What a wild coaching carousel it has been thus far in the NFL. First, it was Mike Vrabel getting fired, which shocked everyone. Then, Pete Carroll gets fired and steps into an advisory role within the Seahawks organization. Finally, the biggest domino fell when Bill Belichick and the Patriots mutually agreed to part ways. Add in Nick Saban retiring and it has been an absurd week for the sport of football.
Before we dive into ranking the NFL head coaching vacancies, please check out our new Around the Felt hoodies, available for purchase until January 18th. The support means more than y’all know. Cap space information provided by Spotrac. Now let’s get into it.
8. Carolina Panthers
Cap Space: $40.4M (13th)
Draft Picks: 2.33 (Round 2, Pick 33 Overall), 3rd, 4th, 5th (TEN), 5th (SF), 6th (ARI)
This was an easy choice for me. David Tepper has shown to be the most impatient owner in the sport, firing two coaches during the regular season (Matt Rhule and Frank Reich). An incoming coach is going to be married to Bryce Young, considering the Panthers gave up a haul to get the former Heisman Trophy winner. Around that young signal caller, who has been criticized for his small stature, is a terrible offensive line and arguably the worst arsenal of weapons in the league. Carolina’s pick, number one overall, belongs to the Chicago Bears. So does Carolina’s 2025 2nd rounder. With Brian Burns about to hit free agency, they will need to allocate a decent portion of this year’s $40.4M in cap space to retain him. Otherwise, the franchise looks idiotic for turning down two 1st rounders from the Rams last season for Burns.
7. Tennessee Titans
Cap Space: $77.6M (2nd)
Draft Picks: 1.07, 2nd, 4th, 5th (TB), 6th, 7th (CAR), 7th (PHI)
I highly doubt the Titans will be able to hire a better coach than Mike Vrabel during this cycle given the state of the roster. It looks like Derrick Henry has played his last game in a Titan uniform, which leaves an aging DeAndre Hopkins as the best player on the offense. The lack of development from Treylon Burks, the dude Tennessee drafted to replace A.J. Brown, has been holding this offense back. The Titans need to rebuild the entire offensive line outside of Peter Skoronski, whom they selected 11th overall in last year’s draft. This is an old roster built around a quarterback in Will Levis that I am not confident in long-term given his accuracy issues. Could the Titans target a QB at 7th overall in this year’s draft? A new regime will have a lot of work to do with the 2nd most cap space in the league at their disposal.
6. Las Vegas Raiders
Cap Space: $55.1M (9th)
Draft Picks: 1.13, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th (KC), 7th, 7th, 7th
I will acknowledge that the Raiders have some star players in place (Davante Adams, Maxx Crosby, Josh Jacobs, Kolten Miller), but the quarterback situation is ugly. The Jimmy Garoppolo contract was terrible from the start given his injury history and inability to push the ball downfield, which was a major reason why teams were able to stack the box on Josh Jacobs. Aidan O’Connell will never be a high-quality starter in this league. I also believe that Davante Adams will want out and become a New York Jet before the start of the 2024 season. The cap space is solid, but the defense has a lot of holes. The draft capital is strong, but the Raiders have struggled to hit on their draft picks over the last decade. Will they give the full-time job to Antonio Pierce (he has my vote), or are the Jim Harbaugh rumors for real? If the Raiders hire Harbaugh, could he reunite with J.J. McCarthy with the 13th overall pick?
5. Atlanta Falcons
Cap Space: $37.8M (16th)
Draft Picks: 1.08, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th (JAX), 5th, 6th, 6th (CLE)
I was torn between the Raiders and Falcons, but ultimately the younger roster got the nod. I really like the three blue-chip players Atlanta has at the skill positions: Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London. All three were selected in the top eight of the NFL draft, and I am stoked for a new offensive mind to come in here and actually give them the ball! I couldn’t stand this team under Arthur Smith. Check out my Kyle Pitts blog and you will understand why. The biggest hole on this roster is clearly quarterback, but I love the idea of Justin Fields in this offense if the Bears decide to take Caleb Williams. With strong quarterback play, this team could certainly win the NFC South next season. Rumors are also swirling that Arthur Blank has had his eye on Bill Belichick for some time now, which is most likely why Atlanta hasn’t requested any interviews yet.
4. Seattle Seahawks
Cap Space: $4.3M (23rd)
Draft Picks: 1.16, 3rd, 3rd (DEN), 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th
The Seahawks have a strong, young nucleus in DK Metcalf, Kenneth Walker III, Devon Witherspoon, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Charles Cross, Abraham Lucas, and Tariq Woolen. However, I couldn’t put the Hawks higher on my list given the limited cap space and the fact that Geno Smith is the quarterback. I think it is clear that Geno reached his ceiling in the 2022 season and Seattle will never win a Super Bowl with him leading the offense. Given that Seattle is picking in the middle of the first round, it may be difficult to find his replacement, but the thought of keeping Michael Penix Jr. in the state of Washington is intriguing. Dan Quinn’s name was floated around by Adam Shefter and Ian Rapaport right after Pete Carroll was relieved of his duties, so that is certainly something to keep an eye on.
3. New England Patriots
Cap Space: $75.2M (3rd)
Draft Picks: 1.03, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th (CHI)
As I was writing this blog, the Patriots hired Jerod Mayo as their next head coach. Mayo, 37, is now the youngest head coach in the NFL, and although many people speculated that Mike Vrabel would get the job, Bill Belichick clearly had a succession plan. The Patriots adjusted Mayo’s contract last year to include a head-coach succession clause, which allowed the Patriots to promote him quickly without the need for additional interviews. The Patriots are an iconic franchise, representing one of the strongest brand names in the sport. Armed with the third-most cap space in the league and the 3rd overall pick, Mayo can potentially add a franchise quarterback and build up the offense around him. If the Bears stick with Justin Fields, I would anticipate New England being aggressive enough to jump the Commanders. The biggest negative to this job is filling the shoes of the greatest coach of all time.
2. Washington Commanders
Cap Space: $86.9M (1st)
Draft Picks: 1.02, 2nd, 2nd (CHI), 3rd, 3rd (SF), 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th
With new ownership in town and the most cap space in the league, the Commanders have become very enticing. Ownership even hired former Warriors GM Bob Meyers to aid in the hiring process to assure they hire the right man for the job. Washington is sitting pretty at 2nd overall in the draft, as they are guaranteed one of Caleb Williams or Drake Maye to kickstart the rebuild. With the way Sam Howell performed over the back half of the season (he got benched twice for Jacoby Brissett), I believe quarterback has to be the pick. The Commanders have a ton of draft capital and can retool the offensive and defensive lines throughout the draft.
1. Los Angeles Chargers
Cap Space: -$34.5M (29th)
Draft Picks: 1.05, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th
The only reason the Chargers job is number one for me is the fact that Justin Herbert is locked in as the franchise quarterback; someone I would argue is a top five quarterback in the league. Not a single other team on this list has that luxury. Pairing Herbert with an elite head coach, such as Bill Belichick, would put the Chargers in playoff contention as early as next season. The most glaring issue for this organization is being $34.5M over the cap heading into next season, so it is likely several veteran players will be moved (perhaps Mike Williams, Khalil Mack, or Joey Bosa). Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are getting older and have two of the highest cap hits at their position for next season, so don’t count out the Chargers taking another wide receiver in the first round at 5th overall. Another direction they could go is pairing either Olu Fashanu or Joe Alt with Rashawn Slater to solidify both tackle spots long-term. The defense has a ton of talent but underperformed under Brandon Staley, so a new coaching staff will need to get that unit playing up to its caliber. Also, who wouldn’t want to be in Los Angeles?
Where did I go right and wrong? Let me know down in the comments. Embrace debate my friends.
