The good news, IMO, is that we will actually be in good shape to attract the HC and GM that we want, not that I necessarily have any faith in Ross choosing the right ones. I do believe that both need to change, regardless of what you feel about Ireland's track record. There just needs to be a major culture change at the top and some feeling of hope.
That said, the new regime will inherit a much better situation than this one did. (Remember the absolute lack of talent on this team when they arrived). The new guys will have a solid young core on defense, with a deep defensive line, an average LB corps with an olb that we know can be a beast pass rusher (Wake), and theoretically a top ilb (Dansby).A young secondary with potential, although they will be in the market for a safety or two.
On offense, it is tailor made for a new regime to come in. A new regime will sink or swim with the qb they hitch their wagon to, so I'm sure they will use our 1st round pick (probably a high one!) on their best bet for a franchise qb (Luck, etc). But, they will put that qb on an offense that has:
-a perrenial probowl LT and a promising young top tier center, the 2 most important o-line positions
- a solid reciving corps with a top slot receiver (Bess), a solid workman wr(Hartline), a speedster (Gates), and an elite beast receiver - (I believe with the right qb and right attitude, Marshall can be dominant)
- A good looking rookie RB who can run between the tackles
-a change of pace elusive runner if used properly (Bush)
If they choose to keep either/or, a decent young OC and a veteran DC with a proven track record
They need to draft their QB, get a TE and some safety help, and they're in immediate running, if they can change the culture and attitude of this team.
Other teams looking for a new HC are typically in much worse shape, with a lot of older, past-their-prime veterans that the last regime tried as a last ditch effort to save their jobs. Believe it or not, this could be an attractive job compared to what will be out there.
