Hey, maybe we’ll hire an OC today! As a reminder, here’s who we’ve interviewed:
(ranked in order of my personal preference)
- Jeff Nixon – offensive coordinator for Syracuse, who were ranked #1 in the nation in passing offense and #7 in total offense (averaging 34 points and 370 passing yards per game); reportedly ran a “creative, versatile, pro-style system.”
- Nick Caley – passing game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams; his entire NFL coaching career has been under Bill Belichick and Sean McVay; personally, I don’t get all the hype, but a lot of NFL insiders seem to think he’s the next big thing.
- Adam Stenavich – offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers; has over a decade of coaching experience and great success working with offensive lines (even patchwork ones); since 2019, the Packers have remained in the bottom five in number of sacks allowed.
- Grant Udinski – assistant offensive coordinator and assistant QB coach for the Minnesota Vikings (under Kevin O’Connell); only 29 years old, so he would probably stick around for a while; helped Sam Darnold have the best season of his career.
- Brian Johnson – passing game coordinator for the Washington Commanders; helped Jayden Daniels have one of the best rookie seasons ever; lots of college OC experience; had a rough season with the Eagles, but might have been scapegoated there.
- Jerrod Johnson – current QB coach for the Houston Texans; previously worked under Kyle Shanahan, Frank Reich, and Kevin O’Connell; also interviewed with the Bucs and Raiders, so at least he seems to be well-regarded by other teams.
- Thad Lewis – former NFL journeyman and current QB coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; some have given him credit for the resurgence of Baker Mayfield; otherwise, never been an OC and not much coaching experience.
- Bill Lazor – current offensive assistant for the Houston Texans; he’s never really done anything in the NFL worth writing home about; he probably shouldn’t even have his current job with the Texans, much less a promotion.