Instead I'm focusing on who the best candidates would be.
In this order I would choose:
Sean Payton
Mike Shanahan
Todd Bowles
Nick Saban
Jim Harbaugh
Jack Del Rio
John Gruden
As you can see most of these guys have extensive head coaching experience, 3 of them have won super bowls, 2 of them have also had huge success on the college level, 3 of them are former NFL players, and 5 of them are currently very happy to stay where they are now and are not available. Only Harbaugh and Shanahan are sure to be available in about a week. All of them would/will be heavily sought after.
Lets start with my ultimate dream hire, the guy I have waited almost 30 years for as a Jet fan, the guy we all deserve... Sean Payton. I would say he is a top 3 coach in this league. But he has struggled lately because of a number of reasons. He is dealing with a declining QB who is also a 20 million dollar drain on the salary cap. That limits your ability to surround that QB with talent. He has lost a lot of the leadership he had when he won the super bowl. Basically the Saints are now a rebuilding situation. I don't think he would resign, but I think the Saints may decide to go in a different direction. There's about a 10% chance he becomes available, but if he does its a no brainer. I'd also explore a possible trade, if Payton would be open to it. I'd give our #1 pick without hesitation for a guy like this to lead us.
Next up is Mike Shanahan. He is available and interested in coaching again. No way he wants to end his career the way he did with Washington. He made some big mistakes down there, but he knows how to win. He could be a cure all option serving as GM and HC. I like the idea of reuniting Cutler and Shanahan the man who drafted him. A blockbuster trade of Cutler and Marshall would instantly make us a contender. Marshall, Decker, Kerly, Amaro, Ivory and Powell would be a sick offense for Cutler to run. I have NEVER been a fan of Cutler but QB's don't grow on trees, and I think in the right system... with the right coaches Jay can win. A run heavy offense with a few prime time targets like Marshall and Decker could be the right formula. Jay needs a dominate HC like Mike to control him.
I also like the staff Shanahan could build with either his son Kyle or Kubiak stepping in as OC. Shanahan/ Kubiak could be another Parcells/ Belichick scenario where Mike signs up for like maybe 3 years and Kubiak slated to take over when he leaves. Baltimore may miss the playoffs and I don't think the Ravens would not consider parting with the "Kube".... as for Mikes son in Cleveland, I think that organization may understand a son wanting to go work with his dad. Kyle Shanahan coming here opens the door to consider Hoyer or Manziel via trade considering Kyle's intimate knowledge of them both. Mike is by far the most interesting candidate. But, is Woody willing to pay?
Todd Bowles has been my #1 choice since October, but I didn't think Shanahan would be interested in coaching again or that Payton might be available. I choose their experience over Bowles... but by a close margin. Only two former Super bowl wining HC's are ahead of this brilliant young assistant. I like everything about Bowles including the fact he is alumni from my high school. He's a former player, he runs a 3-4 defense (so we don't need to re-tool), and he has the presence and persona of a CEO style head coach.
He's a no nonsense guy who has worked with Parcells, Reid and now Arians. He played for Gibbs and his 2013-2014 Arizona defenses have been beyond impressive. I know many Jets fans don't want yet another defense minded HC, but it's the intangibles that matter. I believe he would bring most of his outstanding defensive staff with him form The Cards, but I do have concerns about him building an offensive staff. I like the idea of a 3-4 defense and a West Coast offense, and Morhenwig has worked with Bowles previously when they were both coordinators in Philly. So Bowles may retain Marty.
Saban will coach again in the NFL eventually. he is obsessed with his legacy and he has nothing left to prove in college. Just like Carroll he will take one more shot. Why not here? He is also an all purpose hire who will probably want total control. He can create a culture and would be a huge advantage over the next few years drafting considering his knowledge of all of the recruits. He can handle the media and would have no issue building a lights out staff. Could he get something out of Milliner, our highest drafted player in years?
Harbaugh is nowhere near the top of my list because there is obviously a reason why the 49ers are kicking him out of town. I don't like the idea of trading a draft pick for him and I don't think his family will be happy in NY. But, he is a proven winner, and this guy knows how to coach offense. May have the best chance of developing a QB compared to any guy on this list. And we all know QB is the center piece to anything that comes after. I think he wants to stay in the Bay Area and one of the main draws for this coaching job is NYC. Don't see him coming here, even though that's not my motivation for writing this as I said.
Jack Del Rio is a guy I have always liked as a head coach. he doesn't have the resume as some of the other guys on this list, and things ended pretty bad in Jacksonville for him, but he is a true head coach. He has the experience and brings outstanding leadership to town. Not my first choice but he will motivate his guys like Rex did. My question is regarding offense. Who would run his offense and develop his QB? That was always his achilles heal in FL. In many ways we'd be landing another Rex Ryan, but Jack is smarter, more experienced and he is also not a bumbling clown. So yes, he's an upgrade and the best of what's left. We could do much worse.
Finally, the John Madden of the new millennium. Gruden has become an outstanding commentator on MNF and as much as I love him and Trico I am more interested in the Jets winning games than prime time television. Gruden just signed a gargantuan contract extension at ESPN and there is about a 1% chance he leaves the booth to coach any team. BUT, if his brother is fired I would love to see John take over the Jets and partner with his brother to create a dominate "pound the rock" style offense. This is the biggest long shot of the group, but it's always good to leave no stone unturned.
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