NFL Head Coach Mock Draft: Bears Rediscover Their Roots
By Erik Lambert
At least six NFL teams are in line to fire their head coaches after the season. Here is a mock draft to pinpoint who could end up replacing them.
San Francisco 49ers
Departing: Jim Harbaugh
The Pick: Jim Tomsula
Three deep playoff runs in four seasons isn’t too shabby, but it’s clear conflicting personalities have made it the best time for Jim Harbaugh to find new work somewhere else. San Francisco 49ers fans will thank him for turning around the team from what it was for years in the previous decade. Now they must look to the future.
Truthfully the team is still strong in terms of talent. The best thing for them to do is maintain stability but with somebody the players might listen to. That is why rumors continue to hint at Jim Tomsula. He’s been with the team for years as defensive line coach and is popular in the locker room. Those close to him view him as smart, steady, a good motivator and manager of men. His lone game as a head coach was a blowout win in 2010.
New York Jets
Departing: Rex Ryan
The Pick: Pep Hamilton
Rex Ryan isn’t the only man responsible for the problems the New York Jets are suffering but unfortunately with such a regression after going 8-8 the year before, somebody has to go down and it’s likely going to be him. The Jets will then have to hire a man who can either coach up Geno Smith or have the ability to develop a young quarterback they take in the draft.
Pep Hamilton is a great choice. He is most directly responsible for the tremendous progress of Colts star Andrew Luck dating back to his days in Stanford and the best part is Hamilton spent three years with the Jets from 2003 to 2005 as assistant. So he knows the city and he knows the organization. It’s a good fit.
Miami Dolphins
Departing: Joe Philbin
The Pick: Todd Bowles
Players have really begun to resent Joe Philbin. Granted, nobody has come out and said it but the warning signs are there. Throw in the fact he hasn’t made the playoffs in three chances and it’s time for the Miami Dolphins to seek out somebody new who can take them to the next level.
Todd Bowles is a really good choice. While he isn’t an offensive mind who can continue the development of Ryan Tannehill, he’s a winner and defensive specialist. So in other words Tannehill will always have a defense backing him up. Bowles, ironically, was an assistant for three years in Miami and finished his time there as interim head coach. This time around he will get the chance he probably should’ve gotten four years ago.
Oakland Raiders
Departing: Tony Sparano
The Pick: Darrell Bevell
The signs are growing that Jim Harbaugh, the top target of the Oakland Raiders head coaching search, could likely accept the position to coach his alma mater at Michigan. This leaves the Silver and Black in a conundrum. Tony Sparano has done a nice job getting the team in the win column but he can be a realistic long-term choice to rebuild this franchise.
That is why they end up hiring Darrell Bevell. The accolades alone make it a tremendous fit. Bevell is an experienced offensive mind who has stayed up with the current NFL trends and brought success out of different types of quarterbacks including Brett Favre and Russell Wilson. He’s learned under Pete Carroll, one of the best in the business and is just what the Raiders want to have in charge of their young gun Derek Carr.
Atlanta Falcons
Departing: Mike Smith
The Pick: Rex Ryan
Before the mutinies start from Atlanta Falcons fans, consider the facts. Mike Smith is going to miss the playoffs again for the second-straight year. That means he’s likely done with the team. What is the Falcons’ primary Achilles heel when it comes to winning or losing games? Defense. Since 2008 when Smith arrived the team has never fielded a top 10 defense.
Since Rex Ryan came into the NFL, that is really all he has done. There may be no more consistently good defensive coach in pro football than him and his success in Baltimore and then New York prove that. Defenses that come under his watch improve significantly right away. He’s never had an offense or a quarterback like Matt Ryan before. If Atlanta can match Matty’s O with Rexy’s D, things could get real interesting down in the NFC South.
Chicago Bears
Departing: Marc Trestman
The Pick: Dan Quinn
Let’s face facts. Chicago Bears football isn’t about throwing it all over the field and putting up nice stats. It’s tough, it’s physical and it’s all about great defense. All those facets of their identity vanished the moment Marc Trestman was hired in 2013. His attempts to fix Jay Cutler have failed and it’s time for him to go. The team and the fans have long since tuned him out.
What this Bears team needs is a motivator, somebody who knows how to adapt to the players he has and is a ceaseless worker who can understand the mind of a pro football athlete. Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has earned such a reputation. His players love him, are awed by his film study routines and are always put in the best position to succeed on Sundays. That’s evident since Seattle has the best defense in the NFL.
Quinn can breathe life back into Chicago.