Mularkey out in Tenn; Titans aiming for McDaniels

[Bill Lee]

They never gave him an extension.

It was semantics. Adams said they want him but the OC was the issue.

I bet Mularkey too umbrage to it and they decided it was best to move on and focus on Josh

Agree. The owner did make a strong statement endorsing him a week ago, but is now saying they couldn't agree to contract terms.

Maybe Mularkey standing behind his OC is, well, mularkey.

Personally I could a scenario where the endorsement was just done to pump the guy up before the big playoff game, and the only way he'd keep his job was to win the SB, and even that is dicey.

Any idiot could see Mularkey and staff had very limited upside, and Jon Robinson is no idiot.

Robinson brings in McD and a whole new staff and buys himself two more years of safety as GM and IMHO a lot better shot at moving up in the playoffs.

Robinson does nothing and there's a good chance McD ends up at the division rival Colts.

I know how I'd play that situation: fire Mularkey and go for McD!

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

Lombardi claims the contract with the Colts and McDaniels is too far in motion to break now.
That the Titans missed out on Josh by winning in KC he tweeted the Titans went one step forward three steps back.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Agree. The owner did make a strong statement endorsing him a week ago, but is now saying they couldn't agree to contract terms.

Maybe Mularkey standing behind his OC is, well, mularkey.

Personally I could a scenario where the endorsement was just done to pump the guy up before the big playoff game, and the only way he'd keep his job was to win the SB, and even that is dicey.

Any idiot could see Mularkey and staff had very limited upside, and Jon Robinson is no idiot.

Robinson brings in McD and a whole new staff and buys himself two more years of safety as GM and IMHO a lot better shot at moving up in the playoffs.

Robinson does nothing and there's a good chance McD ends up at the division rival Colts.

I know how I'd play that situation: fire Mularkey and go for McD!

Game of Thrones NFL style.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Lombardi claims the contract with the Colts and McDaniels is too far in motion to break now.
That the Titans missed out on Josh by winning in KC he tweeted the Titans went one step forward three steps back.

Not buying it. Until the deal is done it is not done.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

Not buying it. Until the deal is done it is not done.

I would think that was the case too the only stumbling block is he shares an agent with the Colts GM Ballard, if there's a deal agreed and he backs out things could be awkward.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

One advantage of Indy: If they had done what Tennessee did this year, their coach could boast that they helped hang two banners in the rafters: "wild card winner" and "division round participant"

seriously, though, I'd avoid Irsay like the plague

 

[Deus Irae]

One advantage of Indy: If they had done what Tennessee did this year, their coach could boast that they helped hang two banners in the rafters: "wild card winner" and "division round participant"

seriously, though, I'd avoid Irsay like the plague

If Luck's going to be 100%, the Colts job will have been the best available job this offseason, by a country mile. Irsay may be a crazy ass, pill popping, drunk, but he doesn't interfere with his subordinates, and he gives them plenty of time on the Job.

Imagine being at #3, and not needing a QB. You're ahead of Cleveland (#4), who clearly needs to draft one. Sitting at 5 and 6 are the Broncos and Jets, who both need QBs (although my guess is that the Broncos try to get a FA QB). So, you should be able to drop down just 2-3 slots and pick up some nice additional picks. Adding that to a huge amount of cap space should give you the ability to fix the OL, get another WR and work on the defense, all in the same offseason.

The year-to-year improvement should be tremendous.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I would think that was the case too the only stumbling block is he shares an agent with the Colts GM Ballard, if there's a deal agreed and he backs out things could be awkward.

That is a reasonable point.

Tough spot for Josh.

If Luck is indeed done this was a bad career move.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

The Colts decision is all about Lucks medical and can you tolerate Irsay so i wouldn't blame him for turning the job down if he doesn't like the medicals.

The problem i have with the Titans bar thinking Mariota blows is the fact they went 9-7 in a division where Luck missed the whole season, Watson got hurt and Blake Bortles was the Jaguars quarterback.

What is their record in 2018 if Luck and Watson are healthy and Eli is the Jags quarterback?

The worst case for Josh is turns down the Colts and he takes the Titans job and Luck comes back healthy and he can't beat him then it would turn into a Saban/Brees/Culpepper situation or he takes the Colts job and Luck isn't right, very tricky situation.

 

[RIpats88]

Colts all depends on lucks health and right now after missing a year there is still no definitive answer. and even if healthy is the roster good enough to compete right away. That is going to be a tough division next year with Jax,Texans(with watson) and the Titans

For the titans, do you have faith in ownership that just promised their coach an extension last week and threw him to the curb this week?

either one, if there isnt success in 2 years he will probably get the boot as that is how the NFL works. especially with owners like Irsay/the titans

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

I would think that was the case too the only stumbling block is he shares an agent with the Colts GM Ballard, if there's a deal agreed and he backs out things could be awkward.

This is what Lombardi was alluding to.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

 

[obgod3]

Is luck ever going to be healthy? Boy its a been a long time for that shoulder to heal....wonder about that.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Talk about a meteoric rise.....

 

[patfanken]

Since this thread is all about "connecting the dots", you have to wonder if the Titans fire Mularkey IF they didn't already have at least an indication that Josh would be interested in the position.

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

Or liked Vrabel?
McDaniels to Indy is still gross to me in a bad way if that happens.

 

[varjao]

If Josh is lining up for the Colts job I assume he does have full access to Lucks medicals.

 

[TBR]

 

[Deus Irae]

So....

• Lions - Patricia
• Colts/Tits - McDaniels/Vrabel, specific location TBD
  
• Giants - Shurmur
• Cardinals - Crazy person who thinks QBs are optional in today's NFL, or guy like Flores, who is coming from a lower coaching position and sees just the dollar signs.

 

[zydecochris]

Loyko must have a really good "keen sense of the obvious" and a lot of hubris to post this. McDaniels has ALWAYS been the best fit for the Titans. Any time there was a discussion about where Josh might go, Tennessee always topped the list.

Shows how much these guys are such "look at me, I'm smarter than you" types to post this kind of tweet. He might as well have posted, "the sun will rise in the east....just as I predicted months ago." +

Unfortunately now my last hope that Josh might stay another year until the Titan's job opened up is gone. Gutsy move by Robinson to fire a HC who made to the divisional round, but it was clearly the right one.

BTW- I ALWAYS felt the Colts job was not a lock for Josh. The Irsay factor HAD to be a big obstacle to overcome, as well as Luck's health. You know outside of Josh, there haven't been many names linked with the Colts job. You would think that with a healthy Luck, they would be lining up to try and get that job. Maybe the Irsay factor goes league wide.

IMHO the perfect head coaching position is one where you can work well with the GM and where the team has plenty of talent but has underperformed due to poor coaching. Which team was that last year? The LA Rams, a talented team who played lousy because of arguably the worst coach in the game. Sean McVay comes in, the Rams get good, and McVay is a coach of the year candidate.

Now, let's look at the Colts and the Titans. Although the Colts were poorly coached, they arguably have the least talented team in the league, plus a whack-ball owner. Now, what about Tennessee? As you say, a great fit. Josh knows and likes the GM. Plenty of talent on the team, defense, offensive line, etc. The main problem is the underperformance of Mariota. However, how is Mariota being used and coached? In college he was an absolute terror for defenses with his college type spread offense. What does Mularkey do? Put him in a "smash mouth" tight end heavy offense, and try to adapt Mariota to his system instead of adapting the system to his QB (the way KC did with Smith, Philadelphia with Wenz, and Houston did with Watson).

It seems to me that with a really good offensive coach Mariota could take a major leap and the Titans could become a really dangerous team next year. No wonder Josh is thinking seriously about the Tennessee job, it seems perfect.