The NFL postseason splits the league into two sides: those competing for the Lombardi and those who will spend their winter and spring going back to the drawing board. The guillotine came down swiftly on a few head coaches and general managers on Monday. Tuesday was the complete contrast with Eagles head coach Andy Reid and Chargers head coach Norv Turner as well as general manager A.J. Smith given a reprieve for their disappointing 2011 campaign.
With the next few weeks dedicated to the playoffs and the weeks following that expected to be occupied by Combine workouts, hot stove rumors and the actual NFL Draft, I felt like now was the best time to strike to give my ten cents(because my two cents is free) on who should fill these coaching vacancies and also weigh in on the jobs that aren't yet available but should be.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Miami Dolphins(6-10)
2010 Head Coach: Tony Sparano/Todd Bowles
What Needs To Be Fixed: First and foremost, this team needs a quarterback. Matt Moore did a decent job taking over for Chad Henne and helping the team from the bottom of the basement to a respectable 6-10 finish. Moore's not the answer, and the team's late surge kicked them out of the Andrew Luck/Robert Griffin III range they seemed poised to be stuck in after Miami's 0-8 start. The team could also use a boost to the pass defense, which was 25th in the league and doesn't have much of a pass rush beyond OLB Cameron Wake with long-time pass rusher Jason Taylor hanging them up.
Reasons For Hope: The Dolphins did manage to pull off the seemingly impossible by making a legit running back out of Reggie Bush after Bush failed to be more than a big name in New Orleans. The former USC standout and #2 overall pick notched his first 1,000 yard season this year and the Dolphins also have youngster Daniel Thomas to be both a change-of-pace back and a adequate backup for Bush's obligatory injuries. The Dolphins also did a good job stuffing the run this year, finishing 6th in rush defense.
The Man For The Job: Ex-Titans head coach Jeff Fisher - The team flew in Fisher in owner Stephen Ross' personal helicopter this afternoon and the former Titans head man is believed to be one of the Phins' four potential candidates along with Bears special teams coach Dave Toub, Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine and interim coach Todd Bowles. Fisher doesn't solve the Dolphins' need for a jolt on offense but Miami's tried to go the offensive route the last two times and failed with Sparano and Cam Cameron before him. Fisher's a seasoned vet who never should have been unceremoniously tossed out of Tennessee and the time has come for Fisher to get back in the game. With either the 8th or 9th pick in this year's Draft(pending a coin flip), Miami could try to make a move upward to get Heisman winner Robert Griffin III or sign a vet like Kyle Orton or, even better, Packers backup Matt Flynn. Fisher's acumen as a defensive-minded coach and as former defensive back will be beneficial to a team that was putrid against the pass and also has one of the best young cornerback duos in Vontae Davis and Sean Smith.
St. Louis Rams(2-14)
2010 Head Coach: Steve Spagnuolo
What Needs To Be Fixed: To put it plainly, everything. The Rams featured one of the worst offenses in recent memory this past season, thanks in large part to injuries to key members like QB Sam Bradford, RB Steven Jackson and wideouts Danny Amendola and Michael Clayton. The team made a trade for Broncos receiver Brandon Lloyd, who was familiar with Josh McDaniels' offense from their time together in Denver, but Lloyd and Bradford never got time to really develop chemistry thanks to a litany of Bradford injuries. Bradford's time in the infirmary might have something to do with the offensive line's inability to protect him. St. Louis allowed 55 sacks this past season and, by season's end, injuries forced the Rams to start Kellen Clemens at QB, whom they picked up off the street a couple weeks prior. Defensively, Spags lived up to his billing in bringing a fierce pass defense to that table, but even the '85 Bears are going to give up ground to opposing offenses if they are spending too much time on the field because of an anemic offense.
Reasons For Hope: The team has the benefit of having one of the game's best young QB's in Bradford, last year's Rookie of the Year. Jackson is also a premier every-down back even if his odometer is pretty high at only 28. Lloyd's a free agent and reports are surfacing that his chances of coming back to The Lou are tied to McDaniels returning as well. The team is also sitting pretty with the #2 pick as they can pretty much ask for a king's ransom from a team wanting RGIII or stay put and grab a wideout like Oklahoma St.'s Justin Blackmon. On defense, the team has some talent in guys like LB James Laurinaitis, S Quintin Mikell and DE's Chris Long and Robert Quinn.
The Man For The Job: Rams Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels - The Rams are in the Jeff Fisher Sweepstakes and I understand it's hard to justify promoting a guy who just helped lead the league's worst offense. That being said, McDaniels didn't have the benefit of a full training camp or a full season out of his star QB. It's hard to hold a man fully accountable under those circumstances. Plus, you'd be doing Bradford a disservice by forcing him to learn a third different offense in as many years. McDaniels knows this team and, if his presence allows the team to retain Lloyd, it may be worth giving him a shot. You aren't going to find too many high profile coaches who will want a reclamation project like this Rams team. With Bradford, Jackson, Lloyd, Quinn, Long, Laurinaitis and the #2 pick, McDaniels already has more young talent than he ever did in Denver. He's young. He's fiery and he deserves another chance.
Tampa Bay Bucs(4-12)
2010 Head Coach: Raheem Morris
What Needs To Be Fixed: Maybe I was a year too late in my prediction of Morris getting canned. With all the promise this team showed last season and the expectations coming into this year, you wonder if this season's letdown was more the team quitting on Morris than any glaring holes. The team has drafted well for the last couple years and if there are any huge needs it's a coach who can get these young kids focused and a every down running back since current starter LaGarrette Blount is a liability on passing downs thanks to his stone hands and inability to throw a block.
Reasons For Hope: There's young talent EVERYWHERE on this Bucs team. From QB Josh Freeman to WRs Arrellious Benn and Mike Williams to DE's Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers to LB Mason Foster to CB Aqib Talib, Tampa Bay is stacked. Add the fact that this team is picking 5th in a loaded draft and this may be the most worthwhile job on the market....for a coach who isn't afraid to put boot to ass.
The Man For The Job: Patriots Offensive Coordinator Bill O'Brien - This job would have been perfect for Bill Parcells 10 years ago because nobody's better in getting his players in check than The Tuna. Parcells has hung 'em up, however, so why not go to the well with a member from the Parcells tree. O'Brien showed he's not afraid to get up in a player's grill by going toe-to-toe with Tom Brady on the sidelines a couple weeks ago. If O'Brien isn't scared to tell Tom Terrific where to go(or say "Thanks, but no thanks" to Penn State), then he should have no problem telling the knuckleheads on this Bucs team where they can shove it. O'Brien has already received interest from the Jaguars and, before that, Penn State before telling the Nittany Lions he'll pass. As the brains behind one of the most explosive offenses in football, O'Brien could shake things up for Bucs team that's high on potential but was low on results this year. He'd have to get Freeman back into 2009 form but I imagine that won't be that difficult and, with the help from a skilled defensive coordinator, O'Brien could have the Bucs back on top in the NFC South quickly.
Jacksonville Jaguars(5-11)
2010 Head Coach: Jack Del Rio/Mel Tucker
What Needs To Be Fixed: The case can be made that no team is in more of a need for a star receiver than the Jacksonville Jaguars. How this team expected Blaine Gabbert to succeed with Jason Hill and Mike Thomas as his top targets is beyond me. The team tried bringing Mike Sims-Walker back after a brief stint in St. Louis but MSW lasted all of ten seconds before hitting the IR. Top corner Rashean Mathis is a free agent and his potential departure would be a blow to the team. The Jags also need to work on their offensive line after allowing 44 sacks this season.
Reasons For Hope: The allure of the Jaguars job is based on what you think of the potential of Blaine Gabbert. If you believe he's an Alshon Jeffery and some protection away from being another in a long line of rising young QB's, then this job might be enticing to you. If you think Gabbert has bust written all over him, then you'll have your work cut out for you. One guy whom the jury is not still out on is 2011 rushing champion Maurice Jones-Drew. On an offense that scared nobody with the threat of the pass, MoJo D still went for a little over 1,600 yards and 8 TD's(while throwing in another 374 and 3 scores through the air for good measure). Defensively, the unit finished in the top 10 in three of the four main categories(total yards, passing, and rushing) and finished 11th in scoring defense, so there's hope there(However, it should be noted that these numbers are with Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub, two guys the Jags will face twice a year, missing 3 of the 4 games they were expected to play against Jacksonville). The Jaguars will pick 7th this year and, with so many picks already used on the offensive line and addressing the defense, the time has come for this team to get Gabbert a tag team partner. South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery hasn't declared for the draft yet but, if he does, he'd be the perfect Calvin Johnson to Gabbert's Matt Stafford and could be available when the team goes on the clock.
The Man For The Job: Panthers Offensive Coordinator Rob Chudzinski - The man who gets this job should be someone who can groom Gabbert into being the star that the Jags thought he would be when Jacksonville used the 10th pick in the draft on him last year. That may be why the Jaguars' top three candidates are all offensive-minded guys. The Patriots' Bill O'Brien and the Jets' Kurt Schottenheimer are atop the list along with Chudzinski for the Jags' head coaching job. Chudzinski makes a ton of sense because he took an offense that was hard to watch last year and molded it into the 5th best scoring offense in the league while turning eventual Rookie of the Year Cam Newton into an instant superstar. Gabbert may not possess all of Newton's talents but he obviously had enough potential that even Carolina was considering him with the top pick before settling on Newton. With some improvements to the recieving core along with Chudzinski's tutelage of Gabbert and the continued production from MoJo, the Jags could be a scary offense next year and that, combined with their underrated defense, could make them a player in a wide open AFC South next year.
Kansas City Chiefs(7-9)
2010 Head Coach: Todd Haley/Romeo Crennel
What Needs To Be Fixed: Unless the team hires God as its coach, nobody is going to be able to fix this team's biggest problem: injuries. Within the first three weeks of the season, the team lost its star RB in Jamaal Charles, its best safety in Eric Berry and its top tight end in Tony Moeaki to season-ending injuries. By Thanksgiving, QB Matt Cassel was on the injured reserve and the biggest contributors to the Chiefs' late-season success were Kyle Orton(picked up off waivers from Denver) and kicker Ryan Succop. Still, the team can't rely on getting back all of its stars next season. The team needs to find a way to shore up the 26th ranked run defense as well as find a pass rusher to take pressure off Pro Bowl LB Tamba Hali. Kansas City also needs to figure out who will be their signal caller in 2012 with Orton a free agent and Cassel underwhelming in his first couple of years in Arrowhead.
Reasons For Hope: It says something about this team's talent(as well as the weakness of the division) that they finished a game out of first despite a majority of their best players on the sidelines. Romeo Crennel led a smothering defense after taking over for Todd Haley and that was on full display in the team's huge upset of the Green Bay Packers a few weeks ago. With Charles, Berry and Cassel(possibly) back in the fold next year, it's hard not to like KC's chances of winning the division for the second time in three years next year.
The Man For The Job: Ex-Ravens head coach Brian Billick - Billick rode the coattails of the late 90's Randy Moss/Cris Carter Vikings teams as Minnesota's offensive coordinator to bill himself as a offensive genius and parlayed that billing into a head coaching job with the Ravens. Once with Baltimore, Billick rode the coattails of arguably the best defense this generation has ever seen to win himself a Super Bowl in 2000. Truth be told, Romeo Crennel deserves to keep this job but, even with how the team responded this year, it's hard to look past Crennel's failure as the head coach in Cleveland. With Billick, the team would get a seasoned coach with alleged offensive genius that he could dispose on a team whose offense features one of the game's best dual-threat backs in Charles as well as a underrated wideout trio in Dwayne Bowe, Jon Baldwin and Steve Breaston. You'd like to see a scenario where Crennel returns to coach the defense but it might be farfetched for a man to go back to his old role after having a taste as the lead dog and then watching that job go to someone else. The first order of business for Billick or whomever is figuring out whether it wants to give Cassel another chance to be this team's franchise QB or look elsewhere. Oklahoma QB Landry Jones is a name that has been linked to the Chiefs or the team could try the free agent market once again with a guy like Matt Flynn or perhaps making a move(as has been rumored) for Peyton Manning. A trade for Manning might be unlikely but, if it happens, his presence on this young team makes them instant Super Bowl contenders and would give Billick yet another star to ride for his own personal gain.
NOT AVAILABLE.....BUT SHOULD BE
San Diego Chargers(8-8)
2010 Head Coach: Norv Turner
What Needs To Be Fixed: The defense failed San Diego this year, giving an average of 22 points per game while finishing 13th against the pass and 20th against the run. Years of letting key guys like Jamal Williams and Shawne Merriman go and replacing them with unproductive parts like Larry English and Corey Liuget came back to haunt the Chargers this year and led them to yet another disappointing season without the playoffs. The running game fell apart down the stretch, too. Second-year back Ryan Mathews had a decent bounceback year, with 1,061 yards and 6 touchdowns but couldn't shake the injury bug for the second year in a row. Backup Mike Tolbert didn't do much to spell Mathews either, leading the Chargers to 16th rushing attack. Making matters worse, former Bolt Darren Sproles was allowed to walk and had a career year with the Saints.
Reasons For Hope: As much as I disagree with Turner and GM A.J. Smith being allowed to stay, you can't argue with Turner's results on offense. Phillip Rivers had yet another productive season and the team got the numbers out of Vincent Jackson that it hoped to get last year when the receiver held out for most of the regular season. The trio of Rivers, Mathews and Jackson along with TE Antonio Gates and WR Malcolm Floyd give the Chargers one of the most talented offenses in the league. With that said, any hope for this Chargers team is somewhat muffled by the presence of Turner, who has squandered opportunity after opportunity since taking over for Marty Schottenheimer. It amazes me that Schottenheimer couldn't survive a 14-2 season but Turner can keep his job after missing the playoffs for the second year in a row. The same goes for Smith, who hasn't hit on a draft pick in years and continues to look foolish every time a player leaves San Diego and does better in a different place. If anything, watching Drew Brees set the single-season passing record this season for the Saints should have been enough to get Smith canned(You know, since watching Brees win a Super Bowl wasn't enough).
The Man For The Job: Ex-Bucs head coach Jon Gruden - My reasoning behind this isn't even that I want Gruden out of the Monday Night Football booth, though I'd be lying if that wasn't part of it. Has there been a more perfect situation for Chucky than this Chargers team? Think about it. Gruden excels at benefiting from coming into situations with ready-made teams that he doesn't have to do much tinkering to. He's like the guy who inherits the defending champion in a keeper league because the previous owner moved away. Anyone who has listened to Gruden drool over Rivers during the MNF broadcasts knows he'd jump at the chance to leave the booth and coach the Chargers. Of course, Gruden doesn't really help a slumping defense, which is what the Chargers really need, but it's clearly going to take someone with some legit pedigree to oust Turner from this job. So, unless Bill Cowher wants the job, Gruden makes a ton of sense. Gruden would be able to fill two roles, since he wouldn't take the job unless he could build the team, too, which spares Chargers fans from Smith's horrible drafting and replaces it with Chucky's slightly-less-dysmal drafting. It also gives Gruden the opportunity to stick it to the Raiders, though I imagine that desire no longer exists with Al Davis no longer with us.
Dallas Cowboys (8-8)
2010 Head Coach: Jason Garrett
What Needs To Be Fixed: The biggest detriment to Dallas' success has less to do with who is coaching the team and more to do with who owns them. Jerry Jones has hamstrung his Cowboys with foolish trades(the Roy Williams deal, for one), bad free agent spending(The T.O. catastrophe) and even more horrid drafting(Felix Jones over Chris Johnson, anyone?). Now, you obviously can't fire the owner but the Cowboys' best years came when they had someone with a strong enough personality to tell Jerry Jones to keep his biodegradable face out of the War Room(Bill Parcells, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer). Whoever gets the job(once it comes available) will have to do something with this secondary, since not even Rob Ryan could. The Cowboys' pass defense was an opposing quarterback's dream, and that's even with a nightmare like DeMarcus Ware wreaking havoc. This Cowboys defensive unit doesn't cover, doesn't hit and, beyond Ware, doesn't pressure the QB. On offense, the team got a steal in RB DeMarco Murray but he has to prove he can stay healthy since we know Felix Jones can't. The same has to be said for Tony Romo, who has to shake off the injury bug as well as his trademark late-game jitters. Romo's been the Cowboys' franchise QB for six years. He's produced ONE playoff win. At some point, he's either the answer or the problem and Jones is clearly too wrapped up in his Romo love to decide.
Reasons For Hope: The Cowboys have some nice pieces left over from the Parcells era: Romo, Miles Austin, Jason Witten, Ware, Terrance Newman(though his best days might be behind him), Mike Jenkins(same). Even Jones has managed to snag a couple good pieces in Murray, WR Dez Bryant and OT Tyron Smith. The Cowboys are built to contend, but for some reason, they can't get over the hump. In previous years, it was blamed on Wade Phillips' passive aggressiveness. The last couple years, the blame was put on Garrett's playcalling. Whatever it is that's holding Dallas back, it's the job of Jones to find it and fix it.....even if it means pulling himself away and allowing someone more accomplished to take the reins.
The Man For The Job: Ex=Steelers head coach Bill Cowher - Sorry, Steeler fans, but this may be inevitable. The Cowboys lack leadership and need someone who isn't afraid to crack some heads and get in his players' faces and there's nothing more intimidating than the burly chin and flying spittle of an angry Bill Cowher. Cowher brings a reputation from his time in Pittsburgh that Jones will have to respect and, while Cowher wasn't exactly the architect of those great Steeler teams, he knows how to build a winner. In Dallas, he'd already have his vaunted 3-4 scheme in place and the pieces to make it work. All Cowher would have to do is some fine-tuning. The Cowboys are also close enough to contention to lure Cowher out of retirement. A high profile job like this one requires a high profile coach and it requires a man's man who won't take any guff from the players or from Jones and maybe, just maybe, he might even convince Romo to grow a pair.
Philadelphia Eagles(8-8)
2010 Head Coach: Andy Reid
What Needs To Be Fixed: Despite spending more than a decade in the same division as Dan Snyder, Andy Reid didn't get the memo that trying to build a championship team by throwing wads of cash at every top free agent out there doesn't work. Maybe the combination of all those egos wasn't the reason for Philly's undoing but the lack of production from their well-paid mercenaries was certianly the cause. Asante Samuel was so distraught over the Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie acquisitions that he went into the tank early. Meanwhile, Asomugha and Cromartie flopped in Year 1 as Eagles. As for the rest of the defense, the team never really picked up Juan Castillo's scheme and the run defense, long the Achilles' heel of these Eagles teams, was terrible yet again. On offense, the Eagles' fears of giving a long-term deal to Michael Vick were realized when Vick couldn't stay healthy behind a leaky offensive line. Vick missed just three games but was knocked out of a few more as his style of play combined with a lack of protection made him an easy target for defenses that knew the key to beating Philly was putting Vick on the sidelines.
Reasons For Hope: When Vick is healthy and able to stand upright, he leads an explosive offense. Obviously, the DeSean Jackson contract situation is a problem but if Jackson and the team can reach agreement on a new deal, he's one component to a deep offense that includes RB LeSean McCoy, TE Brent Celek and fellow WR Jeremy Maclin. The defense has its share of star power, too. Sameul's going to be a goner but you could do a lot worse than Cromartie and Asomugha as your starting corners. The Eagles have excellent bookends at defensive end in pass rushers Jason Babin and Trent Cole and some gerth inside in Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson.
The Man For The Job: Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Morninweg - At some point, Reid has to take the blame for this team's lack of success beyond a few playoff berths and some NFC Championship appearences. Reid squandered a decade of Donovan McNabb's prime and a great comeback from Mike Vick with his trademark bad clock management and inability to convert in short-yardage and red zone situations. The system works. Reid doesn't. Morninweg may have flopped in Detroit as the head coach but he also never had the amount of talent with the Lions that he does in Philadelphia. Like Jeff Fisher in Tennessee, Reid has worn out his welcome and needs to be held accountable for not being able to maintain the high level of success that this franchise once had in previous years. By giving the spot to Morninweg, you aren't forcing Vick to have to learn a new offense after he's finally come along as a pocket passer after years of trying to win games with his feet. It's time for the team to move on and Reid can't continue to float by pointing the fingers at inept coordinators. Morningweg is going to get a second chance somewhere thanks to his good work commandeering this Eagles offense, so why not in a place he's already familiar with?
Indianapolis Colts(2-14)
2010 Head Coach: Jim Caldwell
What Needs To Be Fixed: No matter how "shocked" Peyton Manning says he is over the Polians being fired this week, it was well-deserved. This franchise hasn't hit on a draft pick in years and its reliance on Manning to carry them was never more evident than this season. Obviously, the Colts had key injuries beyond Manning, as guys like Gary Brackett, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis and Dallas Clark all missed time but it was the Polians' job to get this team some depth and they failed miserably. The defense finished near the bottom in every catagory besides pass defense(where they were 16th). The offense, sans Manning, also ranked at the bottom in every catagory. Now, the team not only has to deal with the potential departure of longtime Manning buddy Reggie Wayne, but possibly Manning himself, depending on #18's willingness to stick with the team after it drafts Andrew Luck in April with the #1 pick.
Reasons For Hope: Beyond the fact that they have the pleasure of choosing between Peyton Manning, arguably the greatest QB of all-time, and Andrew Luck, the greatest QB prospect in decades, to be their starting QB, there isn't much to be happy about. The team doesn't have a capable running back. The receiving core is decent, but is filled with guys who can't stay healthy from Austin Collie to Anthony Gonzalez to Dallas Clark. The defense doesn't have much behind Freeney, Mathis and Brackett(all three on the decline of their careers) and the offensive line is still a work in progress. As great as nabbing the top pick is for the franchise and being able to secure an heir apparent for Manning, Andrew Luck can't make the tackles for the defense or catch his own passes. Still, the team's picking first in every round of a deep draft and, if Manning is healthy and available to trade, the Colts could get a nice deal for him.
The Man For The Job: Bengals Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer - Zimmer isn't the sexiest of choices but he's a guy who has gone without a head coaching job for too long. If Manning stays, the need for an offensive-minded coach is no longer neccessary because Manning practically doubles as the offensive coordinator anyway. If Manning leaves, getting someone who can mentor a QB is going to be key even with Luck's smarts and ability to pick up an offense quick. Zimmer is the right call because this team's success came when the defense was up to par with Manning's offense. Zimmer worked wonders with a Bengals defense that had less big names than what's currently in Indy. With a good draft and some hard work, Zimmer could get the Colts back on track in a soft AFC South. Luck is a cornerstone piece and if Indy can swing Manning into something of value OR keep Manning and allow him to spearhead the offense while showing Luck the ropes, that's a hell of a start for this franchise. As for Caldwell, he'll get a pass this year because it wasn't his fault that his best player went down and the guys in charge of building a team couldn't do their job but Caldwell hasn't shown me much to think he's nothing more than a lame duck. The team needs an identity on defense to go along with the identity it will eventually have on offense with either Manning or Luck.
Minnesota Vikings(3-13)
2010 Head Coach: Leslie Frazier
What Needs To Be Fixed: Truth be told, I thought Frazier was fired weeks ago. I was certain of it because I couldn't think of a legit reason why he wouldn't be following this season. The Vikings started off the year blowing double-digit leads every game in the opening month. How does one survive that? It wasn't until I didn't hear any talk of a Minnesota opening that I had to Google to see if Frazier still had a job. Either way, the Vikings have some work to do. For starters, a offensive line that gave up 49 sacks needs to be revamped. As much of a knucklehead as Bryant McKinnie might have been, he looks like Anthony Munoz compared to the guys they have on that line. The line is so bad that you forget Pro Bowl G Steve Hutchinson is even on it. Making matters worse, we may have seen the last of Adrian Peterson as an upper echelon running back. Name me a running back who was ever the same from a torn ACL and MCL. Willis McGahee wasn't the same after blowing out his knee in the Fiesta Bowl. Neither was Jamal Lewis. Wes Welker bounced back but he's also not a RB. Behind AP, there's Toby Gerhart, so there might as well be nobody at all. Even if Peterson has an amazing recovery from this injury, the team should invest in a backup plan. The receiving core needs work, too. Percy Harvin emerged as a solid wideout but he's oft-injured. Beyond him, there isn't much. The team was smart to not re-sign Sidney Rice but not smart in failing to find a replacement. On defense, the secondary needs some an infusion of talent to complement of very good front seven.
Reasons For Hope: I really like Christian Ponder and I even think Joe Webb is a decent backup/trade piece because he's athletic with a strong arm and could be an ok starter for the right team. Ponder reminds me of a young Aaron Rodgers: smart, mobile, good arm, accurate. He just needs protection and someone to throw to beyond Harvin. The Peterson injury is a huge kick to the nuts but he'll bounce back eventually and you can find RB's anywhere in this league(albeit none as great as Adrian Peterson, but ones that are serviceable. Ryan Grant comes to mind). The team is also picking 3rd in the draft and, with Luck and Griffin expected to be the first two picks off the board, they'll have their choice of any other position player they want. The team could go wideout with Alshon Jeffery or Justin Blackmon or finally replace McKinnie with a solid left tackle like USC's Matt Kalil or Stanford's John Martin. Defensively, the line is a bit old in the middle but has one of the game's best ends in Jared Allen. The linebacking crew is solid led by Chad Greenway and E.J. Henderson.
The Man For The Job: Former Rams head coach/ex-Bears and Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz - Christian Ponder is just the brain to run this intricate Martz offense. Granted, the team doesn't quite have the receiver depth to pull it off but Harvin's speed and playmaking ability is a good start. My intial choice was Marty Schottenheimer because we need Martyball back in the NFL after the Chargers foolishly canned him but it's hard to co-sign a guy with a history for running his backs ragged taking over a team whose best player is coming off a blown knee. Martz may have not exactly shook up the world as a coordinator for Detroit and Chicago but he wasn't exactly awful either. By getting a second chance to be a head coach, he'll get extract revenge on the two teams that jettisoned him by facing them twice a year and he'll have the benefit of already having his franchise QB in-house(whereas some of these other teams are still looking). Martz may be a Grade A douchebag but there's no denying what he brings to an offense. When Peterson comes back, Martz will have just the recipe in bringing him along slowly, having dealt with something similar when Marshall Faulk had his knee troubles in St. Louis. If Minnesota is going to compete in the NFC North, it's going to have to outgun teams like Detroit and Green Bay(and even Chicago), Martz is just the guy to show them how to do that.
THE REX RYAN PORTION OF THE SHOW
I very rarely find myself on the fence on certian topics, but when it comes to whether Rex Ryan should still be the head coach of the New York Jets, I find myself torn. On the one hand, Ryan has turned the Jets into one of the best defensive units and the team's woes on offense can be more accurately traced to offensive coordinator Kurt Schottenheimer and QB Mark Sanchez. After all, Ryan can't be held accountable for failing to turn Gang Green into The Greatest Show On Turf. Ryan CAN be held accountable for bogging this team down with unneccesary pressure with his countless predictions and bulletin board quotes. In New York, it doesn't take much to be back page fodder and Ryan has done his best to keep Big Apple scribes in business by giving them headline-worthy content. It's natural for a coach to have faith in his team, but after three years of not backing up the big talk, you have to be held accountable. The Jets, on paper, have the talent to dominate the AFC. Not just the AFC East. But the entire conference. The defense has done their part and the team will probably bid adieu to Schottenheimer, either by firing him or because he'll find work elsewhere. However, that puts more pressure on Ryan in Year 4. As the leader of the pack, it's his job to make sure Sanchez becomes a viable starting QB. It's his job to keep a guy like Santonio Holmes from quitting on him. It's his job to put his finger on the pulse of whatever's holding this team back from its lofty expectations. The case can be made for Ryan getting canned because guys have been fired for less. However, I think Ryan deserves one more shot. With a new offense and new hunger, Ryan HAS to produce next season. If not, his big mouth will be running from behind a desk on a pregame show and not on a dais in the Meadowlands.
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