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Ben Volin's article on changes around the league

Mr. Scot

By Mr. Scot,
in Carolina Panthers

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Mr. Scot Grand Master

Mr. Scot

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Ben Volin is the Patriots writer for the Boston Globe, and a very reputable source.  It was Volin who confirmed that the Panthers inquired about Nick Caserio and Josh McDaniels last offseason before deciding to go one more year with Ron Rivera and Marty Hurney.

He's currently got an omnibus article up discussing potential changes around the league. It was mentioned here by huddler Jared Patterson in another thread, but up till now I wasn't able to find it.  It's pretty interesting, so I thought I'd go ahead and post it here.

The information within comes from "three league sources with close ties to the coaching industry". If you want an idea of who that could be, check out this article from Albert Breer: Influential, Behind-the-Scenes Figures to Know Ahead of the NFL Head Coaching Carousel

The article by Volin is here: What NFL teams are on the verge of making changes?

Here's the text, with mentions of the Panthers or situations possibly affecting the Panthers in bold.

Quote

When the calendar hits December, two NFL stories dominate: The playoff race, and the hiring/firing season of coaches and general managers.

Two teams, Washington and Carolina, already have fired their head coaches. In the next three-plus weeks, several more teams will do the same, as the NFL has steadily averaged about seven coaching changes per year for the last two decades. One league insider has 10 teams on his list of upcoming coaching and/or GM changes.

“There were a lot of teams that were shockingly disappointing,” the source said.

Which teams may be looking to move on from their head coaches and/or general managers? And who will be the top candidates this year? Here is the buzz from three league sources with close ties to the coaching industry:

■  First, let’s talk Patriots. Nick Caserio is set to be a free agent this spring, and he is expected to take full advantage of his freedom, after the Patriots blocked him from becoming the Texans’ GM in June. Caserio should be a hot candidate this year, and he is expected to listen to any and all offers. The Giants and Panthers look like good situations for Caserio, and one source said that Caserio still considers the Texans an option, despite the report last week stating that they will keep their management structure the same for next season. The source did not expect Caserio to return to the Patriots, but did not rule it out, noting that the Krafts could step up with a big offer to Caserio at the last minute out of “desperation,” similar to what they did with Josh McDaniels two years ago.

■  As for McDaniels, he is expected to aggressively pursue head coaching jobs again this year, but he only got interest from one team last year, and finished third. It is unclear how much his flip-flop on Indianapolis from two years ago will affect his market this time around.

■  There is certainly a possibility of Caserio and McDaniels teaming up — the Panthers and Giants could be good options for that — but one source proffered that Caserio might pair up with Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, the former Patriots assistant who is having an excellent season and is expected to be one of the top head coaching candidates this year.

■  Another Patriots coach who should at least get one or two head coaching interviews is Joe Judge, the special teams coordinator since 2015 who this year also added the job of wide receivers coach. The word is the Patriots have been grooming Judge to take over as offensive coordinator if/when McDaniels leaves.

■  Did not hear any buzz that Bill Belichick is ready to step down from the Patriots. “I think he would probably stay for one more year after [Tom] Brady,” one insider said. “I could easily see him, if he did leave, becoming a president of some other team or an executive VP or something like that.” Like the Giants? “Of course.”

■  There was unanimous consent that the following head coaching jobs will come open in addition to Washington and Carolina: Atlanta, Dallas, Jacksonville, and the Giants. Dan Quinn’s Falcons have been a massive disappointment; the Giants have regressed under Pat Shurmur; Doug Marrone, GM Dave Caldwell, and executive vice president Tom Coughlin are in big trouble in Jacksonville; and nobody’s seat is hotter than Cowboys coach Jason Garrett.

■  There was mixed opinion about three coaches being one-and-done: Cleveland’s Freddie Kitchens, Arizona’s Kliff Kingsbury, and Denver’s Vic Fangio, with Fangio the likeliest of the three. * The fact that these coaches are even on the list does not speak well of last year’s hiring cycle.

■  There was also mixed opinion about whether the Lions will give Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn another year. One insider anticipates a “total blowout,” but another noted that the Lions are usually patient and might give the two ex-Patriots one more year to get it right.

“I don’t think it comes open, but you’ve got to watch it,” a third insider said.

■  The Jets have said they will bring back coach Adam Gase for another season, but one insider noted that Gase was hired by current owner Christopher Johnson, and said “all bets are off” because Woody Johnson is returning next year from his stint as US ambassador to the United Kingdom.

■  Fangio might not be the only one in trouble in Denver, as one insider predicted that John Elway could be on the outs. The Broncos are set to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season, Elway hasn’t been able to find a quarterback, and a new owner, Brittany Bowlen, will be taking over soon enough.

■  So, who are the top coaching candidates? For the second straight year, the crop has several impressive resumés, but overall lacks “wow” factor.

■  The 9-3 Bills are one of the NFL’s biggest surprises, and they may get picked apart after this season. Daboll should be a top candidate, as should defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, a former head coach who has led one of the NFL’s top defenses for the last three years. The Bills could also lose assistant GM Joe Schoen.

■  On the offensive side, other than McDaniels and Daboll: Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman is doing amazing work and should get his first head coaching chance after nine years as a coordinator. Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is getting promoted heavily by Andy Reid and should be a finalist for several jobs. Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski was named by two insiders as a name to watch, as he has done a great job with Kirk Cousins and that offense. Indianapolis offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni was a hotter candidate earlier this year but has cooled a bit with the Colts’ offensive regression of late.

Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken was a hotter candidate last year but may have been dragged down a bit this year by the Browns’ dysfunction. The Buccaneers’ Byron Leftwich will probably get some interest but is likely a year or two away from being ready. One dark horse name is Eagles quarterbacks coach Press Taylor, who should soon enough become a head coach like his older brother, Bengals coach Zac Taylor.

Former Packers coach Mike McCarthy wants back in, as does Dolphins consultant Jim Caldwell, who I’m told is over his health issues. Caldwell could be a great option for Washington as it seeks stability and someone to develop Dwayne Haskins.

■  Defensively, 49ers coordinator Robert Saleh got named as a top candidate by all three sources with the work he has done with the league’s second-ranked defense. Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, a former head coach with the Raiders, got named as a top candidate by two sources.

Former Browns head coach Mike Pettine should get interviews after having a solid year as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator. Former Panthers coach Ron Rivera should get interviews, and he looks like a good fit for the Cowboys or Giants, but it might be tough to get another job so quickly. Marvin Lewis, spending the year at Arizona State with Herm Edwards, wants to be an NFL head coach again, and could also be a good fit for the Redskins, where he was defensive coordinator in 2002. Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Falcons assistant head coach Raheem Morris should also get interviews.

■  A few college coaches will get looks: Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley, who already is being connected to the Cowboys; Iowa State’s Matt Campbell; Baylor’s Matt Rhule, who considered the Jets’ job last year; and Florida’s Dan Mullen. One source doubted Jim Harbaugh will return to the NFL this year: “If he would’ve done it, it would have been last year with Miami.”

■  One insider predicted that at least five or six GM-type jobs will open up, after only two changes last year (Raiders, Jets). Washington’s Bruce Allen, the Giants’ Dave Gettleman, Jacksonville’s Caldwell, Denver’s Elway, and Atlanta’s Thomas Dimitroff are in trouble, with Detroit’s Quinn and the Rams’ Les Snead as long shots. One source said the Panthers’ job is actually open and that current GM Marty Hurney, who was kept on by owner David Tepper, will move into more of an advisory role. And the source said he still believes the Texans will try to add someone to the front office, Caserio or otherwise.

■  Former longtime Texans GM Rick Smith, who left the team after the 2017 season, is going to pursue GM or executive vice president positions and should be a top candidate. Vikings assistant GM George Paton is expected to be a top candidate, as well. Other names to watch are the Bills’ Schoen, 49ers VP of player personnel Martin Mayhew, Chiefs director of player personnel Mike Borgonzi, Saints assistant GM Jeff Ireland, and Bears assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly.

* Why Fangio would be important to us: If he were fired in Denver, he'd be a strong candidate to join Greg Roman as a defensive coordinator wherever Roman might land...like in Carolina, where both were on staff in the early years.

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TheSpecialJuan Grand Master

TheSpecialJuan

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■  One insider predicted that at least five or six GM-type jobs will open up, after only two changes last year (Raiders, Jets). Washington’s Bruce Allen, the Giants’ Dave Gettleman, Jacksonville’s Caldwell, Denver’s Elway, and Atlanta’s Thomas Dimitroff are in trouble, with Detroit’s Quinn and the Rams’ Les Snead as long shots. One source said the Panthers’ job is actually open and that current GM Marty Hurney, who was kept on by owner David Tepper, will move into more of an advisory role. And the source said he still believes the Texans will try to add someone to the front office, Caserio or otherwise.

Great news 

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Mr. Scot Grand Master

Mr. Scot

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11 hours ago, Jared Patterson said:

I brought this article up in another thread but couldn't post it, thank you for posting. Would love Fangio or possibly Patricia as defensive coordinator if we hire McDaniels. Add Caserio and Colbert/Khan and we would be cooking!

Mentioned you in the OP...

And thanks for mentioning that. Even beyond the Panthers related stuff, it's a very interesting article.

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