We’re going to go around the league https://www.49ersfanshop.com/Aaron-Burbridge-Jersey , looking at each division and seeing what vacancies could open up for Black Monday. Santa Clara, but a coach could bail to fill one of the vacancies elsewhere. The AFC South is a bit of a weird one. There were some questionable coaching decisions, almost strong-armed, last minute decisions, but they are also decisions only a year old. A lot of coaching turnover happened last year to half the division and the other half just hasn’t reached a point where they want to go in a different direction. Don’t be surprised if there are no vacancies in the AFC South, it’s the safest division for a coach in 2019.Indianapolis ColtsThe Colts deserved all the pity people threw upon them at the start of 2018. New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels agreed to be the Colts’ new head coach. Then, at the 11th hour, and I mean the absolute 11th hour, McDaniels pulled out and elected to stay in New England. The interview process to get McDaniels was drawn out due to the Patriots deep playoff run and the NFL’s interview guidelines and this incident shows why the rule needs a revision. Perhaps coaching interviews for the NFL at large can’t happen until after the Super Bowl? Who knows, but with McDaniels leaving, and all the other hires gobbled up, the Colts turned to Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich. And away they go. The Colts haven’t been awful this year, they sit firmly at .500 as of this writing, but they are very inconsistent. A lot of their more productive moments came when quarterback Andrew Luck managed to dig them out of a hole. Then there’s lowlights like where they lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars this past week by six points. Actually, let me rephrase. They didn’t lose by six points, well they did, but that’s because there was six points scored total. Given the Colts’ roster issues and tireless search of identity, there’s a lot of things that you can let slide. Losing to the opposing team by six points when you failed to score any is not something that flies. The Colts have shown they can score points, getting into the 30s on the regular, but they are still without a consistent running back, lack costars for T.Y. Hilton with the wide receivers, and have a defense that makes the San Francisco 49ers go to shame in lack of productivity. Given that Reich was a last-minute decision and not a ‘second choice’, as well as them retaining all of McDaniels’ assistant coaches after McDaniels bailed (leaving Reich with no choice in his staff) may mean they go in a different direction. But it’s a mistake. He’ll get one more year.It depends on what second-year general manager Chris Ballard decides.Who should/will get fired: NobodyHouston TexansLast year, I said the Texans ceiling all depended on how Deshaun Watson recovered from his knee injury. Well, since the Texans are 9-3 and leading the division, it’s safe to say he’s doing just fine. The Texans very well may be the most balanced team in the league. Kansas City has more firepower, but their defense is questionable. Only the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints are in this category. Remember, I said balanced, not game-breaking. It’s a solid squad that Bill O’Brien can now take credit for developing, and the organization can get a pat on the back for keeping him around in some tumultuous seasons (the Brian Hoyer Kyle Juszczyk Jersey , Ryan Mallett, Tom Savage drama comes to mind). The Texans have solid players in every position, but the question is how it does against what could be superior foes. That said, the team is stable, winning the division, and competing for a first week bye in the playoffs. No one is getting canned. It’s the other way around, that coaching staff could get gutted by other teamsWho should/will get fired: Not a chance. Tennessee TitansWell, foot in my mouth. I thought after their first playoff win in 14 years Mike Mularkey would be sticking around. They instead gave him the ax after losing to the New England Patriots and getting bumped out of the playoff race. So in is Mike Vrabel, former DC of the Houston Texans (remember that gutting thing I talked about? O’Brien can flat out coach and gets assistants that do the same). The Titans are having an off year, sitting at .500, but that’s a rebuilding issue that is being fixed. Given that it’s Vrabel’s first stint as a head coach, some bumps are expected. He’s a rookie head coach in his first year and the Titans are at .500. He’s not going anywhere. General manager Jon Robinson definitely isn’t going out either. Many of his draft picks have stuck with the team either as starters or depth despite a few misses. Next year if the production does not improve Robinson would go, but it’s too early to press the button here.Who should/will get fired: NobodyJacksonville JaguarsThe Jaguars being a dominant force seems like forever ago. They were something weren’t they? A defense so good, it meant something with Jimmy Garoppolo carved them. I sure loved Niners Nation’s Twitter war with Jalen Ramsey too. But just as quick as the Jaguars became relevant in 2017, they went back to the pit of mediocrity. Blake Bortles got a three-year deal to start the season and then proceeded to have an epiphany that he’s Blake Bortles. The consequence was Jacksonville finally admitting a quarterback problem by Bortles trading his helmet for a headset and putting Cody Kessler in. So who’s to blame in this? Well, probably Bortles. The Jaguars defense has been awful, largely because of the position Bortles puts them in time and time again (this sounds familiar). It’s certainly an off-season and maybe Bortles isn’t the one to shoulder all the blame, but he’s going to be the one to take one for the team. Marrone will want his quarterback and he’ll be looking to the 2019 draft to get him. And possibly a running back that can stay healthy.Considering they went to the AFC Championship last season, it’s safe to say Marrone and Tom Coughlin by extension, aren’t going anywhere. Just a season that didn’t work out. Who should get released: Blake BortlesWho will get fired: Nobody SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The most glaring need for the San Francisco 49ers this offseason was clear after the defense set records for futility with just seven takeaways and two interceptions last season.The team’s first two big moves of the new league year were made to address that deficiency with the additions of an edge rusher in Dee Ford, who has a propensity for strip sacks, and a speedy linebacker in Kwon Alexander, who has a knack for finding the ball.“That wasn’t fun to watch,” general manager John Lynch said Thursday. “It is something we have to live with. It’s a reality, and we needed to change that. These are the type of players that we believe can reverse that trend. Starting with Kwon. He’s always around the ball. There’s so many things to like, but that is definitely something that jumps. And then Dee, he has a knack for getting the ball out. Eight forced fumbles last year, and that first step is lethal. We think that can help our entire team get that virus going, where we’re taking away the ball on a regular basis.”The 49ers paid a big price for these additions Tom Rathman Color Rush Jersey , trading a 2020 second-round pick to Kansas City to acquire Ford and then giving him a five-year, $87.5 million contract, and signing Alexander to a four-year deal worth $54 million.Ford had a career-high 13 sacks last season and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles. He also led all edge rushers with 84 total quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, making him exactly the kind of playmaker the 49ers lacked on defense this past season.“It’s really a mindset and muscle memory,” Ford said of forcing turnovers. “It’s not really an intricate skill to have. It’s just a mindset. Most guys get to the quarterback and just want to take him down. Just switch the mentality and knock the ball out. You have to work it. Everything happens so fast so it needs to be muscle memory to go for the ball.”The 49ers haven’t had an edge rusher reach double digits in sacks since Aldon Smith had 19 1/2 in 2012 and have the fifth-fewest overall sacks in the NFL the past six seasons. DeForest Buckner led the team with 12 sacks this past season, mostly from an interior spot.Alexander, coming off a torn ACL, has six career interceptions, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and seven sacks in 46 games.“Speed and violence affect the quarterback and make people do stupid things before they want to,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Both of these guys have a lot of speed, and they both play very violent.”With Ford slated to start at defensive end in the Leo position on San Francisco’s defense, the strategy in the draft could be altered. The Niners have the second overall pick and could be in position to take Ohio State’s Nick Bosa, who is projected to play the same role.Now they could be in position to move down in the draft or look at a rush linebacker like Josh Allen.“We’re evaluating everyone,” Lynch said. “Having Dee just makes us a better football team, and the draft’s something separate. Yes, those two do interact at some point, but we’ll see. We’re going to go out there and look. At No. 2, you want to have a great football player. That’s what we’re looking for and we’ll see where it ends up.”The 49ers also signed cornerback Jason Verrett to a one-year deal, receiver Jordan Matthews to a one-year contract, linebacker David Mayo to a two-year contract, and agreed on a one-year deal to bring back safety Antone Exum. San Francisco also released linebacker Brock Coyle, who announced he will retire after suffering a back injury last season.Verrett is a 2014 first-round pick by the Chargers and made the Pro Bowl in 2015. But he has played only five games the past three seasons after suffering knee injuries in 2016 and ’17 and then tearing his Achilles tendon during a conditioning test on the first day of training camp last year.Verrett will compete with 2017 third-round pick Ahkello Witherspoon and 2018 third-rounder Tarvarius Moore for the starting spot across from Richard Sherman.“It’s a smile now, cry later type of thing for me,” Verrett said of his run of injuries. “It was a lot of dark moments dealing with the injuries, but I came out of the tunnel and I’m ready to get things rolling.”Matthews is a cousin of former 49ers great Jerry Rice and has always wanted to play for the team. He was a second-round pick by Philadelphia in 2014 and has 270 catches for 3,255 yards and 22 TDs in five seasons with the Eagles and Buffalo.Matthews averaged 75 catches a year his first three seasons before being slowed by injuries in 2017 with the Bills and a lack of opportunities last season with the Eagles after returning to Philadelphia.Mayo was a special teams standout for Carolina who offers depth at inside linebacker for San Francisco.Exum spent the past two seasons with the 49ers and started seven games at safety in 2018.
