15 Teams That Need to Press the Reset Button
It will be a banner year when the Cleveland Browns do not need to press the figurative reset button.
That year is not this year.
The Browns are once again a mess on and off of the field. General manager Ray Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine have whiffed on multiple first-round draft picks. The Browns seem to be destined to finish dead last in the AFC North standings. It has been eight years since the Browns gave fans a winning season.
What a mess.
The Browns are not the only National Football League franchise in need of a reset. Both the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers have already begun looking past 2015. A reset alone probably would not fix the Washington Redskins because of the man who runs that club, but one wouldn't hurt.
Not all sports resets are the same. The New York Yankees, for example, may only need to make a handful of moves to build a roster that can win a World Series championship before the end of the decade. Other teams, such as the Columbus Blue Jackets, require wholesale changes.
All sports resets have one thing in common: They are meant to turn franchises into winning organizations. Each of the 15 teams showcased in this piece has been through rough patches over the past year. Some have failed to win for even longer. Resets are a way of life in the sports world. Even great teams eventually have to regroup.
These 15 teams are in need of multiple improvements.
Columbus Blue Jackets
1 of 15
The Columbus Blue Jackets realized earlier this fall a reset was necessary. Columbus began the campaign at 0-7-0, a start that proved to be a fireable offense for coach Todd Richards. Enter John Tortorella, a proven winner as a coach who failed to lead the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks to glory.
As Josh Cooper of Puck Daddy/Yahoo Sports recently explained, the Tortorella era in Columbus has gotten off to a fine start:
"And so far (Tortorella has) given the Blue Jackets what they’ve needed to get out of the slump – brutal honesty with a bit of discipline. In eight games with Tortorella, the Blue Jackets are 4-4-0 and set at 4-11-0 on the season. They’ve outscored their opponents 22-20 since the coaching change.
"
What needs to be remembered, moving forward, is the Blue Jackets are not yet Tortorella's team. Assuming he will be given a real opportunity to run the club past the spring of 2016, changes will be coming to the Blue Jackets next offseason. Winning will be important for Tortorella between now and the rest of the season.
The new Columbus coach must also use that time to see who on the roster he will want to keep around past the spring of 2016.
San Francisco 49ers
2 of 15
The San Francisco 49ers are starting Blaine Gabbert at quarterback. Yes, that is the same Gabbert who was a flop while with the Jacksonville Jaguars. We are sure Gabbert is a nice guy. He probably tries his best to win during games.
Gabbert is also likely not the answer for the 49ers.
The San Francisco reset started last offseason when coach Jim Harbaugh traded in the West Coast for the head coach position at the University of Michigan. The Vernon Davis trade continued that process. The benching of quarterback Colin Kaepernick in favor of Gabbert signaled the unofficial end of the 2015 season for the 49ers.
A reset has already begun in San Francisco. Whether that reset will feature Jim Tomsula has the head coach of the 49ers past 2016 is not yet known.
Chicago Fire
3 of 15
Fans of Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire have to be sick of the club continuously being in reset mode. The club is now hoping new general manager Nelson Rodriguez will be the man to right the ship. Rodriguez's first order of business will be to land the right head coach who can turn the Fire from the MLS East laughingstocks to MLS Cup contenders.
There are multiple solid options out there for Rodriguez. Former New York Red Bulls coach Mike Petke, who guided the Red Bulls to the first significant trophy (Supporters' Shield) in the history of that club, is available. New York City FC fired Jason Kreis after a single season. Kries will have his pick of MLS gigs if he does want to get back into coaching immediately after the NYCFC disaster.
Rodriguez and his new coach will serve as just the start of the Chicago reset. The Fire will then need to build a roster that can compete with the likes of the Red Bulls, Columbus Crew and D.C. United.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Philadelphia Phillies
4 of 15
Winning a World Series championship is costly for a franchise. Even before the last bottle of celebratory champagne is consumed, the winning club has to decide if it is going to spend money to keep the roster intact or allow certain players to land massive contracts with other teams. Those deals can handcuff clubs down the road.
The Philadelphia Phillies have learned that the hard way.
The Phillies did not even wait until the offseason to press the reset button. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. was fired in September. That was an understandable decision. Amaro failed to build a squad that was able to compete with the New York Mets and Washington Nationals in the National League East standings.
Replacing Amaro with Matt Klentak (h/t SI.com) is only a start.
As Charles Mule of Baseball Essential has pointed out, the Phillies can only afford to bring in so much help in the form of free-agent signings this offseason. The future is not now for Philadelphia. Developing younger players and building up the franchise's youth movement is the task at hand for the Phillies heading into 2016.
Detroit Lions
5 of 15
The reset of the Detroit Lions has already begun. General manager Martin Mayhew and president Tom Lewand have been fired. Owner Martha Ford has, per Detroit Free Press sports writers Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez, addressed the club about what will be expected of players and coaches for the rest of what is already a lost season. A new general manager should be given the opportunity to pick his own coaching staff.
Changes are needed to repair what is the worst team in the NFL.
Who should be tasked with rebuilding the Lions from the top down to the bottom? Should the current Detroit coaching staff be axed? Is trading veteran wide receiver Calvin Johnson during the offseason the right move? Has the time come to move on from quarterback Matthew Stafford?
These are the questions facing the Lions even before the offseason begins.
Philadelphia 76ers
6 of 15
The Philadelphia 76ers have tried to build a winning team over the past several seasons. Philadelphia earned the "Tankadelphia" nickname for assembling a roster that helped earn the team lottery picks. The 76ers are not wasting money on former stars who are now well past their primes. Meaningful victories should be on the horizon for the 76ers.
That is not the case as of Nov. 11, 2015.
Seth Partnow of SI.com tried to explain the sorry state of the 76ers:
"So, if the broad strokes are so right, why are the results so wrong? No plan, no matter how solid, can survive poor execution. In the case of Philadelphia, the lack of talent manifests itself in a number of ways.
The 76ers have had the highest turnover rate in the NBA in each of the last two seasons. Despite taking the sixth-most 3-point attempts last season, the Sixers were 29th in 3-point percentage, in large part because they lacked the skill and creativity to open up valuable corner threes. The Sixers finished 23rd in corner-three attempts, a category in which Houston led the league.
"
Something further must be done to fix the 76ers. Maybe the entire front office and coaching staff needs to be replaced. Perhaps an exorcist could be called in to examine the situation. What the club has thus far attempted has not worked.
The proof of that can be found in the standings.
Washington Redskins
7 of 15
Here is the nightmare scenario for the Washington Redskins:
Kirk Cousins shows he is not a true franchise quarterback. Robert Griffin III, meanwhile, finds new life and success at a different NFL club. This leads to owner Daniel Snyder firing head coach Jay Gruden en route to pressing the reset button.
All of that could theoretically happen before Christmas 2016.
The hope is Gruden understands Cousins is not winning him a Super Bowl. Gruden should be given a chance to find his QB in the 2016 NFL draft and then reset his offense. He better be right about that selection and about RG3. Otherwise, Gruden may be looking for new work this time next year.
Colorado Rapids
8 of 15
The Colorado Rapids are a MLS project this fall. While other teams are competing in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the Rapids are looking for ways to get out of the basement of the Western Conference standings. Part of a reset may include selling young talent.
Colorado vice president of soccer operations and technical director Paul Bravo is, per Marco Cummings of MLSSoccer.com, aware of what may need to be done during the upcoming transfer window:
"“We have to remain open-minded to anything and everything that can help us get the results that we need next year,” Rapids vice president of soccer operations and technical director Paul Bravo explained to reporters during an end-of-season interview.
Anything and everything, including the possible sale of one of the team’s key building blocks in 24-year-old midfielder Dillon Powers. In an announcement earlier in the week, it was revealed Powers had departed for a two-week trial with English Championship side Reading. Bravo had previously referred to Powers as a player “to build around.”
"
Powers has the goods to be a mainstay of a MLS Cup contender. He alone is not making the Rapids a title contender for 2016. Selling Powers, the 2013 MLS Rookie of the Year, would be a difficult decision. It could also be a move that helps the Rapids build a better overall squad.
Brooklyn Nets
9 of 15
The Brooklyn Nets fire sale you all knew was coming could soon be upon us.
Little was expected of the Nets for the 2015-16 NBA season. With that said, starting out the campaign with seven consecutive losses is unacceptable even for this roster. The Nets made their own mess of a bed. They have little choice but to roll around in it for the time being.
As Anthony Parisi of Rant Sports explained, the time for the Nets to look past the current season has already arrived:
"General manager Billy King acknowledged that the predicament the Nets are currently in is indeed his fault. King took a huge gamble trading numerous draft picks for a short-stint of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett who were shells of themselves. That gamble failed miserably and now Brooklyn is dealing with the consequences.
King told the media on Monday that he has started exploring trade opportunities. King isn’t going to make any moves just yet, but if the team continues to struggle like they have been, he may have no choice. It’s one thing to be losing games and developing young players, however, Brooklyn is just in a massive amount of trouble right now.
"
The Nets should not hover over the reset button. Brooklyn should be smashing that button with a closed fist. Every imaginable deal should be on the table before Thanksgiving arrives.
The future looks bleak for many of the franchises mentioned in this piece. The Nets really don't even have a future right now.
Chicago Bears
10 of 15
Here is how the Chicago Bears can properly press the reset button this offseason:
- Call the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys (Tony Romo isn't getting any younger), Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, and any other team that may need a quarterback.
- Take whatever is offered from any of those clubs for quarterback Jay Cutler.
- Figure out some way to deal with Cutler's massive contract (h/t Spotrac).
- Start a young quarterback in 2016.
Cutler reminded all this past Monday night against the San Diego Chargers he can "make all of the throws." The Cutler experiment has not worked out for Chicago. There is no sign that is going to change. The Bears have to find a way to move on from Cutler in the winter of 2016.
It is the only hope the Bears have to immediately turn things around.
Los Angeles Lakers
11 of 15
The harsh reality is the Los Angeles Lakers will not be able to press the reset button until next summer. When the Lakers gave Kobe Bryant what will probably be the final contract of his NBA career, the team was banking on Bryant being able to be consistent if not his former superstar self.
That deal has done more harm than good to the Lakers.
It would be disrespectful to the Kobe of old to say Bryant has been a shell of his former self this fall. Yes, Bryant has looked that bad during games. Bryant, like every great athlete before him, is not going to defeat time. All the Lakers can do now is watch as the curtain falls on the final act of Bryant's tremendous career. One last sendoff for Bryant would, of course, be appropriate.
A reset is coming, Lakers fans. You can be sure of that. You will just need to have a little patience.
San Diego Chargers
12 of 15
ESPN staff writer Eric D. Williams did not dance around the issue with the title of a piece: "San Diego Chargers need to hit the reset button."
Mr. Williams is spot-on.
Injuries have dismantled what was once a strong San Diego offense. Veteran tight end Antonio Gates is banged up, and Gates has shown his age during games. Quarterback Philip Rivers will be 34 years old at the end of the regular season.
It also doesn't help that one would have trouble keeping track of rumors claiming the Chargers could soon leave San Diego.
Eli Manning has guided the New York Giants to two Super Bowl victories. Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers possesses a pair of championship rings. Rivers has had a wonderful career with the Chargers, but he may go down as the best QB to never win a Super Bowl of his era.
The Chargers made an emotional and wrong decision in adding a no-trade clause to the extension awarded to Rivers earlier this year (h/t Spotrac). Any San Diego reset will be difficult over the next couple of years because of his salary cap figures.
Rivers has made a small fortune during his career (h/t Spotrac). Maybe he will decide to hang up his cleats rather than follow the Chargers if the club leaves town. Rivers would be doing the Chargers a favor if he made that choice.
New York Yankees
13 of 15
The New York Yankees do not require a full reset. New York did, after all, qualify for a one-and-done Wild Card game this fall. There is young talent on the roster that will be able to contribute in 2016. All is not lost for the Yankees.
It seems, per Joe Giglio of NJ.com, that the club's general manager knows what must be done during the offseason:
"Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has been open about his plans for this offseason: If a move can better the team, no one is off limits.
As the team attempts to improve from last season's 87-win total, everything is on the table—including moving on from established stars. Days after closer Andrew Miller's name surfaced in rumors, left fielder Brett Gardner is reportedly the subject of trade talks between the Yankees and Mariners.
"
The Yankees are married to Alex Rodriguez for as long as he wants to continue playing. New York can't change that. The Yankees can, however, move Gardner and first baseman Mark Teixeira before next spring. Such trades could help the club make a splash in free agency.
Chelsea
14 of 15
Raise your hand if you predicted this past August that Chelsea would be relegation candidates come the middle of November. Now put your hands down, because all of you are lying.
It is bad enough that Chelsea are already out of the Premier League title race before Americans sit down at their Thanksgiving Day tables. Manager Jose Mourinho continues to make news for his antics and not because of his team's positive performances. Cesc Fabregas recently, as explained by Dermot Corrigan of ESPN.com, had to publicly state his relationship with Mourinho is still good.
Enough is enough.
It was always likely the relationship between Mourinho and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich would end poorly considering the pasts of the two men. What is surprising, however, is the end is already here. Chelsea need to rip the bandage off and send Mourinho on his way.
Why wait any longer?
Cleveland Browns
15 of 15
Fans of the Cleveland Browns should have seen this coming. The relationship between general manager Ray Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine was an arranged marriage. Farmer did not, after all, hire Pettine.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has to choose one of the following options after the 2015 season:
- Keep everything intact, and hope Pettine and Farmer figure things out.
- Fire everybody, and start from scratch.
- Fire Pettine, and let Farmer assemble his own coaching staff.
- Fire Farmer, and make Pettine a general manager/head coach. Any new GM will, after all, want to hire his own coaching staff.
Cleveland quarterback Johnny Manziel makes headlines. Manziel is easy click bait. The second-year pro also isn't even in the top five of things that are wrong with the Browns today. Haslam has to choose to either believe in the Farmer-Pettine combination, or he has to pick one of them to remain with the club for at least another year.
Whatever Haslam decides, he needs to be right. Cleveland fans deserve better.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
