Mike

Shula

Shula continues to bounce around the league after serving as Carolina’s offensive coordinator from 2013 to 2017. He was most recently the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach. With Buffalo, he’ll have a hand in shaping one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses.

It’s a step back after Shula held a coordinator role under Pat Shurmur the last two years. He’ll continue to follow Shurmur, who replaced ex-Broncos OC Rich Scangarello. This is a good get for Denver — Shula has a strong offensive background and played a role in developing Daniel Jones this past season. Shula will try to parlay Drew Lock’s rookie success into a second-year leap.

It’s the first we’ve heard from Shula all offseason after he spent the past two years under Pat Shurmur in the same role. Shula previously worked with GM Dave Gettleman in Carolina, so it’s no surprise coach Joe Judge and staff are considering keeping him around. It would at the very least shore up the Giants’ new coaching staff as the team recently hired ex-Dolphins DC Patrick Graham for their defensive-coordinating role.

Shula is allowed to interview during the team’s first-round bye, but he wants to focus on the task at hand. The sentiment is noble, but it could cost Shula the chance at the top openings. The Panthers are joint favorites with the Cardinals to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. If they make it that far, Shula might not have any jobs left to interview for after the big game. It sounds like that is a price he is willing to pay.

Shula has said he will not interview while the Panthers are still in the playoffs. With Carolina expected to go deep into the postseason, it is unlikely San Francisco waits around long enough to meet with Shula. Shula’s decision to focus on the Panthers’ playoff run is noble, but it might cost him a head-coaching job.

QBs coach Ken Dorsey was also let go. Shula had been with the Panthers since 2011 -- all of Cam Newton’s career -- and the offensive coordinator since 2013, but this is hardly a surprise. The passing game consistently struggled during his tenure and took another step back this season. Even though the rushing numbers look good because of Cam Newton, the running game also struggled in 2017, with Jonathan Stewart and Christian McCaffrey combining for 1,115 yards on 315 carries (3.5 YPC). It was time for a change, but a new coordinator will not help much if the Panthers fail to add some weapons on the outside.

This comes as a bit of a surprise since Shula’s name had not shown up in reports, but he did work as the offensive coordinator for GM Dave Gettleman in Carolina. It is not an exciting hire, but the reality is Shula will be more of a glorified assistant under offensive-minded head coach Pat Shurmur, highlighted by the fact he will also be tasked with coaching the quarterbacks in New York.