Today's question: Who is on the hottest seat in the division?
Todd Archer, Dallas Cowboys: After being on the hot seat every year since he took over, I think it’s fair to say it’s not Jason Garrett. (And I do think we all overstated how hot his seat actually was.) It’s easy to say Tom Coughlin or Jerry Reese with the Giants, too. But I’m going with Chip Kelly. The Eagles' moves this offseason have been all about Kelly. The trade of LeSean McCoy was at first called a salary-cap move, but then the Eagles put big money into DeMarco Murray and solid money into Ryan Mathews. I’m not ready to say Kiko Alonso will be a star the way McCoy is a star. The trade for Sam Bradford is a huge risk considering the quarterback’s injury history. They have taken an interesting route with their receivers. If this doesn’t work out for the Eagles, then Kelly will have nobody to blame but himself.
Dan Graziano, New York Giants: I don’t think it’s fair, because GM Jerry Reese deserves far more blame for the bottoming out of the Giants’ roster over the past half-decade, but the answer here is Giants coach Tom Coughlin, whose status as an all-time franchise icon likely won’t save him if the Giants suffer another losing season. The Giants have fired a coordinator at the end of each of the past two seasons, which means they’re running out of people to blame. Reese has as much job security as any GM in the league outside of Dallas, which means if the Giants don’t show progress this year, they likely make a change at the head coach spot. Fair or not.
Phil Sheridan, Philadelphia Eagles: This is a tough one. In Washington, everyone is always on the hot seat, so Jay Gruden’s seat is probably warmer than any of the other three coaches in the division. Same with quarterback Robert Griffin III. Meanwhile, the Giants’ bumpy couple of seasons have people wondering when it will be time to ease Tom Coughlin out. But that guy has two Super Bowl rings and deserves to be treated differently. For me, then, it comes down to Tony Romo. He has been the best QB in the NFC East for the past few years, but hasn’t produced in the postseason the way he should. At 35, Romo has to be running out of time.
John Keim, Washington Redskins: I’ll say Robert Griffin III. After two lackluster (and poor) seasons, he has another shot to remind everyone what sort of player he can be and once was. Griffin has been thoroughly criticized the past two seasons, for his play and his personality. The latter wouldn’t matter as much if his play had been better. He’s still transitioning to being more of a pocket passer, or just a good one in general. His first coach, Mike Shanahan, always knew it would take him time to reach a higher level as a passer after coming from a spread offense in college. Griffin went from the Heisman Trophy to Rookie of the Year to being benched this past season for his performance. He can still run, he still has a good arm and he is smart. The Redskins picked up his fifth-year option, but if he does not play well they can still cut him after the season.