Asked by The Denver Post on Monday morning to rank the five current NFL head-coaching openings (not including Las Vegas), a league source put the Broncos at the top, followed by Miami, Chicago, Minnesota and Jacksonville. A look at each of the openings:
1. Broncos
Record: 7-10 (last in AFC West).
Previous coach: Vic Fangio (19-30 in three years).
Last playoff appearance: 2015 (won Super Bowl).
Who’s making the decision: General manager George Paton, hired last January when John Elway moved into the role of president of football operations.
2022 salary cap space: $45,377,582 (10th in NFL).
2022 draft picks (rounds 1-3): Five (one in the first round and two apiece in rounds 2-3).
Quarterback situation: Unsettled … as usual. Teddy Bridgewater, 7-7 as the starter this year, is a free agent, and Drew Lock, the starter in 2020 who went 0-3 to finish this year, will be in the final season of his rookie contract.
Pluses: Paton is widely respected around the league for his communication and player evaluation skills. … Broncos have a wealth of draft capital (11 picks) to either acquire a quarterback or stock the depth chart. … 2020 first-round cornerback Pat Surtain II is a foundational player on defense. … Top receivers Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy are under contract for at least the next three years (including Jeudy’s 2024 option).
Minuses: Broncos are looking at a sixth different Week 1 quarterback is as many years. … No owner is in place and team could be up for sale before new coach’s first offseason practice.
2. Miami
Record: 9-8 (third in AFC East).
Previous coach: Brian Flores (24-25 in three years).
Last playoff appearance: 2016 (lost in wild card round).
Who’s making the decision: Owner Stephen Ross and general manager Chris Grier.
2022 salary cap space: $74,266,282 (first in NFL).
2022 draft picks (rounds 1-3): Three (single picks in each of the first three rounds).
Quarterback situation: So-so. Tua Tagovailoa will be entering age-24 season with career statistics of 27 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, an 88.8 passer rating and 13-8 record.
Pluses: League-high available cap space combined with no state income tax and south Florida location should make Dolphins attractive to free agents. … Rookie receiver Jaylen Waddle caught 104 passes for 1,015 yards. … Defense had 47 sacks this year.
Minuses: Dolphins are in same division as Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen and New England quarterback Mac Jones. … Franchise hasn’t won playoff game since January 2001, so current leadership group has no track record of success.
3. Chicago
Record: 6-11 (third in NFC North).
Previous coach: Matt Nagy (34-31 in four years; 0-2 in playoffs).
Last playoff appearance: 2020 (lost in wild card round).
Who’s making the decision: Chairman George McCaskey is running the search with consultation from team president Ted Phillips and veteran NFL personnel executive Bill Polian. McCaskey is changing the organizational flow chart, announcing Monday that the new general manager and coach will report directly to him and not Phillips.
2022 salary cap space: $40,935,664 (13th in NFL).
2022 draft picks (rounds 1-3): Two (one apiece in rounds 2-3). The Bears traded this year’s first-round pick to move up for quarterback Justin Fields.
Quarterback situation: Full of potential. The Bears traded up in last year’s draft to select Fields 11th overall and he went 2-8 this year with seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 73.2 rating. He was sacked 36 times.
Pluses: Fields can flourish with right coach and system. … Robert Quinn had 18 1/2 sacks this year.
Minuses: Until further notice, Bears play in same division as Green Bay and quarterback Aaron Rodgers. … Defense allowed 31 touchdown passes and had only eight interceptions. … Outside linebacker Khalil Mack has cap number of $30.15 million in 2022 and only 15 sacks in the last two years.
4. Minnesota
Record: 8-9 (second in NFC North).
Previous coach: Mike Zimmer (72-56-1 in eight years; 2-3 in playoffs).
Last playoff appearance: 2018 (lost in divisional round).
Who’s making the decision: Team president Mark Wilf, whose family owns the Vikings, will lead the interviews for the general manager (Rick Spielman was also fired Monday) and coach.
2022 salary cap space: $7,338,140 over the cap (29th in NFL).
2022 draft picks (rounds 1-3): Three (one pick apiece in each round).
Quarterback situation: Kirk Cousins will enter the final year of his contract with a salary cap hit of $45 million ($35 million guaranteed). In four years with the Vikings, he is 33-29-1 in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs.
Pluses: Terrific facilities in form of suburban practice facility and downtown indoor stadium. … Despite disappointing season, are still better than Chicago and Detroit. … Second-year receiver Justin Jefferson caught 108 passes for 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns and veteran running back Dalvin Cook rushed for 1,159 yards and six touchdowns.
Minuses: Messy salary cap situation; six players have cap number of at least $10 million in 2022. … New coach basically stuck with Cousins for a year. … Once-elite defense sunk to 30th in yards allowed and 24th in points allowed.
5. Jacksonville
Record: 3-14 (last in AFC South).
Previous coach: Urban Meyer (2-11 in one year).
Last playoff appearance: 2017 (lost in AFC title game).
Who’s making the decision: Owner Shad Khan and general manager Trent Baalke are running the search, but ultimately, this is probably Khan’s show. Since he bought the Jaguars in 2011, this will be his fifth coaching search.
2022 salary cap space: $68,258,401 (third in NFL).
2022 draft picks (rounds 1-3): Four (single picks in rounds 1-2 and two in round 3).
Quarterback situation: Very good. Trevor Lawrence, the first overall pick last April, survived his first 17-game season. He threw 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Pluses: Lawrence gives Jaguars the division’s second-best quarterback, behind Tennessee’s Ryan Tannehill. … Jaguars have top overall pick in April’s draft. … Ownership has always been willing to spend money in free agency.
Minuses: Precious little talent defensively and even less at skill positions offensively save for running back James Robinson, who will be rehabbing Achilles injury this offseason. … Baalke, the general manager as of Monday, has not-great reputation that may scare off candidates.
