Jim Bob Cooter’s contract with the Lions wasn’t renewed following the 2018 season. The former offensive coordinator should be given a chance to prove himself, and coming to the Redskins should be considered.
Before the start of the 2018 season, Jim Bob Cooter was considered a rising star in the NFL coaching ranks. In two-plus years as the offensive coordinator for the Lions, Cooter had done a lot to revive a hapless Lions offense that was struggling under his predecessor, Joe Lombardi. That made some believe he could be one of the next, young offensive minds to be considered for a head coaching spot.
Cooter’s claim to fame was that he helped to revive Matthew Stafford‘s career. The former No. 1 overall pick greatly improved his accuracy and consistency during Cooter’s time as offensive coordinator, and that allowed the Lions’ offense to operate efficiently despite their complete lack of a running game. Stafford averaged a completion percentage of 66 percent with 4,345 yards, 28.3 touchdowns, and 11 picks per year in his first three years with Cooter. That’s pretty impressive.
However, under new management in 2018, things changed for Cooter. Matt Patricia took over as the head coach, and things seemingly didn’t mesh. Stafford regressed again and the team’s once-strong passing game dropped from being a top-six unit to being ranked 20th overall. And that was enough for the Lions to let Cooter walk at the end of his contract.
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That said, Cooter still has some talent, and he should get another chance to prove himself. He was a very good quarterbacks coach and perhaps a change of scenery would benefit him. Either way, the 34-year-old coach should get a chance to be a coordinator or quarterbacks coach somewhere in the near future. And if the Redskins are smart, they will try to add him to their staff.
Right now, it’s unclear what staffing changes — if any — the Redskins are going to make in 2018. There has been radio silence on the issue from the front office, and while it seems like they’re going to keep Jay Gruden in place, nothing is guaranteed. And the staff around him? Nobody knows what will happen there.
On the offensive side of the ball, the ‘Skins have Matt Cavanaugh as their offensive coordinator while Kevin O’Connell is the team’s passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. O’Connell is a hot, young offensive mind, and there has been some talk of getting him more responsibilities, just as the team did last year with his expanded role. Perhaps they could elect to promote O’Connell to offensive coordinator.
However, if they did that, they may have to part with Cavanaugh unless they can work out a promotion for him to become the team’s assistant head coach. Or conversely, they could make O’Connell assistant head coach and leave Cavanaugh installed as the OC. Either way, promoting O’Connell would create an opening at the QB coach position. Cooter would be a terrific hire for that position if it becomes available. He is still young and comes with high-level experience. That would add another potential young star to the coaching ranks, and it would at least give the team a chance at fielding a more creative offense.
Cooter’s may not fit in Washington at the moment, or some other team may hire him as an offensive coordinator, but the team should explore hiring him if they can. He is a bright, young offensive mind and the team needs as many of those as they can get. If they do decide to make some changes to their staff on both sides of the ball, Cooter would definitely be one of the most intriguing adds they could make.