Hypothetical expansion team gives Super Bowl-winning HC another shot as it builds veteran staff with winning experience
As an expansion NFL franchise, the first step is to hire the people who will be in charge of the football operation. Especially because everything is new, it's imperative to choose people who have done it before, so they have a clear sense of what an NFL operation looks like. It's better if the leaders […]
As an expansion NFL franchise, the first step is to hire the people who will be in charge of the football operation. Especially because everything is new, it's imperative to choose people who have done it before, so they have a clear sense of what an NFL operation looks like. It's better if the leaders know each other.
This is a series of posts about what a hypothetical expansion franchise would look like in 2025. The A to Z Sports team built the St. Louis Arches, a fictional expansion team. We will do everything from a football operation perspective — expansion draft (and we involved our writers to get a fresh perspective from all teams), regular draft, free agency, and also building the top positions on the front office and coaching staff.
Everything is hypothetical, so take it with a grain of salt. But it's a good exercise to understand how a situation like that would work and how real teams would handle it.
This is the part to go into details with the coaching staff/front office. We will also talk about the entire process and go further in free agency, regular draft, and expansion draft.
Front office
The general manager choice is Reggie McKenzie, currently the Tennessee Titans vice president of football advisor. Will McClay would be the perfect option, but he has passed several opportunities to stay with the Dallas Cowboys.
McKenzie worked in the Green Bay Packers front office for almost two decades, which will be important later on. He also spent seven seasons (2012-2018) as the Oakland Raiders general manager. If you look at what the Raiders had done before McKenzie and what they've done after him, it's easy to see how successful he was.
In real life, he spent the last few years as a senior personnel executive for the Miami Dolphins before going to the Titans this offseason.
To supplement the top positions of the front office, we added Richmond Williams, with a significant background and track record of success with pro scouting. Brian Hampton brings one of the best and most efficient contract and cap management styles from the 49ers, while Mark Azevedo has a huge scouting trajectory with the Ravens.
- General manager: Reggie McKenzie (Titans VP of football advisor)
- Assistant general manager: Richmond Williams (Packers director of pro personnel)
- Vice president of football operations: Brian Hampton (49ers VP of football administration)
- Vice president of player personnel: Mark Azevedo (Ravens director of player personnel)
Coaching staff
Mike McCarthy is the perfect option here as a head coach. I know it's easy to say he was a product of Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers, and the final years of his tenure there were complicated, but McCarthy helped reshape the franchise and was instrumental to Rodgers' development — have you watched his tape from the 2005 preseason?
Then McCarthy went to the Cowboys and yes, had some shortcomings in the playoffs, but that's more on the front office. Dallas had two 12-win seasons between 2008 and 2019, and three of them in five years under McCarthy. McCarthy might not offer a high ceiling, but he gives an expansion team the floor of competence it needs.
The top of the coaching staff would have Doug Pederson as an offensive coordinator. He’s had some issues over the past few years, but he brings leadership and teaching ability to help develop Cam Ward. On defense, it’s a big bet with ascending assistant Christian Parker. He interviewed for some DC jobs over the past few cycles and got a PGC role with the Eagles, helping them win a Super Bowl. The ST job goes to Rayna Stewart, who worked under McCarthy for both the Packers and Cowboys.
- Head coach: Mike McCarthy (former Packers and Cowboys head coach)
- Offensive coordinator: Doug Pederson (former Eagles and Jaguars head coach)
- Defensive coordinator: Christian Parker (Eagles passing game coordinator/DBs coach)
- Special teams coordinator: Rayna Stewart (Titans assistant ST coach)
