Saints' ideal Dennis Allen replacement is on hot seat too, not a local hero returning

Dennis Allen had to go. He is a great defensive mind and should find work fairly easily this offseason as a defensive coordinator. Allen made the most of his opportunity to be a second-time NFL head coach, but odds are, he will never hold that job title again in his coaching career. Promoting Allen from within after Sean Payton abruptly "retired" made sense at the time, but plenty of time has passed.

The New Orleans Saints are now the second NFL team to be led by an interim head coach the rest of the way, joining the equally pitiful New York Jets. While Gang Green does have an intriguing roster in some capacities, Mickey Loomis has kicked the can down the road long enough. New Orleans needs a complete rebuild. The right head coach to bring them back to prominence is out there to be had.

I would argue that once the Cleveland Browns moronically fire their head coach in Kevin Stefanski that he immediately becomes the top candidate for the Saints gig. Since he stems from the same coaching tree as offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, I would venture to guess the best part of his team would be retained. Derek Carr is not great anymore, but he is better than what is in Cleveland.

I will also go out on a limb that if the Saints were to hire Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, that could prove disastrous. It does not matter that he is having success this year in Orchard Park, nor does it matter that he was really good at calling offensive plays on the 2019 LSU staff. Do you not remember how ill-equipped we was as a play caller when he was in-division on the Carolina Panthers?

Brady may be a great NFL head coach one day, but a guy who has seen some stuff is preferred here.

Kevin Stefanski is right head coach for New Orleans Saints, not Joe Brady

Again, I may be proven wrong with this. The Saints may no interest in hiring either. Stefanski may not become available, nor may Brady want to come back and work for this team right now. There is also a chance that Brady is the best thing to happen to New Orleans since Sean Payton. I am only going off the vibes of being a fan of their biggest rival. What hire would make Atlanta Falcons fans feel uneasy?

Stefanski has already done something I did not think was possible, which was to get to the playoffs multiple times in one tenure leading the Browns. Not only that, but he won a playoff game with that franchise, the only one to date since the Baltimore Ravens existed. Brady may be a great head coach down the line, but he needs to go to a place that does not require a complete and wholesale rebuild.

I would expect that Allen's successor will be given the green light for the Saints to draft their first quarterback in the first round since Archie Manning. Yes, it has been that long. Once this team gains a new identity, the Saints can get back to contending in the same division the Falcons are starting to run away with. Atlanta could totally lose on the road to New Orleans next week because it is Atlanta.

Right now, I would be looking at hiring someone like Stefanski or Mike Vrabel over a first-time coach.