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Tag: Head Coaching

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After only five franchises hired new head coaches in 2023, eight clubs entered the 2024 season with a different man at the helm. Some of these changes were expected, while others were more surprising. That includes the New England Patriots breaking in a new sideline leader for the first time since the 2000 season. FullTime Fantasy‘s NFL Coaching Carousel catches you up on the fantasy impact of these head coaching changes. Additionally, other teams retained their head coach but hired new offensive coordinators. All of these changes can have serious ramifications on a team’s philosophy and fantasy appeal. The well-prepared fantasy manager needs to know how these new hires will impact players this season. Here are the notable new hires and how they will affect fantasy football in 2024. Atlanta Falcons  Incoming: Raheem Morris Outgoing: Arthur Smith For fantasy fans, the dismissal of Arthur Smith was met with overwhelming support. Despite spending three top-10 draft picks on skill position players, Smith refused to feature those assets in any credible manner. Subsequently, the Falcons finished below average in offense in each of Smith’s three seasons. After sacking Smith, GM Terry Fontenot looked to the defensive side of the ball. The Falcons had two interviews with Bill Belichick but ultimately brought back Raheem Morris to turn things around. Morris previously served as Atlanta’s defensive coordinator and led the team to a 4-7 record as interim head coach in 2020. Morris was also the head coach in Tampa from 2009-11. He has plenty of experience and is a well-respected defensive schemer and leader. From 2021-23, Morris led a Los Angeles Rams defense that finished inside the top 10 twice and won Super Bowl LVI. In Atlanta, his No. 1 job will be to revitalize an offense that underperformed. Last season, poor quarterback play doomed the Falcons. Atlanta finished 26th in scoring and had 28 turnovers. Their (-12) turnover ratio was the second-worst in the league. Additionally, Desmond Ridder took far too many sacks behind a stellar offensive line that boasted PFF’s fourth-highest pass-blocking grade. The arrival of Kirk Cousins will make Morris’s top priority much easier. Cousins has averaged over 4,200 passing yards and 32 touchdowns per season since he became a starter. Emphasizing the available skill position talent will go a long way. New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson spent three seasons with Morris in LA. Robinson’s offense was top-10 in time of possession, yards per game, and scoring in 2023. His philosophy of pushing the ball downfield should do wonders for underutilized pass catchers Drake London and Kyle Pitts. And if Bijan Robinson is utilized similarly to Kyren Williams, Bijan will contend for overall RB1 numbers. Carolina Panthers Incoming: Dave Canales Outgoing: Frank Reich It’s a complete overhaul for one of the NFL’s most dysfunctional franchises. Dan Morgan was promoted to president of football operations and GM. His first job was to find the right fit to patrol the sidelines after Frank Reich’s disastrous 1-10 stint that lasted less than one year. Enter Dave Canales, who had one season as Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator. Before that, Canales spent 13 seasons in Seattle coaching wide receivers, quarterbacks, and acting as the passing game coordinator. Bryce Young was abysmal as a rookie. Carolina was last in the league in total offense, yards per play, and ranked 31st in scoring. Canales’s experience with Russell Wilson and resurrecting Geno Smith’s career will play a big role in turning that around. The club did invest heavily in weapons to improve that lackluster showing. They added target magnet Diontae Johnson from Pittsburgh and traded up into Round One of this year’s draft to select South Carolina WR Xavier Leggette. A pair of Longhorns (RB) Jonathon Brooks and TE JaTavion Sanders) also boosted the supporting cast considerably. In Tampa, Canales liked to feature his top two wideouts downfield. 48.7% of the Bucaneers’ targets went to Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Meanwhile, RB Rachaad White ranked ninth at running back with 70 targets. If that philosophy carries over, Leggette and Johnson should be busy from the perimeter, with Adam Thielen seeing fewer looks. Brooks stood out as a receiver in Austin and is the favorite to emerge as the team’s lead back. After all, this staff chose him as the top back in this draft Las Vegas Raiders Incoming: Antonio Pierce Outgoing: Josh McDaniels The Raiders averaged 268.2 yards per game with 16 turnovers in eight games with Josh McDaniels. After McDaneils was jettisoned, Antonio Pierce led the Raiders to a 5-4 finish and won over the locker room. Under Pierce, Las Vegas jumped up to 308.4 yards per game and had no turnovers in six of those contests. Vegas also had no games with 100 rushing yards under McDaniels but eclipsed that mark six times under Pierce. That improvement resulted in Pierce being hired as the full-time head coach in January. A former standout linebacker with the Giants, Pierce brings credibility along with a tough, defensive-minded approach. His teams will try to run the ball to establish the pass while winning the turnover battle. The priority for the Raiders is to find the right quarterback. Aidan O’Connell went 5-5 as the starter but had his share of rookie moments. The club signed Garnder Minshew to a two-year $25 million deal. Minshew nearly led the Colts to an AFC South title after taking over for the injured Anthony Richardson. Along with Pierce, Mark Davis hired Tom Telesco as GM and Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator. In two seasons as Chicago’s offensive coordinator, Getsy guided the Bears to first and second in rushing. Granted, much of that was from the quarterback position, but Getsy and Pierce will rely on the rushing attack behind a solid Raiders’ offensive line. Zamir White will take over for the departed Josh Jacobs. White carried many fantasy managers to a tile last winter, posting overall RB12 numbers in the final four weeks. Alexander Mattison was signed to add depth but White will be given every opportunity to retain