Buffalo Bills- Bills made the decision to part ways with both head coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan before the last game of the season. Bills finished 15-17 in the two years under Ryan. The team is looking to unload QB Tyrod Taylor in the offseason to avoid paying his $27.5 million contract in 2017. The new coach will have QBs EJ Manuel and Cardale Jones if the team is able to unload Taylor.
Despite the issue at the quarterback position, the team has a strong rushing game behind running back LeSean McCoy. The run defense however finished ranked 27th so the new defensive coordinator will have issues to address immediately on their defense. The team will likely hire an offensive minded head coach who can work through the issues at quarterback.
Denver Broncos- Gary Kubiak made the decision to step down from coaching which caught many by surprise. Kubiak is one year removed from winning Super Bowl 50, however, after having continuing health problems, he made the decision that it was best for him to leave coaching. Kubiak had suffered a complex migraine condition back in October which kept him away from the team for a week and a mini-stroke back in 2014 when he was the Texans head coach.
While the coaching opening is a surprise to the organization, the team has already made the decision not to promote any of the coordinators or coaching assistants to head coach which gives the team the opportunity to search outside the organization. The team has the number one ranked passing defense, but the 23rd ranked rushing defense which means the new coach will need to rush issues on the defensive line. On top of the issues on defense, the team will need to fix issues on the offensive line that saw both QB Trevor Siemian and running back C.J. Anderson go down with injuries. The team will also need to draft or sign a running back to backup C.J. Anderson next season. The team finished 8-8 in 2016 because of the lack of a healthy run game and the problems on run defense.With Wade Phillips at defensive coordinator the team needs an offensive minded coach to replace Kubiak.
Jacksonville Jaguars- Jaguars fired head coach Gus Bradley two weeks before the end of the season. The team finished 3-13 in 2016. The team made tremendous strides on defense last offseason and finished ranked seventh overall. There biggest issues were spending too much time on the field at the end of the games because of a week offense. This fell squarely on the shoulders of QB Blake Bortles. Bortles threw 16 interceptions in 2016. Add this to a paltry running game where running backs T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory combined for a lowly four touchdowns all season. The team will need to address the quarterback issue this offseason and an offensive minded head coach would be the best decision for the team.
Los Angeles Rams- Rams fired head coach Jeff Fisher after a loss in Week 14. The Rams finished 4-12 in 2016. The team banked on rookie QB Jared Goff. This leaves the team without any first round draft picks in 2017 so will need to make improvements through free agency including re-signing their own key free agents. The team's defense finished ranked sixth overall meaning their biggest issues will be to address their offensive woes. This includes fixing issues at offensive line that left QB Case Keenum injured. With a strong defense, the best decision for the team would be to get an offensive focused head coach who can improve the team without draft picks.
San Diego Chargers- Chargers fired head coach Mike McCoy after the last game of the season. The team finished 5-11 in 2016. With a strong passing game behind QB Philip Rivers and tight ends Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry, the team's biggest needs are on defense. The team finished ranked 18th in total defense in 2016. The team runs a base 3-4 defense that suffered numerous injuries during the season. A defensive minded head coach would be able to parlay the seventh overall draft pick into a defensive player ready to play next season.
San Francisco 49ers- 49ers fired head coach Chip Kelly after the final game of the season. Kelly was the head coach for only one season so his firing came as a surprise to many despite the team's dismal 2-14 record in 2016. The defense finished the season ranked fourth against the run which speaks to the strength of the defensive line but the secondary was often beat on the long pass. The team will also have to make a decision on their QB dilemma. The team will either need to support QB Colin Kaepernick going forward or unload him on a team in need of a QB that has played uneven in the last several seasons. They will also need to decide what to do with QB Blaine Gabbert who played poorly in 2016 and was eventually benched for Kaepernick. The team may need to go in a different direction altogether and draft a QB with the second overall pick they currently hold as well as address the issues at wide receiver if the team makes the decision to release wide receiver Torrey Smith. All this suggests that the team needs to find an offensive minded head coach who can address the numerous issues that currently plague the team.
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