Collinsworth with high praise for Eric Bieniemy

[RealSNR]

Yes, I'm starting a new thread. **** bumping old threads. You're not in charge of CP's thread starting budget, so .

From Peter King's article this week:

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ia-peter-king/

FMIA: You’re running a team, and your owner says, “Pick the coach who’s going to turn us around.” Who is it?

Collinsworth: [Kansas City offensive coordinator] Eric Bieniemy. I would’ve done it last year. All these owners and GMs, they call you. Because we meet everybody. Bieniemy’s a dynamic personality, obviously he’s been in the room with Andy Reid, with the most creative of offenses. Is he the play caller? No, but it’s about play design. It’s about play creation. It’s about knowing the type of athlete you need to put together those kinds of creative offenses. And he’s a great guy.

FMIA: What’s the hang up been with Bieniemy? Why doesn’t he have a job yet?

Collinsworth: I’m gonna give the league the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure there are other people that say that the Rooney Rule is not effective enough and that’s the reason he didn’t get a job. [Bieniemy is Black.] I can’t explain it because in my mind, I know him. I’ve had a ton of conversations with him. I know his character. He’s like [Tennessee coach] Mike Vrabel. He’s one of those in-your-face kind of guys. I was stunned. I told Al [Michaels] before our opening broadcast in Kansas City, ‘I’m gonna go after [teams that didn’t hire him] because that is wrong that the guy didn’t get a job.’

But anyway, then, to me, I’m taking [Clemson QB] Trevor Lawrence with the first pick. I watched that kid play the other day. Talking about it with Richard Sherman, and he was saying, ‘You know, you got Sam Darnold, he’s been a top 5 pick. You could trade away the number one pick and you could set up your franchise for the rest of your life.’ I’m like, no way. In New York City? If they pass up the number one pick? If they don’t draft Trevor Lawrence, for the next six months, there is only one headline on the back pages of every one of those newspapers that you blew it, and that was the chance of a lifetime and you didn’t take it.

FMIA: So you’re Joe Douglas, GM of the Jets, and it sounds like you pick Bieniemy, no question?

Collinsworth: Yes sir, and I’m re-creating Kansas City. Everything. Trevor Lawrence is the same kind of player that Patrick Mahomes is. He can move. He’s creative. He’s been good for a long, consistent period of time. And then I’m going out and I’m finding all the Kelces and Edwards-Helaires I can find. I’m just re-doing Kansas City.

Not sure I'd take that gig if I were Bieniemy, but still. Not bad praise, eh?