Coaching Carousel
Wed May 19 1:48pm ET
By JEFF PAUR @jeffpaur
Sr Fantasy Writer
Last season was a little quiet when it came to coaching changes, but that wasn’t the case this year. There were seven teams that have new coaches after seeing five the previous year. This means there have been at least six new coaches seven of the last eight seasons.
The big question is how do these coaching hires impact fantasy teams? Well, that is what we are here to tell you. We'll give you the lowdown on all the coaching moves and how they could impact fantasy players on those teams moving forward.
The Falcons hired Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to be their next head coach. Smith is a highly regarded offensive mind that really improved the Titans offense in recent years. Smith helped turn Ryan Tannehill’s career around. This should be a positive for the Falcons offense and Matt Ryan. The Falcons have played offense at a high level in recent years, so don’t expect much to change there. This team should have plenty of top fantasy players with Smith calling plays.
Detroit made Dan Campbell their head coach this offseason. Campbell was the assistant head coach and tight ends coach for the Saints the last several seasons. He has some head coaching experience in Miami, serving as their interim head coach in 2010. Campbell got to learn from one of the best the last few years, so that should help his transition to head coach this year. He tabbed former Chargers coach Anthony Lynn as his offensive coordinator. Lynn has a tendency to be more run heavy, so keep that in mind this year with the Lions. Detroit could have a little more emphasis on the run this year with Lynn calling plays. This bodes well for De’Andre Swift to take a step forward this year.
The Texans hired long-time NFL assistant David Culley to be their coach. Culley has been the Ravens passing game coordinator for past few seasons. He doesn’t have much of a track record when it comes to calling plays, so it is a little unknown how he will run things in Houston. Culley kept Tim Kelly as his offensive coordinator. The Texans were a fairly balanced offense with Kelly at the helm, but he didn’t get a chance to call plays all of the time with Bill O’Brien taking those duties. But even with that said, look for the Texans to try to run a balanced offense with Culley as their head coach and Kelly calling plays.
Jacksonville made a big splash with their coaching hire, bring former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer out of retirement. Meyer has never coached in the NFL but had a ton of success in college. It will be interesting to see if that translates to the pro game. Meyer made long-time NFL offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell his offensive coordinator. Bevell has enjoyed much success as an offensive play caller and does a good job of adjusting to the strengths of his offense. It would not surprise to see the Jaguars throw a little more with Bevell calling plays, though, especially since that is the way the NFL is leaning these days.
The Chargers went defensive with their head coach, hiring Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley to be their next coach. Staley is a highly regarded young coach on the rise, guiding the Rams defense to big things in recent years. Staley made a good hire on the offensive side of the ball, making Joe Lombardi his offensive coordinator. Lombardi has been the quarterbacks coach for the Saints the last several seasons, getting a chance to work with Drew Brees. He should be a good influence on young quarterback Justin Herbert. Expect the Chargers to be a pass-first offense with Lombardi running things. He should suit the offense well to Herbert’s strengths. And the Chargers defense should get a big boost with Staley looking to turn that unit around.
The Jets made up and coming coaching candidate Robert Saleh their next head coach. Saleh has been the 49ers defensive coordinator the last few seasons. He is a very aggressive defensive coach that should help transform the Jets on that side of the ball. He hired Mike LaFleur to be the offensive coordinator. He was the passing game coordinator for the 49ers in recent years. He has no experience calling plays, but looks to be a coach that might be more run heavy. The Jets are likely to try to establish a solid running game to setup the pass.
Philadelphia hired Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni as their head coach. Sirianni has produced some pretty good offenses in recent years the Colts despite having a few issues at the quarterback spot. He does a good job of working with the pieces he is given. Sirianni should get the best players the ball in this offense, which bodes well for fantasy production with the Eagles top offensive players. The best player should touch the ball most.