David Blough and the Offensive Staffing Thread

[Conn]

Yeah and even the few they brought in to interview were low end options. Perhaps there is a bigger plan, but I can't see it through the fog

Those guys were clearly just Rooney Rule interviews, rushed out of the way quickly with candidates no one else is considering, barely even a semblance of an attempt to make anyone believe we weren’t tunnel-visioned on Blough/maybe McDaniel. League should be pretty upset imo

Had to let Daniels keep his binky I guess. We’ll see if it pays off.

 

[DWinzit]

Those guys were clearly just Rooney Rule interviews, rushed out of the way quickly with candidates no one else is considering, barely even a semblance of an attempt to make anyone believe we weren’t tunnel-visioned on Blough/maybe McDaniel. League should be pretty upset imo

Had to let Daniels keep his binky I guess. We’ll see if it pays off.

It certainly feels that way. THey announced the interviews and that they were done like an hour later for them. It seems sus enough for the NFL to look into the process

 

[Conn]

I have a pit in my stomach at the moment

Not me. I feel free, actually. Free from the burden of expecting anything further from the Quinn era, the countdown begins. My interest will lie mostly in seeing if AP has a good enough offseason (or two, if they perform well enough this year) for me to believe he deserves a second swing at HC when the time comes.

 

[bowhunter]

The DC hire is gonna have to be a Homerun. It's not fair to pin all of our hopes on a rookie OC. Build this D so the offense can swim with their floaties on for a while.

 

[DWinzit]

The DC hire is gonna have to be a Homerun. It's not fair to pin all of our hopes on a rookie OC. Build this D so the offense can swim with their floaties on for a while.

I am not going to hold my breath that it will be an exciting selection. Actually am figuring it will be bit of a boring selection

 

[Conn]

If I was guessing (and I am,) I'd say JD5s input carried some weight in this decision. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. As JD goes, so goes this team

It’s an extremely bad thing (if that’s a significant reason for the hire). He has no idea what he needs as a young QB. Letting him have a familiar QB coach or clipboard holder buddy is one thing. Valuing his short-term perception of happiness over what you actually think he needs to grow and improve is another. Quinn just bet his entire head coaching career on Blough, he better be right. It’s a big gamble for Daniels development as well, if he doesn’t look like a pro bowler and this isn’t a top offense, they’ll be given exactly zero grace for this risky move.

 

[Faithful Fan]

I have no way of knowing if this is a smart move because of the guy’s complete lack of experience or credentials, but hopefully he ends up being good. No choice now but to wait and see.

For what it’s worth, I would have gone with McDaniel.

 

[Chris]

"You Either Die A Hero, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain"

 

[skinzplay]

Don't discount the strong probability that most who coached under DQ would prefer to not do so again, despite pleasantries and compliments shared for public consumption. McDaniel is smart, he'll land a position of his choosing. Eager to see what changes Blough makes to the offensive staff and who'll be OL coach.

 

[clskinsfan]

Those guys were clearly just Rooney Rule interviews, rushed out of the way quickly with candidates no one else is considering, barely even a semblance of an attempt to make anyone believe we weren’t tunnel-visioned on Blough/maybe McDaniel. League should be pretty upset imo

Had to let Daniels keep his binky I guess. We’ll see if it pays off.

I thought the Rooney rule doesnt apply to promotions of people already in the organization?

 

[method man]

Not me. I feel free, actually. Free from the burden of expecting anything further from the Quinn era, the countdown begins. My interest will lie mostly in seeing if AP has a good enough offseason (or two, if they perform well enough this year) for me to believe he deserves a second swing at HC when the time comes.

If Blough busts, that is on AP too. He was most definitely involved in the decisionmaking here. If we finish under 500 with a fairly healthy team, I want both gone and a new group brought in. Alongside that, the bottom line is the roster is not materially better 2 years later than the one these guys inherited.

If you are AP/DQ, now that you have a complete unproven guy at OC, you need to absolutely go balls to the wall doing whatever you can to make this a top 10 defense to give this team a floor.

 

[DogofWar1]

We've spent the last 20 years losing offensive coaching talent to other teams and been frustrated about it, im ok with doing what it takes to keep him in house and hoping he's what we hope he is.
Remember when so many were hoping we could find a way to fire gruden and keep McVay around?
Well thats pretty much what we just did.

Yeah, the list of guys we let walk out the door who have become good HCs elsewhere, in some cases REALLY GOOD HCs, is far too long.

Kyle
Sean
Matt
Kevin

Absolutely criminal to let every single one of these dudes leave. I'm probably forgetting some.

Maybe Blough isn't the guy, but if Blough left, became a hotshot OC somewhere, then became a successful HC a couple years later, I'd be absolutely livid.

I am beyond frustrated. It’s like they didn’t even try.

I remember seeing this and feels like it was pretty on the money. Lions interest maybe moved up the timetable to announce it, but seems pretty likely they had this as the plan already.


Now, will he be "the guy" and successful? I hope so. I am worried about the lack of experience, but clearly they feel strongly about Blough.

 

[Discobob]

While it would seem to be a longshot... there's an outside chance they will wait to see if MM gets a HC position, and offer him the assistant head coach - offense position.

 

[Conn]

I have no way of knowing if this is a smart move because of the guy’s complete lack of experience or credentials, but hopefully he ends up being good. No choice now but to wait and see.

For what it’s worth, I would have gone with McDaniel.

I’m guessing it turns out we had no real shot at McDaniel because he gets a HC spot or a more coveted/comfortable OC spot. Or does what Allbright guessed, which is to take a consultant/whatever role with Shanahan or McVay and just wait a year to see what opens up next year.

But either way, it’s still so arrogant and reckless not to interview any other real candidates for the position. If Blough looks in over his head halfway through the season, a lot of uncomfortable questions are going to be in everyone’s minds about this hiring process.

 

[method man]

Yeah, the list of guys we let walk out the door who have become good HCs elsewhere, in some cases REALLY GOOD HCs, is far too long.

Kyle
Sean
Matt
Kevin

Absolutely criminal to let every single one of these dudes leave. I'm probably forgetting some.

Maybe Blough isn't the guy, but if Blough left, became a hotshot OC somewhere, then became a successful HC a couple years later, I'd be absolutely livid.



I remember seeing this and feels like it was pretty on the money. Lions interest maybe moved up the timetable to announce it, but seems pretty likely they had this as the plan already.


Now, will he be "the guy" and successful? I hope so. I am worried about the lack of experience, but clearly they feel strongly about Blough.

Why would you get mad about it if they brought McDaniel in instead? It's not like 2020 when they booted Kevin out the door for Scott fucking Turner

 

[Faithful Fan]

Does he have any coaching experience besides his one season as assistant QB coach? I really don’t get this.

 

[method man]

I’m guessing it turns out we had no real shot at McDaniel because he gets a HC spot or a more coveted/comfortable OC spot. Or does what Allbright guessed, which is to take a consultant/whatever role with Shanahan or McVay and just wait a year to see what opens up next year.

But either way, it’s still so arrogant and reckless not to interview any other real candidates for the position. If Blough looks in over his head halfway through the season, a lot of uncomfortable questions are going to be in everyone’s minds about this hiring process.

If I'm reading the tea leaves, the guys they interviewed are probably serious candidates for position coach roles. They need to surround Blough with ex OCs, one or two who have the title "senior offensive assistant." Brin in Darell Bevell, Slowik, Frank Smith or someone else in that role

 

[Boone]

I have no opinion on Blough. He's obviously got something going for him as he has the kind of rep other guys who have made that transition successfully have had. I don't think any of us can possibly know whether this is a great choice or a terrible one. There is simply no data one way or the other.

I think one factor in going with him may be that the guys (like McDaniel) they really wanted are potential head coach candidates and there is just no way they can sit around waiting for those decisions to be made. As I said earlier, that would be a prolonged situation likely leading to us having no really good candidates. I hope this kind of factor played into the decision as well as being highly impressed with Blough, and that it's not just Quinn making what he sees as a 'safe' pick because he knows the guy and already has him as a loyal subordinate.

I can't say I'm excited but who knows?

The irony is - Quinn may have made this as a 'comfort' pick - but it is probably the riskiest choice he could have made given that Blough has zero playcalling experience. That's quite a big unknown to put all of your cards on.

 

[Conn]

Don't discount the strong probability that most who coached under DQ would prefer to not do so again, despite pleasantries and compliments shared for public consumption. McDaniel is smart, he'll land a position of his choosing. Eager to see what changes Blough makes to the offensive staff and who'll be OL coach.

Blough has extremely limited experience, limited network among fellow coaches, and can’t steal anyone from an existing staff to a position coach spot without permission. Nobody he’s coached with has been fired. I’m guessing our staff stays mostly the same outside of OL. That’s probably part of the misguided appeal for this staff.

 

[Conn]

I thought the Rooney rule doesnt apply to promotions of people already in the organization?

It applies to every HC/OC/DC/ST/QB coach hire I believe. But there are definitely no loopholes for in-house hires