Mike Shula
If Buffalo decides to play it safe with Daboll’s potential replacement, Mike Shula may very well be the one to take the reins of the team’s offense.
A 32-year veteran, Shula has coached for six professional teams throughout his lengthy coaching career. He most recently served as the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants, with his future in the Big Apple currently cloudy due to the firing of former head coach Pat Shurmur.
Shula does have connections to the Bills’ coaching staff, as he was on the Carolina Panthers’ staff in some capacity throughout McDermott’s entire stint as Panthers’ defensive coordinator. He was Carolina’s offensive coordinator when the team won the NFC Championship in 2015.
He also has recent experience working with a young quarterback, as Daniel Jones showed promise as a rookie under Shula’s tutelage in 2019.
Though a realistic option, Shula’s hypothetical hiring would be a bit underwhelming. The Giants finished in the bottom half of the league in total offense in each of Shula’s two years as offensive coordinator. Since 2013, Shula’s units have finished in the top half of the league in total offense on just two occasions.
While there is familiarity between Shula and Buffalo’s coaching staff, his hiring would come off as a low-risk, low-reward move that would likely see the Bills deploy middling offenses for the foreseeable future.
Giants OC Mike Shula on rookie QB Daniel Jones, the challenges he faces, and what he can learn by sitting behind Eli Manning for a year. pic.twitter.com/7YuNaIoLDX
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) May 8, 2019
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