This coaching cycle was filled with big-time names and the candidate pool was large. There were some surprises along the way (see Ben Johnson) and some interesting hires. With that said, let’s break down each new coaching hire and offer grades for them.

Raheem Morris – Atlanta Falcons

It’s a full-circle moment for former Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris. Morris spent 5 years in Atlanta and filled in as head coach when Dan Quinn was fired in 2020. He spent the last three years in Los Angeles as the defensive coordinator for the Rams. Morris was part of the Rams Super Bowl winning season in 2022.

No matter where he has been one thing is certain, the players love Morris. Over the years he has had several endorsements from players including this year when cornerback Jalen Ramsey praised the hire. The offensive staff will be key for Morris in Atlanta and the Falcons recently hired Zac Robinson to fill that role. Robinson worked with Morris in LA and was the quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator.

For Morris to have success in Atlanta it will come down to the quarterback position. The Falcons will likely look at the draft to address this but it appears Desmond Ridder‘s time in Atlanta is over. This is a solid hire for the Falcons as Morris is already familiar with the organization and we already know he will get the best out of his players.

Grade: B

Dave Canales – Carolina Panthers

One of the first coaches to be hired this offseason was former Buccaneers OC Dave Canales. Although raw, Canales was excellent in his role coordinating the Bucs offense. He also helped resurrect the career of quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield is now likely to sign with the Tampa Bay long term thanks in large part to Canales.

In Carolina, Canales will look to do the same for former #1 pick Bryce Young. Young had a disappointing rookie season but due to the coaching turnover and turmoil, it’s tough to judge his on-field performances. Next year will be different for Young. Canales will work with his strengths and get the most out of his talent. If Young fails again then it won’t be on coaching more so his limitations.

For me, this is an underrated hire for the Panthers. They didn’t go after the big name but instead found the next great offensive mind. The only part I didn’t like about this hire was the 6-year contract. It’s likely that Panthers owner David Tepper needed to add the extra year to seal the deal.

Grade: B+

Antonio Pierce – Las Vegas Raiders

When Antonio Pierce took over for the fired Josh McDaniels he wasn’t given much of a chance to keep the job long-term. As the season went on though it became clear Pierce was an excellent leader and he led the Raiders to a 5-4 record down the stretch. That was good enough for 2nd in the AFC West and once the season ended it was up to ownership to make the move.

Like Raheem Morris, Pierce received several ringing endorsements for current Raiders players. None bigger than Maxx Crosby who essentially stated he would want to be traded if the Raiders didn’t bring on Pierce long term. Las Vegas ownership heard the chatter loud and clear and decided to bring on Pierce full-time.

This is another solid hire and I give credit to the Raiders leadership for listening to their players. Pierce is a natural leader and will get the most from his players. There are also indications that Las Vegas will bring in Kliff Kingsbury as their OC which is a smart move.

Grade: B+

Jim Harbaugh – Los Angeles Chargers

Perhaps the biggest name on the market this offseason was former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh had just won the National Championship and there were many indications that this was the year he would jump back to the NFL.

No matter where he’s been, Harbaugh has proven to be a winner. From Stanford to San Francisco and eventually at Michigan, Harbaugh has been successful at each stop. The former Chargers quarterback will now get a chance to coach one of the best young quarterbacks in the league Justin Herbert. Herbert still has untapped potential and Harbaugh will teach him how to be a winner.

To me, this is the best hire of this coaching cycle. Harbaugh and the Chargers are the perfect match and I expect them to compete for Super Bowls. The only downside is how long he will last in LA. Harbaugh has a tendency to not stick around long at any of his stops. If the Chargers can get a Super Bowl out of him it won’t matter in the end.

Grade: A

Jerod Mayo – New England Patriots

After it became clear Bill Belichick would not be back in New England owner Robert Kraft had a choice to make. He could either go out and find a fresh face in the coaching pool or stick with the Belichick tree and hire within. Kraft ultimately decided to hire within and promote Jerod Mayo to head coach.

Mayo spent the last 5 seasons in New England as the inside linebackers coach. Like Antonio Pierce, Mayo was praised by former Patriots players including Tom Brady who called him an excellent leader. At just 37, Mayo is still young and if he works out the Patriots will be set long term.

What’s interesting about the New England situation is that Mike Vrabel wasn’t considered. Vrabel seemed like the perfect successor to Belichick. For whatever reason the Patriots decided not to pursue him and it may come back to bite them. By all accounts, Mayo seems like a solid hire but I fear the Patriots will once again be looking for a new coach in just a of couple years.

Grade: C

Mike Macdonald – Seattle Seahawks

One of the hottest names of this coaching cycle was Ravens DC Mike Macdonald. He did wonders for Baltimore’s defense and shut down some of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL this year. Before his stop in Baltimore, Macdonald spent 1 year as defensive coordinator at Michigan.

Although only 36, Macdonald has also been praised for his leadership qualities. He will have big shoes to fill in Seattle taking over for Pete Carroll. The Seahawks have a bunch of young talented players on defense and solid pieces in place on offense. The question for Macdonald will be if he decides to keep Geno Smith.

In all, I am a fan of this hire for the Seahawks. Seattle targeted him early on and eventually got their man.

Grade: B+

Brian Callahan – Tennessee Titans

In Tennessee, it’s the end of the Vrabel era. This was perhaps the most surprising of the offseason firings. Although they had a down year the Titans were respectable with Vrabel at the helm. Former Bengals OC Brian Callahan will step in his place.

Callahan has been with Cincinnati since 2019 and helped to tutor quarterback Joe Burrow. He is somewhat of a quarterback whisperer as he was able to do wonders for Jake Browning who filled in for the injured Burrow this season. If the Titans decide to stick with Will Levis I expect to see a big improvement in his game.

I am somewhat neutral on this hire. It’s not flashy by any means but Callahan will come in and elevate the Titans offense. The big question is if he is a good leader as he will be replacing Vrabel who is known for his leadership.

Grade: B-

Dan Quinn – Washington Commanders

For Washington Commanders fans this offseason got off to a perfect start. The new ownership group led by Josh Harris was now fully in control and they took no time hiring new GM Adam Peters. Peters knows how to build NFL teams as he helped build the 49ers into a championship contender.

Many expected the next move for Peters and the Commanders was to hire Ben Johnson as their head coach. As we all know that didn’t happen as Johnson decided to stay in Detroit. We don’t really know what happened behind the scenes and perhaps Johnson was never their preferred choice but in the end, Washington decided to hire former Cowboys DC Dan Quinn.

Now Quinn was not the most popular candidate on the market but it’s hard to ignore what he has done for the Cowboys defense. Quinn completely turned around that side of the ball and will need to do the same for the Commanders. Like the other defensive coaches that were hired, Quinn will need to pick the right staff to run his offense. So the next few hires will be key.

By all accounts, Quinn seems like a great leader of men and should help change the culture in Washington. I am just not sure about the fit. I would’ve liked to see the Commanders go after a young offensive mind. Washington is going through a full rebuild and I think they should’ve gone outside of the box on this hire.

Grade: C+

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When DeAndre Hopkins was released by the Arizona Cardinals in May, many believed he would sign on with a contender. While the Titans may not be in contention for a Super Bowl, bringing in Hopkins will certainly help their chances. The Titans have built their team around Derrick Henry and a defense that brings Head Coach Mike Vrabel’s intensity.

Offensive Woes

Trading A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles last season left a giant hole on the Titans offense that they couldn’t recover from. In fact, the Titans finished the 2022 campaign with one of the worst offenses in the league. They lacked a true balance and defenses were able to stack up in the box to stop the run. Now with the addition of Hopkins, the Titans should become a more balanced offensive unit.

DeAndre Hopkins the Leader

There is also a leadership role that Hopkins will get to take on. The Titans drafted Treylon Burks in the 2022 NFL Draft with hopes that he could be their #1 going forward. It didn’t go as planned as Burks struggled in his first season in Tennessee. He will now get the chance to learn from one of the best and in turn, should get more open looks. Taking the pressure off of Burks will help his development in this system.

The only question now for the Titans offense is at the quarterback position. Can Ryan Tannehill bounce back next year? If not expect it to be Will Levis time in Tennessee.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Tennessee Titans may not be an AFC juggernaut, but I still believe they have a slice of their magic from the last season (as they were the first seed in the AFC). The Indianapolis Colts also showed signs of life in Week 3 with their victory over the mighty Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 20-17.

I believe that each AFC South team is led by a scrappy, methodical HC. Each HC has been with its respective team since 2018. Interestingly, the record is 4-4 between the two NFL figures. With that said, I’m going to untwine which ring leader has the edge in the Week 4 showdown & should come out with the Week 4 victory.

Mike Vrabel

The NFL’s arguably best coach of all time, Bill Belichick, was a big fan of Mike Vrabel’s attitude as a player — which says a lot about the mindset of Vrabel. In 2001, BB was able to get his hands on the former third-round pick and the current, bulked-up Titans HC went on to play eight seasons in Foxborough. Vrabel was a key member of a legendary Pats squad & he won three Super Bowl Championships with the hooded HC.

After finishing his rampage as a player, the gritty persona began his coaching journey as LB coach with Ohio State. In 2014, Vrabel began a coaching stint with the Houston Texans & worked with J.J. Watt (and Jadeveon Clowney) to dismantle opponents.

The former Texans position coach that looks like Bane was then given a golden opportunity to be the Tennessee Titans HC on a five-year deal in 2018. Of course, he accepted the gig and was tasked with leading a Titans squad that was coming off a 9-7 record with Mike Mularkey at the helm.

In his first season as an HC, he led his team to a modest 9-7 record (although, they finished third in the division). In 2019 (the year that the first human case of COVID-19 was documented), he also registered a 9-7 record with the Titans and led his team to the AFC Championship game. In the mega-AFC showdown, the Titans faced the KC Chiefs & as widely noted: the Titans beat the Chiefs earlier in the regular season. Well, the Titans, also known as the Derrick Henry train, didn’t manage to sweep Patrick Mahomes — as KC won the contest and proceeded to the Super Bowl Champion.

Vrabel’s consistent dominance continued in 2010 with an 11-5 record & in 2011 with a 12-5 record. Last season, the well-rounded Titans somewhat strangely claimed the first seed in the AFC. Although, their dream season ended in 2021 when they lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional game.

Vrabel’s squad is holding a 1-2 record this season, but they are feeling optimistic coming off their first victory against the talented and potentially dysfunctional Las Vegas Raiders. The Titans D gave up 303 passing yards and 2 passing TDs to Derek Carr, but they did have a crucial interception against him. The Titans did a phenomenal job in guarding Davante Adams — as he caught only five catches for 36 yards and a touchdown.

Vrabel understands that it’s vital that he doesn’t sit at 1-3 while looking at the Colts in front of him. Despite mediocre QB play Ryan Tannehill (647 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and 3 interceptions in 2021), Vrabel should light a fire under his team in Week 4.

Frank Reich

The Buffalo Bills third-round pick in the 1985 draft, Frank Reich, was assigned to be a back-up to the legendary Jim Kelly. Reich was a backup QB hero when he led his squad to two straight victories in 1989. Reich capitalized on his moment as a QB, but he really didn’t help his team in his other duties — such as the holder. In Super Bowl XXV, Reich was partially at fault for kicker Scott Norwood missing the FG because he had the laces facing right. The shoulder pads version of Reich retired after the 1998 season.

The former legendary Bills QB became a coaching intern for the Colts in 2006-2007. He then proceeded to be the Colts QB coach in 2009 and finished as the WRs coach with the team in 2011. Unfortunately, the Colts and their embarrassing record in 2011 led the entire Colts coaching staff to be axed. Peyton Manning was MIA for the 2011 season.

Reich became the WRs coach with the Arizona Cardinals in 2012, the offensive coordinator with the San Diego Chargers in 2016, and the OC with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017.

In 2018, the former Colts position coach came home and opted to be the HC of the Colts.

He led his team to a potent 10-6 record in his first year in Indy (which resulted in the Colts reaching the AFC Divisional round). The Colts registered a 7-9 record in 2019, but they bravely returned to the post-season in 2020 with an 11-5 record. Last season – the Colts had a 9-8 record and failed to make the playoffs. Jonathan Taylor proved to be one of the most dangerous players in the league last season (1,811 rushing yards, 18 rushing TDs), but Carson Wentz looked abysmal in Week 18 against the Jacksonville Jaguars with 185 passing yards, 1 passing TD, and 1 interception.

The Colts moved on from Wentz (who has found success with Washington) & asked Matty Ice to be the star field general this off-season.

Ryan was a dud in his first two contests (1 passing TD & 4 ints in his first two games combined), but he bounced back at the right moment against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3 by unveiling 222 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, and 0 ints. Most importantly, Ryan and the Colts grabbed their first victory of the season last Sunday.

Verdict:

It’s clear that Vrabel and Reich are in more complicated phases in their journey, but they possess the will, experience, and roster talent to be succesful moving forward. The Colts win was more impressive than the Titans victory last week in my opinion, but I believe that Matt Eberflus’s defense was the key reason that Indy won the contest. Ryan has been crisp with the pig-skin — which is in part to the brain of Reich.

With the combination of effort from the Titans defense against the Raiders loaded offense & history of success that the Titans HC carries, I have to give the slight edge to the Titans HC. It’s unclear if the Titans or Colts will make a playoff run in 2022, but I feel that Vrabel is the better mind & sooner winner of the battle.

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By: Jeremy Trottier

Being a head coach in the NFL is an extremely hard job, almost every year we see college coaches fail to make the transition and succeed.  We have all-time great coaches as well, like Bill Belichick and Mike Tomlin currently.  We also have brand new head coaches, like Matt Eberflus and Nathaniel Hackett, among others.  With this, we are bound to underrate some head coaches in the mix, and in this article, I will be going over 3 head coaches who you may be underrating yourself. 

Mike Vrabel ”“ Tennessee Titans

Career Record: 43-27 (61.4% win rate)

First up we have head coach of the Tennessee Titans ever since 2018, Mike Vrabel.  In 4 seasons as head coach, Mike Vrabel has the 6^th best win rate among active head coaches, behind Matt LaFleur, Sean McVay, Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin, and Andy Reid, all of whom are extremely highly regarded.  Vrabel has taken a team that prior to his tenure had not won it’s division since 2002 and has brought it to 2 first place finishes in the division the last two seasons.  He has also brought the Titans to 3 straight playoff appearances after only 1 in the last 9 years prior to his tenure (2017).  Is this partially due to how dominant Derrick Henry has been? For sure.  But it is also his ability to scheme receivers open and get the passing game going when Henry is missing, which we really saw last year. 

Matt LaFleur ”“ Green Bay Packers

Career Record: 41-13 (75.9% win rate)

Matt LaFleur has the highest active win rate of any NFL head coach.  Granted, that is on a 3-year sample size with one of the, if not the best receiver in the league and a top 5 QB.  However, he has taken the Packers to 3 playoff appearances in his 3 seasons so far as head coach, 2 of 3 times making it to the NFCCG.  They have also had an extremely positive points differential each season under LaFleur, 63,140, and 79 respectively.  His ability to take the team and make it perform at its highest level is what makes him so underrated, as many believe he has been carried by his roster. 

John Harbaugh ”“ Baltimore Ravens

Career Record: 148-96 (.607 win rate)

Finally, we look at John Harbaugh, who has been one of the better coaches of the past 2 decades.  For some reason, he is just completely left out of the upper echelon of head coaches in the NFL currently, despite being a Super Bowl winner and coaching up many players to turn out really well.  This team seems to have players each year that go on to start elsewhere very quickly, specifically Darren Waller, Hayden Hurst, Za’Darius Smith, Lawrence Guy, etc.  Overall Harbaugh should be seen up with the upper league of head coaches, but he just is not for one reason or another. 

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By: Jake Rajala

The Tennessee Titans speed demon wide receiver A.J. Brown has a mysterious outlook in the eyes of many fantasy fanatics. There have been many FF/NFL analysts that have flirted with the idea that he could be traded. Mike Vrabel has stated that he has no intentions of trading Brown amid the Brown trade rumors.

Brown is coming off a career-low season in yards (869) and touchdowns (5). His QB Ryan Tannehill had his worst season as a Titan in 2021, as well. Tanny threw 14 interceptions and only 21 touchdowns. The Titans QB unleashed 531 passing attempts, so it was nerve-wracking to see him muster out 21 passing touchdowns, 3,734 passing yards, and 7.0 YPC. It’s seen by many analysts that Tannehill should be walking on eggshells in 2022.

Well, is there a lot of reason to be confident in Brown in my opinion. Brown is flat out a special football player, regardless of the QB situation. Brown may have a shaky QB, but a major reason for his slight drop-off in 2021: injuries. He missed four games last season. He still recorded 66.8 YPG and had roughly 8 targets per game last season (career-high). I believe the arrival of Robert Woods combined with the absence of Julio Jones shouldn’t put a slight dent in Brown’s production. On a side note, he will benefit from an improved Tanny via a healthy Derrick Henry, as well.

Brown is one of the most explosive wideouts in space. His 16.2 career YPC is another example of how lethal he is. I expect the “24-year-old” WR to be consistent and potentially grow with a QB that’s more talented than Tanny. Brown’s prior production with a mediocre QB is evident of how gifted he is. He is currently the third-best dynasty PPR WR via Fantasy Pros (behind Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson) and that spot should hold true in 2022 and beyond.

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By: Pierre Wilson

The AFC South is one of the most polarizing and mysterious divisions in the league. The figures leading the AFC South teams match the reputation of the AFC division. In this bite, I’m going to rank the coaches and dive into the profiles of each outlier. Let’s begin.

4) David Culley – The new head coach of the Houston Texans kicks us off.  This is mostly due to the unknown surrounding what type of head coach Culley will be.  This will be Culley’s first head coaching opportunity, but he does come with 25+ years of NFL coaching experience.  Most of Culley’s coaching experience has come as a wide receiver’s coach.  His most recent position combining WR coach, passing game coordinator, and assistant head coach title with the Baltimore Ravens last season.

Culley’s big chance was met with a big blow, as he was hired during a time of turmoil with the team’s franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson.  At the time, the situation was simply Watson wanting out of Houston due to the state of the team.  This has since evolved into a much more serious situation, leaving Culley with a QB depth chart of Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Finley, and recently drafted rookie Davis Mills. 

Hitching his first head coaching opportunity to the Tyrod Taylor wagon, likely isn’t the start David Culley envisioned for his head coaching career.  He may want to steal a play from the Chargers playbook and keep the team doctor on standby.

3) Urban Meyer – Now I’m sure the college critics from Columbus and Gainesville will roll their eyes here, as Urban Meyer is one of the winningest coaches in college football history.  Winning over 85% of your collegiate games as head coach is quite the accomplishment.   Add in 3 National Championships and Urban Meyer brings quite the pedigree to the NFL.

My main concern is how Meyer will make the transition to the National Football League. The example that comes to mind is Nick Saban, during his time in Miami.  However, back in 2005 when Saban took the Dolphins head coaching position, he didn’t have the pedigree that Urban Meyer has to start his NFL tenure.  Saban does now, but back then it was just the good run he had at LSU carrying him. 

Urban Meyer is more comparable to Pete Carroll, in my eyes, who spent many years with USC and had a win percentage of 80%…along with a couple of National Championships.  Carroll has found success in the NFL winning a Super Bowl and being one horrible coaching decision away from a second championship with the Seahawks.  Carroll did have coaching experience in the NFL, prior to Seattle, which is something Meyer lacks heading into his first professional opportunity with the Jaguars.

I do believe Urban Meyer will find success in the NFL.  Jacksonville drafted what many believe will be a franchise quarterback, for years to come, in Trevor Lawrence.  Many of your coaching success stories depend on the make-up of your roster and who’s calling the shots under center.  If Meyer and the Jags can keep adding talent around Lawrence, Meyer will climb up those AFC South coaching rankings, and Jaguars fans will be shouting “DUVAL” proudly for the foreseeable future.

2) Mike Vrabel – Vrabel comes in at number two here and ties a lot of things together in the process.  Titans fan will argue this spot as he comes in with a better career winning percentage, as head coach, than the guy at number one.

When you think Mike Vrabel, you probably think New England Patriots and rightfully so.  Vrabel spent 2001-2008 with the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls. 

However, he’s not the rare success story from the Bill Belichick coaching tree.  In fact, he’s more tied to the guy that came in at number three from a coaching standpoint.  Vrabel spent his college career playing defensive end for Ohio State University from 1993 to 1996.  His first coaching opportunity would come from his alma mater, as Ohio State linebackers coach, on July 10^th, 2011.  On December 21^st of 2011 the new Ohio State head coach decided to keep Vrabel a part of his coaching staff and made him the defensive line coach.

Vrabel transitioned to the NFL in 2014 as a linebackers coach for the Texans, before getting his big break in 2018 as head coach of the Tennessee Titans.  Vrabel has led the Titans to a 29-19 regular season record over the past 3 years, including back-to-back playoff appearances with a trip to the AFC Championship in 2019 on the back of star running back Derrick Henry.

1) Frank Reich – Not a shock for anyone that knows me, but Frank Reich comes in as the number one head coach in the AFC South.  Just as some forget that Vrabel wasn’t a part of the Bill Belichick coaching circle, the Colts benefitted from someone backing out of the position and returning to that circle. 

Back in 2018 it was reported that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was set to accept the Indianapolis Colts head coaching job offered by new Colts GM Chris Ballard.  Then things got weird as McDaniels got cold feet and left the Colts at the altar. 

What happens when you’re left at the altar?  Well naturally you turn to the pastor, which the Colts did when making the call to Frank Reich.  Reich had been well known in NFL circles.  Most notably for the 1993 NFL wild card game in which he led the Buffalo Bills back from a 35-3 deficit against the Houston Oilers.  The Bills would win 41-38 in overtime and the 32-point deficit remains the largest comeback in NFL history. 

Reich wasn’t new to Indy, spending 2006-2007 as a coaching intern before serving as an offensive coaching staff assistant under Tony Dungy in 2008.  Reich would remain on the Colts staff under new head coach Jim Caldwell before being released, with the entire staff, after 2011.

Reich would come full circle and return to Indianapolis in 2018, after helping to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl Championship (as offensive coordinator) over the New England Patriot.

Reich found success early in his first season as head coach, leading the Colts to the playoffs and a wild card road win over the division winning Texans.  The Colts would lose the next week in Kansas City, and go into the offseason looking at a promising future.

Before the start of the 2019 season, that promising future came to a grinding halt as franchise quarterback Andrew Luck opted for early retirement.  This set the Colts back quite a bit, but Reich did some of his best coaching during that time. 

The Colts started the 2019 season 5-2 under QB Jacoby Brissett before a knee injury against the Steelers took their promising start off track.  Colts turned to backup QB Brian Hoyer and a less than 100% Brissett the remainder of the season and could never recover.

Going out in the offseason and getting old man Philip Rivers in 2020 proved what a coach that Frank Reich really is.  Many wrote off Rivers due to age, lack of arm strength and his poor decision making towards the end of his time with the Chargers.  During a strange time of no preseason and limited offseason work, due to the pandemic, the Colts and Reich turned in an 11-5 season – losing a tiebreaker to the Titans for the division.  They would also have an early playoff exit, losing on the road to Reich’s old team (the Buffalo Bills) in what most considered the best playoff game in 2020.

A regular season record of 28-20, two playoff appearances, with three different quarterbacks is a solid resume for Reich.  Toss in the fact that he’s being reunited with the QB that played a huge part in the Eagles making the playoffs for the magical Super Bowl run in 2017, in Carson Wentz, and Frank Reich comes in number one in my AFC South head coach rankings.

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