It's no surprise Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn are wanted for head coaching interviews, based on the success the Detroit Lions have had. Johnson has a couple more interview requests now, but there's an argument that Glenn is a better head coaching candidate.
The Lions' coordinators will have a narrow window to do virtual interviews, as allowed by league rules, with teams this week heading into the Divisional Round game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Johnson reportedly has two interviews scheduled on Friday, and it's fair to say Glenn will have one of two scheduled too.
Maybe neither leaves. Maybe only one leaves. But it's definitely possible the Lions lose both of their coordinators to head coaching jobs this year, and if not this year they both will be gone to a head coaching job soon.
ESPN insider projects landing spots for both Detroit Lions coordinators
ESPN's Dan Graziano has a new piece on Wednesday morning (subscription required), predicting who will get all seven current NFL head coaching openings. He has both Lions' coordinators getting a job, but where did he predict they'd land?
Ben Johnson to the Washington Commanders
Here's what Graziano wrote about Johnson to the Commanders.
"New Commanders owner Josh Harris already landed his top target for GM in Adam Peters. Many people around the league believe Harris has been focused on Johnson as his top choice for coach, though there are some who think Slowik and Macdonald are still possibilities."
"Harris' process so far has been thorough but not slow. I believe he really wants Johnson, and he and Peters are in position to make that happen -- even if it's just about getting an agreement in place that can't be finalized until after the Lions' season ends."
Johnson-to-the-Commanders is not a shocking prediction. The job definitely has a lot of appeal, and the Commanders reportedly have Johnson as their No. 1 candidate. Washington is one of Johnson's scheduled interviews on Friday, as new general manager Adam Peters covets him.
Aaron Glenn to the Tennessee Titans
Under the idea "if we fire him, how quickly would another team hire him?", the Titans made an odd decision to fire Mike Vrabel. They are one of four teams that has requested interviews with Johnson and Glenn.
Here's Graziano on Glenn to the Titans.
"I've been told by a couple of people close to this situation to keep an eye on Glenn as a strong candidate. The Titans are casting a wide and diverse net, and this is one of the tougher ones to call at this point, but Glenn has appeal as a former player, as a part of what Dan Campbell has built in Detroit and as the coordinator who graded out the best of any on either side of the ball in a recent NFLPA poll of players. He will get a head coach job sooner rather than later, and he could be the guy the Titans pick to work with GM Ran Carthon on their rebuild."
When addressing his likely future as a head coach, Glenn has said he has learned about the importance of a head coach being on the same page as the general manager. Vrabel and Ran Carthon were clearly not quite on the same page, and that's why Vrabel is gone.
Tennessee feels like a job Glenn could land, maybe atop the list of possibilities, and Graziano has pretty much put it there with his prediction.