Ravens are more likely to have a bad season or two and then bounce back like nothing happened.

Even if you don't have the best coach in the league I think just having a guy you know for a fact is going to be there can go much further then most teams think otherwise you would not be seeing this many firings.

[chuckymack]

I tend to think that McNair was a good quarterback who could play great -- at times. Kind of in the same range as Randall Cunningam, Boomer Esiason, or more recently, Rich Gannon.

But McNair had the added dimension of being one of the gutsiest SOBs we've ever seen in the league. And I think he won an MVP or two.

Oh, and Rich Gannon was a bust.

Steve McNair won ONE MVP award, same as Esiason, Cunningham and Gannon. Which I think trumps your 'Gannon's a bust' statement.

[pmoehrin]

I tend to think that McNair was a good quarterback who could play great -- at times. Kind of in the same range as Randall Cunningam, Boomer Esiason, or more recently, Rich Gannon.

But McNair had the added dimension of being one of the gutsiest SOBs we've ever seen in the league. And I think he won an MVP or two.

Oh, and Rich Gannon was a bust.

Steve McNair won ONE MVP award, same as Esiason, Cunningham and Gannon. Which I think trumps your 'Gannon's a bust' statement.

To be fair going by the Ricky Bobby theory theory of QB's (If you ain't first, you're last), Rich Gannon was a terrible quarterback.

[chuckymack]

Back on topic, I can't believe it's taken this long for Schottenheimer's name to be bandied about again. You'd have thought he'd went 2-14 in his last season instead of 14-2.

In regards to the Mularkey hire: While I think it's an odd choice, maybe he's learned something since his last gig. I'm sure Jags fans hope he has. Also, some dude named Belichick didn't exactly 'wow' people with his first coaching stint, either -- and we all know how that turned out.

[pmoehrin]

Back on topic, I can't believe it's taken this long for Schottenheimer's name to be bandied about again. You'd have thought he'd went 2-14 in his last season instead of 14-2.

The fact that he was fired because he clashed with his GM I feel had alot to do with why it took so long for him to be looked at again.

Anyone who runs a football team has an ego. I'm in this position because I'm smarter then you. It just goes with the territory. So when they run up against somebody with the same attitude who disagrees with the direction of the team, your gonna have problems. I think alot of people in front offices around the league at the time were on AJ Smith's side for why Schottenheimer got fired. Who is Marty Schottenheimer to question the guy that had the best run at the NFL Draft of any GM in recent memory? One of those two guys had to go. It was not going to work out between them. Too many things had been said, too many bridges had been burned.

Now I think the feeling now is that AJ Smith fired Marty Schottenheimer, because Marty Schottenheimer was never his guy, he got stuck with him as head coach when he came in and felt like he wasn't going to get the type of credit he deserved as long as Marty Schottenheimer was the head coach of that team. The truth of what really happened probably lies somewhere in the middle. Personally I don't think either one really felt like they had to answer much to the other and the issue was never addressed as much as it could have been by either of them, and definitely think had AJ Smith been the guy to hire Marty Schottenheimer it would have solved alot of those issues. Schottenheimer would have coached the Chargers much longer and might still even be coaching the team.

I don't think GM's are scared anymore that Schottenheimer is going to basically be a control freak and just try to take over the entire way the team runs.

[Cujo]

Speaking of the Schottenheimers....

Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has left the team to "explore other options" and the team has already replaced him with former Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano.

[CS85]

I'm hoping that I don't wake up tomorrow to the news that the Bears are giving Ruskell GM duties. Please, if there is any sort of higher power, he cannot allow such a cruel fleeting hope to be dashed with such an ignorant move.

[rams80]

I tend to think that McNair was a good quarterback who could play great -- at times. Kind of in the same range as Randall Cunningam, Boomer Esiason, or more recently, Rich Gannon.

But McNair had the added dimension of being one of the gutsiest SOBs we've ever seen in the league. And I think he won an MVP or two.

Oh, and Rich Gannon was a bust.

Steve McNair won ONE MVP award, same as Esiason, Cunningham and Gannon. Which I think trumps your 'Gannon's a bust' statement.

It took Gannon more than a decade to encounter success. Nowadays he'd have been written off as a bust before he ever got the chance in Oakland.

[pmoehrin]

Speaking of the Schottheimers....

Jets OC Brian Schottenheimer has left the team and the team has already replaced him with former Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano.

That's probably the least surprising coaching change of the offseason. Rex defended him the whole season, but Brian Schottenheimer had to go if they weren't going to get rid of Sanchez. Just can't justify keeping your OC on the staff if your in the low 20's in both passing and rushing and have no plans to make wholesale changes to that side of the ball. I don't think he was/is a bad OC, I think it just wasn't a good fit.

He may go with his dad if he's hired in Tampa. I think he'll get a high level assistant job elsewhere if he doesn't.

[FiddySicks]

In news no one cares about...

...Redskins appear to be eyeballing Mo-Mo. And speaking of Mo-Mo's former team...

...the Buccaneers are wanting someone with previous experience. Some of the names being bandied about: Brad Childress (uhh...no), Wade Phillips (ehh...I'll pass), Marty Schottenheimer (I can do without MartyBall in Tampa), Mike Zimmer (as in the Bengals' defensive coordinator--I think he'd be a good candidate), and Mike Sherman (hmmm...muy interesante).

Linky

FALSE EDIT: hold up...someone took a flyer on Mike Mularkey as a head coach? Figures it'd be Jacksonville...head scratcher there, indeed.

Every single one of the names on Tampa's list of candidates makes me want to puke, except Ol' Marty. That's still a huge stretch, but if there's anyone who'll break their foot off in the ass of a player with attitude problems (which is basically the entire team), it's him. IMO, that's exactly what they need right now.