With Black Monday under way there are 8 head coaching vacancies, thus far. I thought it would be cool to sit down and rank them from best to worst. (this list will be updated as more head coaching news comes in)
1. Green Bay: This job has everything. Patient ownership, storied legacy, all time QB, and an improving defense. The challenge in Green Bay will be revamping the offense around Rodgers and Devante Adams and finding a running game.
2. Cleveland: Let’s just call this a tie for the number one spot. The Browns have a top ten QB in Baker Mayfield who has played just as well as any QB in the league in December. They have a ton of talent on defense and still some draft capital to use this off season. Cleveland needs to add some weapons for Mayfield but this team would have made the playoffs had they fired Hue Jackson two weeks earlier than they did.
3. New York Jets: Throw out Darnold’s game against the Patriots and he played just as well as Mayfield in December. That said the Jets have the most work to do of any of the jobs on this list. They need to fix the O line add weapons, find a running game, and fix a pass rush that was nonexistent yet again this year. Simply put outside of Darnold and Jamal Adams this roster is a wasteland.
4. Arizona: The Jets get the edge over the Cardinals because Josh Rosen needs a clean slate in 2019. I still love Rosen but will readily admit he didn’t show much in 2018. The Cardinals do however own the number one pick and have a decent defense. If you can fix the O line, add another pass rusher and get David Johnson back to his prime this team can be competitive next year.
5. Tampa Bay: What sets the Buccaneers apart from the teams below them is one simple truth. Jamies Winston, though not the best, is a viable starting NFL QB. A QB who might intrigue a young offensive mind, a QB that can be fixed. On a team with a great wide receiving core, with an offense that can potentially be fixed with one or two personnel moves. The defense showed improvement down the stretch as well.
6. Denver: Here’s the Pitch. Talented young playmakers on offense. A stellar pass rush, and being a Corner Back away from again being a dominant defense. The down side is the Broncos will most likely be searching for a QB this off season and Denver has some of the highest expectations for coaches in the league.
7. Cincinnati: This job may already belong to Hue Jackson or Vance Joseph according to multiple reports, but whoever gets the Bengals job will have to fix a putrid defense and potentially find a new QB. On the upside though the Bengals job may be the most secure in the NFL. Mike Brown likes to give his guys a lot of time. Look at Lewis’s 16 years with no playoff wins.
8. Miami: A meh roster, no real blue chip players, and searching for a new QB. This is by far the least attractive job in the league.