According to multiple reports, the Indianapolis Colts have "relieved" head coach Jim Caldwell of his duties on Tuesday, opening another vacant head coaching position in the NFL. Currently the Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins are without head coaches.
Ryan Grigson, hired last week as the Indianapolis Colts general manager replacing Bill Polian, was tasked with a choice regarding Jim Caldwell, according to ESPN reports. Does Grigson want to keep Caldwell or move on? Much like Reggie McKenzie in Oakland, Grigson let Caldwell go on Tuesday.
There is brief history between Grigson and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Bengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander worked out and recommended Grigson, an offensive lineman out of Purdue, to the Bengals. The team drafted him in the sixth round (175th overall) during the 1995 NFL draft, but he was released before the regular season.
We're completely conjecturing, but if the Indianapolis Colts rebuild their coaching staff -- which tends to happen when a general manager and head coach are replaced during the same offseason -- there stands a chance that they're in a need for several position coaches. Grigson's introduction into the NFL with an old coach like Paul Alexander, there could be a chance that the impression was favorable enough to attempt a coup from the Cincinnati Bengals.
The one caveat?
Alexander signed a three-year contract in January of 2010 with one year remaining. The Colts would have to ask for permission if Indianapolis Grigson wants to invite his former offensive line coach to the Colts in either a parallel move or a promotion. And the fact they denied Philadelphia's request to interview Kevin Coyle last year for their defensive coordinator position, it's probably not likely that the Bengals would allow Alexander to move on.
Regardless the opening for another head coach might implore teams like the Dolphins and Buccaneers to make their decisions on their own vacant head coaching positions sooner rather than later. After all the Indianapolis Colts have one of the best quarterbacks in our generation with another quarterback that's being prognosticated as the next great quarterback. How can a team like Miami, Tampa Bay or Oakland compete with that?