In what’s been the biggest news of the day, the Tennessee Titans fired their successful Head Coach, Mike Vrabel. Considering his successes in the first four years of his Tennessee tenure, it was a shock to learn that he was on such a short leash. Adam Schefter already reports that Vrabel will be a top candidate for many of the head coaching vacancies. Let’s find out which destinations he should prioritize.
1. Washington Commanders
With new owner Josh Harris in the building, the energy is different. There’s finally hope for one of the most historically important teams in league history after they escaped the wrath of Dan Snyder. Coming to Washington should greatly interest Vrabel, who’ll get a clean slate and likely partial roster control.
Although the roster is bare at some spots, there’s plenty of foundation to build on. Solid receivers and running backs ensure that a lack of offensive talent that appeared for him in Tennessee, won’t happen again. Even after trading away prized edge rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat, there’s still talent on the defense. Jonathon Allen and Da’Ron Payne highlight the unit, as being an elite defensive tackle duo. While there’s plenty of work to be done, Vrabel could be the man for the job.
2. Atlanta Falcons
In a weak division, the Atlanta Falcons seem primed to break out sooner or later. They are loaded with offensive talent after three straight first-round picks spent on offensive skill players including Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Bijan Robinson. With owner Arthur Blank obviously in win-now mode after firing Arthur Smith, Vrabel is a guy who should pique their interest.
The Falcons ranked top 10 in the following defensive categories: Yards per play, 3rd down conversion rate and touchdowns per game. As a defensive specialist, Vrabel could turn one of the better defensive units into an elite group with the right players.
3. Los Angeles Chargers
While on paper the Los Angeles Chargers are a popular destination, that isn’t the case when you take a closer look. While they do have a bonafide franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert, they’re currently in salary cap hell. As of now, it looks like Joey Bosa and/or Khalil Mack will be salary cap casualties. On top of that, the roster is rapidly aging and has several important free agents.
The Chargers could very well be without Bosa, Mack, Austin Ekeler, Kenneth Murray and others. The current roster seems to be in a fair bit of disarray, with massive talent gaps on the offensive line, defensive line and cornerback group. To make things even worse, Owner Dean Spanos doesn’t look to be committed to winning. Still, with how good of a coach Vrabel is, he could make it work. It’s just not the ideal destination people believe it is.