Lovie Smith fired: Where will he go next?
Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith was fired this morning and the only question that needs to be answered is where he’ll end up in 2013. The 1st place Smith could land and would be a good fit is the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have many defensive pieces with Mario Williams and a solid defensive secondary. Smith could also lure Brian Urlacher over to the Bills to provide some stability to the linebacker and ultimately Smith has everything he needs to bounce back quickly in Buffalo. The Bills do have some questions on offense with Ryan Fitzpatrick, but that is not that big of a hurdle come draft time.
Then Smith could look to the Cleveland Browns who are probably the most appealing spot for any head coach. The team is young with lots of future stars in Trent Richardson and Josh Gordon on offense and Joe Haden on defense. The defense for the Browns already has a solid foundation and Smith could easily turn them around in one season if he picks the right people in the draft. The Browns are the biggest catch in 2013 and the only issue preventing Smith is if the Browns want him or not. Smith has the pedigree to step in and be productive, but Andy Reid might get the Browns job.
The last destination for Smith is to take some time off away from the game. Smith has been a head coach for over 9 seasons with the Chicago Bears and it wouldn’t hurt for him to take some time for self-reflection. Many head coaches like Jeff Fisher and Mike Shanahan took time off to find a better fit after they were fired from their respective teams. Smith may not like all the places he can go or doesn’t want to be rushed into anything. The best option for Smith at this time is to take some time off to recharge his batteries and look for a better option in 2013. Who knows, maybe the Dallas Cowboys will get rid of Jason Garrett?
James Cobern is a Featured Journalist for TPF and can be contacted at JCobern@ThePenaltyFlagBlog.com.
