My opinion is that the Defensive staff is gone regardless of what happens, and a defensive minded coach with a very good track record will replace them. I think Kubiak will be gone if Cowher or Gruden approaches McNair first. Otherwise, he'll be back. Smith's fate is entirely dependent on Kubiak's fate.
I don't think they would approach Mcnair unless their was a clear indication that he was going to let go of Kubiak (or let him go to Denver). But I could see it happening with more substantial media leaks getting out there, enough to where Mcnair would have confidence that he could land one of them.
I'm already tired of all the conjecture. I just want it to be January 3 or 4, and I want the press conference to happen.
Man oh man, do I agree. 100-hundred and seventy-five thousand percent. If Cowher is genuinely interested (and we may never know), and McNair chooses to stick with Kubiak instead (or even goes the "cheaper" route and brings in a Kubiak clone)... if that happens, I think we have every right to question the owner's commitment to winning and, more importantly, his commitment to the fans. I understand the lockout presents a litany of very legitimate issues. But if this team stumbles to 5 or 6 wins (very likely), your franchise edges closer to the edge of fan apathy. You have to do *something* and it has to happen this offseason. Since you can't guarantee a 10-6 season with playoffs, bringing in Cowher is a very nice alternative. This city would explode if they hired Cowher.
I think Miami is just there for bargaining. A lot of you guys are forgetting the criteriathat Cowher wanted the team he chose to have. The biggest being a stable QB. Who does Miami have? All Cowher would have to do in Houston is fix the defense. The offense is fine (and we can't forget how many times Cowher calls AJ the best WR in the NFL on CBS.
In response to hiring either Cowher or Gruden, Jerry just said he loved making history and no coach has ever won a Super Bowl with two teams. He'd like the Cowboys to be the first team to do it. I'm fairly certain he's going to break the bank for one of them.