BSJ Daily Briefing 01.09.19: Why didn't Josh McDaniels get a chance at Panthers, Giants jobs?

Good afternoon!

A few random thoughts while I wonder how long this Brady Watch will actually last (best guess: quite possibly into April, so buckle in)...

• One of the stranger parts of the NFL coaching carousel has been how Josh McDaniels didn't even get a chance to interview for the Panthers or Giants coaching jobs.


• Why did this happen? Some of the pieces are out there and they're correct. Despite having lined up interviews for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday initially after the Patriots' playoff exit, McDaniels wasn't allowed to talk to a team until Tuesday for the first time.


• But by that time, the Panthers hired Matt Rhule and the Giants grabbed Patriots special teams/receivers coach Joe Judge.


• As is customary for them, Bill Belichick wanted the season buttoned up before his assistants went off and talked to other teams. But Judge talked with his alma mater, Mississippi State, on Sunday (via phone?), got an offer from them but wanted to hear out the Giants on Monday. Belichick gave his blessing and a huge recommendation to the Giants owners.


• At the same time, the Panthers had interviewed Rhule and did not want him to get on a plane to the Giants (agents are good at playing the leverage game).


• Meanwhile, McDaniels had little clue any of this was going on and was probably grading the one-back viability of Sony Michel (let me help you with that, Josh — it's not good).


• Basically, McDaniels got screwed. Now, was it malicious — because Belichick would rather lose anyone but his offensive coordinator with no backup plan in place — or just circumstances? Only Belichick knows for sure. But it's not a good look that McDaniels didn't even get to sniff two of the best jobs available. Now it's Crazy Jimmy Haslam and the Browns or Bust for 2020.


• You can also count McDaniels as another casualty from the Patriots' loss to the Dolphins in Week 17. If the Patriots had won that game, then they would have had a bye and McDaniels could have interviewed with every team on Friday and Saturday during the bye week — two/three days before those jobs were given out. Thanks Brian Flores. Man, that game wrecked a lot of stuff. It's like the Sliding Doors Game for the Patriots.

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It was a road trip to remember.

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— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 8, 2020