The New York Giants' head-coaching vacancy might be the most attractive of the seven in play this offseason, but that is not necessarily the best way to put it. "Least unattractive" is arguably more apt than "most attractive" when ranking these vacancies from a candidate's perspective.
"There are reasons why teams are on this list," a longtime NFL executive said. "There are more teams vying for the sixth and seventh spots than for 1-2-3."
The Giants came in first and the Cleveland Browns were last when I harnessed insights from coaches and executives around the league to formulate my own opinions. There was some debate as to where the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans should rank in between. Discussing the dynamics in play was the instructive part.
"Right away, you think roster, then everything else," a coach said. "But is this about winning for five years or winning this year? That makes it hard."
We begin with the Giants, the only organization on the list with a Super Bowl victory over the past two decades. A reminder: This list includes all jobs that have come open, even if they've been filled, such as the one in Miami.
1. New York Giants
The Giants have stable, imperturbable ownership and a quarterback with enough ability to compete in the short term. They are severely lacking in defensive personnel, the No. 1 reason Tom Coughlin did not win enough to keep his job. The Giants inhabit the top spot on the strength of a well-earned reputation. They seem to do things for the right reasons most of the time.