David Blough and the Offensive Staffing Thread

[Phantvm]

Schultz so clearly got his report from Kliff’s agent that I’m shocked anyone could see it differently. Same way he got his McLaurin holdout report: from the agent, with a narrative to push. That’s the majority of his reporting.

Then you must answer what the incentive is to smear Peters/FO? Peters and Kliff had a relationship I think years before working here. Why nuke the relationship?

 

[Riggo44]

I’m shocked anyone could see it differently.

Depends on the narrative one wants to push...

 

[Conn]

Then you must answer what the incentive is to smear Peters/FO? Peters and Kliff had a relationship I think years before working here. Why nuke the relationship?

I don’t find it that hard to parse, seems obvious that leveraging a good offensive OC performance (and the reputation of being a young QB developer) into HC interviews, and then not having that job anymore right before you have to schedule all those interviews, is a pretty awkward situation. So you’d want to shape the narrative as to why your previous team decided you were no longer the best fit for developing their young QB…the entire skill set you’re selling in interviews. Seems obvious you’d want to blame the franchise it didn’t work with to explain it.

 

[Phantvm]

I don’t find it that hard to parse, seems obvious that leveraging a good offensive OC performance (and the reputation of being a young QB developer) into HC interviews, and then not having that job anymore right before you have to schedule all those interviews, is a pretty awkward situation. So you’d want to shape the narrative as to why your previous team decided you were no longer the best fit for developing their young QB…the entire skill set you’re selling in interviews. Seems obvious you’d want to blame the franchise it didn’t work with to explain it.

And it looks good on the prospective employee that it was all his previous employers fault because they were allegedly meddlesome without evidence to substantiate that position?

Seems like a very weak anchoring tactic within to me.

 

[HTTR]

I don’t find it that hard to parse, seems obvious that leveraging a good offensive OC performance (and the reputation of being a young QB developer) into HC interviews, and then not having that job anymore right before you have to schedule all those interviews, is a pretty awkward situation. So you’d want to shape the narrative as to why your previous team decided you were no longer the best fit for developing their young QB…the entire skill set you’re selling in interviews. Seems obvious you’d want to blame the franchise it didn’t work with to explain it.

yup. This is just the agent doing his job. He needs to try to make it look like KK‘s departure had nothing to do with his performance and everything to do with disfunction in the front office. Schultz, for his part, is just another so-called reporter whose factual integrity is for sale to agents looking to drive a narrative.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I don’t find it that hard to parse, seems obvious that leveraging a good offensive OC performance (and the reputation of being a young QB developer) into HC interviews, and then not having that job anymore right before you have to schedule all those interviews, is a pretty awkward situation. So you’d want to shape the narrative as to why your previous team decided you were no longer the best fit for developing their young QB…the entire skill set you’re selling in interviews. Seems obvious you’d want to blame the franchise it didn’t work with to explain it.

That. And specifically the narrative that Quinn didn't want to fire him which is part of the "leak" is the perfect way to deflect that issue when he gets interviewed. Because in a vacuum, its sort of a tough sell to a team's fanbase to hire a HC who was just fired as a coordinator. So how about hey the coach never really wanted to fire him in the first place - that's a much easier pill to swallow. Heck none of it was Kliff's fault, Quinn loved him, but that crazy Peters is running amok and creating havoc.

Also the agent might have done it on their own without Kliff's encouragement. The agent's job is to get Kliff a job.

 

[Conn]

And it looks good on the prospective employee that it was all his previous employers fault because they were allegedly meddlesome without evidence to substantiate that position?

Seems like a very weak anchoring tactic within to me.

Yes, coaches in this league get second, third, and beyond chances all the time on the basis that they worked for incompetent organizations that wasted them. The Ravens owner just stated in his presser that he’d be looking very closely at candidates who were hot in previous cycles and then failed in incompetent organizations or due to lacking a QB. It’s arguably one of the easiest ways to excuse the fact that things didn’t work out at your previous job, in this league.

And to be clear, I think the stuff came from Kliff’s agent, it’s a self-interest thing. It didn’t necessarily come directly from Kliff in a malicious way. These leaks tend to come from the guys who are trying to line up interviews.

 

[Primus Porcus]

I mean, it was the organization that fired both coordinators and is shaking up the staff, not the fandom. So is it the organization overreacting? If not, then the fans can’t be overreacting either. If so, then there are larger issues that again, don’t involve the fans.

But the reason they decided to move on from Kliff wasn't because he failed as an OC. He wasn't fired in the sense of a failed experiment. It more and more is looking like they've had a shift in where they want to go as an offense. Whitt appears to have been a failed hire. Whitt was fired.

What would be worse? Moving on from Kliff, or continuing to run an offensive scheme you have concerns about, concerns that may not have existed 2 years ago. Data points matter. They are allowed to influence opinion. I'd rather have a coach that is willing to shift and change mentality, over a guy who's going to be rigid for optics sake. For so long we've seen coaches hold onto other coaches, for reasons we can't explain.

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[HOF44]

Kliff offense definetly works, but seems to chew up quarterbacks at the NFL level.

 

[Conn]

But the reason they decided to move on from Kliff wasn't because he failed as an OC. He wasn't fired in the sense of a failed experiment. It more and more is looking like they've had a shift in where they want to go as an offense. Whitt appears to have been a failed hire. Whitt was fired.

What would be worse? Moving on from Kliff, or continuing to run an offensive scheme you have concerns about, concerns that may not have existed 2 years ago. Data points matter. They are allowed to influence opinion. I'd rather have a coach that is willing to shift and change mentality, over a guy who's going to be rigid for optics sake. For so long we've seen coaches hold onto other coaches, for reasons we can't explain.

Sure. I’m simply responding to the idea that the fanbase overreacted to the steep fall from 2024 to 2025. When it was the organization that fired the coordinators. So either everyone is overly freaking out or no one is lol.

 

[Riggo44]

 

[ExoDus84]

Sorry if I'm out of the loop, but has there been any reporting on our internal interest in McDaniel (or lack thereof?). I figured we didn't interview him because Quinn/Peters knew he wasn't going to be available, but if he really is ok with being an OC, it seems like malpractice not to have extended him an interview invitation. I don't care how highly they view Blough, it doesn't make sense to not kick the tires on McDaniel.

 

[Riggo44]

The only possibility to pass entirely on McDaniel is he would be here short term, most likely one year. I'm guessing, and it's a complete guess, they wanted someone longer term here

 

[KDawg]

The only possibility to pass entirely on McDaniel is he would be here short term, most likely one year. I'm guessing, and it's a complete guess, they wanted someone longer term here

There is another possibility as to why they’d pass on McDaniel… and it’s fairly obvious…

 

[Bulldog]

Yep, Peters and Quinn want an OC that is going to work WITH THEM to build the offense and not simply come in with his own vision and threaten to quit if anyone asks him to modify or adapt ANY part of what he is doing to fit in with the team concept.

Kliffie pooh for all the rah-rah has not done enough in this league a la a Belichick or Shanahan as a coordinator to demand that kind of autonomy.

 

[Primus Porcus]

There is another possibility as to why they’d pass on McDaniel… and it’s fairly obvious…

In addition to this one....



... they may also know that McDaniel is not going to be deciding quickly. Waiting til after the Super Bowl to find out you aren't going to get McDaniel could be really bad for the direction of the team. Then you're basically Kevin McCallister having to share a bed with your bladder deficient little cousin who's been drinking Diet Cokes all day long.

 

[SkinsLife]

Mcdaniels will likely land a HC job this cycle... there are lots of opening and not that many high end HC candidates. Peters learned from a previous mistake..
1. He waited for Ben Jonhnson and in the end not only missed on getting him, but also missed on all the other high end candidates. Had no choice but to hire Quinn (his 3rd choice at best)
2. this time they luckily realized that they would have to wait for Mcdaniels... and if they did, would likely lose Blough and have a low chance of getting Mcdaniels anyway. So they went with Blough - it better work out

 

[HailYeah]

Doug Williams son hired as QB coach

 

[KDawg]

Not a huge fan of the trajectory of Penix. Maybe that’s not on him. This feels like a very nostalgia based hire. But we’ll see.

Doesn’t really help Blough out with experience, though.

Either Quinn has been told they can lose every game by 30 and he’s safe or he has brass balls.