6. Jim Schwartz, Buffalo
Schwartz has always had a knack for assembling fearsome front fours, so it should come as no surprise he’s the author of the top-ranked pass rush in the NFL in his first season in Northwest New York State.
Schwartz was the orchestrator of many underachieving Lions teams that had a surplus of talent that never translated to much playoff success. After taking the gig in Buffalo, he inherited a unit that just lost top safety Jairus Byrd in free agency but managed to lift the unit to among the league’s best.
Given that he has head coaching experience and — to a degree — some success, teams that want a veteran for the position may have interest in giving Schwartz a second chance. After all, Bill Belichick didn’t exactly earn a trip to Canton after his first head coaching gig.
