Skip to Search Skip to Live Player Skip to Content Skip to Footer

Craig Shemon & Company

Craig Shemon & Company

Craig Shemon & Company

NFL Coaches Love the Combine

Author Craig Shemon
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 29: Head coach Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins runs off the field at the end of first half against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on October 29, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)

NFL coaches love the Combine.  The Combine is underway in Indianapolis where young football players show off their abilities with hopes of getting drafted, or raising their draft status with the NFL in April.  NFL coaches are very dialed into this experience because their jobs are on line when they, along with the general managers, choose a half dozen new players every year.  Choose wisely each year and chances are a coach will be successful on the field.  Choose poorly and it’s likely a coach may not keep his job very long.

COACH SPEAK

This is the week you will hear a lot of “coach-speak.”  You will hear phrases like “lower body strength, good foundation, first-step speed, turns his hips well,” etc.   They love this stuff.  Hey, who doesn’t love a good 40-yard dash time or a solid three-cone drill?  Coaches and general managers will gather their data this week, compare it to game film from players’ college days, assess their own needs and put together a draft board ranking players at every position.  Then comes the NFL draft in April.  We can’t wait.

While we are discussing NFL coaches let’s talk about them with trivia on Craig Shemon and Company on ESPN Southwest Florida.  Good luck!

NFL COACHES TRIVIA

  1. Name the head coach of the Atlanta Flacons? Raheem Morris
  2. Shane Steichen is the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.  Spell Steichen?   Steichen
  3. Name the head coach of the Washington Commanders?  Dan Quinn
  4. Where was Jim Harbaugh’s first head coaching gig? University of San Diego
  5. Before becoming the head coach of the Bears, Matt Eberflus was the defensive coordinator of what team?  Colts
  6. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans played for what two NFL teams?  Texans and Eagles
  7. Todd Bowles was a player for what team when he won a Super Bowl? Washington
  8. Where did Mike McDaniel go to college?  Yale
  9. When Andy Reid was quarterbacks coach for the Packers in 1997-1998, what current NFL head coach was Bret Favre’s backup? Doug Pederson
  10. Dan Campbell won a Super Bowl ring as a player. What team did he beat?  Saints beat the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

 

Craig Shemon has been hosting afternoons on ESPN Southwest Florida since 2017. Prior to that he was a nationally syndicated host in Los Angeles at FOX Sports Radio and in Houston at Yahoo! Sports Radio. Along the way Craig did play-by-play for the NFL on FOX, NFL Europe, Big Ten Network, and The Citadel Radio Network. Craig is a native Detroiter and Indiana University graduate. He has been known to proudly display his Detroit and IU fandom on the air. Craig likes to write about athletes, create quizzes, and covers big sports headlines.

4 NFL Teams We Expect To Wear New Uniforms Next Season

Although the Super Bowl is behind us, there are still plenty of football subjects to dive into. Of course, the combine, free agency, and the draft are all approaching. However, in addition, there are a few NFL teams who have hinted at wearing new uniforms next season.

Typically, a full unveiling of these fresh threads comes in late spring or summer once the schedule is out and new players are on the roster. Still, there are some things we already know. Part of this has to do with licensing agreements. The NFL and Nike (their official uniform partner) need to go through certain protocols in order for new uniforms to be allowed. At times, this can take a few years. So, in short, preparation for these expected uniform changes began long ago.

Present-day NFL allows for teams to have their typical home and away set and the alternate look. Often, this is a nod to a throwback uniform that was a fan-favorite years ago. For example, in 2023, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought back the special edition creamsicle uniform.

Before we take a look at the NFL teams that will be sporting a new uniform look in 2024, let’s address a related topic.

Teams That Should Change Their Uniforms

Again, this is easier said than done, but here are a few suggestions for teams that can use an upgrade. First, the New York Giants should make their throwback look permanent. This sports the “Giants” logo on the helmet with the red and white striped jersey sleeve the team wore in the ’80s and ’90s. Bringing back the red alternate jersey then allows for the special look twice a year. The same argument can be made for the Philadelphia Eagles. When you have that sharp “Kelly Green” set, there is no reason not to wear them at any opportunity. As for a complete overhaul, let’s suggest the Indianapolis Colts go back to the drawing board. The white horseshoe helmet works (just change the facemask to blue), but the jersey and pants are stale. Less can be more these days with uni designs, so how about adding a little life here? At least the jersey can be as exciting as the future franchise quarterback, Anthony Richardson.

Those three thoughts may be long shots. However, these are not. Here are the four teams we expect to rock new uniforms looks next season.

  • New York Jets

    Let’s call it Aaron Rodgers 2.0. It’s definitely not a bad idea to try this experiment all over again. With Rodgers back from a gut-wrenching injury, 2024 could be what fans expected 2023 to be. Perhaps having extreme patience will make the wait worthwhile. The assumption is that the Jets new uniforms, which will be unveiled in April, will resemble the “Legacy” look.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by New York Jets (@nyjets)

  • Houston Texans

    With the offensive rookie of the year in C.J. Stroud being the face of the franchise, this feels like the perfect time for the Texans to change up their look. Aside from the red alternative helmet and jersey, their previous uniform set did fall victim to the Colts’ disease of just too boring. Let’s just hope they don’t get too flashy. The Tennessee Titans twice wore their Houston Oilers throwbacks in 2023. It has been revealed that the Texans are now doing the right thing and incorporating this iconic H-Town Blue color into the new look.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Houston Texans (@houstontexans)

  • Denver Broncos

    This should fall into the category of adjustments instead of a completely new look. There has been a ton of speculation already. We do believe the orange jersey will sustain. The biggest challenge the team has had with their current look is the slash-style “stripe” on the pants that don’t mix and match. So, 2024 will feature a new QB in Denver, sporting the updated look.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Denver Broncos (@broncos)

     

  • Detroit Lions

    This one flies under the radar a bit. The Lions revealed the alternate blue helmets last year. Some wonder if the popular black jersey from the early 2000s will return. It would be unfortunate for the Lions to get too far away from their traditional blue, however a stronger color scheme might be just what the team needs to take that extra step. The black jersey option might also be a good match for Dan Campbell’s MCDC Metallica fandom.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by NFL (@nfl)

Sign me up for the ESPN Southwest Florida email newsletter!

You love listening to ESPN Southwest Florida, now make sure you’re getting all the extra perks. Sign up today to be an ESPN Southwest Florida Insider!

*
*
By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.
Author Craig Shemon
Category:
Tags:
,

More ESPN SWFL

Load More