SIX DOWN, TWO TO GO.
Last week brought a flurry of NFL coaching hires. But
outside of Tampa Bay’s hiring of Bruce Arians, it’s hard to see many slam-dunks
just yet.
These things do often take time, if teams are willing to
afford coaches that. But for now, more questions than answers loom over many of
the franchises making moves.
I spent last week talking to opposing coaches, team
officials and current and former players to build an understanding of each hire
and the questions that are still lingering. Here’s what I learned.
PACKERS: MATT
LAFLEUR
The first to be hired this cycle, LaFleur has worked under
talented coaches, including Mike Shanahan, Gary Kubiak, Kyle Shanahan, Dan
Quinn and Sean McVay. After one year as the Rams’ offensive coordinator, he
jumped to the Titans in 2018 so he could gain experience calling plays.
BIGGEST QUESTION: Does he have what it takes to
command the respect of Aaron Rodgers and other established veterans? Some
around the league view him as talented but in need of additional seasoning. It
would be wise for the team to partner LaFleur, 39, with a well-seasoned top
assistant, just as the Rams did for McVay with Wade Phillips. Holdover
defensive coordinator Mike Pettine could be critical for that role.
BUCCANEERS: BRUCE
ARIANS
Not everyone prizes youth over experience, as the Bucs went
for one of most veteran quarterback groomers available in the former Cardinals
coach who retired last year. Arians, 66, has helped guide Ben Roethlisberger,
Andrew Luck and aging Carson Palmer to success.
BIGGEST QUESTION: Can he turn wildly
inconsistent Jameis Winston into an elite quarterback? Arians might be the
right guy for the task. The two already have a great relationship. They met
when Winston attended Arians’ high school football camp in Birmingham, Alabama.
Arians could help Winston mature as a person and player or mold his replacement
if it doesn’t work out.
BROWNS: FREDDIE
KITCHENS
Some expected general manager John Dorsey to tab good friend
and former Packers colleague Mike McCarthy for this role. Instead, he went with
Kitchens, who capitalized on the promotion from running backs coach to interim
offensive coordinator despite having never served as a play-caller.
BIGGEST QUESTION: Can he parlay his short-term
success into winning as a head coach in the long haul? Drawing on his diverse
coaching background (he coached quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends
at different points for Arians in Arizona), Kitchen has shown he has a higher
ceiling than many believed. He relates well to players, and his fast bond with
quarterback Baker Mayfield earned him points. But a lot changes when you go
from overseeing one area to the entire operation.
BRONCOS: VIC
FANGIO
The only defensive hire thus far.
Well-respected around the league, Fangio, 60, has produced
formidable defenses, including a Bears group this season that allowed
the fewest points of any team. Serving in a top job for the first time in
his career, he will try to bring the same success to a Broncos squad that has
floundered since Peyton Manning retired.
BIGGEST QUESTION: Can he quickly restore the
Broncos? John Elway had little patience with Vance Joseph after consecutive
losing seasons. Elway wants a quick fix, believing this team isn’t far off from
contending. His post-Super Bowl personnel moves haven’t panned out. How
much blame Fangio will draw if things don’t change quickly?
CARDINALS: KLIFF
KINGSBURY
No hire raised more eyebrows. Determined to find the next
hot name in coaching, GM Steve Keim fired Steve Wilks after one season and
hired Kingsbury, who went 35-40 at Texas Tech and was dismissed. But he’s
considered a great offensive mind, and that’s what matters most to the
Cardinals, whose attack finished last in the NFL in almost every statistical
category.
BIGGEST QUESTION: What makes him qualified? Many
agree that Kingsbury drew up some innovative passing concepts at Texas Tech.
But in the NFL, the run game and defense also have to be addressed
sufficiently. Also, he has never worked an NFL practice or planning meeting.
He’s unfamiliar with the personnel across the league, and he admits his NFL
coaching Rolodex is rather limited. A significant challenge a waits, as this
Cardinals’ roster has very little existing talent.
JETS: ADAM GASE
After going 10-6 and reaching the playoffs in his first
year, Gase and the Dolphins endured back-to-back losing seasons. Injuries
partly were to blame, but Gase also clashed with his bosses at various points,
according to multiple reports. He didn’t have to wait long to find work because
the Jets, seeking an offensive-minded coach to groom Sam Darnold, turned to
him.
BIGGEST QUESTION: Is he the quarterback guru
he’s viewed as? Two seasons as Manning’s offensive coordinator in Denver helped
Gase build the reputation as a top mind. Yet his track record since then
(21st-ranked offense in Chicago and Miami units that averaged a 26th-place
ranking) raises questions about the validity of his expertise.
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