Smooth Move, Ex-Lax

Firing Rob Chudzinski was stupid.

I can respect that he didn't improve on last year's win/loss record despite having the services of not one, but three quarterbacks and not one, but two new systems.  Still, what did Banner and Haslam say when they hired him?

They said that continuity was important.  I took that to mean that Chud would have a "free" season to get his feet wet and establish the systems and core players.  After over a decade of musical head coaches, this just made sense to me.

And there they go, firing him right out of the gate!

Idiocy!

Oh, but here come the black helicopters!  I hear the grinder going in Grossi's shop:  It was Lombardi's idea (and by the way all their personel moves sucked).

It was Banner's ego.  It was Chud not towing the line.

No, I think this was far more likely Jimmy Haslam himself.  Haslam is a businessman and saw a lack of progress, period.  (And by the way, that's irrefutable.  After showing signs of great progress around mid-season, the team tapered off late.)

I lay the majority of this at Campbell's feet.  He started out great, then became mediocre.  Not Chud's fault.  But maybe Jimmy is just a bottom-line kinda guy.

He was a minority owner in Pittsburgh.  He knew that that team is aging and in decline.  He could go over the two rosters position-by-position and feel good about his new team sweeping the Steelers.

It didn't happen.  You're fired.

I'm just guessing, but my guess is better than most.  

I feel so terrible about McDaniels withdrawing his name from the search!  I was so looking foreward to another Belichick protege joining the ranks of Mangini and Crennel as yet another great Belichick tree head coach!  Especially after the great job he did in Denver!

What an awesome resume, too!  Coaching Tom Brady!  Whatever will Tom do without him?

Wait--who is Denver's coordinator?  HE coaches Peyton Manning!  Those credentials are just about as good!  Let's hire him!  Or maybe the guy who coaches Drew Brees!

I don't know who they'll hire, but I know damn well that Turner is angry, and might well want out (can't blame him).  There's a good chance that any offensive coordinator hired to replace Chud might want to install his own system, and nudge him out.

The whole quarterback thing is up in the air.  Turner would prefer a more traditional quarterback to Manziel, but the new guy might like the little guy just fine.

They just fired the guy who brought the Read-Option to the NFL for Cam Newton....go figger.