NFL Offseason 2019: Ranking the 8 coaching vacancies worst to first

How important is your quarterback when it comes to evaluating a team? We rank the eight head coaching vacancies from worst to first, the biggest story of the NFL offseason 2019.

After the NFL regular season ends, the next step is to fire your head coach. This year, a few teams got a head start on their Black Monday duties, but we are left with eight openings around the league as the NFL offseason 2019 gets underway.

Some of these openings are more desirable than others. Poor Steve Wilks was given a rookie quarterback and one year to get results before being shown the door. No thank you. Eight jobs means it’s time for a good, old fashioned ranking, worst to best locations for a new head coach. How much does quarterback matter? Let’s find out!

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate NFL Offseason 2019 in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Is it better to start with a blank slate or a blueprint that is proven to fail? TB is committed to Jameis Winston, which is a major issue for any new head coach. There isn’t much talent on the rest of the roster either, and although things change quickly in the NFL, the NFC South has three clearly superior teams to fight against.

7. Miami Dolphins – What is interesting here? People like Xavien Howard — so, um…yeah. But even that may not work to the team’s advantage.

6. Arizona Cardinals – This is going to be a long, slow rebuild. Of course, it helps to have the quarterback and another top NFL draft pick to build around. Hopefully the next guy gets a longer look than Wilks.

5. Cincinnati Bengals – Cincy is the opposite of Arizona. Marvin Lewis got chance after chance to improve past mediocrity. He could never do it, but ownership still let him hang around. Job security alone makes this a good landing spot. Andy Dalton‘s high floor just adds to the comfort of the position.

4. Denver Broncos – The defense has oodles of talent. The offense has talent. We just need a quarterback…It’s possible John Elway doesn’t really know what he’s doing as general manager, but that alone doesn’t make this a bad job.

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3. New York Jets – I’m still a Sam Darnold believer after a rocky rookie year. The Samchise! Give him an offensively oriented head coach and see what the unit can become.

2. Green Bay Packers – Aaron Rodgers won’t be around forever, but as long as he is, he gives Green Bay a chance at the playoffs. That is an ideal position for a coach.

1. Cleveland Browns – I know! But with young, superstar talent on both sides of the ball and a franchise quarterback on the roster, there is no better job for a young head coach.

Dan Salem:

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – This job would be better if the GM did not publicly declare Winston as their starting quarterback. The interception machine will do his new head coach no favors. Talent wise, the Buccaneers are not in terrible shape. But its hard to imagine Winston being this team’s quarterback beyond one more season, so Tampa Bay is the only team on this list with a real question mark at quarterback.

7. Denver Broncos – I was surprised to see a coaching vacancy in Denver, making this a fairly undesirable job. The Broncos did not give their previous coach time to grow with Case Keenum at quarterback. What is suddenly going to be different? The defense is solid, but the offense lacks weapons for Keenum. Many may feel that Denver underperformed in 2018, but nothing I saw on the field made me think they were better than their record. Considering how hard the AFC West division is, this job is no picnic.

6. Cincinnati Bengals – The tide is turning in the AFC North, but not in favor of Cincinnati. What this job does have going for it is Andy Dalton, because quarterback stability goes a long way towards success. The team needs work, but the division is pretty much ripe for the taking. I like this job, but only if the others are filled.

5. Miami Dolphins – The Dolphins present a good defense and lack luster offense, but their division has no clear favorite going forward. New England is becoming less and less a juggernaut, so Miami’s new coach can do some things quickly. Yet Ryan Tannehill concerns me, and this team always seems to fall short late in the year. Tannehill can likely bridge another season until a rookie comes in, but this teams still feels rather complete with or without him.

4. Arizona Cardinals – Despite the one and done of their last coach, Arizona is ripe with opportunity. They will have a sophomore quarterback, a potential star running back in David Johnson, and very few expectations to work with. We could have said the same thing prior to 2018, but I love the chance to mold a young quarterback and the team around him.

3. Cleveland Browns – Lots of talent here and a young quarterback itching to produce a winning season. That’s great for a new head coach. But these are still the Browns, and that stink is hard to shake. Cleveland is in a great position to overtake the AFC North, so this job is really a solid one. Something about it being Cleveland makes it less exciting than the two ahead of it.

2. New York Jets – The New York market is where stars are born, plus a young quarterback and a few blue chip players on defense. There are holes to fill, but the Jets have a ton of money to do it with. The young talent is solid and the Jets need a fresh voice to galvanize the team. This job comes with a lot of pressure, but I consider that a bonus. Win and become a legend.

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1. Green Bay Packers – Quarterbacks truly shaped this entire ranking, and Aaron Rodgers is a future hall of fame quarterback. Plus, you have the legend of the Packers and their history to join. This is a win-now team that needs to be rejuvenated. Rodgers once netted a team ten wins, but in 2018 things fell short. He will be in prove-it mode next season. Every coach should want this job.

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