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Grading the Coaching Hires of 2022

Chicago Bears

  • Matt Eberflus, head coach
    • Former Colts DC
  • Ryan Poles, general manager
    • Bears Undrafted player in 2008
  • Luke Getsy, offensive coordinator
    • Packers Passing game coordinator and QBs coach
  • Alan Williams, defensive coordinator

Grade: A

The Bears go and get perhaps the top defensive coach available, while also breathing new life into a team that desperately needs it. Eberflus had one of the top defenses with the Colts and also showed a knack for hitting on gems in the mid to late rounds and through free agency (Willis, Ya-Sin, Moore etc). Along with him, the Bears brought in a new GM in Ryan Poles. He is a former bear himself and should bring different insight than the former GM. The big win for Eberflus was to bring in Luke Getsy as the offensive coordinator to work on Justin Fields. Getsy has been around Rodgers and hopefully can teach Fields a thing or two and progress his development.

Saints:

  • Dennis Allen, Head Coach
  • Pete Carmichael, Offensive Coordinator
  • Ryan Nielson & Kris Richard, Co-defensive Coordinators

Grade: C+

Dennis Allen appears to be the guy handpicked by Sean Payton. He has previous coaching experience with the Raiders that was not great, but his second time around could be better. The C+ rating has more to do with the Saints current situation. They have a good defense, but have a ton of question marks. They also have a horrible cap situation that will come due at some point. Allen is going to be asked to compete for a team that needs a lot of work on offense, and needs multiple pieces on the line and at wide receiver, with no cap or extra draft picks to do it. 

Broncos:

  • Nathaniel Hackett, head coach
    • Packers OC
  • Justin Outten, offensive coordinator
    • Green Bay TE coach
  • Ejiro Evero, Defensive Coordinator
    • DB & Passing Game Coordinator for Rams

Grade: B+, OC hire seems like a rough one

The Broncos got their guy at head coach, moving on from Fangio and going after the offensive minded Hackett. They then proceeded to make one of the biggest trades in the NFL offseason. Hackett can breathe life into a Broncos offense that has one of the best weapons set in the league. The main knock is the offensive coordinator hire as Green Bay’s former tight end coach. Green Bay has gotten nothing (except for one weird year out of Tonyan) for a long time, so either Outten was misplaced in his coaching role, or he is not that good. Their DC was both the passing game coordinator and the DB coach for the Rams, so that seems like a good hire.

Texans:

  • Lovie Smith, head coach & DC
  • Pep Hamilton, Offensive Coordinator

Grade: C- 

The Texans do some right things, and then do some wrong things.Hiring Lovie Smith itself if not a bad move. He has coaching history and has had success. Its a C- grade because it seems like he is a temporary hiring. He could be another one and done coach and that would just be an awful look. If stays on for a couple seasons it is not as bad.

Jaguars:

  • Doug Pederson, head coach
  • Press Taylor, OC
  • Mike Caldwell, DC

Grade C: 

The Jaguars continue to Jaguar. There could be a power struggle between Pederson and Balke (as they kept Balke for some reason). They should have cleared house completely and did not. Pederson is the guy you hope can help Lawrence, but he also had issues with Wentz. Regardless of what you feel about Wentz, the head coach needs to be above that. Pederson also brought in Press Taylor who was the passing game coordinator for Wentz’s worst year to date as a pro so there is that. The Jaguars needed to make this hire right for Lawrence’s sake, and keeping Balke was the first step in bad moves.

Raiders:

  • Josh McDaniels, head coach
  • Dave Ziegler, general manager
  • Mick Lombardi, OC
  • Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator

Grade: A

Jack thinks this could be the best hire and Zach thinks this is the second best. McDaniels waited years for the right job and decided this was it, so Raiders should be excited. He will bring an adaptable offense whereas the Raiders have been stuck in the same style since Gruden was there. McDaniels could get the most out of Carr yet while Waller and Renfro has their best season yet. Ziegler could bring the player evaluation skills that Mayock was supposed to have and he already made a massive move by trading for Adams. The coordinator hires are fine, relative unprovens with a lot of upside as coaches.

Dolphins:

  • Mike McDaniel, head coach
  • Frank Smith, OC
  • Josh Boyer, DC

Grade:B 

Riskiest hire of who you fired versus hired. If he does not make the playoffs in the first 2 years what is the point of firing Flores. They kept the old GM there and seemed to choose him and Tua over Flores. Offense will be Shanahan’s style and similar to Alabama system Tua ran and McDaniel is reportedly a genius. This could work out great as he was a member of the newly named Washington Commanders staff that included McVay, Lefluer, and Kyle Shanahan. Boyer kept his job but now takes over as the only DC, and Frank Smith was the TE coach in Oakland when Waller was discovered.

Vikings:

  • Kevin O’Connell, head coach
  • Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, general manager
  • Wes Phillips, OC
  • Ed Donatell, DC

Grade: B-

Anything is better than close-minded IDGA crap about no records Mike Zimmer. This move should have been made years ago. He is the opposite of former coach in that he’s young and offensive centric. We are just curious as to how much of a role did he actually have in the offense vs McVay. He is another member of the McVay coaching tree already. He brings a new offensive philosophy should theoretically get another level out of players like Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook and even Cousins.

Giants:

  • Brian Daboll, head coach
  • Joe Schoen, general manager
  • Mike Kafka, offensive coordinator
  • Don “Wink” Martindale, defensive coordinator

Grade: A

This is Zach’s top hire for the head coach as well as the coordinators. If they believe in Daniel Jones, he is in a much better position now for growth and success. Offense should be miles better and development city with Daboll and Kafka both coming from two of the best offenses in the NFL. We have slight concern over whether Daboll was the reason for Josh Allen’s development, but the hiring of Kafka (who was around Andy Reid, Bieniemy, and Mahomes for the last 4 years) seems to add another positive element to the offense and a safeguard to that. Add in Martindale as his DC and Daboll is putting an impressive supporting cast together. They are set to take a big step forward in every facet, and whether it be Jones or a draft pick, their QB play should greatly improve.