The Redskins, Cowboys, Panthers, Giants and Browns will all enter the 2020 season with new head coaches
Wednesday 1 April 2020 15:28, UK
Five teams have made head coaching changes ahead of the 2020 season, so what will the new men be working with?
The Washington Redskins will be led by Ron Rivera after he was fired by the Carolina Panthers at the beginning of December amid their 5-11 season.
Carolina have since hired Baylor head coach Matt Rhule following interest from the New York Giants, who have turned to New England Patriots special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach Joe Judge as their successor to Pat Shurmur.
Former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy is back in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, while the Cleveland Browns have appointed Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski as their replacement for Freddie Kitchens.
An intriguing and by no means simple project beckons for Rivera in Washington as he arrives tasked with installing a new culture and fresh sense of direction on the back of President Bruce Allen's departure after 10 seasons.
Derrius Guice's potential remains a leading attraction for the Redskins, who are still yet to see the best of the injury-stricken 22-year-old.
The running back, a second-round draft pick in 2018, missed his entire rookie year with a torn ACL and was placed on injured reserve on two separate occasions in 2019, limiting him to just five appearances.
Week 13 did however showcase a glimpse of what he might provide moving forward as he rushed for 129 yards off 10 carries for two touchdowns in the 29-21 win over the Carolina Panthers.
First-round quarterback Dwayne Haskins also produced an encouraging finish to the year with five touchdown passes and one interception across his final three games having struggled to find his feet early on in Washington.
Their 3-13 record has also given the Redskins a clear path to Ohio State defensive end Chase Young with the second overall pick in the draft, with the Bengals expected to select LSU quarterback Joe Burrow No 1 overall.
Young could prove the ideal defensive talisman to work alongside promising rookie linebackers Cole Holcomb and Montez Sweat, while Rivera will be hoping Giants reject Ereck Flowers can build on his progress in 2019.
New man Judge will be greeted by the opportunity to work with a running back equipped with the talent to become the NFL's very best in Barkley.
The Penn State product saw his season disrupted by injury, but he was sure to remind all of his explosive qualities with four rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown across his final three games.
This included a monster day in the 41-35 win over the Redskins in which he rushed for 189 yards and one touchdown off 22 carries, as well as making four catches for 90 yards and another score.
First-year quarterback Daniel Jones was arguably the Giants' main positive to take from the year as he became the first rookie to have three games with four touchdown passes and no interceptions, while also showcasing his value in the ground game with 279 rushing yards for two touchdowns.
The contributions of wide receiver Darius Slayton and tight end Kaden Smith hinted at possible hidden gems, while interior defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson and Dexter Lawrence offer a solid foundation to a youthful defense looking to step up in 2020.
Big Blue also enter the offseason with the fourth overall pick in the draft and the sixth-highest cap space in the league per Spotrac, which could increase further in light of outgoings.
The offensive line still needs work and both the Giants' secondary and pass rush must be addressed, but there are enough pieces in place to make East Rutherford an exciting landing spot.
The roster talent on paper makes the Browns a dream proposition for Stefanski, but, as proven, it does not come without issues.
In Nick Chubb Cleveland own a premium running back that finished second in the league with 1,494 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 2019. It's almost forgotten about that the Browns also have the dual-threat of Kareem Hunt to hurt teams with.
Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry make up one of the most gifted wide receiver duos in the NFL and quarterback Baker Mayfield still has significant room for improvement after a stuttering year under Kitchens.
The Browns are also stacked with playmakers on defense and have an elite pass rusher in Myles Garrett, who faces a wait to be reinstated for the 2020 season following his suspension for the infamous helmet-hit on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph.
Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, cornerback Denzel Ward and fellow defensive back Greedy Williams help make up a youthful core in Cleveland capable of staying together for years to come with the right coaching and development.
Jason Garrett's departure after nine seasons marks the beginning of what the Cowboys will be hoping is a new and successful era for the franchise.
A failure to secure a playoff spot was the final nail in the coffin for Garrett, who had struggled to get the best from perhaps the deepest and most talented roster in the NFL.
Awaiting McCarthy is a vital task of helping quarterback Dak Prescott continue his development after an impressive individual season in which he led the NFL's No 1 ranked offense.
Much like Judge in New York, McCarthy will also inherit an elite running back in Ezekiel Elliott and a proven backup in 2019 fourth-round pick Tony Pollard.
In addition, he has one of the game's top route runners in wide receiver Amari Cooper and capable support in Michael Gallup, both of whom surpassed 1000 receiving yards with eight and six touchdown catches, respectively, in 2019.
Linebackers Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch along with cornerback Jourdan Lewis can also develop into long-term assets on defense if coached correctly.
Owner Jerry Jones divides opinion but history suggests he will give McCarthy the funds required to put this team into championship contention.
The main question for Rhule upon his arrival in Carolina will surround the future of quarterback Cam Newton, who has one year remaining on his contract on the back of a season in which he managed just two appearances before being placed on injured reserve.
Only later in the offseason will those outside of the organisation likely know whether Newton's future still lies with the Panthers. Perhaps a near-full season out of action will have given him the time he needs to recover and re-charge.
Despite the Panthers' torrid season, running back Christian McCaffrey was still able to showcase himself as one of the league's most gifted dual-threat weapons.
The 23-year-old rushed for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns off 287 carries, as well as registering 116 catches for 1,005 yards and four scores.
Wide receiver DJ Moore also enjoyed a career year with 87 receptions for 1,175 yards and four touchdowns.
Improving on defense will be a priority for Rhule after the Panthers unit ranked 31st in scoring and 29th against the run in 2019.
Nevertheless, that will be helped by the presence of talented playmakers at his disposal in linebacker Luke Keuchly and defensive ends Mario Addison and Bruce Irvin.
Each of the league's new head coaches will get the chance to bolster their roster in the 2020 NFL Draft, which will take place in Nevada between April 23-25.
Watch the AFC and NFC Championship games live on Sky Sports Action (407) this weekend as the Kansas City Chiefs host the Tennessee Titans and the Green Bay Packers visit the San Francisco 49ers.
