5 Current NFL Head Coaches Los Angeles Rams Should Consider Trading For

Dec 18, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton looks on during the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks to the New Orleans Saints saying they wouldn’t rule out trading Sean Payton, here’s a look at five current head coaches the Los Angeles Rams should consider trading for.

With Jeff Fisher officially out of the picture following an embarrassing Week 14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Los Angeles Rams got an early start compared to other teams when it comes to their search for their next head coach. There’s a good chance the next head coach for the Rams will be a current coordinator, but a recent report indicated the idea of trading for a head coach, like Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints, shouldn’t be ruled out.

The chances of this may seem highly unlikely, but keep in mind it’s happened before in the NFL, with one of the most popular trades that sticks out being Jon Gruden in 2002 when he was sent from the Oakland Raiders to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coincidentally, Gruden went on to win the Super Bowl the following season as head coach of the Buccaneers.

Obviously, the chances of Los Angeles trading for a head coach from a current team may be a long shot, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to examine the list of possibilities. When looking at all of the current head coaches that some teams would love to get rid of, anything it capable of happening in the offseason, even if the Rams don’t have a first-round pick in 2017 to use as trade bait.

Starting off with Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns, here’s a look at five current head coaches the Rams should consider trading for in the offseason.

Nov 10, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson calls a play in during the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

5. Hue Jackson

Two more losses and the Cleveland Browns will find themselves on the wrong side of NFL history by becoming the second team to finish an entire season without winning a single game. Unfortunately, with upcoming games against the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers, there’s a good chance the Browns are going to end up making history, especially since the offense has scored 13 points or less in six-straight games.

Injuries at quarterback have been one of the key factors behind Cleveland’s struggles this season as Robert Griffin III made just his third start in Week 15 against the Buffalo Bills. While the argument can be made the Browns would have won a few close games with Griffin in the lineup, it still doesn’t take away from the lack of weapons the Browns’ offense has provided their quarterbacks throughout the season.

Most head coaches expect to struggle during their first year or two with a new team, but not even Hue Jackson expected this season to turn out this bad in Cleveland. Jackson certainly deserves another chance to prove he’s capable of handling the job, but a fresh start may be the best option for both parties heading into 2017.

Dec 11, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox looks on during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

4. John Fox

From starting quarterback to head coach, the Chicago Bears will head into the offseason with plenty of tough decisions to figure out. In their defense, the Bears deserve some credit for the type of effort displayed over their last few games as each of their last four losses have come by single digits.

With that being said, John Fox‘s struggles carried over from last year into the 2016 season, as Chicago will finish dead last in the NFC North for the third season in a row. Fox was taking the necessary steps in the right direction after the Bears won six games during his first season as head coach in 2015, but the team currently sits at 3-11 heading into their final two regular season games against the Washington Redskins and the Minnesota Vikings.

It’s tough not to feel bad for a head coach like Fox when considering he went from having one of the most talented teams in the league as a member of the Denver Broncos to a team that seems to be going through rebuilding mode with Chicago. At the end of the day, the Bears and Fox just don’t seem to be that good of a fit for one another as it will be interesting to see what the team decides to do once the 2016 season officially comes to an end.

Dec 18, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan reacts to his team scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at New Era Field. Buffalo beats Cleveland 33 to 13. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

3. Rex Ryan

The toughest part about the situation with Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills is the head coach set the bar high for himself when he was hired in 2015, only to fall short of the playoffs each time. Technically, the Bills are still alive for a Wild Card spot in the AFC, but at 7-7 heading into Week 16, it would take an absolute miracle for Ryan’s team to make the playoffs when considering how much help they would need from the rest of the contenders.

At the end of the day, when looking back at the schedule, the truth is Buffalo struggled to compete against some of the top teams in the NFL throughout the 2016 season, so it’s no surprise to see them on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs once again. In fact, six of their seven losses have come against teams that have either already clinched a playoff berth or are still in the hunt with two games to go.

All signs point to the Bills moving on from Ryan at season’s end, but that doesn’t mean they may have a change of heart at the last second. Either way, Ryan should be on the radar for the Rams regardless as he has a history of being a defensive genius.

And when looking at the potential surrounding the defense of Los Angeles for their next head coach, why wouldn’t Ryan show at least the slightest interest?

Dec 11, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy on the sidelines in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

2. Mike McCoy

For a team that normally hires head coaches with experience, it was an interesting move to see the San Diego Chargers go with a younger head coach back in 2013 when they hired Mike McCoy. At first, it seemed like the right move as McCoy led the Chargers to the Divisional Round of the playoffs before falling to the Denver Broncos, but it’s all been downhill since then.

Last year, San Diego was one of the most frustrating teams in the NFL to follow as nine of their 12 losses ended up being by single digits, even if injuries on both sides of the football ended up being a major factor. Even this year, the Chargers have struggled to close out games as eight of their nine losses in 2016 have come by single digits as well.

It seems to be only a matter of time before San Diego decides to part ways with McCoy after missing out on the postseason for the third year in a row, but that doesn’t mean he won’t land a job elsewhere. If anything, teams will look at McCoy as a head coach that deserves some benefit of the doubt for having to deal with so many injuries over the last two seasons instead of looking at his inability to close out games in the fourth quarter.

Then again, McCoy does have a history of working with quarterbacks, which could benefit the development of Jared Goff as the rookie hopes for an improved offense for the Rams in 2017.

Dec 11, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton looks on against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints 16-11. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

1. Sean Payton

The motivation behind this discussion of possible head coaches for the Rams to trade for in the offseason started with the scenario of the New Orleans Saints trading Sean Payton in the offseason. When looking at how much money the Saints would actually be saving, it makes sense to see the organization at least considering the option to move on from their head coach of the last 11 years.

Even if Payton was forced to sit out one of those years due to suspension, there’s no denying Payton did an amazing job with turning the franchise around when he took over in 2006. If only New Orleans hadn’t finished with losing records in four of the last five seasons with only one playoff appearance, it would be easier to make a case for keeping Payton around beyond the 2016 season.

When taking a closer look at all of the money Payton is expected to make (he signed a $45 million extension in March) over the next couple of years, it’s easy to understand why New Orleans is thinking about the money they would save by trading their head coach. Once again, the chances of any head coach on this list seems like a long shot, but it’s tough not to think of all possibilities when it was the Saints expressing the scenario of trading Payton that started this whole conversation.

Either way, it’s going to be fun watching the Rams search for their next head coach during the offseason as Fisher’s replacement will have quite the talent to work with between Goff, Todd Gurley, and Aaron Donald.