2025 New Coach and GM Reports
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Chewy316
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Not sure if this discussion has been had but I'm interested in what all of your rankings would be for the vacant HC openings.
If I was to personally rank them from least attractive to most attractive I'd have it as follows:
New Orleans - horrible cap situation due to constantly restructuring big contracts. This would be the ultimate tear down job, though I'm not even sure if the Saints brass are committed to going that route yet either.
New York Jets - the New York media market are savages which automatically makes this team difficult to win with, but ownership are pretty clueless and they've got a fair bit of off-field drama to sort out with Rodgers, Adams, Wilson etc.
Jacksonville - This comes down to a few things, specifically how candidate feel about GM Trent Baalke, and QB Trevor Lawrence. I label Baalke the HC repeller. If he wasn't in the equation this job would be pretty blood enticing, but with Baalke running personnel that is the reddest of red flags. Trevor Lawrence has had a largely underwhelming career and his contract is structured such that it is near impossible to get out of it until March of 2028 - which hog ties any new coach to him for the next 3 seasons. They also only have a projected 35.9M in cap room this off-season per over the cap, though being in Florida with no state income tax certainly helps this equation.
The remaining three teams (Las Vegas, Chicago and New England) all have multiple pros and cons which I think each candidate is going to look at differently, and there would probably be a different order of these three depending on the individual candidates.
Las Vegas - no owner is willing to spend more money on his team than Mark Davis, although such free-wheeling spending has not exactly been directly proportional to any kind of recent success. Depending on Jon Gruden's resignation package, Davis may be paying all of Gruden, Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce not to be coaching the Raiders in 2025. The biggest hurdle for any candidate considering the Raiders has to be the lack of an obvious path to getting a QB of the future this off-season. The Raiders hold pick 6 in this draft and is unlikely to see either Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward still available, meaning they'll either have to kick the can down the road another 12 months, or go for a second tier prospect such as Jalen Milroe. If Drew Allar reverses course and elects to nominate for the draft then he is one who would be a candidate for their first round pick. The Tom Brady factor looms large and I suspect will open a few more doors to top tier candidates than one would expect had he not be associated with the team. 100+ million in cap space doesn't hurt either to boost the roster, and if they truly want to go into a full rebuild with a new coach, trading Maxx Crosby in his prime for multiple first round picks would surely appeal to any candidate looking at the long term approach. Any coach who takes this job is sure to have some guts knowing they'll be up against Andy Reid, Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh for 6 games each year.
New England - The roster sucks, and that's putting it nicely. But they've got Drake Maye - who would be the #1 pick in this year's draft if he was in this class, and over 100M in cap space. Robert Kraft as an owner can be looked on as a positive or negative: positive in that he's typically a patient person with a consistent track record of winning. On the other hand, he was unusually impatient in firing Jerod Mayo after one season, and seems to have a penchant of being extremely insular and unwilling to veer outside of the "Patriot Way." FWIW, I have a hard time seeing anyone but Mike Vrabel as their next head coach.
Chicago - far from a depleted roster, some real solid pieces to work with already, and Caleb Williams has shown enough in his rookie year to suggest he has the potential to be a franchise guy in the coming years. With a further 80M in cap space they could rebound quickly. The biggest issues with this available position is GM Ryan Poles who isn't overly well-regarded in NFL circles, and the McCaskey family run the Bears like a small family business as opposed to a multi-billion dollar organisation. They're also in an extremely tough division going up against Detroit, Minnesota and Green Bay, all of whom have the talent and stability in their organisations from the top down to suggest they'll all be contending for the foreseeable future.
If I was to personally rank them from least attractive to most attractive I'd have it as follows:
New Orleans - horrible cap situation due to constantly restructuring big contracts. This would be the ultimate tear down job, though I'm not even sure if the Saints brass are committed to going that route yet either.
New York Jets - the New York media market are savages which automatically makes this team difficult to win with, but ownership are pretty clueless and they've got a fair bit of off-field drama to sort out with Rodgers, Adams, Wilson etc.
Jacksonville - This comes down to a few things, specifically how candidate feel about GM Trent Baalke, and QB Trevor Lawrence. I label Baalke the HC repeller. If he wasn't in the equation this job would be pretty blood enticing, but with Baalke running personnel that is the reddest of red flags. Trevor Lawrence has had a largely underwhelming career and his contract is structured such that it is near impossible to get out of it until March of 2028 - which hog ties any new coach to him for the next 3 seasons. They also only have a projected 35.9M in cap room this off-season per over the cap, though being in Florida with no state income tax certainly helps this equation.
The remaining three teams (Las Vegas, Chicago and New England) all have multiple pros and cons which I think each candidate is going to look at differently, and there would probably be a different order of these three depending on the individual candidates.
Las Vegas - no owner is willing to spend more money on his team than Mark Davis, although such free-wheeling spending has not exactly been directly proportional to any kind of recent success. Depending on Jon Gruden's resignation package, Davis may be paying all of Gruden, Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce not to be coaching the Raiders in 2025. The biggest hurdle for any candidate considering the Raiders has to be the lack of an obvious path to getting a QB of the future this off-season. The Raiders hold pick 6 in this draft and is unlikely to see either Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward still available, meaning they'll either have to kick the can down the road another 12 months, or go for a second tier prospect such as Jalen Milroe. If Drew Allar reverses course and elects to nominate for the draft then he is one who would be a candidate for their first round pick. The Tom Brady factor looms large and I suspect will open a few more doors to top tier candidates than one would expect had he not be associated with the team. 100+ million in cap space doesn't hurt either to boost the roster, and if they truly want to go into a full rebuild with a new coach, trading Maxx Crosby in his prime for multiple first round picks would surely appeal to any candidate looking at the long term approach. Any coach who takes this job is sure to have some guts knowing they'll be up against Andy Reid, Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh for 6 games each year.
New England - The roster sucks, and that's putting it nicely. But they've got Drake Maye - who would be the #1 pick in this year's draft if he was in this class, and over 100M in cap space. Robert Kraft as an owner can be looked on as a positive or negative: positive in that he's typically a patient person with a consistent track record of winning. On the other hand, he was unusually impatient in firing Jerod Mayo after one season, and seems to have a penchant of being extremely insular and unwilling to veer outside of the "Patriot Way." FWIW, I have a hard time seeing anyone but Mike Vrabel as their next head coach.
Chicago - far from a depleted roster, some real solid pieces to work with already, and Caleb Williams has shown enough in his rookie year to suggest he has the potential to be a franchise guy in the coming years. With a further 80M in cap space they could rebound quickly. The biggest issues with this available position is GM Ryan Poles who isn't overly well-regarded in NFL circles, and the McCaskey family run the Bears like a small family business as opposed to a multi-billion dollar organisation. They're also in an extremely tough division going up against Detroit, Minnesota and Green Bay, all of whom have the talent and stability in their organisations from the top down to suggest they'll all be contending for the foreseeable future.
aussiedude
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aussiedude
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1. Pats
2. Raiders and Bears and Jags (all have roster issues. Raiders no QB. Jags and Bears have bad GMs)
3. Jets
4. Saints
None of the jobs are good. But that's why they are open.
But if the Raiders are locked onto Sanders they drop under the Jets for me. Their draft ans FA plans can drop them for decent to horror show
A11dAtP0w3R
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I wouldnt be surprised if Baalke still ends up getting the sack if a big name like Ben Johnson wants the job but doesnt want him as GM. Bears seem determined to let Poles stay though and give him a new contract with whichever coach he chooses (someone who will let him stay on as GM) , dumb as **** and will drive top candidates away.
If what im saying is true, I prefer the Jags to the Bears.
If what im saying is true, I prefer the Jags to the Bears.
aussiedude
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More coaches need to come in and say they want a new GM if they are the hot candidate that had a few teams with offers.
Especially if the GM has been there for a few years and the roster is still poor
Monocle
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In the main I think thats a reasonably fair assessment, as you say all the HC opening come with their respective issues.
1. Bears & Patriots - helps that both have their young QB in place and decent cap space, to help plug some roster gaps.
2. Raiders & Jags - Both can be turned around, IF and its a big IF, there is stability with Owner and GM, respectively.
3. Jets - They have been a Cluster Fu(k for years and there is a lot of work needed to turn the shit show around.
Jets and the NFL in general would be better served if new ownership was running this team..
Side Note: Must piss those off at Head Office on Park Avenue, that in one of the biggest markets in the whole country New York- that neither NY team has fired a serious shot for the better part of a decade.
4. Saints - They are in a deep hole and with their current contract overspend, it's going to take at least five to six years for them to did their way out. Most owners just don't give a new HC that much time.
I cant help but think that whoever lands this gig, it will be a consolation prise as the least desirable landing spot.
Who ever gets the nod, needs to nail down a good deal to set themselves up for life, as I suspect it will be an appointment that doesn't go the full term of the contract.
A11dAtP0w3R
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No team needs a number 1 pick more than them. Basically nothing they can do with the roster and cap situation right now. They need to save money on QB and build thru the draft, the number 1 would pick would in turn attract HC's to the job also. Signing Carr and re-signing vets so you can finish with pick 10-16 was so ****ing dumb.
A11dAtP0w3R
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Hope they keeping doing what they are doing forever though. 
Monocle
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Hope they keeping doing what they are doing forever though.
After the skulduggery that they did when they attempted to assist the kiddy fiddlers
, they can rot in purgatory for ever as far as I am concerned.
A11dAtP0w3R
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Re: The Bears interviewing 16 people
I think the most important criteria are the strength of the division, how patient or meddlesome the owners are, and the competence of the GM. A lack of talent can be made up for if these things go right.
The Raiders and Bears fail at the first criterion. Both have pretty much no chance of winning their divisions for the next three years because every other team has at least two out of three between a good coach, good QB and good defense. In fact their division rivals were all in the top 7 this year for least points against. I just see zero chance of success at either of them, especially as the Bears have a poor GM and the Raiders seem too focused on flashiness.
The Jets fail at the second criterion. Woody Johnson is the worst kind of incompetent, the kind that doesn't know he's incompetent and consequently blames everyone else for the resulting failures. The AFC East is a winnable division if Allen has a below par year, but not for the Jets with Woody sabotaging them from within.
The Saints may be in cap hell, but the ownership seems sensible enough to understand that and set their expectations for a new coach accordingly. And there's at least a chance to succeed despite this if they draft well and the division remains weak. It isn't a job I'd leave a Super Bowl contender for though.
The Jags fail at the competent GM criteria, as I agree with you that Baalke is terrible, but I also agree with others that a top coaching candidate could win a power struggle against him. Lawrence is still perfectly capable of turning his career around under the right coach.
The Pats are clearly the best available job in my mind. They can get past the lack of talent with good drafting, don't have a super strong division and Kraft is a good owner. I think the real reason he fired Mayo was because Vrabel is available and has proven he's competent. Like you I also think they only have eyes for Vrabel.
If I'm Ben Johnson or Joe Brady, I stay right where I am, unless I feel I can fix Lawrence and get rid of Baalke. Better jobs than these will come up next year.
aussiedude
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Jags also don't have a great fanbase and play 2 games a year in London. Hard to build a team and get FAs with no real fans ans having to spend 2 weeks a year playing in London. Also Jacksonville isn't really a part of Florida players would want to go to.
If you are good players will overlook that, because nobody would look at Green Bay if we were a bad team always making coaching changes and rarely having a winning season.
If not for Lawrence they would be by far the worst option. Bad GM, dumb owners, not a great stadium or fans, always playing international games.
Yeah they have a few other players, but every team has pieces just not necessarily a QB.
If you are good players will overlook that, because nobody would look at Green Bay if we were a bad team always making coaching changes and rarely having a winning season.
If not for Lawrence they would be by far the worst option. Bad GM, dumb owners, not a great stadium or fans, always playing international games.
Yeah they have a few other players, but every team has pieces just not necessarily a QB.
aussiedude
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The Bears probably have the best collection of players on paper of the openings. But the one of the worst GM/Ownership combos in the league.
Jets are lucky they are making a GM change too, basically no money to spend but should look at making trades.
Saints have nothing going for them.
Raiders have some players and 2nd most cap space after the Pats. But QB draft isn't good and no FA QBs worth it. Do you sign a vet or stay with the current room ans tank for Manning hoping he enters the draft next year and not 27.
If you don't have a QB it's hard. You need to bottom out and not end up on the hot seat to get your guy and teams don't let good ones go so FA/trade isn't really the answer either and if you do that you might win too many games and end up having no chance at drafting one unless your team is willing to leverage 2 draft hands on 1 pick
Jets are lucky they are making a GM change too, basically no money to spend but should look at making trades.
Saints have nothing going for them.
Raiders have some players and 2nd most cap space after the Pats. But QB draft isn't good and no FA QBs worth it. Do you sign a vet or stay with the current room ans tank for Manning hoping he enters the draft next year and not 27.
If you don't have a QB it's hard. You need to bottom out and not end up on the hot seat to get your guy and teams don't let good ones go so FA/trade isn't really the answer either and if you do that you might win too many games and end up having no chance at drafting one unless your team is willing to leverage 2 draft hands on 1 pick
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And be no shock to me if he was actually re-hired
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Every time I see the name Baalke I think of Bronson Pinchot from Perfect Strangers who absolutely stole the show from his cousin Larry
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Its possible they are playing a game with 1 or 2 higher profile who may demand more than the ownership is willing to give over freely
It looks like its a squeeze play to keep e.g. Carroll wary of how much to push
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I heard they set the river on fire in celebration
Note to self: finish reading thread before posting
Note to self: it was the next post
Constantgin
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My Coaching job opening rankings
Best job to worst
1. Bears - Got alot of pieces to work with I still believe in Caleb only down side is Poles.
2. Jaguars - Got some nice players including two good de's and stud wr in thomas Jr. Tlaw can be turned around. Downside is Baalke but he could be shown the door for right coach.
3 . Patriots - They have heaps of cap room but only two good players to build around Maye and Gonzales rest of roster is ass. Easily the worst roster in nfl.
4. Raiders - Decent roster in toughest division in football need qb desperately.
Clear daylight
5. Jets - Got some nice young pieces but have terrible owner and Aaron Rodgers
6. Saints - Cap hell
Best job to worst
1. Bears - Got alot of pieces to work with I still believe in Caleb only down side is Poles.
2. Jaguars - Got some nice players including two good de's and stud wr in thomas Jr. Tlaw can be turned around. Downside is Baalke but he could be shown the door for right coach.
3 . Patriots - They have heaps of cap room but only two good players to build around Maye and Gonzales rest of roster is ass. Easily the worst roster in nfl.
4. Raiders - Decent roster in toughest division in football need qb desperately.
Clear daylight
5. Jets - Got some nice young pieces but have terrible owner and Aaron Rodgers
6. Saints - Cap hell
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Maybe some of you aren't aware, but the league rules have changed for this year and now teams can only conduct virtual interviews with coaches on playoff teams until after the divisional round.
The first round of interviews being virtual and a second round being in person would be normal for a number of the candidates like Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Joe Brady etc. The fact that Vrabel is unemployed and therefore able to be interviewed already is not typically of the expected timeline
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