
The Miami Dolphins became the eighth team looking for a head coach this offseason after firing Mike McDaniel on Thursday. Six of those openings have popped up in the last week, with the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans being the two teams that executed in-season firings.
In totality, it's 25% of the league that's currently looking for a head coach at the moment, which means there will be plenty of competition for some of the best and biggest names available. So which jobs are the most desirable? And where does the Browns job stack up to the others?
The Ravens are already equipped with a franchise QB in Lamar Jackson, who's a two-time MVP. They're starting from the front of the line in that regard, and that's on top of the fact that Baltimore is known for having an established culture of winning. It starts with Jackson, but the Ravens also have some key pieces in place to build around. Hard to find a better job this cycle than this one.
It feels like the Falcons are on the brink of something. They are ripe with talent up and down the roster, and play in arguably the most wide-open division in football. And, depending on how a potential candidate feels about Michael Penix Jr., they may already have a potential franchise QB. Even if Penix isn't the guy though, the Falcons are well-positioned to compete sooner rather than later. Plus, it's an entirely clean slate in Atlanta as they. look to hire a new GM as well.
Like the Falcons, the Giants have a ton of young talent and are looking for the right leader to get things on track. Perhaps most importantly, though, is the fact that New York may have its franchise QB in Jaxson Dart, who flashed some encouraging performances this season. There are bound to be coaches chomping at the bit to get their hands on him. The Giants also hold the No. 5 pick in the draft.
The Raiders have been one of the most dilapidated franchises in the NFL over the years, so once a candidate can look past history, the Raiders are actually in an advantageous spot. First and foremost, because they own the No. 1 overall pick. If they have their eye on a franchise QB in this draft, he's theirs. That's an attractive thing for any new coach. Vegas is also expected to have some of the highest cap space this offseason.
Next up is the Titans, who, like the Raiders are expected to have a ton of cap space this offseason to overhaul what's an extremely underwhelming roster. They also have a top-four pick to help those efforts. Most important of all, though, Cam Ward is probably the most attractive young QB for a coach to get his hands on, at least of the jobs that are available. In many ways, Tennessee is a ball of clay for a new coach to mold.
Finally, the Browns make the list as one of the more difficult situations to decipher. On one hand, a new coach will inherit one of, if not the best, defenses in football, and a generational player in Myles Garrett. Cleveland also boasts two first-round picks this year, which presents a great opportunity to fix some major flaws on the roster. The problems with the Browns, however, are glaring. The offense needs overhauled, and there isn't much cap flexibility to do it. The Deshaun Watson contract remains an albatross that holds back this franchise. Their quest for a franchise QB also remains ongoing.
Miami has the weather advantage over most teams. It's also remaking the entire power structure with a new GM (Jon-Eric Sullivan) and head coach. Those things can be enticing. But, there's still a lot to figure out in Miami. The roster is bloated with massive contracts for players who are getting phased out. That includes QB Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched this season for his poor play. Like the Browns, the Dolphins are in a weird transitional phase.
Also falling into the "weird transitional phase" boat, is the Arizona Cardinals. For a while, it looked like Kyler Murray was the team's future at QB, but that ship has now sailed, and he's on the outs in Phoenix. The Cardinals do have some encouraging talent on their roster, and may be in a place to draft their next franchise QB if the right guy falls to them at No. 3. For now though, it's a tough job to get a read on, and therefore eighth on the list. The weather factor does work in their favor, though, too.