Step 1: Everyone without a helmet is gone. Every coach, every assistant, etc.
Step 2: You don’t need a scheme coach. This team isn’t a scheme away. You need a “right the ship” coach. You need a coach hired with the understanding that the team isn’t ready yet.
In my mind, you want an older, experienced coach. Someone that has been around for a while, someone that has experienced ups and downs, both with his team and as a individual coach. Someone that can make the team understand they aren’t competing for the playoffs immediately without making it a negative.
The three names that jump out at me:
Steve Wilks (49ers DC, former Cardinals HC)
Raheem Morris (Rams DC, former Bucs HC)
Rich Bisaccia (Packers AHC/ST Coordinator, former interim Raiders coach)
Each of them has the connections and respect to build a good staff.
Let’s say you pick Wilks. You steal Klint Kubiak from the 49ers and go from there.
Step 3: Examine the roster. Salary cap is fine, almosst 90M under the cap right now. So, is there anyone who just shouldn’t be there? Attitude, tied to the other coaching staff, etc. No one jumps out to me, so I’ll trust you guys. Basically, you have the cap space to do whatever, so I won’t go much in depth here.
You need to bring some dudes back that are pending free agents. To me, the biggest names there are Reaves and Kurl.
Then, you need to assess the roster plan. I would say that you are not going to get Maye or Williams at QB unless you repeat the RG3 trade, so plan on building around Howell and seeing if he can really be the dude.
The offensive line needs to be rebuilt. Leno is solid, but he’s also entering his 11th season. Other than that, everyone else is inconsistent at best. Kick Wylie back inside to guard (where he is much better), add a RT, and add another body or two to the interior, and things will be much better. Add someone like Connor McGovern (Jets C) or Aaron Brewer (Titans C), who have both played C and G, and add a tackle in the draft.
The defense needs some perimeter work. There are players at CB, EDGE and LB but no one stands out. You aren’t getting a star at any of those positions without paying $20M+, but you can add tier 2 free agents and have solid position groups.
I ran a 7 round mock on PFN and this was the result.
Olu Fashano is an elite OT prospect who will anchor the right side as a rookie and move to the LT for hopefully a decade when Leno’s deal is up after the season.
Laitu is a top ten talent at EDGE who will likely fall due to medical concerns. He was forcibly retired for two years due to a spinal injury. On day two, you roll the shit out of those dice.
Barton is the starting LT at Duke right now, but most draft analysts view him as a plug-and-play interior guy.
Sanders is a athletic receiver of a TE, adding a safety valve for Howell.
Its a much nicer report than “we aren’t going to fire him yet”