New OC Thread (Welcome Aboard Eric Bieniemy!)

[bowhunter]

54 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

Wherever he goes it won't be a lateral move because he will become the primary play caller.  But agree this place likely isn't ideal for him.

I think we're gonna be stuck with whoever is left. Sean Payton poisoned that well. Him saying that potential buyers were considering hiring a new coach asap, (and thus their preferred coordinators?) Means that no promise made today may be still be valid tomorrow.. For that reason it's most likely going to be Zampese simply because we have no other options.

Edited February 13, 2023 by bowhunter

[Skinsinparadise]

7 minutes ago, bowhunter said:

I think we're gonna be stuck with whoever is left. Sean Payton poisoned that well. Him saying that potential buyers are considering  cleaning house as soon as they take ownership makes this a terrible destination for anyone who would garner interest anywhere else. For that reason it's most likely going to be Zampese simply because we have no other options.

 

That's a good point, there could be collateral damage on that front from Payton. 

[KDawg]

8 minutes ago, bowhunter said:

I think we're gonna be stuck with whoever is left. Sean Payton poisoned that well. Him saying that potential buyers are considering  cleaning house as soon as they take ownership makes this a terrible destination for anyone who would garner interest anywhere else. For that reason it's most likely going to be Zampese simply because we have no other options.

I hadn’t heard that quote. 
 

I knew he said he talked to potential owners… but I hadn’t heard that they were looking to clean house.

 

One could glean they are the same statement, but I think the reason he went to Denver could be construed as the sale is taking too long to clean house at this point. So he moved on because he wouldn’t be the next HC in DC this season.

[bowhunter]

7 minutes ago, KDawg said:

I hadn’t heard that quote. 
 

I knew he said he talked to potential owners… but I hadn’t heard that they were looking to clean house.

No sir, Please let me be clear. I have not heard or read the "clean house" point, it is a conclusion I drew. But I think the point may have some merit

.I will edit that post before I get quoted by Shefter

Edited February 13, 2023 by bowhunter

[Warhead36]

Bienemy's reason for coming here would be to up his value as a potential HC in 2024. Wherever he goes, he's not trying to go for more than a year anyway. So the coaching/ownership instability wouldn't be relevant for him. He's gonna wanna go somewhere he can put up a good offense and if he comes here, he's got a good WR trio and RB duo with a young, talented but raw QB. If he can turn our offense around as the clear cut playcaller, he'll be the prime HC candidate in 2024. And a bonus would be that he might do well enough to impress the new owner here to be this team's HC(although if the offense is good it means we probably win 11+ games and Rivera sticks around anyway).

[skinsfan66]

6 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

Wherever he goes it won't be a lateral move because he will become the primary play caller.  But agree this place likely isn't ideal for him.

No matter who put those offensive plays in crunch time and threw out the game, that was the difference and why they won, (my opinion).  Philly's D had a great plan but the adjustments that got WR's wide open at big moments were the difference. TI thought the Eagles's D were ready for the WR's going in motion inwards with the line but were not ready when they u-turned back out and the call was already made, it left WR's wide open on some big plays.  Seems like it was an added wrinkle by KC to something the Eagles had been planning for.  Not saying that's what happened just what it felt like to me.  Andy Reid may have wanted to give him some credit instead of trying to get rid of him?  I like Eric B's fit for Wash. We have 4 of the same type WR;s that work with a KC Offense, Need Oline help, better TE or develop the ones they have of course.  Howell fits the style too. RB's could be affective in this Offense too. Maybe add all purpose RB to roster. 

 

[samy316]

46 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

That's a good point, there could be collateral damage on that front from Payton. 

 

I think Payton was just confirming our suspicions on what a new ownership group would do once they take over the operations.  It was always logical to assume that the current coaching staff was in hot seat stage at the very least, so Payton saying this out loud is not that jarring to me.  It does complicate things a little when it comes to our OC search.  Now that a credible HC has come out and said what potential owners plans might be, it's going to be harder to get someone like EB as an OC.  EB and his offense had a damn good performance at the SB, and you would think that the Colts and Ravens will each have the inside track to nabbing him.  I think EB would turn us down, not just because of the current situation with a potential sale, but also the chaotic QB situation.  The Colts will likely choose one of the top 2 QB's in the draft, and the Ravens still have one of the most dynamic QB's in the league in Lamar Jackson.  We are apparently rolling with a 5th Round QB with only one career NFL start to his name and 19 passes total.

 

We're probably going to end up with either Pat Shurmur or Ken Zampese.

Edited February 13, 2023 by samy316

[Lovi]

11 hours ago, KDawg said:

I don’t get why anyone wouldn’t want to snag Bienemy at this point. Yes, he could flop and show it was all Reid. Or… he could show he had a big part in it.

 

Bad news is if we get him and we’re good he’s gone next year. 

I think this is exactly why we would want him.  He flops and shows it was Reid, we move on with new leadership.  He proves he rocks, then he's Ron's replacement under new leadership.  Win Win in my opinion.

[Conn]

38 minutes ago, Lovi said:

I think this is exactly why we would want him.  He flops and shows it was Reid, we move on with new leadership.  He proves he rocks, then he's Ron's replacement under new leadership.  Win Win in my opinion.

 

I initially had the same thought, but in reality if the offense is good, then the team is likely good. So in that case why would Rivera be fired. It’s a little sticky  

[bowhunter]

2 minutes ago, Conn said:

 

I initially had the same thought, but in reality if the offense is good, then the team is likely good. So in that case why would Rivera be fired. It’s a little sticky  

This might become an exercise in "what ifs" but certainly an interesting one.

[Professor_Nutter_Butter]

Does this team really want Bienemy if it means he's one and done? I imagine you gotta think long term here and look for someone who can provide consistency, because otherwise that's three OCs in three years for Howell (assuming he's The Guy), and that ain't great.

[Lovi]

11 minutes ago, Conn said:

 

I initially had the same thought, but in reality if the offense is good, then the team is likely good. So in that case why would Rivera be fired. It’s a little sticky  

I get the feeling he's retiring after next season anyway.  Perhaps not, but that guy has earned his retirement.

[Conn]

2 minutes ago, Professor_Nutter_Butter said:

Does this team really want Bienemy if it means he's one and done? I imagine you gotta think long term here and look for someone who can provide consistency, because otherwise that's three OCs in three years for Howell (assuming he's The Guy), and that ain't great.

There is no long term to think about in terms of staffing, realistically, with a new owner coming in. That’s part of the challenge in filling the OC spot. If someone like Bienemy comes in it’ll be purely because his weird situation meshes well with our weird situation. And if he does well and Howell looks great and he gets hired away for a HC job next offseason, then we get draft picks. So it’s not all bad. But right now we can’t really make long term plans

[samy316]

6 minutes ago, Professor_Nutter_Butter said:

Does this team really want Bienemy if it means he's one and done? I imagine you gotta think long term here and look for someone who can provide consistency, because otherwise that's three OCs in three years for Howell (assuming he's The Guy), and that ain't great.

 

There's nothing they can do on the one and done front.  Anyone they hire has a decent chance of only being here just one season before ownership clears house of Rivera and staff after next season.  Ironically, if EB wants to become an HC, it might happen here.  If/when Rivera gets canned, EB might get the opportunity to be HC if the offense does well next year.  Maybe he's an interim HC that becomes the undisputed HC if he does a great job on the offensive side.  This is all presuming that he accepts the OC job, which is far from certain.  He will probably turn us down for the Ravens OC job in the end.

Edited February 13, 2023 by samy316

[Conn]

1 minute ago, Lovi said:

I get the feeling he's retiring after next season anyway.  Perhaps not, but that guy has earned his retirement.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see that, especially with the clean break of a new ownership group and all that. He may feel like he shepherded the franchise into a new era, improved the culture, and mission accomplished.  Maybe he feels content to hand it off to Bienemy, which gives his guys on staff the best chance of keep their jobs after a year of working with him? Hard to say. There’s really no way to know right now and as @bowhuntersaid, it’s a lot of “what ifs” to delve into 

[HigSkin]

 

Many Commanders fans want to know why Ron Rivera is taking the slow road to hiring a new offensive coordinator. 

The answer is simple: Because he can. 

 

Washington’s head coach and football boss has the authority inside the building to take his time, and considering the team’s interest in Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Rivera is in no hurry. 

 

It’s been widely reported that Washington wants to interview Bieniemy after the Super Bowl, and now that the Chiefs have won another ring, his schedule should open up. There will be competition among other interested teams and that could include the Baltimore Ravens. 

 

With the NFL’s championship game finalized and another Lombardi Trophy heading to Kansas City, the Commanders need to sit and wait for their chance to talk to Bieniemy. 

 

And for Rivera, that’s not a problem.

 

That’s because he knows even if Beiniemy doesn’t come to Washington, or worse chooses not to even interview with Washington, the Commanders can still land a new play-caller that Rivera is confident can get the job done. 

 

Enter Pat Shurmur. 

 

Washington interviewed the former Giants and Browns head coach almost immediately after their season ended. No other team has interviewed Shurmur for the job of offensive coordinator, and speaking with league sources, none are expected.

 

If Rivera wants to wait around and see if Bieniemy will come to Washington, he has the backup plan of hiring Shurmur if that plan doesn’t work out. Rivera and Shurmur came up through the coaching ranks in Philadelphia on Andy Reid’s famed Eagles staff and there was some talk Shurmur could join the Washington staff in 2020 when Rivera took over. He landed the Broncos' OC job instead when Rivera decided to give Scott Turner a chance. 

 

So while some fans grumble about Rivera enjoying the Pebble Beach Pro-Am or waiting too long instead of finalizing his coaching staff for the 2023 season, the Commanders head coach might just have slow-played this hire the right way. 

 

There are other candidates - Ken Zampese is already in the building and Anthony Lynn would bring head coaching experience to the coordinator role. 

 

Bieniemy seems to be the top candidate, and after the offensive performance put out by Kansas City in the Super Bowl, he deserves to be. Whether Andy Reid is the real offensive mastermind, or the success can be attributed to Patrick Mahomes, still Bieniemy is the only coach close to that level of chain-moving prowess of any candidate connected to Washington. 

 

After the Super Bowl, Reid twice went out of his way to talk about Bieniemy, and while the offensive coordinator might want a head coaching job at least right now it looks like that won’t happen. 

 

So why leave a dynasty like KC to go to D.C.? It might seem crazy but it’s fairly simple. 

 

As long as Bieniemy is part of the Chiefs offense, outsiders will view his success as a byproduct of working with Reid and Mahomes. If Bieniemy can come to Washington and forge a highly productive offense, he can claim the credit all on his own.

 

This will be a telling week in the offensive coordinator search. 

 

Rivera has an opportunity to claim a big win if he lands Beiniemy. If that doesn’t happen and Washington lands with somebody Rivera’s familiar and comfortable with, the coach might be content, though fans would be much harder to please. 

 

 

Edited February 13, 2023 by HigSkin

[Andre The Giant]

 

[Professor_Nutter_Butter]

18 minutes ago, Andre The Giant said:

 

What if Bienemy goes to Philly?

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid spoke with a Fox sideline reporter soon after winning Super Bowl 57 and between the exuberance and the smiling and joy, Reid made a point to say something after praising quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“Eric Bieniemy was phenomenal also,” said Reid. 

Later, while accepting the Lombardi Trophy and dodging fat jokes from Terry Bradshaw, who apparently doesn’t have a mirror, Reid again went out of his way to make a point.

“Eric Bieniemy was tremendous down the stretch,” Reid said, “…putting things together.”

Reid mentioned Bieniemy a third time in an interview with ESPN. Sure, Reid mentions Bieniemy a lot, but there was definitely a pattern after the game.

 

In the pregame, Fox’s Jay Glazer said Reid would not shut the door on retiring. Reid seemed to squash that talk after the game, but being all tin foil hat-y, I thought Reid was possibly making sure his offensive coordinator’s name was mentioned because maybe Reid was stepping down.

There’s long been a theory that Bieniemy was staying in Kansas City as Reid’s replacement. Maybe it was time.

The most likely thing Reid was doing with his postgame praise of Bieniemy was making sure no one forgets Bieniemy, despite the fact that year after year, season after season, despite coordinating one of the best offenses in recent history, Bieniemy continues to get passed over.

[Conn]

8 minutes ago, Professor_Nutter_Butter said:

What if Bienemy goes to Philly?

Philly’s QB coach seems earmarked for that job, don’t think Bienemy is even on the radar for that when it opens up. 

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

[Wyvern]

About Bienemy -- maybe I'm being overly "superstitious" but I'm worried about what might go wrong if Washington ponies up the money to bring EB on as offensive coordinator.

 

I just can't help but recall how supposedly great transactions Washington conducted with Reid's organizations didn't turn out that well for Washington.  Trotter, McNabb, and even poor Alex Smith  (no fault of his own) just didn't really work out that well.  (The only exception I recall was Kendall Fuller, but he started with Washington before going to KC)

 

True or not, there are a lot of questions about Bienemy that are circulating from his actual role in KC's offensive schemes/play-calling, to his interactions with teammates to whatever unfavorable vibes he created in his interviews. And considering that in 2023 Washington's offense probably has nowhere to go but up ...EB could be the last coach standing when the new ownership comes in with their brooms, and looking for a new HC.

 

So, the stakes might be very high for Washington's future.... which makes me worry if the "Reid effect" will bite Washington one more time.  Maybe I'll hope the Reid effect only applies to transactions involving players and not coaches?  🙏

 

 

 

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

[Conn]

I don’t see how the stakes are high, the entire staff may be swept out by this time next year. This is the least concerned I’ve ever been with a coaching hire, I just want to give Howell the best shot to develop and beyond that, I’m whatever.

Edited February 13, 2023 by Conn

[Skinsinparadise]

1 minute ago, Conn said:

I don’t see how the stakes are high, the entire staff may be swept out by this time next year. This is the least concerned I’ve ever been with a coaching hire, I just want to give Howell the best shop to develop and beyond that, I’m whatever.

 

Yeah me too.  

 

I like Rivera as a coach, don't love him though.  A new owner is going to want in all likelihood to put his own stamp on the team and that includes a coach and I am fine with it.

 

Whomever this offensive coordinator is, I think its likely a one year gig.

 

 

Edited February 13, 2023 by Skinsinparadise