There are a number of NFL franchises who are turning blue in the face and could certainly use a little mouth to mouth. When an team in this league gets off track, righting the ship can take years. Unlike the NBA where you can sign 2 or three key free agents, or MLB, which currently has no salary cap, resurrecting a program that is on life support is a long complicated process in this league.
Here's a list of teams that are adrift without a compass and desperately need a new captain (OK, I am officially tapped out of analogies lol): Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Bucs, St. Louis Rams, and Seattle Seahawks.
The Chiefs, Lions, Bucs, Browns, Seahawks and Rams have all made major changes in the past 12 months and probably won't make any moves regarding the GM/Headcoach positions. The Titans and Panthers both have long tenured coaches and all signs are that they will stay with them.
The Redskins and Bills seem to be the only two teams mentioned above who are openly in the market for new coaches. Washington has already hired a new GM.
The title of this post is INSTANT franchise CPR. Even though there is no 'overnight' solution, I feel that the 2010 offseason is a once in a lifetime opportunity for this group of struggling teams. Coaches like Cowher and Shannahan can alter the destiny of any team and they are only two of over a half dozen elite NFL coaches who are unemployed and available.
My quick fix is a very simple one. The team of Marty Schottenheimer and Bill Cowher would be as close to sure thing as you will get in this league. Marty as GM or "Team President" and Cowher as headcoach would be a killer combo. They have a long history and I am sure they would love to work together. Now, the next question is this: what team would be the best fit for them?
If I were those guys I would make a move for the Houston Texans. They have a ton of young talent on the defensive side of the ball, and their division is in flux. The Jags and Titans are teams that are searching for an identity and the Colts will eventually hit the wall... Manning can only continue playing at this dominate level for so much longer. With my 'dream team' GM/headcoach combo of Cowher and Shotty the Texans could become a perennial playoff team instead of always coming up one or two games short every season.
My 'dream team' would be pretty expensive, but in a league where players like Hanesworth and Reggie Bush collect HUGE contracts for minimal impact, why not invest in a one two punch like these two no nonsense coaches.
Houston may end up 9-7 and will probably give their coach another chance in 2010, however I think that is a big mistake. Another great landing spot for Bill and Marty would be in the windy city. Chicago needs a change and my guys have the perfect demeanor for Illinois.
No comments:
Post a Comment