Much like the "
QB Tiers" project published earlier in the offseason, I asked what I consider a balanced range of informed voters -- eight current general managers, four former GMs, four personnel directors, four executives, six coordinators and four position coaches -- to provide a 1-5 rating for every head coach. ......Twenty-three coaches averaged better than a 3.0 on the 1-5 scale (1 was best, 5 worst)
28. Doug Marrone, Buffalo Bills (3.53 average)
Marrone had an injured rookie quarterback for his lone season as a head coach. There is very little track record to evaluate. Many voters placed Marrone and other unproven coaches in the 4s by default, not because they necessarily saw specific flaws. One former GM gave Marrone a 3 and placed him ahead of the Jets' Ryan in his pecking order. A pending ownership change is clouding the future in Buffalo for Marrone and everyone else, however.
"I think Marrone has the skills, the tools, the communicative ways to get to players," this ex-GM said. "He is an up-and-coming coach. I like Doug. Of course, you can be good and be out of a job depending on where you are working. It's just not fair. We have all been there."
