Linebackers coach: Bill Sheridan, Lions
The job Sheridan has done over the last two years in Detroit in the face of major injuries to the Lions’ linebacker corps, makes him a coach worthy of more credit than he gets. Sheridan took over as the team’s linebacker coach after two seasons as the Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator in 2012 and ’13, splitting the Raheem Morris and Greg Schiano eras in Tampa Bay. That means Sheridan had already seen his share of turmoil. He came to Detroit in ’14 and first had to deal with Stephen Tulloch missing most of the season, but he helped Tahir Whitehead become a rising star in Tulloch’s stead. Then, last season, he coached the Lions past the season-ending injury to DeAndre Levy, helping Josh Bynes to a valued place on the roster. One wonders what he’d do with a full complement of talent at his disposal.
