Let’s face it. Jay Gruden’s seat is getting warmer and while he’s far from a lock to be fired, the Redskins may choose to part with him. If they do, here are some good offensive-minded candidates to do that.
This time last year, there was plenty of speculation that Jay Gruden might be fired by the Redskins. We all know what happened there. He ended up staying another year and being given a pass for last season because of the litany of injuries that occurred and limited his ability to do his job. This year, it has been much of the same.
The Redskins have been devastated by injuries again, and that could potentially buy Gruden another year as head coach. At the same time, there are clearly some problems with him as a coach. Too often, the team comes out looking flat and undisciplined. And sometimes, the play-calling leaves a bit to be desired. So, even with the injuries piling up, Gruden’s job is far from safe.
The last four games of the season will be crucial for Gruden. The team doesn’t necessarily have to win during that stretch — after all, Mark Sanchez is their quarterback — but they have to show better effort and energy. If they can’t do that, Gruden’s seat will get progressively warmer and the team will have a decision to make.
It’s far too early to know what will happen with the Redskins head coaching position. That said, the team should be creating at least a short-list of candidates that they could consider replacing Gruden with if they are so inclined to part with him after the season. With that in mind, here’s a look at five offensive-minded coaching candidates that could garner consideration if the Redskins move on from Gruden.
DeFilippo is a guy that will be mentioned and with good reason. He has done great work as a quarterbacks coach in the NFL over the course of his career. Recently, he was with the Eagles and helped Carson Wentz develop into one of the league’s best quarterbacks. And without DeFilippo in 2018, Wentz hasn’t look as good (though his balky knee may have something to do with that). Still, DeFilippo’s work with Wentz was definitely a positive for his resume.
That said, DeFilippo’s 2018 season has been up-and-down. He took the job as the Vikings offensive coordinator to work with former Redskin Kirk Cousins. So far this year, the Vikings are sitting around .500, and so is their offense.
Despite having one of the better receiver tandems in the league, DeFilippo has only led the Vikings to the 16th ranked offense in terms of yardage and 18th in scoring. That’s not awful, but it’s not great either. At times, his play calling has been questioned, and that was particularly apparent after he called a quick pass on fourth and 11 against the Patriots that had no chance of getting the first down. So, those factors will weigh on his consideration as a coach.
However, as Redskins fans know, Cousins can sometimes be to blame for offensive inconsistencies. So, that has to be taken into account as part of DeFilippo’s struggles as well.
DeFilippo is the type of guy that could definitely do some solid work with a quarterback and make them into a playoff contender. That said, that’s part of the reason he’s not a great fit in Washington. The team doesn’t have a long-term QB right now, so they would probably have to draft one under DeFilippo to spark that process. However, the Alex Smith contract may force them to roll with him for another year or two, so that might scare off DeFilippo.
Also, it’s worth noting that DeFilippo may be the top candidate for the Packers coaching opening. There are a lot of factors to dissuade the Redskins from DeFilippo, so they may be better served to target someone else if they part with Gruden. Still, DeFilippo should be on their short-list of offensive minds to consider.
Matt LaFleur is an interesting candidate because he has experience in Washington. He served as the team’s quarterbacks coach from 2010-2013 as a part of Mike Shanahan’s staff. After Shanahan was fired, LaFleur ended up at Notre Dame for a year before joining another Shanahan staff.
LaFleur has worked closely with Kyle Shanahan in recent years, serving as the quarterbacks coach during Atlanta’s run to the Super Bowl when Shanahan was the offensive coordinator. LaFleur helped Matt Ryan reach MVP status during his final season before defecting to the Rams to join another former Washington staffer, Sean McVay.
In one year with the Rams, LaFleur helped to run the league’s best scoring offense and did a lot to help Jared Goff turn things around. However, LaFleur only stayed one year in Los Angeles, as he had the opportunity to call plays in Tennessee as Mike Vrabel‘s offensive coordinator. So, he defected again and has coached there in 2018.
Nothing about LaFleur’s offense in Tennessee has been particularly special. They ranked 28th in both scoring and yardage this year. That said, LaFleur hasn’t had much weaponry to work with, as Marcus Mariota has been hurt and the Titans lack skill position weapons. So, the fact that LaFleur has been able to orchestrate offensive outbursts in wins over last year’s Super Bowl contenders, the Patriots (34-10) and Eagles (26-23), is impressive.
The reason that LaFleur isn’t high on this list is that he wouldn’t have the talent needed to be a success right away in Washington. LaFleur could use another year of seasoning, or he might be better off going to a team that has an established quarterback situation. He works well with quarterbacks, but if he is forced to shuffle between Alex Smith and Colt McCoy in his rookie coaching season, that may not be a recipe for success.
LaFleur is still an option, as he has a ton of connections to Washington. It will be interesting to see if he gets a call in the event that Gruden is coaching elsewhere for 2019.
I know what you’re all thinking. Isn’t this the guy that took the Colts’ head coaching job last offseason and then decided he didn’t want it anymore? Well, yes. He definitely is. That said, McDaniels is still going to get consideration for head coaching gigs, and the Redskins should consider him if their job opens up.
McDaniels is one of the bright, young offensive minds in the NFL. He has been a play-caller in the NFL since 2006, and he actually comes with some head coaching experience. He was the head coach of the Denver Broncos from 2009-2010, and while that was a rocky tenure for him, it’s still important to note that he was the youngest head coach in the NFL at the time. And simply put, things didn’t work out.
McDaniels worked one forgettable season with the Rams before returning to New England in 2012. Since that time, he has been one of the best offensive coordinators in the league.
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In every season since ’12, McDaniels has had a top-10 offense in terms of scoring and a top-11 offense in terms of yardage. He has been able to consistently get the most out of his players and make merely solid players into above-average producers. McDaniels runs an innovative offense and is highly adaptable. He looks to attack the weaknesses of opposing defenses, and that’s why he has so much success.
Of course, having Tom Brady helps his cause, but the fact of the matter is that McDaniels has made the offense work regardless of the personnel and skill-position weapons he was given. He just knows how to get the most out of players, and that’s why he is such a good fit next to Bill Belichick in New England.
If McDaniels came to the Redskins, he would instantly be an upgrade from an offensive standpoint. He may be able to unlock some of the hidden talents that the team has in the receiving corps, and if the team drafted a quarterback, McDaniels would be able to help develop him. That makes him an intriguing candidate.
That said, it’s hard to imagine McDaniels leaving the stable environment of New England, where he is likely the coach in waiting, to take a chance on a Washington team with a quarterback conundrum. So, while the ‘Skins might be interested, McDaniels may only consider perfect job openings worth leaving the Patriots for.
Todd Monken isn’t a guy that has been talked about a lot this year, but there’s really no reason for that. Sure, he’s coaching on a Buccaneers team that has been inconsistent and isn’t a playoff threat, but the fact is that he is a really solid offensive mind and deserves head coaching consideration.
Monken has been with the Buccaneers for the last three season as the offensive coordinator. In each season, the team’s offense has improved greatly. In terms of total yardage, the team went from 18th in his first year to ninth in his second year. And this year? They’re tops in the NFL.
Of course, it is notable that Monken’s offense has only been, at best, 10th in total points, so that does point to some issues in the red zone. That said, it’s also fair to say that the talent the Bucs have been trotting out at RB hasn’t been great by any stretch of the imagination, so that could have an impact on that.
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It’s also notable that Monken had a nice, three-year stretch as the head coach at Southern Mississippi. Before being hired by the Bucs, he led Southern Miss to a bowl game and a 7-1 record in Conference USA. So, that was a big accomplishment as well, and it proves that he has the coaching chops needed to be a leader.
For the Redskins, Monken would offer an innovating, new approach to the offense. It’s also possible that the Redskins could look to acquire Jameis Winston along with Monken to give their offense a better chance of succeeding, so that could be an interesting dynamic. Monken’s play-calling has been very good and if he can get a legitimate quarterback at some point, he could really become one of the young coaching stars in the league.
If you’re looking to find a great offensive mind with a proven track record of success, Monken is one of the guys that you will like. Washington should give him a hard look if they decide to move on from Gruden, as Monken could help to bring the offense to the next level within a couple of years of joining the team.
Bieniemy is going to be one of the hottest names in head coaching searches this year. The Chiefs offense has been performing at a ridiculously high level, and Patrick Mahomes is really looking like the league MVP. While Andy Reid deserves credit for this, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has played no small role in that development either.
BIeniemy has worked with Reid to create an offensive system that has thrived throughout the 2018 season. Mahomes has looked far more comfortable than any first-year starter we’ve seen in a long time at QB. And yes, he did have a year to learn that system, but still, the point is that Bieniemy has done a great job working with Reid and Mahomes to create one of the league’s most explosive units.
It’s also notable that members of the Andy Reid coaching tree have typically gone on to be solid head coaches in their own right. Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy stand out as recent examples of this, so Bieniemy will reap the rewards of this as well.
The best part of Bieniemy’s fit with the Redskins is that he could work well with the running back room the team has. Derrius Guice will be returning from a torn ACL in 2019, and if the team still has questions at RB, Bieniemy — a former NFL running back and running backs coach — should be able to help get the most out of that group. That could be critical for the team, especially if they are still dealing with an unsettled situation at QB.
Bieniemy has upside. He only has one year of experience as an NFL coordinator, but that shouldn’t stop teams from showing interest in him. He has been in the NFL for a long time and also had a two-year stint as the offensive coordinator for Colorado. Bieniemy could be a solid coaching candidate and if the Redskins decide they want a new offensive mind to lead them, he should draw a lot of consideration thanks to his solid offense from this year (third in total points in 2018).