Josh McDaniels‘ run as head coach of the Denver Broncos lasted only a season and a half and it was more known for controversies than victories. Despite his failures in Denver as a head coach, there is one constant that remains true: the man can coordinate one heck of a passing game. Under McDaniels’ coaching, Tom Brady has his record-breaking 2007 season, Matt Cassel threw for almost 3,700 yards and 21 touchdowns in his first year starting, and Kyle Orton threw for nearly 7,500 yards and 41 touchdowns over two seasons.
Though he was fired by the Broncos because of a controversy in which one of his assistants filmed the 49ers during practice, McDaniels has been a candidate for several offensive coordinator positions. The Vikings and Rams both reportedly have been trying to hire him, and NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi says McDaniels likely will choose to work for the Rams.
Pairing McDaniels with promising youngster Sam Bradford would be a fantastic combination that can further Bradford’s development. Bradford already led St. Louis to a 7-9 season, and he joined Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan as the only rookie quarterbacks to throw for over 3,000 yards in their first season (he ended up with 3,512). McDaniels could help Bradford work on completing more passes downfield, and he already has experience getting the most of an unimpressive receiving corps — exactly what the Rams have. Hiring Josh McDaniels would be an excellent step towards furthering Sam Bradford’s development as a quarterback, and it could lead to many future division titles in the NFC West.
