Quote:
Originally Posted by mlmdub130
kinda like hiring a oc before you have a hc?
|
Not really. Hiring an OC before a HC wreaked of an owner wanting to essentially install a "puppet head coach," which is exactly what Zorn has been his entire time here. Its only become blatantly evident in the most recent couple of months as Zorn has been publically neutered of authority and responsibilities. If I didnt know better, i'd think Snyder never really expected Zorn to succeed and was merely using him as a placeholder the entire time until bigger fish became available. (Who rebuffed Snyder 2 years ago because he wasnt ready to return to coaching yet?... Hmmm. No, can't be it. Snyder and Cowher don't want to have anything to do with eachother.)
Anyway, hiring a big name head coach before hiring a GM is the most sensible thing to do in this situation. While its often wise to gamble on a young HC with upside, you simply don't gamble on a GM. If you're rebuilding, you want to do it with someone who has serious credentials. Chris Polian was the only guy who fit the bill and he's now off the market. As far as older guys who've been GMs before, they've all been fired from previous jobs and for good reason - they have proven track records of failure. There are simply no "elite" GMs available. However, there are two, and possibly three (if we include Holmgren), elite coaches available. The smart thing to do in these circumstances is to hire your coach and then let him select a GM he trusts and is comfortable working with. If Snyder doesnt do that, then surely, one of the other teams out there will. If Snyder wants to land one of them, he would be foolish to fire Cerrato and hire a GM before selecting the HC. To do so would limit his options, as Cowher and probably Shanahan, already have guys in mind they'd want to fill GM roles.
Now, Snyder may hire Parcells or Gibbs as team president, and let them select the coach and GM... but under no circumstances should he hire a GM before a coach unless/until Cowher, Shanahan, and Holmgren are no longer available/under consideration.