Patriots' Josh McDaniels heads list of top coaching candidates

A short list of NFL assistants who could get interest for NFL head coaching jobs:

New England Patriots OC Josh McDaniels

McDaniels, 40, has learned a lot since his short-lived stint as head coach of the Denver Broncos (11-17 before he was fired late in the 2010 season). He’s as smart as they come, knows Xs and Os and is respected for his work with quarterbacks, notably helping Tom Brady to some of his best seasons. Three teams requested McDaniels for interviews soon after the Patriots’ regular season ended. It’s just a matter of whether a job is compelling enough to leave New England.

Atlanta Falcons OC Kyle Shanahan

Shanahan, 37, has people in the league talking about the creativity he showed with the Falcons’ offense, which led the NFL in scoring (540 points). His Super Bowl-winning father, Mike, casts a big shadow. But the numbers speak for themselves going back to Shanahan’s days under Gary Kubiak in Houston. He’s very confident, which not everyone can handle, so fit will be important.

Buffalo Bills OC/interim coach Anthony Lynn

Lynn, 48, has a good shot at the Bills’ full-time job. He is liked and respected in the building and injected life into Buffalo’s offense after replacing Greg Roman in Week 3. Lynn could have other opportunities after impressing in past interviews (including with the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers year.) He’s positioned as this cycle’s top minority candidate.

New England Patriots DC Matt Patricia

Patricia, 42, may be the best candidate people know the least about, which makes him intriguing. He worked in aeronautical engineering — yes, rocket science — before going into coaching. He’s been with the Patriots for 13 seasons, including the last five as defensive coordinator. The Cleveland Browns interviewed him last year.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers DC Mike Smith

Smith, 57, is easily the most accomplished as a head coach of the “second chance” candidates. He was 66-46 with four playoff trips in seven seasons with the Falcons (2008 to ’14), figures to appeal to a team seeking a steady personality and did solid work with the Bucs defense this season. Teams will want to know what happened the last two years in Atlanta.

Miami Dolphins DC Vance Joseph

Joseph, 44, has made the most of his first coordinator opportunity with the playoff-bound Dolphins. The Broncos interviewed him for their head coaching vacancy two years ago, making him a name to note after Gary Kubiak’s resignation.

Washington Redskins OC Sean McVay

McVay, 30, has already earned enough of a reputation that he was one of the Los Angeles Rams’ first interview requests. It may not happen this year, but his chance probably isn’t far off.

Carolina Panthers DC Sean McDermott

McDermott, 42, came up under Andy Reid and Jim Johnson in Philadelphia and helped Carolina to a Super Bowl appearance last season. He interviewed for one job (with the Browns) last year and might’ve gotten it if the Panthers hadn’t still been playing. So, missing the playoffs may not be a bad thing.

Seattle Seahawks AHC/OL Tom Cable

Cable, 52, has a lot of people in his corner. He was 17-27 as head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 2008 to ’10, but that was a challenging situation. Teams will have questions about allegations of violence in Cable’s past and he’s eager to answer them.

Detroit Lions DC Teryl Austin

Austin, 51, has been part of three Super Bowl teams (Seattle, Arizona and Baltimore) as a defensive assistant. No one had more interviews (four) last year without getting a job. His people skills may translate better as a head coach than a coordinator.

Other names to note:

Pittsburgh Steelers OC Todd Haley

Philadelphia Eagles DC Jim Schwartz

Dallas Cowboys OC Scott Linehan

Seattle Seahawks DC Kris Richard

Arizona Cardinals OC Harold Goodwin

Seattle Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell

Detroit Lions OC Jim Bob Cooter

Jacksonville Jaguars interim coach Doug Marrone

Philadelphia Eagles OC Frank Reich

Cincinnati Bengals DC Paul Guenther

Minnesota Vikings special teams coordinator Mike Priefer

Houston Texans LB coach Mike Vrabel

Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub

Green Bay Packers OC Edgar Bennett