NFL Carousel: Milk Duds, Retreads, & Ravens West: Breaking Down 10 New NFL Hires

This week on Let's Talk Ball!, Cody and Felix dive into the first official show of the 2026 offseason. It has been a historic cycle with nearly 10 head coaching openings, and we are breaking down the hires, the schematic shifts, and the "bald-headed" defensive tree taking over NFL staffs.

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In this episode:

The Dolphins’ Hard Reset: We analyze Tyreek Hill's release and the probable move to Quinn Ewers as Miami's starter.

The Giants’ New Power Dynamic: John Harbaugh is now the clear alpha in New York, with the GM reportedly sequestered to a scouting-only role.

Raiders’ Youth Movement: The Raiders are leaning into innovation with Clint Kubiak and quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The “Bald-Headed” Defensive Tree: We noticed a hilarious trend—Robert Saleh’s staff in Tennessee is officially the baldest in football history.

Best & Worst Hires: Kevin Stefanski to the Falcons earns our vote for the best hire, provided Michael Penix Jr. stays healthy.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Intro: The first official show of the 2026 offseason

00:50 Bengals: Al Golden’s defensive salvage job and Twitter "A-non" trolls

01:37 Dolphins: The Tyreek Hill release and the start of the Quinn Ewers era

06:11 Tua Tagovailoa: Injury risks and the "Chad Pennington" comparison

10:37 Raiders: Rob Leonard promoted to DC and Patrick Graham’s exit

15:59 Giants: John Harbaugh’s total control and Matt Nagy’s role

20:32 Denard Wilson: Why Wilson is the perfect "course correction" for the Giants

25:10 Ravens: Jesse Minter as the "McDonald Light" hire

29:25 Titans: Robert Saleh and the baldest "Milk Dud" staff in NFL history

33:17 Raiders Pt. 2: Clint Kubiak, Fernando Mendoza, and the "child head coach" strategy

39:59 Bills: Jim Leonard’s Wisconsin defense and the Joe Brady/Saints tie

42:17 Falcons: Kevin Stefanski and the potential Michael Penix Jr. explosion

45:32 Steelers: Mike McCarthy’s retread staff and Patrick Graham's arrival

47:35 Dolphins Pt. 2: Jeff Hafley and the front-office Packers reunion

49:21 Cardinals: Mike LaFleur and the family-owned internal hire trend

50:37 Browns: Todd Monken, Deshaun Watson, and "one and done" potential

55:34 49ers: Raheem Morris’s schematic pivot in San Francisco

56:10 Packers: Jonathan Gannon and the Brandon Staley comparisons

56:38 Chargers: Mike McDaniel and the Joe Alt/Rashawn Slater tackle duo

57:14 Jets: Frank Reich and the "Justice for Steve Wilks" debate

59:12 Chiefs: Eric Bieniemy returns, and DeMarco Murray joins the staff

01:00:23 Broncos: Davis Webb’s retention as a "Bo Nix move"

01:00:42 Commanders: David Blough’s fast rise to Offensive Coordinator

01:01:49 Cowboys: Christian Parker and the cerebral shift on defense

01:03:06 Lions: Drew Petsig and the transition from Dan Campbell’s play-calling

01:04:53 Buccaneers: Zac Robinson and the ever-growing Rams tree

01:06:43 Sean McDermott: Why the cycle’s top candidate didn’t get a job

01:07:46 Outro: MatchQuarters subscription and getting Felix out of the basement

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» Join Felix and Cody each Wednesday as we dive deep into the game we love!

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