Vrabel hired, Sanders injects himself into the conversation and how much time does Tomlin have in Pittsburgh?
By Roy J. Akers- NFL Reporter- www.skyviewsports.net
It is all about culture
New England did not take long to hire a coach. The Rooney rule be damned. The Patriots took less than a week to announce Mike Vrabel as their new coach. Bill Belichick, for all his faults, built one and Vrabel experienced it for eight seasons in New England before sewing his oats as a college and pro coach. His tenure in Tennessee was seen as a success and Pats owner Robert Kraft saw that Jerrod Mayo, a former player himself was in over his head. He was more buddy with the players than culture builder. That is where Vrabel looks to make a difference. “We held each other accountable, because there was trust, there was an understanding, a respect that you could say things that needed to be said to each other,” he said. “Every day that’s what I’m trying to recreate wherever I coach. I don’t know if we’ll get it, but every day I’m going to try because nothing was more important than the team.”
I bet he will have New England moving forward, but the Patriots roster is NOW considered perhaps the most devoid of talent in the NFL. Vrabel needs a lot of time and work to make this right.
Speaking of former players coaching…. Primetime
The word making the NFL circles is that Primetime might leave as coach of the Colorado Buffaloes to take one NFL job and one NFL job only. Of course, it would be with the very dysfunctional Las Vegas Raiders.
“The only way I would consider, is to coach my sons,” Deion Sanders said on “Good Morning America” this week. “Not son. Sons.” Not that Shedeur Sanders, the top draft pick would make it to the Raiders drafting position of 6th. Las Vegas would most likely have to pay a king’s ransom to possibly move up to the possibility of first in the 2025 draft. The Raiders have already spoken or interviewed with several head coaching candidates, so he is probably just keeping himself relevant.
With Shedeur Sanders on his way to the NFL as the top quarterback prospect in the draft, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., Colorado made a big splash on the recruiting trail. Elite quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis committed to the Buffaloes as the heir apparent to Sanders at quarterback. The chances of Primetime coaching both of his sons and landing the Raiders or any coaching job is very slim.
Is Mike Tomlin’s run done in Pittsburgh?
Look, Mike Tomlin always gets the benefit of the doubt in the Steel City. He has for years and he deserves it. All companies… and all NFL coaches eventually reach the point where the business… or team gets stale. Pittsburgh lost their last six games this season including the blowout loss to Baltimore. In addition, the Steelers have not won a playoff game in their last six trips to the playoffs.
They would be fired if any other coach went on an eight-year dry streak in the playoffs. Much of the fanbase is calling for Tomlin’s job, but NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Sunday morning on “Sunday NFL Countdown” that fans shouldn’t expect a change.
Pittsburgh fans are certainly frustrated with the lack of results from the Steelers over the last several years. The rest of the NFL sees Tomlin’s 18-year stretch of non-losing seasons as gold, while most Pittsburgh fans are completely sick of it. Still, Tomlin’s teams make the playoffs. Tomlin needs a franchise quarterback. Does anyone think Russell Wilson will deliver a playoff victory or several? All teams are way smarter when they have a great QB.
Roy J. Akers writes on the NFL for www.skyviewsports.net
