Saints fire Pete Carmichael: 4 immediate replacements for New Orleans

2. Saints can hire Commanders OC Eric Bieniemy

The Washington Commanders lured Eric Bieniemy away from the Kansas City Chiefs last season with grand aspirations for his partnership with Ron Rivera. Fast forward to today, and the Commanders finished 4-13. RIvera was kicked to the curb and the Commanders, under new ownership, are eager to right the ship.

There's a strong case for elevating Bieniemy to replace Rivera. With two championships under his belt from his Chiefs tenure, Bieniemy has more than earned the right to lead his own team. He is past due for the opportunity. That said, the NFL works in mysterious ways, and there's a strong chance Bieniemy is kicked to the curb right alongside Rivera. If that happens, it presents New Orleans with a prime opportunity to sign one of the most successful offensive coordinators in recent memory.

Dennis Allen's job appears safe at the moment. The Saints are going to ride it out with the long-time defensive coordinator-turned-head coach, which makes their next OC a particularly important hire. New Orleans is moving away from half of the best play-calling apparatus of the last decade. Allen can still put his finger on the pulse of the defense, but he needs an inventive play-caller to reshape the offense in a manner beneficial to all involved. That starts with figuring out how to maximize Derek Carr. Bieniemy shepherded the greatest QB talent of his generation in Kansas City. Some may view that as a negative — maybe Mahomes papered over his flaws — but the Saints should view it as a stark positive. The goal should be to place Carr in a system that embraces the air-it-out style he is built for.

Bieniemy's Commanders stint was rockier than expected, largely due to the unreliability of Sam Howell under center. Carr is a different beast, and Bieniemy would be the dream hire for New Orleans. He brings valuable high-level experience and the fresh perspective the organization craves.