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Redskins: 30 candidates who could potentially replace Jay Gruden as head coach

By Jacob Camenker

PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 06: head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers calls a timeout in the fourth quarter during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on October 6, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 06: head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers calls a timeout in the fourth quarter during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on October 6, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 22: New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels before the preseason game between the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on August 22, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 22: New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels before the preseason game between the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on August 22, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Offensive Coordinator. New England Patriots. Josh McDaniels. 5. player. 47.

Previously: 5

Any time there is a head coaching vacancy across the NFL, Josh McDaniels is going to be mentioned. Yes, his spurning of the Indianapolis Colts wasn’t a good look for him, but the fact of the matter is that he is still an extremely talented offensive-minded coach. And that’s something that could benefit the Redskins.

McDaniels has long been one of the NFL’s best play-callers, and his ability to adapt to the personnel he has is incredible. Since rejoining the Patriots in 2012, McDaniel has seen his offense rank as a top-10 unit in seven consecutive seasons and is en route to repeating that once again in 2019.

The Patriots lost Rob Gronkowski and a lot of the talent they had at the tight end position during the offseason, but McDaniels was able to adjust to using more of a receiver-heavy offense that also involves using James White and Rex Burkhead more as receivers out of the backfield. So far, that approach has been decent for the Patriots though injuries and constant shuffling of personnel have made it difficult for the Patriots offense to really get going. Still, it shows that McDaniels is willing to adapt his scheme to fit his personnel. And that’s what successful coaches in the NFL do.

Additionally, McDaniels has two years of experience as an NFL head coach. Granted, they came over a decade ago, but he knows what it’s like to run a team. And though his time with the Denver Broncos didn’t go as planned, he definitely learned from it and with 10 more years of experience under his belt, he second act as a coach could be much smoother overall.

The big question for the Redskins would be, is McDaniels willing to come to Washington? It would be a major question mark. He ultimately wasn’t willing to go to the Colts, but perhaps if he likes Dwayne Haskins enough, he could be convinced to go to Washington. But he has deep ties to New England and the only way he would likely leave there is if he got the vibe that Bill Belichick wanted to coach for another decade.

Will that happen? It’s possible but extremely unlikely. McDaniels is in a situation where he’s comfortable picking and choosing when he might want to leave. And at the moment, coming to the Redskins may not appeal to him. Still, that shouldn’t discourage Washington from at least trying to lure McDaniels to the team and include him in their interview pool for 2019. But the unlikelihood of him coming here will move him to the bottom portion of the top-10.

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