Predicting 5 major moves in the NFL's upcoming coaching carousel
"Black Monday" - the day every coach with a losing record or disappointed boss loses sleep every year - is less than a week away, and with a possible record number of moves to be made, the league will likely look much different in the coming weeks.
Each move will have some sort of domino effect on the rest of the league's decisions, but before the chopping blocks are broken out, here are five predictions for what should be an exciting NFL coaching carousel:
Bengals trade for one of their former OCs
The biggest reason Marvin Lewis has lasted this long with the Bengals despite never winning a playoff game is owner Mike Brown's love for continuity.
With Lewis' tenure as head coach in Cincinnati finally looking likely to come to an end, the Bengals won't be looking for a complete overhaul on their staff. Former offensive coordinators Hue Jackson and Jay Gruden have moved on to the Browns and the Redskins, respectively, but both those teams may be looking for a change.
Related - Report: Bengals interested in Redskins' Jay Gruden
The Bengals likely would rather pay a little extra to get someone they already know and trust than go through the bother of interviewing brand new candidates and deciphering who will be a fit without seeing them up close in action.
Titans make playoffs, still fire Mularkey
For anyone familiar with the skill set Marcus Mariota showed while in college, watching Mike Mularkey use his quarterback in the most bland ways possible is infuriating. Mularkey earned goodwill from the Titans ownership and front office by avoiding complete disaster in 2015 and 2016, but that can only cut it for so long.
The Titans can earn a trip to the postseason with a win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, or Week 17 losses by the Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills. Tennessee handily defeated the Jags in Week 2 and will face a team with nothing more than bragging rights to gain with a win, so another victory certainly isn't out of the question.
Related: Why Titans need to move on from Mularkey regardless of 2017 result
However, even if the Titans can break into the playoffs for the first time since 2008, it won't prove they are a team headed in the right direction, nor should it inspire confidence in Mularkey. Of their eight wins in 2017, only one has come against a team that has already secured a playoff spot. With a talented young quarterback, a solid team core, and a competent general manager, the Titans know they can do better than Mularkey.
Gruden returns to one of his former teams
The NFL has been without Jon Gruden as a head coach since 2008 and it is about time the former Super Bowl winner retreated from his broadcast booth to rejoin the league's sidelines.
Gruden is reportedly eyeing a return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers if the job becomes available. Dirk Koetter has looked lost as the Bucs' head coach since being promoted from offensive coordinator and has already admitted he's aware a change could be coming.
The Oakland Raiders are also rumored to be looking for a new chief. Gruden, who spent four years as Oakland's head coach from 1998 to 2001, has the reputation and pedigree to justify the team firing Jack Del Rio, who is still guaranteed $15 million after this season. Gruden would also help keep fans in Oakland interested as the move to Vegas approaches and with the competitiveness of the roster in question.
Eagles coaching staff gets raided
As per NFL tradition, if a team comes out of left field to have a dominant season, its coaching staff will all be considered for promotions around the league.
The Eagles are particularly rich with coaching talent at the moment with offensive coordinator Frank Reich, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo all expected to receive interest around the league. Should a Carson Wentz-less Philadelphia bow out of the postseason early, all three coaches have a higher likelihood of landing jobs as new teams will not have to wait too long for their availability.
Schwartz has previous head coaching experience with the Lions, while Reich has served as an offensive coordinator since 2014 and has connections from his playing days. DeFilippo, 39, is a lesser-known candidate, but with the success of young coaches Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, he is expected to draw interest as a youthful presence who understands how to develop quarterbacks. He will also garner interest as an offensive coordinator, possibly under Reich or Schwartz.
McDaniels reunites with former Patriots front-office exec
Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels has been one of the most popular names in discussions about potential head coaches for several years. However, he's made it clear he's not going to bolt from New England (again) for just any opportunity.
However, as Bill Belichick's organization has become a breeding ground for quality coaches and general managers, there are now opportunities for McDaniels to build his own mini-Patriots elsewhere.
Jon Robinson of the Titans, Bob Quinn of the Lions, and Jason Licht of the Buccaneers have all reached the general manager level thanks to careers started within the Patriots organization, and all three men lead teams that could be in the market for a new head coach and have established quarterbacks for McDaniels to work with.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
Copyright (C) 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.