The 2023 NFL head coaching carousel came to an end shortly after the Super Bowl, when Philadelphia Eagles coordinators Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon were hired by the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals, respectively.
In all, five head coaching vacancies were filled this winter, with three first-timers and three coming from offensive backgrounds. More interesting is that 10 offensive coordinator positions opened up this offseason, with almost all of them being filled.
Now that we have a better understanding of what most of the league’s coaching staffs will look like, we evaluated these coaching changes from a fantasy perspective. Here’s a closer look at DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans).
- NFL Free Agency Primers
- Introduction to Best Ball Leagues
- Underdog Best Ball Strategy
- Erickson’s Best Ball Positional Primers
- Best Ball Roster Construction Strategy
New Head Coaches: DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans)
DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans)
Ryans arrives in Houston after serving as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator, and he took a San Francisco staffer with him to run his offense.
Ryans hired 35-year-old Bobby Slowik as his OC, and Slowik comes with an interesting career arc. He began his coaching career in 2017 as a defensive quality controls coach. He transitioned to the offensive side of the ball two years later and has served as San Francisco’s passing game coordinator for the last two seasons.
Slowik’s lack of experience in general is concerning. But he’s certainly learned from one of the league’s best offensive minds. The question is whether he can replicate that success in Houston.
Fantasy Impact: I’ll still be straying away from the Texans offense. Houston cost itself a shot at getting their choice of quarterback with a meaningless Week 18 win. And while Dameon Pierce will still be a strong RB2, there isn’t much else to get excited about. An offense with a rookie passer and an inexperienced OC will probably go through some growing pains in 2023. If I miss out on an unexpected explosion, so be it.
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