Feb 68 min read

Quick Hits

I have three quick hits to cover across the sports world. More coordinator positions have been filled in the NFL, a major injury strikes doom upon an Eastern Conference contender on the hardwood, and a small market baseball club opens their vaults to secure a new face of their franchise. You have the agenda, lets get down to business.

Nonstop action across the NFL makes up the work week as we near Super Bowl LVIII. The head coaching vacancies may be filled, but we aren't done yet in regards to the staff changes stage of the off-season. Several coordinator and staff positions are available. Since my coaching piece, there has been five more coordinators hired. Quick PS: if you missed my head coachin' grades or list of previous staff hires, checkout the link. Now with the new hires, we have three defensive coordinators, and two offensive coordinators that have found new jobs; and new homes.

Dan Quinn is now the sixth new coach (8) to fill his OC and DC vacancies. Kliff Kingsbury ends his quick return to college football as he takes his second NFL job to be the Commanders' OC. I have mixed feelings on this hire. For Quinn, it's not a terrible rout to roll with Kingsbury. Seeing those two work together on the sidelines has some appeal, but I don't think it ends well. I was already against the Quinn hire, now the hire of Kingsbury makes me feel the doubt stronger. I wouldn't be surprised if their plan is to draft Caleb Williams for Kingsbury to "develop". Rather it's at the 2 or in a move up for the 1, that is their plan on the big board. I just can't fathom this love for Kingsbury. I really don't... what, all because he coached big name QBs huh? Well have you evaluated his time spent with each of those QBs? The QBs being Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech), Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M), Case Keenum (Houston U), and Caleb Williams (USC). Kyler Murray with the Cardinals too, of course. My evaluations came to clear results.

Mahomes in college isn't the guy you see now. Go watch some tape on Red Raider Mahomes. His progression came in Kansas City... NOT in college with Kingsbury. Manziel was his own wave. One of those special college stars that turn to dust over time. We saw his real intangibles, mechanics, and potential when he made the big time. Kyler Murray faced doom in Arizona with Kingsbury. Caleb Williams took a major step down in his final year with the Trojans with Kingsbury as his QBs coach. If you couldn't see all that, then I don't know what to tell you. Houston 09 Case Keenum made Kingsbury. No cap. Now I get to add another reason for that fact with his future tenure in the capitol. Quinn's choice to appoint Joe Whitt Jr. (prev: DAL Secondary coach) was excellent, however. I love the hire as Quinn brings his secondary coach in from the Cowboys. Whitt has a sharp track record workin' with DBs. A DB guru he is. Whitt could be a huge mentor for Emmanuel Forbes... a cat the Commanders don't want to give up on right away. Quinn will surely be calling the defense, but Whitt Jr. is a real solid get and could earn more tasks as DC the more his progression with Quinn goes on.

In my last report, Kingsbury was lined up to be the Raiders OC before a contract dispute led for the deal to fall apart. Raiders' written up contract for Kliff was for 2-years; he signed with the Commanders for 3-years. Raiders weren't willing to wait after the Kingsbury snub. They went ahead and hired former Bears OC Luke Getsy to take the reigns in Vegas under Antonio Pierce. An interesting decision for the Silver and Gold, especially when you consider the degrade Getsy received on his way out of Chicago. Everyone jumped to the conclusion of Getsy being the main fault for Justin Fields' lack of progression. I am not one that completely holds Getsy at fault for the Fields/Bears debacle. I think the Bears learn the hard way with Eberflus. The thing with Getsy is black and white. His first year as OC was horrendous as the Bears ranked 31st in total offense (points) and 31st in total yards. That changed in the season that led to his fire. Bears went from ranking 31st in total offense to ranking 19th and 15th in total yards. Bears ranked top two in total rushing in each of the past two seasons. Always gotta look at things from every angle. Getsy gets a chance to prove he wasn't the issue in Chicago with his newfound duties in Vegas. The Raiders need to resign Josh Jacobs if they want Getsy to succeed. His relationship is already rock solid with Davante Adams whom Getsy coached for seven of Adams' eight seasons in Green Bay. That includes two seasons as Adams' WRs coach. I'd say this was a solid hire for AP.

The three defensive hires were solid as well. I like Anthony Weaver replacing Vic Fangio in Miami. Weaver takes the reigns of a defense already running his scheme, and a defense with some stout at defensive line... that being Weaver's forte. Dolphins need to retain Christian Wilkins in free agency, a vile move in my opinion. Weaver would work well with Wilkins, along with Zach Sieler. I am excited for Weaver to get another crack at being a DC. Won't say my confidence is high on him succeeding in Miami, but I like their mindset. Giants used a similar mindset in naming their replacement for Wink Martindale. They looked at their scheme under Martindale, and their roster on paper to help make their decision to hire former Titans' defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. The hire is solid with that in mind, but I have little faith in the result.

Bowen and Vrabel's defenses fell apart in their final two seasons with the Titans. They were awful in pass defense and total defense. They could stop the run though. Something the Giants couldn't do under Martindale. Bowen also has quite the portfolio of work with outside linebackers. Work with cats like Brian Orakpo, Harold Landry, Jadeveon Clowney, and Brian Cushing. Bowen should be a solid mind for Kayvon Thibodeaux to utilize as he progresses more and more in the league. It's not a bad hire, I just question the result. The players didn't work well with Martindale, so I can understand not going with Ron Rivera.

We still have five coordinator openings up for the taking. I expect the Saints to hire Klint Kubiak after the Super Bowl, but still not sure what Jim Harbaugh will do at OC. The opening with the most spotlight is probably the Cowboys DC position. That's the next big one to follow. I would like to see them hire Ron Rivera, but unsure on how he and McCarthy would fare. It would be cool to see two long lasting football heads unite in their tail-end.

Royals extend Bobby WItt Jr. to mega-extension

Royals have secured their new face of the franchise. KC and star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. have agreed on a massive 11/YR, $288.7M fully guaranteed contract with a team option that can make the contract a 14/YR bind when all is set and done. The three-year team option ($89M) would drive the contract value to more than $377M and would keep Witt in Kansas City through the 2037 season. The guaranteed salary makes it the 16th-largest current deal in Major League Baseball and second-biggest pre-arbitration agreement behind the 14-year, $340M contract the Padres gave Fernando Tatis Jr. It's the largest contract in Royals history and is a stunner with the market tier they are in. They're officially ALL IN on the soon to be third year player.

Royals makin' Witt their cornerstone comes to no surprise, despite him only playing two big league seasons. He led the club in games played, hits, triples, homers, RBIs, stolen bases and just about every advanced metric last season, and he was second in the AL in hits, third in stolen bases, and ninth in batting average in '23. Witt finished with 30 homers and 49 steals, making him the only player in major league history with 50 homers and 79 steals through their first two seasons. The numbers have been great as Witt has been the only true bright spot for a basement Royals 'chise since Witt's arrival to the big leagues, but was it too early of a gamble?

In baseball, paying a guy top money after a two-year span is risky-risky business. It's not like the NFL or NBA. MLB is the largest rollercoaster of the Big-4. Sure, the cap structure allows one the will to gamble more despite the price, but it doesn't change the aftershock. A guy having two or three good years and then falling off the tracks is something we see time and time again on the diamond. Baseball players will shed a productive skin like a snake. It's an odd and magnificent sport, but not for GMs. Pure hell for them. Look, I get the decision here by the Royals. They have strong motives right now of changing the baseball culture in KC. Changing their market size. The rise of Patrick Mahomes (minority owner) and the Chiefs dynasty really slapped them on the behind. Royals shockingly opened the bank in free agency ($100M+ spent), but now they break it wide open with the Witt extension. They are on a quest... I get it. Plus Witt certainly has it. The IT factor that is.

Witt has fun rippin' up the diamond and plays with some swagger. Fans, both Kansas City and MLB, will gravitate towards a player like that and have so with Witt already, as he enters his third year. The signing shows the Royals' front office is ready to invest in a championship. If Witt continues to rise in production and skill, then players around the league will look at him and the Royals as a new designation for a chance to win. They may be in the basement, but these money moves may flip the switch quick. Sounds crazy with the contract being an obvious gamble, but it's true. All they can do now is hope that Witt gets better and doesn't go off the rails.

76ers took a major blow this week as Joel Embiid looks at a long-term recovery for a meniscus injury. Embiid is out indefinitely, puttin' the 76ers' season in peril and blowing his chance of winning back-to-back MVPs. A devastating blow to Embiid, the 76ers, and basketball. His return is in the air. He could miss the entire season, including the playoffs. Or he could return in time for the playoffs. No one outside the circle has a clue at this point.

We shall play the waiting game when it comes to his return timetable. 76ers are confident they will have a timetable shortly, once they know the right steps regarding the recovery process. Embiid's procedure went good, they will revaluate in 4 weeks. Off my own ponder, I think there is a strong possibility that the 76ers have lost Embiid for the rest of the season. What would that mean for their chances in the Eastern Conference?

First and foremost, the ball is now in Tyrese Maxey's hands. Daryl Morey best get active at the trade-deadline. As he should be, even without the Embiid injury, but now it's more than ever with the injury. The 76ers have lost six of their past seven games and have fallen to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. They are just 4-12 without Embiid this season. Maxey won't be able to keep that rotation afloat without Embiid. A reason he is a top-13 league scorer is because of Embiid being on the court. Without Embiid, there is no one to cover besides Maxey. With De'Anthony Melton and Nicolas Batum banged up, the current 76ers' starting five right now is Maxey, Paul Reed, Marcus Morris Sr, Jaden Springer, and Tobias Harris. Not good. This Embiid injury is beyond nuclear to Philly's potential this season. Tough times are ahead... maybe they will get good news that he will return in time for the playoffs. At that point, they just gotta make it there.

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