As the 2020 NFL season heads into the final two weeks, there are three head-coaching jobs officially open — the Houston Texans, Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons — with more sure to come in the weeks ahead.
There are many intriguing candidates this year, from candidates rising up the offensive and defensive coordinator paths to those from the NCAA ranks to former NFL head coaches looking for their next shot.
Who will get each job? Let’s break down each opening and come to consensus on whom we’d hire for each club. We also added our picks for the jobs with the 1-13 New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars, who are likely to be looking for a new coach soon.
Who should the Lions, Texans and Falcons hire as head coach? We debated and made picks for NFL openings
By Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, ESPN
Excerpt:
The situation: After starting 0-4, the Texans fired coach and general manager Bill O’Brien. He went 52-48 and won four division titles in seven seasons in Houston. Executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby is handling GM duties on an interim basis, and Texans chairman/CEO Cal McNair said last month that Easterby “will have a significant role in helping shape our future.” The team interviewed former Lions and Colts coach Jim Caldwell on Monday.
Fowler: This job is fascinating, Dan, because you have a top-tier quarterback in Deshaun Watson to drive your franchise. But the overall roster is middle-of-the-road at best. Bill O’Brien traded away the first- and second-round picks in April’s draft. The Texans are set to be $12.9 million over the salary cap, and the presence of VP Jack Easterby clouds the hierarchy. Can a new coach overcome all that?
Graziano: Someone asked me on the radio the other day what’s the best job of those that are open or will be, and my knee-jerk answer was this one because of Watson. There isn’t another job that comes with a QB this good.
But your point about the draft picks is well taken, and they have a lot of work to do to build something up around Watson. While people will connect QB-centric candidates with this job, I almost wonder whether you don’t need one, since Watson is such a known quantity. CEO-type coach here instead of QB-whisperer type. Just a theory.
Fowler: I could see that. You can always get a killer offensive coordinator to structure the offense. Since Watson still has some deficiencies, such as pocket presence, I like a partnership with an offensive head coach who can take him to a new level. The ability is there to become an undisputed top-three quarterback. I have a sneaky suspicion that Eric Bieniemy will at least strongly consider this job, but we’ll see. Which CEO types do you like here?
Graziano: I share your suspicion on Bieniemy for this job, and my experience talking to him leads me to believe he can be that CEO type rather than just a deservedly promoted offensive coordinator. Marvin Lewis wants back in, and he won a lot more games in Cincinnati than most people have. Might be worth a shot to see him at the helm of a different organization. Somebody else with previous NFL head-coaching experience could work, like Leslie Frazier or Raheem Morris or even Jim Harbaugh.
But I keep coming back to Bienemy as the likely choice here, maybe because I keep hearing it everywhere. It’s the kind of rumor you’ve heard so much that you start to wonder.
Fowler: Such a natural tie-in too, with Watson’s connection with Patrick Mahomes, since they’re good friends and draft-mates. As Chiefs OC, Bieniemy has helped Mahomes develop into the game’s premier passer. We’re not saying Watson is Mahomes, but perhaps Bieniemy can guide Watson in a similar way.
The coach we’d hire: Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs