Sports Illustrated staff writer and NFL Insider Matt Verderame shared his insights on the NFL’s recent coaching hires during an appearance on the latest episode of the Sportsnaut Interview podcast, hosted by Evan Groat.
With eight head coaching vacancies filled this offseason, excluding the still-open spots with the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, Verderame highlighted Kevin Stefanski and John Harbaugh as the cycle’s top candidates. But when asked which coach-team pairing forms the best new marriage beyond those two, he pointed to Jesse Minter with the Baltimore Ravens and Robert Saleh with the Tennessee Titans.
“Minter and the Ravens, I think, I like Saleh and the Titans too,” Verderame said when talking about his two top hires. “I think Saleh, again, I think he is a good coach and I like the fact they brought in Daboll as OC and they’ve got Borganzi who I think is a good GM there. I think Cam Ward can be a lot better. Second, Cam Ward was dumped into a situation that was impossible. I mean, you’re firing the coach a month in and you have no weapons around you, right? So, I think those two. I think Minter is a very, very good coach.”
Verderame noted challenges for Minter in Baltimore, emphasizing the need to evolve the offense around quarterback Lamar Jackson, who turns 29 this year. “The big thing is getting the offensive side of the ball right. That’s tricky cause Lamar’s 29 now, and how many years are you gonna be able to rely on his legs and Derek Henry’s legs, like you’re gonna have to figure out, Baltimore 2.0 kind of with Lamar there, but I think Minter’s a really good hire,” he explained.
He also praised Saleh’s defensive expertise but adjusted for his time with the New York Jets. “Both the coordinators both guys I believe can do a really nice job,” Verderame added.
Not all NFL Hires Were Praised
Not all hires drew enthusiasm. Verderame expressed reservations about Jeff Hafley joining the Miami Dolphins, calling it “a total teardown” and “a brutal job to walk into.” He was even less optimistic about Joe Brady’s promotion in Buffalo, where the Bills fired Sean McDermott but kept much of the staff intact. “I don’t love Brady with Buffalo,” he said.
Verderame warned Bills fans of potential risks: “If I were a Bills fan, I would feel you better be right because if this season plays out next year they go 10 and 7 and the offense is iffy and the draft class is subpar, I’m not thrilled that they fired Sean McDermott and promoted those two guys.”
The full episode, which also covered Super Bowl storylines, is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your favorite audio.
