UNCrules2187

Potential offensive staff candidates under Canales: OC: Brad Idzik WRs/PGC: Sanjay Lal RB: Chad Morton TE: Pat McPherson QB: ??? OL: Campen?

Small nit, think he was being interviewed for a WR coach/PGC role given Waldron is the OC. I could see him coming here tho if Canales makes him OC - better “title” than he’d get with the Bears.

I mean you should probably expect at least a year of trash next season. It's possible for a special one-year type turnaround a la Houston this season or McVay's first season in LA, but not likely. Remember, the 49ers handed Shanahan a six-year deal and he went 6-10 and 4-12 his first two seasons. He's 54-29 since with only one losing season.

I totally get it. Everything that has made Tepper excited has so far been garbage, so definitely understand the skepticism.

Yeah, Atlanta just announced Morris and the GM will each report directly to Blank. In Philly, Roseman and Sirianni each report directly to Lurie. Same for SF where Shanahan and Lynch report directly to York. This isn't anything new.

Counterpoint - when do you ever hear about a person hired because of a mediocre/boring interview? Of course every hire is going to be where the candidate aced the interview.

I mean I hear you but that's such a high bar. Even some that are considered amazing HCs have only one SB ring: Tomlin, Harbaugh, McVay, etc. And realistically the only way you're winning multiple SBs as a HC in today's NFL is with an elite/HOF QB. The only active coaches coming into this season with multiple SB wins was Belichick (with Brady) and Andy Reid (with Mahomes). People thought Reid was a choker until he finally won with Mahomes.

I wouldn't have been upset if the Panthers hired Morris. The interim stint I don't hold against him and his proper HC record was 13 years ago. Raheem has paid his dues, he was promoted to HC when he was like 32 years old. He could flame out still, but low key I think this hire could work out better than if they had gotten Belichick.

If we're only going to consider SB winning coaches as being successful hires than it's pretty much etched in stone that this hire won't pan out. But Taylor nearly won a SB a couple years back (3 point loss to the Rams).

I'd still preferring pursuing Higgins as plan A given age (25 vs 30) and ability to grow with Bryce or whoever the QB in 2025 will be. Thielen and Evans would be great next year, but a little long in the tooth. That said I think Evans still has a good 3-4 years in him.

I choose to believe this because the alternative isn't fun lol. Rams drafted some nice players in that year's draft in TE Gerald Everett, WR Cooper Kupp, S John Johnson III, and WR Josh Reynolds with picks 44, 69 (nice), 91, and 117 respectively. We absolutely need to hit on picks 33, 65, and our 4th rounder this year.

I mean he's the owner, of course he has a hand in it? He has a hand in every single thing by definition.

I think where I'm at is that all HC hires fall into a camp of "more lucky than good". You could have the most thorough process and still end up with a dud. The Falcons have interviewed 14 candidates; we'll see who they ultimately end up hiring, but just because they are being slower/"more deliberate" in their approach doesn't mean they'll get someone who's going have better odds of success than Canales will.

So what I'm reading is, if we had conducted a second interview with, say, Macdonald on Monday and hired Canales on Tuesday, you'd be fine with it? I suppose I understand doing due diligence, but I don't really feel all that up in arms about moving on it now rather than 4 days later. Maybe Dave and Dan decided Canales was their guy and didn't want to have a repeat of what happened last season with Johnson pulling out of the process the night before his interview. I think given what by all accounts was reportedly Tepper's hard on for Johnson, there's a reason they didn't wait until he was available for a second interview.

Who were you hoping to get? Let's assume Ben Johnson has already bowed out. For me, I wasn't a fan of Vrabel, felt like he was an overrated HC. I wanted Harbaugh (think you made pretty clear you didn't). Mike Macdonald I think is an intriguing candidate and would've loved to see him get a second interview, but then again he also only has one year (this year) of NFL DC experience. Not sure what his plan for OC coming in (and for what he would do if that OC got poached in year 1/2) would be. I don't think Monken ever made much sense for a variety of reasons (mostly mediocre results except for when he had 5 star talent at UGA and an MVP QB in Lamar). I was never on the Belichick or Quinn train personally. Slowik I'd have been okay with, but you have a similar situation with Canales and only one year of OC experience. Bengals moved quickly on Callahan. After that you're pretty much left with Morris or Evero if not Canales.

Yes, because one game defines the entire tenure. Thank god we didn't end up with Ben Johnson who could only muster 6 points vs the Ravens and 13 points vs the Bears.

I understand the sentiment, but I think it's pretty likely Johnson through his agent/back channels already let it be known he's not coming here. Monken would be intriguing but there's no Lamar Jackson here. I like Mike Macdonald as well but the only team that has requested a second interview with him is the Falcons who are seemingly doing a second interview with every single candidate (and I would bet they hire a HC pretty shortly here).

Yep, I'm sure it is. I just think the experience thing isn't really a knock. We tried the college route, we tried the retread route, now we're trying to young hotshot OC route. There is no sure thing.

Current head coaches who had either one year of coordinator experience or less than that: Zac Taylor, Bengals (no coordinator experience) Kevin Stefanksi, Browns (one year as Vikings OC; had a 3-game interim stint season prior) Mike Tomlin, Steelers (one year as Vikings DC prior to landing Steelers HC gig) Dan Campbell, Lions (no coordinator experience; 12 game interim HC stint in 2015, six years prior to landing Detroit HC gig) Mike McDaniel, Dolphins (one year as 49ers OC, was not playcaller) This hire ultimately may be a colossal failure, but it's not like experience is a prerequisite to success.

Bro, please go touch grass. It’s gonna be ok. Frazier would be a Dungy link who is Canales’ mentor

I wonder if Carroll comes over as a senior advisor type figure - he hired Canales at USC and brought him over to Seattle when he took the HC job there. Canales worked under him for 9 years.

Who would you have preferred be the hire? In any case, will be interesting to track how the first time HCs do this upcoming season.

Matt LaFleur's offense ranked 27th in the league when he got the Packers job, safe to say that one worked out? Like I said, pros and cons to anyone that will be hired. There was no slam dunk (well, except Harbaugh), even Ben Johnson.