Mr. Scot

More: They should probably install a breathalyzer or some form of drug testing in Irsay's office, with the condition that he has to prove he's clean before making any decision.

Oh lordy, is that Week 18? I might try to watch that game just for the sheer comedy of it.

The Leftwich story was weird. There was talk like he had accepted the job, but then the negotiations broke down. I'd love to know what all went on behind the scenes of that one. What did he want that they weren't willing to give? McDaniels? I got to believe New England promised him he'd be Belichick's heir apparent but he ultimately got tired of waiting. He actually had a least a decent chance to have been our coach instead of Rhule but Belichick forced him to stick around and delay his interview to finish up some bullsh-t assignment. It's easy to think them screwing him out of that chance might have been his last straw.

Seriously? I would have expected Gus Bradley or Bubba Ventrone. Hell, maybe even John Fox.

It's a pretty valid "kid" I've only believed that if Dave Gettleman had been allowed to hire a head coach, it would have been Frank Reich. The two of them went way back.

Never said. Dodds did say that he would only take a GM job he believed was the absolute perfect fit because he wanted that to be his only job for the rest of his career. Hard to believe working under Matt Rhule would fit that description. Of course, now his current job might be in danger.

It did happen once that I recall, with the Raiders. That's how they wound up with Lane Kiffin. Only other example I can think of off the top of my head was Jim Johnson when he was the Eagles DC. There were certainly teams that were interested in him as a head coaching prospect but he didn't want the job.

Robbie was actually set to be cut. Fitterer managed to swing a trade for him instead. We would have gotten nothing.

I got that. I'm just not familiar with anyone declining the head coaching job.

I'd much prefer that scenario but Tepper doesn't seem so inclined.

Fitterer vetoing something Tepper wanted isn't a realistic option.

Pretty sure Hamilton was contacted about being an OC under Rhule, not a head coach. Declining that job was obviously a damn good decision I know Ed Dodds interviewed for the GM job but pulled out afterward.

Shanahan tree has been picked fairly clean. Not too many guys left on it. Same can be said of the McVay tree, honestly. There are guys that can be found on both though. Mike LaFleur in New York is a Shanahan guy and Shane Waldron in Seattle has a McVay connection.

Fitterer's never really been a pro personnel guy. The overwhelming majority of his experience is as a college scout. In Seattle, the Seahawks had he and Trent Kirchner as basically co-assistant GMs. Fitterer ran the college scouting department and Kirchner the pro personnel group. They both dabbled in each other's respective areas of expertise but for the most part stayed in their own lanes. One of the first things Fitterer did after getting settled in here was to bring aboard his old colleague Dan Morgan as assistant GM. Morgan built his resumé as a pro personnel guy, so basically Fitterer recreated the same dynamic he had in Seattle by bringing Morgan aboard. I see that as a big reason why the free agent acquisitions this year were way better than last year's.

If teams focus on his ability, maybe. Given the obsession with youth these days though, it might be tough.

Roaring Riot is asking the question...

I don't know that he had much say in personnel decisions. (he certainly didn't have Matt Rhule's contract) All GMs listen to their coaches to some extent though, and it's not hard to believe Reich may have thought he could fix Wentz's issues

I'd take him as a QB coach for sure, possibly even as an OC.

Tepper believed he was going to do things his own way and show everybody he was smarter than them. He proved just the opposite.

Inside sources have confirmed that the long snapper pick was pretty much Rhule. As to Robbie, I still get a pretty good chuckle out of people thinking Fitterer just decided on his own to extend one of Rhule's favorite players. The fifth year extension though? Reports of confirmed that one falls on Fitterer because he saw it as both a decent gamble and a not terribly expensive one given what the total salary amounted to over two years.

They've thoroughly screwed the quarterback position over the last couple of seasons trading for Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan. That wasn't Reich's fault, though he may have believed he could fix Wentz.

I think it's kinda funny that there are people who actually think this move was made without discussing it with Tepper. While he's not involved in every transaction, he pretty much tends to stay informed of the major ones, and he does make his opinion known. Add in that Fitterer has stated before that he prefers to keep Tepper in the loop.