NEWSLETTER
Several teams with expected coaching vacancies could be eyeing the same thing from a candidate, which could present a different kind of challenge for the Chicago Bears if (when) they part ways with John Fox.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes that conventional wisdom says the Bears will hire an offensive-minded coach to replace the defensive-charged Fox, but cautions the list of candidates is shorter than we might’ve been led to believe.
“Josh McDaniels you can put as No. 1,” a coaching agent told Biggs. “He’s got all the leverage. There’s really not a No.2. You’re getting into Pat Shurmur, maybe Frank Reich. I’m telling you there’s no one. A lot of teams will end up hiring some roll-the-dice, flip-the-coin guys. Good luck. Seriously, it’s going to be crazy.”
It’s a logical step in the right direction to hire some sort of quarterback whisperer, or at least someone with a background in developing quarterbacks and putting a productive offensive product on the field. Considering the organization’s investment in quarterback Mitch Trubisky, finding the right version of this candidate should be the Bears’ highest priority. HOWEVER, unearthing that candidate is challenging enough on the surface and will only get more difficult if/when the Bears decide to move on from Fox.
Perhaps that candidate is John DeFilippo, who we discussed as part of the Eagles’ blueprint for success earlier in the week. Biggs spoke with NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger, who sees the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach as a rising star in the coaching ranks in the mold of first-year Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Sean McVay.
“That’s the guy,” Baldinger said. “Sharp, sharp, really sharp. Like he’s the smartest guy in the room. He would be unbelievable with a young quarterback. Everywhere he’s been Flip has been good. High energy, nonstop. If you’re looking, he’s head coach material. He’s like McVay.”
Biggs believes there doesn’t appear to be a McVay (or even a Kyle Shanahan) on the market for 2018, but things can change and coaching candidates can emerge. McVay broke out seemingly out of nowhere last winter to push Jared Goff to a breakout 2017. And as Biggs points out, Mike McCarthy flew under the radar before being poached by the Packers in 2006 and Andy Reid was an outside-the-box pick when the Eagles hired him in 1999.
History suggests an average of seven coaching changes per year, but it is believed this year could be an outlier with as many as eight or nine coaching jobs opening up after the year ends. It’s looking more likely that the Bears will be one of those teams, but they’ll be fighting through a crowded group that will undoubtedly feature some teams looking for an offensive-minded guru to groom their own quarterback.
