2015 NFL Coaching Turnover and Fantasy Football Implications
Every offseason, several teams make the decision to go in a new direction by making a change at head coach. For the second straight offseason, seven teams – the Falcons, Bills, Bears, Broncos, Jets, Raiders and 49ers – hired new head coaches. Coincidentally, it’s also the second straight year where there are 12 new coaches at the all-important offensive coordinator position.
To get everyone up to speed, here's a team-by-team review of each coaching staff along with some key pass/rush statistics from the 2014 season. These changes are vitally important to fantasy football owners and lay a solid foundation in preparing for the 2015 fantasy football season. Play-calling tendencies will impact fantasy production around the league.
Note: The average Pass/Rush split in 2014 was 56.6%/43.4%, the average Yds/Catch was 10.83, and the average Yds/Rush was 4.16.
Arizona Cardinals
Bruce Arians enters his 3rd season as the head coach in Arizona. The Cardinals were 24th in both total offense and points in 2014, but only had a healthy Carson Palmer for six games due to a torn ACL. (He's expected to be ready for camp.) In those games, the Cardinals averaged 359.8 total yards, which would have been 13th in the league if extrapolated over a full 16-game season. They were particularly good with Palmer in the passing game (275.3 yards, 6th in the league), though they struggled to run the ball with and without Palmer in the lineup. Arians led good offenses during his tenure (2007-2011) as OC in Pittsburgh; the Steelers had an average rank of 11.0 in total offense from 2009 to 2011. His Colts offense in 2012 was also solid — 10th in total yards. Harold Goodwin will continue to be the OC in Arizona, but Arians continues to run the offense.
2014 Pass/Rush: 58.9%/41.1% - Pass/Rush TDs: 21/6 - Yds/Catch: 12.5 - Yds/Rush: 3.3
Atlanta Falcons
HC Dan Quinn replaces Mike Smith
OC Kyle Shanahan replaces Dirk Koetter
HC Dan Quinn is entering his 1st season with the Falcons. He previously coached the Seahawks defense from 2013-14. The team hired Kyle Shanahan to run the offense. Looking at the running back position, Shanahan presided over three very good fantasy seasons in his seven years as an offensive coordinator. In 2008, while Shanny was the OC of the Texans, Steve Slaton turned 327 touches (50 receptions) into 1,659 yards and 10 touchdowns. (Slaton averaged 77.6 total yards on 15.9 touches in 2009.) In 2012, rookie Alfred Morris racked up 1,690 total yards and 13 touchdowns. He followed it up with 1,353 total yards and seven scores in 2013. Shanahan even coaxed 86.7 total yards (on 18.2 touches) from Ryan Torain in 2010 and 67.9 yards on 13.3 touches from Roy Helu in 2011. Devonta Freeman wasn't terribly impressive in his rookie season (248 yards rushing, 3.8 YPC), but he was active and effective in the passing game (30 catches for 225 yards), so a Slaton-esque season isn't out of the realm of possibility, especially since Shanahan reportedly “loved” Freeman prior to the 2014 Draft. In the passing game, Shanahan’s offenses have finished in the top 20 in all seven seasons, and in the top 10 three times. In Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Roddy White, Shanahan has good weapons to work with.
2014 Pass/Rush: 62.9%/37.1% - Pass/Rush TDs: 28/11 - Yds/Catch: 11.4 - Yds/Rush: 4.0
Baltimore Ravens
OC Marc Trestman replaces Gary Kubiak
HC John Harbaugh enters his 8th season as the main man in Baltimore. Under his guidance, the Ravens have made the playoffs in six of seven seasons. Former OC Gary Kubiak is now the head coach in Denver, so the Ravens hired Marc Trestman to run the offense. Trestman’s offenses have finished 8th or better four times in 10 NFL seasons, and he successfully turned the Bears’ offense around as head coach in 2013 (8th in yards, 2nd in points) before the wheels came off in 2014. His arrival is good news for QB Joe Flacco, since Trestman’s offenses are always in the top half of the league in pass attempts. His offense should also boost the PPR value of RB Justin Forsett, since Trestman loves to utilize his running backs in the passing game. (Matt Forte caught 176 passes over the past two seasons.) Baltimore’s 8th-ranked rushing game may take a step back, however, as Trestman’s offenses have had an average rank of #22 over the past two seasons and #21 over his 10 years in the league.
2014 Pass/Rush: 55.3%/44.7% - Pass/Rush TDs: 27/16 - Yds/Catch: 11.6 - Yds/Rush: 4.5
Buffalo Bills
HC Rex Ryan replaces Doug Marrone
OC Greg Roman replaces Nathaniel Hackett
Rex Ryan enters his first season as the head coach of the Bills after leading the Jets for six seasons. Ryan is a defensive-minded coach, but his teams are always run-heavy. "We prefer to ground and pound it, we're going to run it 50 times if we can on you,” Ryan said after being hired by the Bills. New OC Greg Roman has the same philosophy. He ran the 49ers’ offense since 2011, and his teams finished 9th or better in rushing attempts (while finishing 29th or worse in passing attempts) in all four seasons. This is good news for RB LeSean McCoy, who figures to see plenty of work as the team’s primary runner. The ageless Fred Jackson should have a significant role as a backup. The Bills have added some weapons in the passing game (WR Percy Harvin, TE Charles Clay) for QB E.J. Manuel (or Matt Cassel), but make no mistake – this is going to be a run-heavy offense.
2014 Pass/Rush: 59.0%/41.0% - Pass/Rush TDs: 23/7 - Yds/Catch: 10.6 - Yds/Rush: 3.7
Carolina Panthers
HC Ron Rivera enters his 5th season as head coach of the Panthers after successful stints as defensive coordinator for the Bears and Chargers. Mike Shula enters his 3rd season as the OC; the Panthers finished 19th in points and 16th in yards gained in 2014. It was a 10-spot jump in yards gained, which is impressive since the team turned over its entire receiving corps in the offseason. The team finished 7th in rushing yards and 8th in attempts, which bodes well for RB Jonathan Stewart, who averaged 105 total yards in the final seven games, including two playoff games. The team released DeAngelo Williams, so Stewart should have a chance to see RB1-type touches in 2015.
2014 Pass/Rush: 53.5%/46.5% - Pass/Rush TDs: 23/10 - Yds/Catch: 11.7 - Yds/Rush: 4.3
Chicago Bears
HC John Fox replaces Marc Trestman
OC Adam Gase replaces Aaron Kromer
The defensive-minded John Fox takes over as the head coach in Chicago after running the Broncos for the last four seasons. Fox brought Adam Gase with him as offensive coordinator. In the past two seasons, the Broncos finished 4th and 1st in yards gained, but much of the credit goes to QB Peyton Manning. Gase will be tasked with turning around an offense that slumped to 21st in yards and 23rd in points scored in 2014. Gase’s offenses have been pass-heavy (2nd and 9th in pass attempts), but the Broncos finished 12th in rushing attempts last season. With Marc Trestman gone, look for Matt Forte’s receptions to drop as well. The Broncos’ running backs caught 68 passes last season while Forte had 102 receptions by himself. Ultimately, the overall effectiveness of the offense will depend on the mercurial Jay Cutler; the team seems committed to him, for better or for worse.
2014 Pass/Rush: 63.4%/36.6% - Pass/Rush TDs: 30/8 - Yds/Catch: 10.2 - Yds/Rush: 4.1
Cincinnati Bengals
HC Marvin Lewis enters his 12th season with the Bengals, and has compiled a 40-23-1 record the last three seasons with three playoff berths. OC Hue Jackson enters his 2nd season after guiding the Bengals to a 15th place finish in both total offense and points scored. Last season, Jackson continued his run-heavy tendencies from his days calling the plays in Oakland; the Bengals passed it just 50.6% of the time, 28th in the league. This bodes well for Jeremy Hill, who emerged as Cincinnati’s best running back in 2014.
2014 Pass/Rush: 50.6%/49.4% - Pass/Rush TDs: 20/19 - Yds/Catch: 11.0 - Yds/Rush: 4.4
Cleveland Browns
OC John DeFilippo replaces Kyle Shanahan
Mike Pettine returns for his 2nd season as head coach, but he has a new OC in John John DeFilippo. DeFilippo was previously the quarterbacks coach for the Raiders and was credited for the development of Derek Carr in his rookie season. It will be the first time that DeFilippo has called plays in the NFL. The team signed Josh McCown as insurance in case Johnny Manziel doesn't progress as hoped. The team could also move on from Manziel by drafting a quarterback early.
2014 Pass/Rush: 51.4%/48.6% - Pass/Rush TDs: 12/17 - Yds/Catch: 13.4 - Yds/Rush: 3.6
Dallas Cowboys
Jason Garrett is entering his 5th season as head coach. At the end of last season, Scott Linehan was officially named offensive coordinator after serving as “passing game coordinator” (and calling plays) in 2014, when the Cowboys finished 5th in points scored and 7th in total offense. Linehan spent the previous five years running the Lions’ offense, which finished in the top 6 in yards gained from 2011-2013. He has a reputation for being pass-happy, but the Cowboys only threw the ball 48.4% of the time in 2014, which was 30th in the league. This may change in 2015 since the Cowboys lost DeMarco Murray via free agency, but the team’s offensive line is its strength, so expect Linehan to lead a balanced offense no matter who is running the ball.
2014 Pass/Rush: 48.4%/51.6% - Pass/Rush TDs: 37/16 - Yds/Catch: 12.2 - Yds/Rush: 4.6
Denver Broncos
HC Gary Kubiak replaces John Fox
OC Rick Dennison replaces Adam Gase
Gary Kubiak rejoins the Broncos as head coach after serving as the team’s offensive coordinator from 1995 to 2005. He will call the plays on gameday, while Rick Dennison will help to coordinate the offense. Dennison was the OC in Denver from 2006-2008, after Kubiak left to be the head coach of the Texans. Dennison later joined Kubiak as the OC in Houston from 2010-2013. In 20 seasons as an offensive coordinator or head coach, Kubiak’s offenses have had an average ranking of 8.0 in total offense and 10.6 in points scored, so he’s one of the league’s sharper offensive minds. Kubiak’s rushing attacks are typically excellent; his teams have finished in the top 10 in rushing yards gained in 14 of 20 seasons. This bodes well for C.J. Anderson, who averaged 24.0 touches for 132 yards and 1.3 TD over the final eight weeks of the 2014 season.
2014 Pass/Rush: 57.8%/42.2% - Pass/Rush TDs: 40/15 - Yds/Catch: 12.0 - Yds/Rush: 4.0
Detroit Lions
Jim Caldwell enters his 2nd season as the head man for the Lions. He served as the head coach of the Colts from 2009 to 2011, though his OC at the time, Tom Moore, was running the offense. The team was in the top 10 in both points and yards in 2009 and 2010, but fell to 28th and 30th in 2011, which was the year Peyton Manning missed due to a neck injury. Caldwell had success as the interim OC for the Ravens in 2012, taking over for Cam Cameron and helping to guide the team to a Super Bowl win. Surprisingly, the offense slipped to 29th in yards and 25th in points in 2013, Caldwell’s first full year as an NFL offensive coordinator. Joe Lombardi enters his 2nd season running Detroit’s offense. Last season, the Lions were 19th in total offense and 22nd in points scored, which was a step back from the team’s performance in 2013 under former OC Scott Linehan. The Lions passed the ball 60.4% of the time, which was the 7th-most in the league.
2014 Pass/Rush: 60.3%/39.7% - Pass/Rush TDs: 22/11 - Yds/Catch: 11.7 - Yds/Rush: 3.6
Green Bay Packers
OC Tom Clements takes over play-calling duties from Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy is entering his 10th year as head coach in Green Bay, though for the first time he won’t be calling plays for the Packers. That duty falls to OC Tom Clements, who has been with the franchise since 2006 as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. He ran the Bills’ offense in 2004 and 2005, when Buffalo finished 25th and 28th in total offense, respectively. We’re expecting the Green Bay offense to continue to roll, though there may be a few hiccups early in the season as the coaches get used to their new roles.
2014 Pass/Rush: 55.1%/44.9% - Pass/Rush TDs: 38/14 - Yds/Catch: 12.7 - Yds/Rush: 4.4
Houston Texans
Bill O’Brien enters his 2nd season as the lead man in Houston. The Texans don’t have an offensive coordinator, so he also calls the plays. Prior to Penn State, O’Brien spent five years as an offensive assistant to Bill Belichick in New England. In his two seasons at Penn State, O’Brien passed the ball just 47.2% of the time. This trend continued in 2014 as the Texans threw the ball just 46.8% of the time, which was the second-lowest pass tendency in the league. The team still finished 17th in total offense and 14th in points scored. Considering the team’s quarterback situation, O’Brien did a fine job moving the ball.
2014 Pass/Rush: 46.8%/53.2% - Pass/Rush TDs: 22/12 - Yds/Catch: 11.7 - Yds/Rush: 3.9
Indianapolis Colts
Chuck Pagano enters his 4th season as head coach of the Colts, though he missed most of the 2012 season due to his battle with leukemia. OC Pep Hamilton enters his 3rd season as the offensive coordinator. The Colts finished 3rd in total offense and 6th in points scored in 2014 and are poised for a multi-year run in the top 10 as QB Andrew Luck enters his prime.
2014 Pass/Rush: 61.3%/38.7% - Pass/Rush TDs: 42/9 - Yds/Catch: 12.3 - Yds/Rush: 3.9
Jacksonville Jaguars
OC Greg Olson replaces Jedd Fisch
Gus Bradley enters his 3rd season as the head coach of the Jaguars. He was the DC for the Seahawks from 2009 to 2012, and the team's defense became elite under his guidance. Greg Olson joins the team as offensive coordinator, replacing Jedd Fisch, who was unable to turn the offense around after two years on the job. Olson has eight years under his belt as an offensive coordinator, and his teams have had an average ranking of 22.5 in total offense and 24.8 in points scored. Olson’s job will be to develop QB Blake Bortles and a young (but talented) receiving corps that features TE Julius Thomas, WRs Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns and possibly Justin Blackmon.
2014 Pass/Rush: 60.6%/39.4% - Pass/Rush TDs: 15/9 - Yds/Catch: 10.6 - Yds/Rush: 4.5
Kansas City Chiefs
Andy Reid enters his 3rd season running the Chiefs. The team finished 25th in total offense and 16th in points scored in 2014 after finishing 21st and 6th, respectively, the year before. Doug Pederson is staying on as offensive coordinator, but this is Reid’s offense. The offensive numbers should improve this season with the addition of WR Jeremy Maclin and the emergence of TE Travis Kelce, though the offense is somewhat limited by QB Alex Smith.
2014 Pass/Rush: 53.9%/46.1% - Pass/Rush TDs: 19/17 - Yds/Catch: 10.8 - Yds/Rush: 4.5
Miami Dolphins
Joe Philbin enters his 4th season as the head coach for the Dolphins. Bill Lazor is in his 2nd season as the offensive coordinator. Lazor spent the 2013 season working for Chip Kelly (and with Nick Foles, during his outstanding season) as the Eagles’ QB coach, and he did a nice job in his first season with the Dolphins. Miami finished 14th in total offense and 11th in points scored after finishing 27th and 26th, respectively, a year earlier. QB Ryan Tannehill set career bests in completion percentage (66.4%), touchdowns (27), interceptions (12) and YPA (6.9).
2014 Pass/Rush: 59.9%/40.1% - Pass/Rush TDs: 27/12 - Yds/Catch: 10.3 - Yds/Rush: 4.7
Minnesota Vikings
HC Mike Zimmer and OC Norv Turner are both entering their 2nd season with the Vikings. Last year, Minnesota finished 14th in points scored after finishing 20th in 2013, and they were playing without their best player, RB Adrian Peterson. We expect the offense to continue to grow with good young players like QB Teddy Bridgewater, WR Charles Johnson and TE Kyle Rudolph leading the way. Turner should be able to find ways to utilize the newly-acquired WR Mike Wallace downfield.
2014 Pass/Rush: 55.7%/44.3% - Pass/Rush TDs: 17/12 - Yds/Catch: 11.1 - Yds/Rush: 4.3
New England Patriots
Bill Belichick is in his 16th season as the Patriots' head coach. Josh McDaniels enters his 4th season as the team's offensive coordinator. In 2014, the offense was 4th points scored and 11th in total offense, and the team has never finished outside the top 11 in either category under McDaniels.
2014 Pass/Rush: 58.2%/41.8% - Pass/Rush TDs: 34/13 - Yds/Catch: 10.9 - Yds/Rush: 3.9
New Orleans Saints
Sean Payton returns for his 3rd post-suspension season and his 9th overall as the Saints’ head man. Pete Carmichael stays on as offensive coordinator – his 7th season in that role – though it was Payton who called the plays in 2014, resulting in a 1st place finish in total offense and 9th in points scored. We’re expecting a more run-oriented offense in 2015 with Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills no longer on the roster. Moreover, Mark Ingram is back and the team signed C.J. Spiller in free agency.
2014 Pass/Rush: 61.9%/38.1% - Pass/Rush TDs: 33/16 - Yds/Catch: 10.9 - Yds/Rush: 4.5
New York Giants
HC Tom Coughlin enters his 12th season with the Giants. Ben McAdoo enters his 2nd season as the team’s offensive coordinator. He did a nice job of turning around the offense, which finished 13th in points scored and 10th in total offense after finishing 28th in both categories the year before. The emergence of WR Odell Beckham certainly helped, but McAdoo overcame injuries to WR Victor Cruz and RB Rashad Jennings as well. Expect a strong offensive showing from the G-Men in 2015.
2014 Pass/Rush: 57.6%/42.4% - Pass/Rush TDs: 30/13 - Yds/Catch: 11.7 - Yds/Rush: 3.6
New York Jets
HC Todd Bowles replaces Rex Ryan
OC Chan Gailey replaces Marty Mornhinweg
After six seasons, the Jets parted ways with Rex Ryan and hired former Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to replace him. After a three-year sabbatical, Chan Gailey will run the offense. He has typically been run-heavy throughout his 11-year career as head coach and offensive coordinator, though in three of his last four seasons (2008 with the Chiefs, 2010-2011 with the Bills) he has been rather pass-heavy. Gailey has been reunited with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, whom the team signed to compete with Geno Smith. Fitzpatrick averaged 14.6 fantasy points in 45 games under Gailey, so he'll be a QB2/streaming option if he wins the job. The team acquired WR Brandon Marshall to play alongside Eric Decker, so we’re expecting a balanced offense that will also feature Chris Ivory in the running game.
2014 Pass/Rush: 49.5%/50.5% - Pass/Rush TDs: 16/11 - Yds/Catch: 11.1 - Yds/Rush: 4.5
Oakland Raiders
HC Jack Del Rio replaces Dennis Allen
OC Bill Musgrave replaces Greg Olson
Jack Del Rio enters his 1st season as the head coach of the Raiders. He was previously the defensive coordinator of the Broncos (2012-14), but was the head coach of the Jaguars from 2003 to 2011. He is a sharp defensive mind, so Bill Musgrave will be running the offense. Musgrave spent the 2014 season under Chip Kelly as the quarterbacks coach for the Eagles, but has six years of experience as an offensive coordinator. Thanks to three seasons with in-his-prime Adrian Peterson, Musgrave’s offenses have been good at running the ball, though he ran a balanced offense during his stints in Carolina and Jacksonville.
2014 Pass/Rush: 65.0%/35.0% - Pass/Rush TDs: 22/4 - Yds/Catch: 9.5 - Yds/Rush: 3.7
Philadelphia Eagles
Chip Kelly enters his 3rd season as the Eagles’ head coach. His offense has finished in the top 5 in both points scored and total yards for two consecutive seasons. Pat Shurmur stays on as offensive coordinator, though the team lost QB coach Bill Musgrave to the Raiders after losing his predecessor, Bill Lazor, to the Dolphins in 2014. Kelly has made a few major moves this offseason – trading RB LeSean McCoy and QB Nick Foles away, trading for QB Sam Bradford, signing RBs DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews, letting WR Jeremy Maclin leave in free agency – so the personnel will be very different in 2015. This could indicate a shift back to the extremely run-heavy offense of 2013. We expect the Eagles to continue to have success on the offensive side of the ball.
2014 Pass/Rush: 56.7%/43.3% - Pass/Rush TDs: 27/16 - Yds/Catch: 11.9 - Yds/Rush: 4.2
Pittsburgh Steelers
HC Mike Tomlin is in his 9th season running the Steelers and has enjoyed great success. OC Todd Haley enters his 4th season as the team's offensive coordinator. Haley’s offense hadn’t made much progress in his first two seasons, but in 2014 the Steelers ranked 2nd in total offense and 7th in points scored thanks to the emergence of RB LeVeon Bell and the consistency of WR Antonio Brown. Expect more of the same from Pittsburgh in 2015.
2014 Pass/Rush: 59.2%/40.8% - Pass/Rush TDs: 33/10 - Yds/Catch: 12.1 - Yds/Rush: 4.2
San Diego Chargers
Mike McCoy enters his 3rd season as the Chargers' head coach. He was previously the offensive coordinator for the Broncos from 2009 to 2012. After a top 5 finish (under then-OC Ken Whisenhunt) in total offense in 2013, the Chargers finished 18th in that category last season under new OC Frank Reich. Reich had a long career as a QB in the NFL, and served as the Chargers’ QB coach in 2013, helping Philip Rivers get back to top 10 status in the process. With the loss of RB Ryan Mathews and the addition of WR Stevie Johnson, the Chargers may be looking to throw the ball even more in 2015. They had the 11th-highest pass tendency last season.
2014 Pass/Rush: 59.0%/41.0% - Pass/Rush TDs: 31/6 - Yds/Catch: 11.3 - Yds/Rush: 3.4
Seattle Seahawks
HC Pete Carroll enters his 6th season with the Seahawks after leaving USC with a decade of head coaching experience. OC Darrell Bevell is now in his 5th season after coming over from the Vikings. Last season, the Seahawks finished 9th in total offense and 10th in points scored. They have been run-oriented (behind RB Marshawn Lynch) for the last few seasons, though the acquisition of TE Jimmy Graham certainly gives the team a major weapon to utilize in the passing game.
2014 Pass/Rush: 46.5%/53.5% - Pass/Rush TDs: 20/20 - Yds/Catch: 12.2 - Yds/Rush: 5.3
San Francisco 49ers
HC Jim Tomsula replaces Jim Harbaugh
OC Geep Chryst replaces Greg Roman
Jim Tomsula, who served as the defensive line coach for the 49ers from 2007 to 2014, takes over for the departed Jim Harbaugh. He has a defensive background, so the newly-promoted Geep Chryst will run the offense. Chryst spent the last four years as the team’s quarterbacks coach. He doesn’t have much experience as an offensive coordinator in the NFL, though he did serve the Chargers in that capacity from 1999 to 2000. The Chargers finished 26th and 28th in total offense in those two seasons. The 49ers are expected to utilize QB Colin Kaepernick’s running ability more in the seasons ahead, though Chryst’s offenses in San Diego were rather pass-heavy, finishing 5th and 6th in pass attempts.
2014 Pass/Rush: 50.9%/49.1% - Pass/Rush TDs: 20/10 - Yds/Catch: 11.7 - Yds/Rush: 4.6
St. Louis Rams
OC Frank Cignetti replaces Brian Shottenheimer
HC Jeff Fisher enters his 4th season with the Rams after spending 16 years as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Frank Cignetti gets his first chance to run an NFL offense after spending the last three seasons as the Rams’ quarterbacks coach. Cignetti has nine years of coordinator experience at the collegiate level. Discussing his offensive philosophy during his introductory press conference, Cignetti said, “You run the ball to win.” This aligns with Fisher’s long-standing ball-control philosophy. It’s good news for Tre Mason, who took over as the team’s bell cow back in 2014.
2014 Pass/Rush: 56.5%/43.5% - Pass/Rush TDs: 20/11 - Yds/Catch: 11.2 - Yds/Rush: 4.1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
OC Dirk Koetter replaces Jeff Tedford/Marcus Arroyo
Lovie Smith enters his 2nd season as the head coach of the Bucs. He has a strong defensive mind, so it will be up to new OC Dirk Koetter to run the offense. Koetter has eight years of coordinator experience, including the last three seasons with the Falcons. Atlanta finished 8th in total offense and 12th in points scored in 2014, and finished 8th and 7th, respectively, in 2012. Koetter’s only mediocre year in Atlanta came in 2013, when the team lost WR Julio Jones for most of the season. Koetter has weapons to work with in Tampa Bay, including WRs Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, and TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, whose stock is rising since Koetter has a reputation for featuring the tight end position. Koetter coaxed a 58-700-10 season out of Marcedes Lewis in 2010 to go along with the 176 catches for 1,965 yards and 16 touchdowns that Tony Gonzalez posted in his final two seasons with the Falcons. Seferian-Jenkins had an injury-riddled rookie season, but is a breakout candidate with a new quarterback – the Bucs are expected to select Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota with the #1 overall pick in the draft – and offensive coordinator. Smith has long had a reputation for being a ball-control coach, but Koetter was very pass-happy while in Atlanta.
2014 Pass/Rush: 60.0%/40.0% - Pass/Rush TDs: 21/7 - Yds/Catch: 12.0 - Yds/Rush: 3.9
Tennessee Titans
Ken Whisenhunt enters his 2nd season as the head coach of the Titans. Whisenhunt was the OC in San Diego in 2013, leading the Chargers to a 5th place finish in yards gained and 12th in points scored. In 11 seasons as a HC or OC, his offenses have finished in the top half of the league in yards gained and points scored seven times, though the Titans offense was brutal last season. Jason Michael also enters his 2nd season as offensive coordinator, though Whisenhunt will continue to call the plays. The Titans may draft a QB early or move forward with Zach Mettenberger, who fared pretty well as a rookie in 2014.
2014 Pass/Rush: 59.0%/41.0% - Pass/Rush TDs: 20/6 - Yds/Catch: 12.5 - Yds/Rush: 4.1
Washington Redskins
Jay Gruden enters his 2nd season as the head coach in Washington. Sean McVay returns as offensive coordinator, but it’s Gruden who calls the plays. Washington was 26th in points scored and 13th in total offense after finishing 23rd and 9th, respectively, in 2013, which was Mike Shanahan’s final season with the team. Quarterback play will be crucial in 2015; Gruden says that Robert Griffin III has the starting job "right now," but could turn to Kirk Cousins or Colt McCoy if RG3 struggles early.
2014 Pass/Rush: 57.8%/42.2% - Pass/Rush TDs: 18/15 - Yds/Catch: 12.3 - Yds/Rush: 4.2
