New England Patriots

5 teams who should hire Josh McDaniels in 2017

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Josh McDaniels may have earned himself another head coaching opportunity in the NFL

The New England Patriots are off to a hot 3-0 start to the season, all without Tom Brady or any seasoned quarterback. All you seem to hear nowadays is how Bill Belichick is a genius. Well, his offensive coordinator is quite the genius too.

For all the hype surrounding Belichick, it’s offensive guru Josh McDaniels who has crafted game plans and shuffled healthy quarterbacks to stay undefeated. Sure, the defense has played tough and Belichick has coached masterfully, but the Patriots wouldn’t be where they are without the mind of McDaniels.

Josh McDaniels has coached with the Patriots during each of their Super Bowl victories. He worked his way up the Patriots’ coaching hierarchy from humble beginnings as a personal assistant all the way to offensive coordinator. Coach Belichick has mentored the young football mind and prepared him for life after the Patriots.

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McDaniels announced Monday that after the season he would like another shot at a head coaching position somewhere in the league. His first stint as head coach came in 2009 when he was hired to coach the Denver Broncos. At 33, he was (at the time) the youngest ever head coach in the NFL. That experiment only lasted 12 games, as the Broncos fired him during the season after posting a record of 3-9.

When McDaniels finally hits the open coaching market next offseason, he will undoubtedly be one of the hottest commodities. I see way too many teams with anemic offenses that could definitely use a boost from a genius who was personally mentored by Bill Belichick. Here are a few places that could surely use the services of one of the best offensive minds in the NFL today.

5- Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles has a new (old) team and are about to have a new stadium, but they still have their old, outdated coach. I have zero ideas why old 8-8 Jeff Fisher is still coaching the Rams; he is the definition of middle of the road coach. His teams never finish with a record better than 9-7, yet he still has a job. His offense is geriatric at best, with no new wrinkles or cutting edge techniques.

In 21 years as an NFL head coach, Fisher has only six winning seasons … SIX! That is a bad, bad record. He coached with the Titans/Oilers for 17 years and his six winning seasons came here. That means he hasn’t had a winning season at all with the Rams. His best season with the organization came when they finished 7-9-1.

The Rams traded a treasure trove of picks to acquire former California Bear Jared Goff as the first pick in the 2016 NFL draft. Now Fisher and his old-school offensive strategies are slowly ruining the youngster from Berkeley. Rams owner Stan Kroenke needs to wake up and get rid of the excess baggage he’s been carrying around since the team left St. Louis.

Fire Jeff Fisher, hire the young, offensive guru Josh McDaniels and get that number one pick Jared Goff on his way to stardom.

Sep 25, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at New Era Field. Bills beat the Cardinals 33-18. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

4- Buffalo Bills

The Rex Ryan fiasco has gone on long enough and it’s time for the Buffalo Bills to move on. The Bills hired Ryan almost immediately after the New York Jets fired him in 2015 and he somehow took a top-five ranked defense and coached them into the ground. The Bills defense ranked 19th last year, Ryan has never had a defense ranked higher than tenth previously. His defenses have historically fared better but maybe, just maybe the NFL has figured out the Ryan defense riddle.

Last year the Bills’ offense was the star and almost got them into the playoffs. The defense was lackluster and the players all blamed Ryan and his overly complicated scheme. Rex is losing control of his locker room and his team isn’t responding to his strategies. It’s a common similarity among football players, once you lose respect for a coach it’s almost impossible for it to return. The Buffalo Bills are quickly losing respect for Ryan and it’s time for a change.

I’m sure Josh McDaniels would love the opportunity to coach in the same division as Belichick so he can truly test what he has learned. Buffalo has a long playoff drought that maybe a young offensive mind can help break. Just imagine Tyrod Taylor, the Bills starting quarterback, calling plays designed by McDaniels specifically for Belichick’s defense. That sounds like a NFL fan’s dream come true.

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox signals from the sidelines in the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

3 – Chicago Bears

The Bears are an NFL institution, but right now they are more like a boat without a rudder. They are a directionless franchise with no real identity. The old Chicago Bears were known for tough, hard-nosed defenses and legendary players like Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary. Now the team has no form of identity and I’m not sure they even pass as an NFL franchise.

John Fox is a serviceable coach; he’s taken two different teams to the Super Bowl, but hasn’t won one. Fox had the Broncos playing tough before he was let go following the team’s second place finish in the AFC and divisional playoff exit. The Broncos finished with a record of 12-4 but lost to the Colts in the playoffs.

Fox and the Bears opened the season with three losses and he is definitely on the hot seat. The Bears are stuck with an overpriced bad boy, Jay Cutler, as their quarterback, but as McDaniels has proven, you don’t need a top-tier quarterback to win. Cutler actually played pretty well under former offensive coordinator and new Dolphins coach Adam Gase. Gase is of the new regime of young offensive minds and his success proves what McDaniels could do. I’d like to see Josh McDaniels hired as Chicago’s next head coach and see what he can do leading one of the more storied franchises in the NFL.

Chicago has some offensive weapons in big-time wide receivers Alshon Jeffrey and Kevin White. If the Bears’ owners can dump John Fox and hire McDaniels, I see multiple Pro Bowls in these receivers’ futures. Hiring Josh McDaniels is the right choice for the Bears and the best choice after losing Adam Gase.

Sep 18, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley addresses the media during a post-game media conference following the game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. San Diego won 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

2 – Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars need help and they need it badly after starting out 0-3. The team is underachieving and the offense may be the most disappointing unit in the whole league. The Jags’ offense is stacked with studs and for some reason they can’t get it together.

Coach Gus Bradley is a defensive guru, similar to Belichick but with less of a pedigree. Bradley, the former defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks was brought in to install some discipline. He inherited a mess of a team with its best player –wide receiver Justin Blackmon– constantly being suspended for off the field issues. The discipline that Bradley was supposed to bring hasn’t materialized and the team is still in disarray.

The Jaguars have brought in a ton of talent this offseason, including high priced free agents like Malik Jackson and Prince Amukamara. Although the added talent hasn’t turned into victories, coach Bradley still has his job. The defense has some top rookies this year in Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack. The Jaguars are surrounding quarterback Blake Bortles with a talented offense but they can’t seem to crack the wins column. The Jags have two of the best young receivers in the league in Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. The young Jags’ core would be like putty in the hands of an offensive guru like Josh McDaniel.

The Jaguars have an owner in Shahid Khan who wants to make a splash internationally. They play every year in England and he spends a ton of money marketing them in foreign markets. If they want to truly market the team, make them a winner with an explosive offense. Points on the scoreboard sell, and if Khan wants to be a player internationally, the Jaguars have to start winning games. In my opinion, McDaniels could help put points on the scoreboard and make this franchise marketable.

Sep 18, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden looks on against the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. The Cowboys won 27-23. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

1 – Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins always seem to be surrounded by controversy, whether it’s the implied racist name or trading away the future for a brittle track star (RG3). Redskins owner Daniel Snyder is known for making waves like signing huge free agents with declining skill sets and laughing in the face of people protesting his team’s name.

Not surprisingly, he hired a coach with a famous last name, except it wasn’t the coach we all thought it would be. He hired Jay Gruden, legendary coach Jon Gruden’s brother. Jay, the former offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, was brought in to Washington to fix RG3 (Robert Griffin III). The supposed quarterback whisperer failed in fixing RG3 and instead placed him on the bench to waste away in obscurity. Washington gave up three first round picks to acquire RG3 and he spent much of his time there injured or not active. The Redskins let RG3 go to the Cleveland Browns without any compensation.

Washington hired Gruden to fix RG3 and he failed — so why is he still the coach? Snyder has had seven head coaches in his 17 years of team ownership, so why not add another one? Gruden has taken the Redskins to the playoffs, but knowing Snyder’s history, his job isn’t safe.

Washington has a bunch of talent on the offensive side of the ball and McDaniels could help this group reach its potential. McDaniels is obviously great at getting the best out of quarterbacks; maybe Snyder should have hired him to help save RG3 in hindsight.

Changing the coach doesn’t always work to improve your team, but it doesn’t hurt to mess with the status quo a little. McDaniels will be one of the hottest coaching candidates this offseason for a reason — he’s a true offensive genius.