Finding myself with a lot of time on my hands these days, finishing up my final semester in college, and still looking for a job, I have been posting a lot of stuff. One thing that I have not posted, and was not intending on posting for a while is my first "mock offseason". I obviously was holding out hope that there would be some more positives with this team to focus on, but as Gabbert and Laurent Robinson head to IR, I further doubt that there will be a whole lot positive to really focus on over the coming weeks.

Moving into this mock offseason I want to preface by saying a few things.

• I am a fan of this team, and try my hardest to put the team first and foremost in my thoughts. At this stage, while I cannot say that Gabbert is a lost cause, I am leaning toward thinking this team needs to start seriously considering moving on from the "Gabbert as QB of the future" stance. As I have reiterated time and time again, I really do not think there is a QB in the draft worthy of a top 5 selection, but at this point I am a strong advocate of looking for a QB in the 2nd-4th rounds of this draft; I really think there are some good QBs likely to be available in those rounds.
• While I do "love" MJD, when considering the best course of action for the team, trading MJD seems to make the most sense in my opinion. No doubt that would leave a gaping hole at RB, but the way I see it, given the position this team is in, MJD right now is more valuable to other teams, and so whatever another team might be willing to give up in a trade for MJD probably is better to have than MJD.
• I have seriously been pondering the best course of action for this defense; I sensed that last year was a bit of a fluke, and that even if healthy, this was not a top 10 unit in the league. As of right now, I think that if a total rebuild is really in order (and I believe it is), moving to a 3-4 defensive scheme makes a lot of sense. On the one hand, it does mean that you look to trade Poz, who does not really like or thrive in the 3-4. On the other hand though, I am of the impression that the personnel other than Poz might actually suit the 3-4 better. I am personally of the opinion that Alualu and Mincey could be the DE and a guy like Branch could move to OLB and thrive. Then throw in a first rounder like Jarvis Jones, and this defense could be good pretty quickly. So, moving forward, do realize I plan on making this team 3-4 and drafting/signing players accordingly.

Step #1: New Coaching Staff

I am not unhappy with the current staff (exception being Heck who I was unhappy to see held over from the JDR era). I just feel that this team needs a fresh start and needs to distance itself from this season as much as possible.

As I look at potential options out there, one thing I want to make clear is that I am of the impression that a collegiate head coach, as opposed to a promising NFL coordinator, might be the best potential hire. The two guys who stand out to me at this point are Chip Kelly and David Shaw. Kelly obviously has been extremely successful as the Oregon Ducks head coach and apparently has interest in an NFL job. The major problem with him seems to be his offensive scheme and how well it would translate to the NFL. Personally, I think that Kelly likely won't look to implement the exact offense he uses at Oregon. I envision him implementing a more complex and "NFL-compatible" offense that is built on the same principles of his Oregon offense. I would still expect to see him go on 4th and short and implement a "high tempo" offense. As for Shaw, who I can only assume would be interested to move to the NFL as a head coach, he runs a pro-style offense predicated on a strong running game and play-action passing. He has had success in his 2 years as Stanford HC, particularly this year without Luck. Speaking of which, he also is very much a reason for the success of Andrew Luck at Stanford.

In the end, as I consider those two candidates, I think I would prefer Kelly. He is the riskier of the two to strongly pursue, but I think that given the direction of the NFL, as well as the state of this team, he makes more sense. I would be curious to see which coaches he brings from Oregon. I feel like I would love to see him bring Alioti as his defensive coordinator.

Step #2: Roster Management

Part I: Free Agency (list of free agents courtesy of http://nfltraderumors.co/2013-nfl-free-agents/ - any mistakes are their fault)

Part II: Cutting Players

Part III: Trading Players

Projecting trades is quite difficult, but for the hell of it, I will throw out some possibilities.

• JAX trades Maurice Jones Drew to GB for 2013 and 2014 2nd round picks - Green Bay is lacking a RB plain and simple. Cedric Benson is not the answer to their running woes. If they were able to snag a guy like MJD, they suddenly become even more potent and dangerous on offense than they are right now. Two 2nd round selections might be a bit steep, but for the sake of the mock offseason, it is irrelevant because it is only one 2nd rounder his year.
• JAX trades Paul Posluszny to NYG in exchange for 2013 2nd and 3rd round picks - one position on defense where the Giants are lacking is MLB. From my experience in NY, the fans are not devastated having Chase Blackburn, but Poz is almost definitely a major upgrade who could help solidify the LB group of the Giants, and further strengthen their front seven.

Step #3: Player Acquisition

Part I: Free Agency

For the most part, I see the free agent group this upcoming offseason as one that is going to be best utilized for depth. I do not see enough "standout" players likely to hit the open market that it makes sense to anticipate getting a future starter for the team. Having said that, here are a couple of guys I think could make a good amount of sense.

• Chris Ivory - given the amount of RBs the Saints have in their roster, I figure Ivory is not going to be a major priority to bring back. He is a very nice option at the backup RB spot in my opinion.
• Jim Leonhard - at all times, this team needs a white guy who plays safety on their roster. Seriously, once Quinton Carter is healthy enough, I figure Broncos will no longer be as reliant upon Leonhard, so they will let him hit free agency. I think he provides very nice depth at safety

Part II: The Draft

Part III: Undrafted Free Agency

(This is only a partial list of some of the potentially undrafted players that I would like to see brought in to camp to be given a shot)

Step #4: Compile Roster for Training Camp

This is only a partial roster since I would envision more UDFAs brought in, as well as other free agents to be given chances to earn roster spots.

(rookies in italics, free agents in bold)