ESPN’s Bill Barnwell rates the Saints as least desirable job for HC candidates [mod edit]
Safe from the GM, but not the owner as we just witnessed. Someone is in her ear, but apparently not when it comes to Loomis. Then we have a lack of talent that can’t be remedied. I don’t think I’d step into that situation unless I didn’t have other choices.
If we believe Gayle, it was the players that were in her ear. Anway, all reports are that Loomis did not fight the decision and that he was likely going to let DA go at the end of the year. Some might even argue that would have been the better move since it gets you a higher draft pick. But, frankly, I think DA should have been let go 2 years ago and certainly after last year. But, I do think that willingness to give a HC all the rope he wants to hand himself is going to be attractive to some coaches.
The lack of talent can be remedied and the owner still gave a terrible HC 1 1/2 years more than he should have gotten.
The cap will be reset in two years and the thing about Loomis is that the personnel decisions are as good as the head coach is at making personnel decisions since Loomis clearly lets a HC pick his own team. If you are a HC that wants that kind of control and monetary backing there are advantages to this job in addition to the fact that we do have some good young talent and the talent we do have was clearly not being maximized by DA.
I mean even DA had more or less this roster close to a .500 team so a competent coach would have had them in the playoffs in this terrible division. So there is a base to work with here that a new HC can build on while having a patient front office who will give him the players he wants after a 2 year reset that will buy him even more time.
It's not the most attractive job, but it's in the jumble of all the other jobs. Just depends on what situation each coach is most comfortable with. Personally, I'd steer way clear the the Jets, Cleveland, and Raiders jobs. And if it wasn't for Burrow, I'd steer way clear of the Bengals job if it came open. But Burrow makes that job attractive alone.