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By Ben Standig and Grant Paulsen 2h ago
The offseason turned the NFC East into a test case.
Three teams in what was once the NFL’s most dominant division have hired new head coaches since the regular season ended, and the calendar flipped to a new decade. In each case, there was little argument over the need for change.
Granted, this is no controlled experiment. Each of the newbies — former coordinators repping all three aspects of any team — brings their uniqueness onto very different scenes.
“We don’t know — we don’t know which of these hires will prove to be best. There are many variables to account for — and I don’t think it makes sense to jump to any immediate conclusions,” said former Oakland Raiders CEO and current NFL analyst Amy Trask. “Just as the best coaches best position players to be their best, the best organizations best position their coaches to be their best.”
No doubt, the wise, long-term approach with judgment involves patience. Future historians for the win. For this article, we won’t be chasing Amy’s practical advice.
Maybe not always, but for now and the foreseeable future, side-by-side-side comparisons for Ron Rivera (Washington), Mike McCarthy (Dallas) and Joe Judge (New York) are inevitable.
In fact, that’s happening right here.
The Athletic checked in with numerous league sources following Tuesday’s reveal that Judge would round out the division’s head coaches. The Xs and Os, clipboard carrying group includes one holdover, Philadelphia’s Doug Pederson.
For now, we sacked Pederson and tasked our panel of current and former players, coaches, scouts and general managers plus notable agents and members of The Athletic’s NFL staff with contrasting the new guys, including Carolina’s Matt Rhule.
Rivera, 58, is the defensive-minded thinker in the bunch. The former NFL linebacker joined the Redskins after a nine-year run in Carolina, highlighted by an appearance in Super Bowl 50, that ended in December. That’s when the Panthers fired Rivera with the team headed for its third playoff-less campaign in four years.
In Washington, coming off a 3-win season and with rising second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins, it’s Rivera running the show. Owner Daniel Snyder sold the two-time NFL coach of the year winner on a “coach-centered” approach. That term is more advertising spin than revolutionary thinking for Snyder, who previously handed the reigns to Marty Schottenheimer and Mike Shanahan before disaster struck. More change comes later once a front office plan becomes clear.
There’s no doubting who runs the show in Dallas. Who cares that offensive-centric McCarthy directed Green Bay to a Super Bowl win this century (2011) while the last of three Cowboys titles under owner/GM Jerry Jones came in 1996. It’s Jerry’s world.
That means receiving credit for the roster’s blue-chip talent, including quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott — and the blame for last season’s underachieving, remaining extraordinarily loyal to former coach Jason Garrett and the inability to reach those SB heights in nearly 25 years. McCarthy’s time in Green Bay ended rocky, but the 56-year-old is one of three NFL coaches to take a team to at least eight consecutive playoff appearances (2009-16).
Most reading this never heard of Judge before Tuesday’s surprise announcement from the Giants. League insiders are almost equally in the dark.
Judge, 38, never previously served as a head coach on any level and has less than 10 years of NFL coaching experience. He’s also the one joining a full-throated GM in Dave Gettleman.
Reports of the New England special teams coordinator/wide receiver coach’s hiring occurred shortly after New York’s reported favorite candidate, Rhule, took his talents to Charlotte.
Rhule replaces Rivera in Carolina. That’s another reason why the one-year Giants assistant coach who resurrected the Temple and Baylor programs before accepting the Panthers reported seven-year, $60 million offer joins the survey.
The initial question posed was simple: Whether for addressing their specific team situation or the actual coach, which hire did you like best?
Now, let’s hear from our jury.
We received responses from 32 individuals. The breakdown:
Players (7)
General manager/FO (7)
Scouts (3)
Coaches (1)
Agents (10)
Analysts (4)
From that group, 27 ranked the four coaching hires while the others went commentary only. We tallied the results. First, the ballots and comments:
THE PLAYERS — Includes active players and four with Pro Bowl selections on their résumé.
PLAYER 1: 10+ YEAR VETERAN
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Rhule 4. Judge
“I just think (Rivera’s) background and having played the game, guys respect him for that. And he cares about people. That will make players want to fight for him.”
PLAYER 2: 10+ YEAR VETERAN
1. Judge 2. McCarthy 3. Rhule 4. Rivera
PLAYER 3: 10 YEAR VETERAN
1. Rivera 2. Rhule 3. McCarthy 4. Judge
“(Rivera is a) two-time coach of the year. Always had players overachieve. He develops his guys and understands personalities. No one gives him credit but a lot of his assistants get bigger opportunities.”
PLAYER 4: 10+ YEAR VETERAN
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Judge 4. Rhule
PLAYER 5: 10+ YEAR VETERAN
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Judge 4. Rhule
“His players love him. He has great relationships to bring in good coaches and knows how to manage a team. I also think he learned from having to deal with (Panthers quarterback) Cam (Newton) every day. Should still be in Carolina but the new owner wants his own guy.”
PLAYER 6: NEARLY 10 YEARS IN LEAGUE
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Judge 4. Rhule
PLAYER 7: 10+ YEAR VETERAN
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Rhule 4. Judge
“Probably won’t go well (for Rivera), but he might be able to stand toe to toe with Dan. History does not look kindly on that job.”
THE FRONT OFFICE — Includes four current or former general managers
FRONT OFFICE 1
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Judge 4. Rhule
FRONT OFFICE 2
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Judge 4. Rhule
“ (Rivera is a) great coach but has little background in personnel and staff hiring outside of coaches.”
FRONT OFFICE 3
1. Rhule 2. McCarthy 3. Rivera 4. Judge
FRONT OFFICE 4
1. McCarthy 2. Rhule 3. Rivera 4. Judge
“(Mike has) won a Super Bowl and should help Dallas get back on track. … Rhule is really intriguing. Baylor was a wreck and he turned them around. … Rivera is a solid coach. … Grade incomplete for Judge though he gets credit for his time with Bill Belichick.”
FRONT OFFICE 5
1. Rhule 2. Rivera 3. McCarthy 4. Judge
“(Rhule is a) bonafide culture changer. Temple went from 2-12 to 12-2, and Baylor had sanctions, which is a death sentence. … (Rivera) will get instant buy-in from the players. … (McCarthy) has a proven track record of winning in the playoffs but doesn’t handle players the best. … (Judge is) unproven.”
FRONT OFFICE 6
1. Rivera 2. Rhule 3. McCarthy 4. Judge
FRONT OFFICE 7
(No rankings) “I don’t know how to rank them, to be honest. I don’t know Joe Judge and wouldn’t know how to answer, so that most likely means it will be the best hire. Think Ron is a good hire but always leery of putting the band back together. Matt Rhule is good. Fun to watch how he does in Carolina.”
THE NFL COACH
1. McCarthy 2. Rhule 3. Rivera 4. Judge
THE ANALYSTS
Mike Sando, NFL Insider, The Athletic
“Rivera probably helps Washington more than the other hires help their organizations. Bruce Allen’s departure is part of that equation. Having said that, when a team empowers a head coach the way Washington has empowered Rivera, there are risks as well. The burden is on Rivera to hire a great staff and hold his coaches accountable.
“Looking elsewhere in the division, Mike McCarthy looks like a good fit for what Dallas wants and he will probably have the most success initially. Joe Judge is a mystery, and I don’t know if the Giants are making a big shift overall, which was arguably needed.”
Jeff Howe, Patriots Insider, The Athletic
I’m surprised Joe Judge was hired this quickly, just because recent Patriots hires Matt Patricia and Brian Flores hit the interview circuit at least a year prior to getting hired. It’s hard to argue with Judge’s pedigree, and I’m intrigued how his special teams experience will benefit him, as John Harbaugh can attest and Bill Belichick has often cited as an important factor.
“I have no idea if Judge is ready, only because it’s impossible to predict how first-time coaches will react in the face of certain unexpected circumstances in the big job. He’s fiery and fearless, and Belichick groomed him for this opportunity. Now we’ll see what Judge makes of it.”
Ross Tucker, former NFL player/analyst
1. Rhule 2. Rivera 3. McCarthy 4. Judge
“Not sure how many people realize how hard it is for Matt Rhule to do what he did as quickly as he did Temple and Baylor.”
THE AGENTS — These respondents include some of the top names in the industry, and all represent Pro Bowlers, multi-year starters or first-round selections
AGENT 1:
1. Rivera 2. Rhule 3. McCarthy 4. Judge
“Think Rivera was massive for the Skins coupled with dumping Bruce. Love the guy. … Excellent with players. Will get them to play hard. Will need a good staff. Thought Dallas needed a veteran coach. Giants taking a big risk.”
AGENT 2:
1. Rhule 2. McCarthy 3. Judge 4. Rivera
On Rivera: “Snyder needed a guy to bring the culture back. Rivera will get the team back into the playoffs to give fans hope, but unfortunately, that will be the ceiling. Snyder isn’t worried about championships and Rivera will do what he needs to give some excitement back to DC. After five years, they will move onto another coach to try and build a championship team. He was a ‘bridge’ coaching hire.”
AGENT 3:
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Judge 4. Rhule
“I think (Rivera) is the guy to change the culture. He will bring a Steelers like mentality to Washington.”
AGENT 4:
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Rhule 4. Judge
“(Rivera) may have a winning record in his first year, depending on the quarterback.”
AGENT 5:
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Rhule 4. Judge
“McCarthy, hands down. … The problem (for Rivera) is he needs a personnel department and organizational support, and it’s just not there (in Washington).”
AGENT 6:
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera and Judge (tie) 3. Rhule
AGENT 7:
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Judge 4. Rhule
“(Rhule last) just because he hasn’t been at the pro level (much) so hard to say how effective he will be in the league.”
AGENT 8:
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Judge 4. Rhule
AGENT 9
1. McCarthy 2. Rhule 3. Rivera 4. Judge
“McCarthy is a veteran presence that knows how to manage the whole process. Took some heat for late struggles in Green Bay, but the roster lacked talent and finally went out and grabbed free agent players after he left. The Packers are better now because of the defensive additions. The offense still needs more pieces. He will do a great job with Dallas.
“Rhule has done more with less. Winning at Baylor with the talent on that team is amazing. Also is inheriting more talent at Carolina than Rivera will get in Washington. Now Rhule gets to play on an even field, draft and sign players with the same salary cap, which will make things easier for him. Every player that has played for him loves him and talks about how he made them a better player. He believes in accountability and each player doing their job.
“Rivera is a quality coach that has guided a team to a Super Bowl, which is no small feat. I put him behind Rhule because he is getting less talent at Washington than he had in Carolina. He is a defensive coach and I have concerns about the next coach needing to have the offensive savvy to reach and connect with Haskins. Will also need to build trust with Trent (Williams) to get him back in the fold.
“Judge has made a quick rise from special teams coordinator to one year as a WR coach to now a head coach. Banking on the Belichick way in New York with all of those distractions will be fun to see if it works. Will need a strong offensive coordinator to continue the development of Daniel Jones and it will be interesting to see how well he works with Gettleman.”
AGENT 10
1. Rivera 2. Rhule 3. McCarthy 4. Judge
THE SCOUTS — Two active, each representing one conference, and a former scout still involved on the pro and college level
SCOUT 1:
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Rhule 4. Judge
“Redskins, I think, got the best coach. Cowboys got the best coach for their situation. Mike can have a good few years there because the team is already set and made. Ron will change the marginal culture in Washington with the players — and guys will like to play for him for sure. I love Matt. I have a great relationship with him; he’s a great coach, person and teacher. That’s the one thing he’ll do. He’ll teach football and get the most out of whatever talent they got there. He just knows how to build and sustain. Love that dude. Don’t know much about Judge but may be a good hire.”
SCOUT 2:
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Rhule 4. Judge
SCOUT 3:
(no ranking) “I don’t really know the Judge guy. Surprising. They must have a specific angle that intrigued them. Ron is obviously a defensive-minded coach. He’s an excellent communicator and he’ll bring stability from his Carolina years. He’s a very scout-friendly coach and coordinator. Very approachable. … There are a lot of parts of Ron that are self-made. Hard worker. He gets a lot out of people. … McCarthy’s résumé is pretty good. From afar, I would say that during the front half of his time in Green Bay, the personnel was better. Had a young Clay Matthews, and Jordy Nelson and a younger Aaron Rodgers. By the end, they lost people and didn’t fill those gaps. His run of getting to the playoffs (most years) is pretty good. Dallas obviously has a lot of good players. I think they just need some belief and confidence. (Mike) should help in that area along with the offensive part.”
THE TALLY
Counting a first-place as four points, second equals three and so on …
1. McCarthy 86 total points (3.18 per ballot average)
2. Rivera 83.5 (3.09)
3. Rhule 59 (2.18)
4. Judge 41.5. (1.54)
It’s probably not surprising the two brand-name coaches came out on top. McCarthy and Rivera each received 11 first-place votes, but the Super Bowl-winner now in Dallas edged out the SB runner-up overall. Rhule (four first-place votes) certainly has admirers while Judge (1) faces a low-bar based on his largely blank perception canvas.
“Of the three recently announced hires, one (Rhule) is from college, one (McCarthy) had previous NFL head coaching experience, and one (Judge) is an NFL assistant,” Trask said. “I think it will be fascinating and a lot of fun to watch the trajectory of each and all of them, again recognizing that organizational structure and resources, etc. are significant.”
Now Washington, Dallas, New York and Carolina are focused on filling out its respective coaching staffs while the NFL’s lone remaining opening (Cleveland) searches for its coach.
“One thing to keep in mind with respect to Cleveland,” Trask continued, “is that a team which is last to hire a head coach will be last to look into the available assistant coaches and that can be problematic.”
Adding assistants is just one of the numerous variables in play for the new head coaches. Regardless of current thinking, future success won’t just come down to these sideline roamers. It’s the fit within the entire organization while hoping those running the organization don’t throw an ill-timed and course-altering fit.
The offseason turned the NFC East into a test case.
Three teams in what was once the NFL’s most dominant division have hired new head coaches since the regular season ended, and the calendar flipped to a new decade. In each case, there was little argument over the need for change.
Granted, this is no controlled experiment. Each of the newbies — former coordinators repping all three aspects of any team — brings their uniqueness onto very different scenes.
“We don’t know — we don’t know which of these hires will prove to be best. There are many variables to account for — and I don’t think it makes sense to jump to any immediate conclusions,” said former Oakland Raiders CEO and current NFL analyst Amy Trask. “Just as the best coaches best position players to be their best, the best organizations best position their coaches to be their best.”
No doubt, the wise, long-term approach with judgment involves patience. Future historians for the win. For this article, we won’t be chasing Amy’s practical advice.
Maybe not always, but for now and the foreseeable future, side-by-side-side comparisons for Ron Rivera (Washington), Mike McCarthy (Dallas) and Joe Judge (New York) are inevitable.
In fact, that’s happening right here.
The Athletic checked in with numerous league sources following Tuesday’s reveal that Judge would round out the division’s head coaches. The Xs and Os, clipboard carrying group includes one holdover, Philadelphia’s Doug Pederson.
For now, we sacked Pederson and tasked our panel of current and former players, coaches, scouts and general managers plus notable agents and members of The Athletic’s NFL staff with contrasting the new guys, including Carolina’s Matt Rhule.
Rivera, 58, is the defensive-minded thinker in the bunch. The former NFL linebacker joined the Redskins after a nine-year run in Carolina, highlighted by an appearance in Super Bowl 50, that ended in December. That’s when the Panthers fired Rivera with the team headed for its third playoff-less campaign in four years.
In Washington, coming off a 3-win season and with rising second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins, it’s Rivera running the show. Owner Daniel Snyder sold the two-time NFL coach of the year winner on a “coach-centered” approach. That term is more advertising spin than revolutionary thinking for Snyder, who previously handed the reigns to Marty Schottenheimer and Mike Shanahan before disaster struck. More change comes later once a front office plan becomes clear.
There’s no doubting who runs the show in Dallas. Who cares that offensive-centric McCarthy directed Green Bay to a Super Bowl win this century (2011) while the last of three Cowboys titles under owner/GM Jerry Jones came in 1996. It’s Jerry’s world.
That means receiving credit for the roster’s blue-chip talent, including quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott — and the blame for last season’s underachieving, remaining extraordinarily loyal to former coach Jason Garrett and the inability to reach those SB heights in nearly 25 years. McCarthy’s time in Green Bay ended rocky, but the 56-year-old is one of three NFL coaches to take a team to at least eight consecutive playoff appearances (2009-16).
Most reading this never heard of Judge before Tuesday’s surprise announcement from the Giants. League insiders are almost equally in the dark.
Judge, 38, never previously served as a head coach on any level and has less than 10 years of NFL coaching experience. He’s also the one joining a full-throated GM in Dave Gettleman.
Reports of the New England special teams coordinator/wide receiver coach’s hiring occurred shortly after New York’s reported favorite candidate, Rhule, took his talents to Charlotte.
Rhule replaces Rivera in Carolina. That’s another reason why the one-year Giants assistant coach who resurrected the Temple and Baylor programs before accepting the Panthers reported seven-year, $60 million offer joins the survey.
The initial question posed was simple: Whether for addressing their specific team situation or the actual coach, which hire did you like best?
Now, let’s hear from our jury.
We received responses from 32 individuals. The breakdown:
Players (7)
General manager/FO (7)
Scouts (3)
Coaches (1)
Agents (10)
Analysts (4)
From that group, 27 ranked the four coaching hires while the others went commentary only. We tallied the results. First, the ballots and comments:
THE PLAYERS — Includes active players and four with Pro Bowl selections on their résumé.
PLAYER 1: 10+ YEAR VETERAN
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Rhule 4. Judge
“I just think (Rivera’s) background and having played the game, guys respect him for that. And he cares about people. That will make players want to fight for him.”
PLAYER 2: 10+ YEAR VETERAN
1. Judge 2. McCarthy 3. Rhule 4. Rivera
PLAYER 3: 10 YEAR VETERAN
1. Rivera 2. Rhule 3. McCarthy 4. Judge
“(Rivera is a) two-time coach of the year. Always had players overachieve. He develops his guys and understands personalities. No one gives him credit but a lot of his assistants get bigger opportunities.”
PLAYER 4: 10+ YEAR VETERAN
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Judge 4. Rhule
PLAYER 5: 10+ YEAR VETERAN
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Judge 4. Rhule
“His players love him. He has great relationships to bring in good coaches and knows how to manage a team. I also think he learned from having to deal with (Panthers quarterback) Cam (Newton) every day. Should still be in Carolina but the new owner wants his own guy.”
PLAYER 6: NEARLY 10 YEARS IN LEAGUE
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Judge 4. Rhule
PLAYER 7: 10+ YEAR VETERAN
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Rhule 4. Judge
“Probably won’t go well (for Rivera), but he might be able to stand toe to toe with Dan. History does not look kindly on that job.”
THE FRONT OFFICE — Includes four current or former general managers
FRONT OFFICE 1
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Judge 4. Rhule
FRONT OFFICE 2
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Judge 4. Rhule
“ (Rivera is a) great coach but has little background in personnel and staff hiring outside of coaches.”
FRONT OFFICE 3
1. Rhule 2. McCarthy 3. Rivera 4. Judge
FRONT OFFICE 4
1. McCarthy 2. Rhule 3. Rivera 4. Judge
“(Mike has) won a Super Bowl and should help Dallas get back on track. … Rhule is really intriguing. Baylor was a wreck and he turned them around. … Rivera is a solid coach. … Grade incomplete for Judge though he gets credit for his time with Bill Belichick.”
FRONT OFFICE 5
1. Rhule 2. Rivera 3. McCarthy 4. Judge
“(Rhule is a) bonafide culture changer. Temple went from 2-12 to 12-2, and Baylor had sanctions, which is a death sentence. … (Rivera) will get instant buy-in from the players. … (McCarthy) has a proven track record of winning in the playoffs but doesn’t handle players the best. … (Judge is) unproven.”
FRONT OFFICE 6
1. Rivera 2. Rhule 3. McCarthy 4. Judge
FRONT OFFICE 7
(No rankings) “I don’t know how to rank them, to be honest. I don’t know Joe Judge and wouldn’t know how to answer, so that most likely means it will be the best hire. Think Ron is a good hire but always leery of putting the band back together. Matt Rhule is good. Fun to watch how he does in Carolina.”
THE NFL COACH
1. McCarthy 2. Rhule 3. Rivera 4. Judge
THE ANALYSTS
Mike Sando, NFL Insider, The Athletic
“Rivera probably helps Washington more than the other hires help their organizations. Bruce Allen’s departure is part of that equation. Having said that, when a team empowers a head coach the way Washington has empowered Rivera, there are risks as well. The burden is on Rivera to hire a great staff and hold his coaches accountable.
“Looking elsewhere in the division, Mike McCarthy looks like a good fit for what Dallas wants and he will probably have the most success initially. Joe Judge is a mystery, and I don’t know if the Giants are making a big shift overall, which was arguably needed.”
Jeff Howe, Patriots Insider, The Athletic
I’m surprised Joe Judge was hired this quickly, just because recent Patriots hires Matt Patricia and Brian Flores hit the interview circuit at least a year prior to getting hired. It’s hard to argue with Judge’s pedigree, and I’m intrigued how his special teams experience will benefit him, as John Harbaugh can attest and Bill Belichick has often cited as an important factor.
“I have no idea if Judge is ready, only because it’s impossible to predict how first-time coaches will react in the face of certain unexpected circumstances in the big job. He’s fiery and fearless, and Belichick groomed him for this opportunity. Now we’ll see what Judge makes of it.”
Ross Tucker, former NFL player/analyst
1. Rhule 2. Rivera 3. McCarthy 4. Judge
“Not sure how many people realize how hard it is for Matt Rhule to do what he did as quickly as he did Temple and Baylor.”
THE AGENTS — These respondents include some of the top names in the industry, and all represent Pro Bowlers, multi-year starters or first-round selections
AGENT 1:
1. Rivera 2. Rhule 3. McCarthy 4. Judge
“Think Rivera was massive for the Skins coupled with dumping Bruce. Love the guy. … Excellent with players. Will get them to play hard. Will need a good staff. Thought Dallas needed a veteran coach. Giants taking a big risk.”
AGENT 2:
1. Rhule 2. McCarthy 3. Judge 4. Rivera
On Rivera: “Snyder needed a guy to bring the culture back. Rivera will get the team back into the playoffs to give fans hope, but unfortunately, that will be the ceiling. Snyder isn’t worried about championships and Rivera will do what he needs to give some excitement back to DC. After five years, they will move onto another coach to try and build a championship team. He was a ‘bridge’ coaching hire.”
AGENT 3:
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Judge 4. Rhule
“I think (Rivera) is the guy to change the culture. He will bring a Steelers like mentality to Washington.”
AGENT 4:
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Rhule 4. Judge
“(Rivera) may have a winning record in his first year, depending on the quarterback.”
AGENT 5:
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Rhule 4. Judge
“McCarthy, hands down. … The problem (for Rivera) is he needs a personnel department and organizational support, and it’s just not there (in Washington).”
AGENT 6:
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera and Judge (tie) 3. Rhule
AGENT 7:
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Judge 4. Rhule
“(Rhule last) just because he hasn’t been at the pro level (much) so hard to say how effective he will be in the league.”
AGENT 8:
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Judge 4. Rhule
AGENT 9
1. McCarthy 2. Rhule 3. Rivera 4. Judge
“McCarthy is a veteran presence that knows how to manage the whole process. Took some heat for late struggles in Green Bay, but the roster lacked talent and finally went out and grabbed free agent players after he left. The Packers are better now because of the defensive additions. The offense still needs more pieces. He will do a great job with Dallas.
“Rhule has done more with less. Winning at Baylor with the talent on that team is amazing. Also is inheriting more talent at Carolina than Rivera will get in Washington. Now Rhule gets to play on an even field, draft and sign players with the same salary cap, which will make things easier for him. Every player that has played for him loves him and talks about how he made them a better player. He believes in accountability and each player doing their job.
“Rivera is a quality coach that has guided a team to a Super Bowl, which is no small feat. I put him behind Rhule because he is getting less talent at Washington than he had in Carolina. He is a defensive coach and I have concerns about the next coach needing to have the offensive savvy to reach and connect with Haskins. Will also need to build trust with Trent (Williams) to get him back in the fold.
“Judge has made a quick rise from special teams coordinator to one year as a WR coach to now a head coach. Banking on the Belichick way in New York with all of those distractions will be fun to see if it works. Will need a strong offensive coordinator to continue the development of Daniel Jones and it will be interesting to see how well he works with Gettleman.”
AGENT 10
1. Rivera 2. Rhule 3. McCarthy 4. Judge
THE SCOUTS — Two active, each representing one conference, and a former scout still involved on the pro and college level
SCOUT 1:
1. Rivera 2. McCarthy 3. Rhule 4. Judge
“Redskins, I think, got the best coach. Cowboys got the best coach for their situation. Mike can have a good few years there because the team is already set and made. Ron will change the marginal culture in Washington with the players — and guys will like to play for him for sure. I love Matt. I have a great relationship with him; he’s a great coach, person and teacher. That’s the one thing he’ll do. He’ll teach football and get the most out of whatever talent they got there. He just knows how to build and sustain. Love that dude. Don’t know much about Judge but may be a good hire.”
SCOUT 2:
1. McCarthy 2. Rivera 3. Rhule 4. Judge
SCOUT 3:
(no ranking) “I don’t really know the Judge guy. Surprising. They must have a specific angle that intrigued them. Ron is obviously a defensive-minded coach. He’s an excellent communicator and he’ll bring stability from his Carolina years. He’s a very scout-friendly coach and coordinator. Very approachable. … There are a lot of parts of Ron that are self-made. Hard worker. He gets a lot out of people. … McCarthy’s résumé is pretty good. From afar, I would say that during the front half of his time in Green Bay, the personnel was better. Had a young Clay Matthews, and Jordy Nelson and a younger Aaron Rodgers. By the end, they lost people and didn’t fill those gaps. His run of getting to the playoffs (most years) is pretty good. Dallas obviously has a lot of good players. I think they just need some belief and confidence. (Mike) should help in that area along with the offensive part.”
THE TALLY
Counting a first-place as four points, second equals three and so on …
1. McCarthy 86 total points (3.18 per ballot average)
2. Rivera 83.5 (3.09)
3. Rhule 59 (2.18)
4. Judge 41.5. (1.54)
It’s probably not surprising the two brand-name coaches came out on top. McCarthy and Rivera each received 11 first-place votes, but the Super Bowl-winner now in Dallas edged out the SB runner-up overall. Rhule (four first-place votes) certainly has admirers while Judge (1) faces a low-bar based on his largely blank perception canvas.
“Of the three recently announced hires, one (Rhule) is from college, one (McCarthy) had previous NFL head coaching experience, and one (Judge) is an NFL assistant,” Trask said. “I think it will be fascinating and a lot of fun to watch the trajectory of each and all of them, again recognizing that organizational structure and resources, etc. are significant.”
Now Washington, Dallas, New York and Carolina are focused on filling out its respective coaching staffs while the NFL’s lone remaining opening (Cleveland) searches for its coach.
“One thing to keep in mind with respect to Cleveland,” Trask continued, “is that a team which is last to hire a head coach will be last to look into the available assistant coaches and that can be problematic.”
Adding assistants is just one of the numerous variables in play for the new head coaches. Regardless of current thinking, future success won’t just come down to these sideline roamers. It’s the fit within the entire organization while hoping those running the organization don’t throw an ill-timed and course-altering fit.
