Speculate now and expect news in five to six days.

If any coaches are fired, these guys are those most likely to be axed:

Art Shell - Oakland
Jim Mora, Jr. - Atlanta
Tom Coughlin - NY Giants
Jon Gruden - Tampa Bay
Joe Gibbs - Washington

Shell and Gibbs are on the list because of their teams' owners' history with coaching changes, not to mention their lackluster records. Jim Mora, Jr. made comments to the media which led to people questioning whether he wants to be in Atlanta. Gruden has allegedly been shopping himself around. Tom Coughlin has apparently lost control in New York.

As a Raiders fan, I can name two possible replacements for Shell. First is Rob Ryan, the Raiders' defensive coordinator. In three seasons in Oakland, he has built a consistent defense that would be part of a playoff team if paired with even an average offense. Furthermore, All of the Raiders' defensive starters are under contract for next year, so one could expect them to find similar success next year. The other possible candidate is Louisville's Bobby Petrino. It was reported that Petrino was set to replace Norv Turner in Oakland last season, but backed out because his son didn't want to move to Oakland, as he was a starting QB at his high school in Louisville. Petrino's son graduates from high school this Spring, thus freeing up his father to do as he pleases in regards to coaching.

12/27/2006 1:15:23 AM

Coach Gibbs will NOT be fired nor will he quit. He will be back next year.

If Art Shell is fired after one year then the NFL should be taken away from Al Davis.
Tom Coughlin will most likely be fired.
Jim Mora Jr, possibly.
Jon Gruden not sure.

12/27/2006 1:18:49 AM

MATT MILLEN!!!!!! please god

12/27/2006 1:29:05 AM

probably one of the easiest hot seaters

Dennis Green

Coughlin as well, but Dennis takes the cake

12/27/2006 1:39:55 AM

matt millen deserves to be handed over to an angry mob.

also, dennis green still has a job? any job? i would hesitate to hire him to run a fucking grocery store

12/27/2006 2:18:29 AM

THE PEARS ARE WHERE WE THOUGHT THEY WERE

12/27/2006 7:56:54 AM

^holy shit that's hilarious.

i hesitated to include denny green because the cardinals have won three of their last four, including a win over seattle. that could be interpreted as a sign of turning things around.

shell won't necessarily be fired. word is he will coach until he is done then take a position as oakland's gm. when he took the job a year ago, it really looked like he was acting as a placeholder for petrino since davis reportedly came so close to hiring him. i'm all for giving shell more time, but he has to get a decent offensive coordinator in there and break away from davis' deep ball philosophy if he hopes to succeed.

i don't think anything can save matt millen.

12/27/2006 9:26:47 AM

^ Except for the Ford family, who are completely oblivious to everything Lions related

12/27/2006 10:01:12 AM

it'd be tough to draw any different confusion if he's back next year.

the icing on the cake would be if he comes back for another year and drafts calvin johnson: the fourth receiver taken in the first round by the lions in five years.

12/27/2006 10:08:14 AM

sorry... when you hate a man you hate him.
FIRE K

12/27/2006 2:34:15 PM