What an unpredictable season 2016 was. The Panthers and Cardinals both inexplicably tanked and opened the door for teams like the Cowboys to emerge as a force to be reckoned with. This is why we love the NFL. There are always twists and turns that no one could imagine.
A few weeks ago I predicted a final 4 consisting of Pats, Chiefs, Packers and Giants. Heading into the divisional round three of those four are still alive.
So here are some thoughts about what I have learned this year.
The Jaguars made a huge mistake by not giving Marrone at least 4 to 5 games to audition as HC, but they made the right move by retaining him. I love the hiring of Tom Coughlin as VP and I think with the current roster, and he and his HC will turn things around down in FLA.
The Rams and Chargers are both Los Angeles franchises now. Both need HC's, and both are not desirable landing spots for any elite candidates. These teams won't have their own stadiums until 2019, they both have a lot of things that need to be fixed and LA is the second biggest media market in the NFL. All of these facts make The Rams new man-child HC McVay and The Chargers new coach Lynn "bridge coaches". I am sure they will both be out by 2019 and these teams will be starting fresh in their new joint stadium.
I think the Bills did a great job landing the Panthers DC Sean McDermott. That roster was ruined by Rex even faster then he messed up the culture of the Jets. If you believe in buying low and selling high, the Bills pulled off a great train robbery by landing the guy I think was the best assistant coach candidate on the market. They have tremendous talent up there. Can McDermott turn things around? I will say this, if they dump Tyrod Taylor, they are nuts.
I believe that Todd Bowles lacks the necessary abilities and traits to be a successful HC. However, after a lot of thought I think the Jets did the right thing by retaining him. The roster is a complete mess. Their biggest holes are QB, #1 CB, LT and pass rushing outside threat. These are the four key/ most valuable roster spots on any team. They also have aging skilled players and a me-first locker room that is epically dysfunctional. And the cherry on top is NYC being the biggest media market. NO top candidate would even consider this job, especially with Mr. Johnson as the owner and the rumors about him giving up control of the team to become an ambassador. Too many question marks and simply not a recipe for success.
If somehow they find a QB with some potential in 2017 and Mac & Bowles were given three years to turn things around, the Jets HC position might become a bit more desirable in 2018. So yes, I'd sacrifice 2017 for the big picture. And Bowles will probably coach this team to a top 5 draft pick. That also helps sweeten the pot. remember Jets fans, the game is chess... not checkers.
How and why have the Bengals retained Marvin Lewis for another year. It's beyond absurd for me. 14 MOTHER FUCKING SEASONS AS HEAD COACH AND ZERO PLAYOFF WINS????? And only six wins in 2016, with a true franchise QB, true #1 WR, a defense stacked with talent and relatively healthy roster? ? I will never understand how the ownership and fan base accept this.
The Browns rolled the dice by purging their roster and sacrificing the 2016 season. Well, NFL stand for "not for long" for a reason. Hue Jackson assembled an outstanding coaching staff last year including Ray Horton and Pep Hamilton. They are now gone, one was fired and one quit. Now Jackson is in panic mode and on the hot seat. The best coaching hire of 2016 could be unemployed by the end of 2017.
I don't understand the appeal of Vance Joseph. He has one season of experience as a coordinator and his defense was lack luster. Apparently John Elway is enamored with this guy handing over HC duties to him. I like the hire of McCoy as OC, but why Wade Phillips was released escapes me. No coordinator has done a better job than Wade during the past 2 years. Why tinker with that outstanding defense? If Joseph falls flat on his face, Elway will go from genius to a guy that got lucky and stumbled into a super bowl as an executive.
I'm fascinated to see which signal callers switch uniforms in 2017. In about 7 weeks we could see Cousins, Cutler, FitzTragic, Taylor, Tannenhill, Romo, RGIII, Bortles, Bradford and Kaepernick all in new cities. I also wonder if guys like Rivers and Brees may shockingly land on the trade block.
Finally I will touch on OBJ and the New York Giants. I think the simple solution for the Giants is to trade Beckham. I see no way this guy can survive under the spotlight of the NY Sports Media. He is wildly immature, a complete attention whore and has zero control over himself. He also doesn't understand or accept that perception is reality.
Before his trade value dwindles down to a mid-late round draft pick I would move him. Teams like the Browns have zero identity and no star players. They desperately need a guy like Beckham to rally the fans and sell some jerseys. If I were the Giants I'd aim for a top 10 draft pick. If the Browns ended up being the suitor, I'd send the Giants late 1st rounder and OBJ to Cleveland for the #1 overall. I'd also try to trade that #1 to a QB needy team and pick up some more picks. The longer the Giants wait and propone the inevitable the lower his value drops.
As for my final four and who will be playing next week on Championship Sunday (my fav day of the year). I stick with my prediction of Pats and Chiefs on the AFC side. As for the NFC I see The Packers heading down to Hot-lanta and beating the Falcons.
A Tome Brady/ Aaron Rodgers Super Bowl would be amazing. Can the Pack stop the evil empire from new England? I can only hope.
-Jay Wagner
