Mike Florio

I would be calling anyone and everyone in the Ravens organization to find out all I could about John Harbaugh and what it's going to take to coexist with him.

Because if Harbaugh has some success early on, he's going to have the juice to make the recommendation to someone in the building that he needs to be given the opportunity to hire a GM.

Well, you know, they've got a bunch of different options, and it's like going to the Cheesecake Factory, and you look at that menu, and you've got six, seven things you want to get, right?

You've got to pick one at some point.

At some point, you've got to pick one.

And if we look at how they've handled it historically, dating back to the first Nixon administration, they hire defensive coordinators who have never been head coaches before.

They did it with Chuck Knoll.

Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin.

So if we look at that, that formula, which hasn't been used many times, I think that Chris Shula, the Rams defensive coordinator, becomes a very compelling candidate because Chuck Knoll worked for Don Shula with the Colts.

Chuck Knoll went from being defensive coordinator for the Colts in Super Bowl III to head coach of the Steelers 15 days later at the recommendation of Don Shula.

So there's some...

Connective tissue there.

And the Steelers historically have made hires where we've got these relationships and these big picture things.

But here's what they recognize.

In the 19 years since they hired Mike Tomlin, the game has changed.

More offense.

Greater sensitivity to player safety.

Is...

hard-nosed, rough-and-tumble defense the way to go, or will they look at an offensive guy?

And will they look at a guy who's in his 60s who may not be there for at least 15 years?