If I were a coach looking for a job and I'm taking my own bias out of the equation, I wouldn't consider this the best opening for everyone.
If I'm putting myself in the shoes of a coach like Jim Harbaugh, then I take the Chargers job all friggin' day. You've got the LA stadium, you've got QB figured out for the next decade in Herbert, and you get to focus on simply building a supporting cast around him rather than going through the existential QB dread. You also get to pick your GM. Downside is your owner is pretty cheap (in LA, go figure) and the franchise is cursed because ownership is negligent.
If I'm an offensive coordinator making the step up, or a retread, then I take the Falcons job. You've got one of the best offensive supporting casts in the league around Kirk Cousins, you've got draft capital, and you've got fairly patient ownership with some minor organizational kerfuffles in the front office. Atlanta is a good place to go if you want to compete day 1 given their roster.
I'd probably take the Bears job over the Falcons, but it ended up not being available.
Seattle is a great gig if you're a first-timer. Established GM and you can slot right in and go to work. You've got a good quarterback already who you can't really apply the franchise label to due to age, you've got a crazy offensive skill position roster, and you've got some nice picks in the draft along with some recent high selections that look to be panning out.
There are so many guardrails in place here to prevent a first-timer from faceplanting. You may not need those "training wheels," but they're damn good to have! Head coaching in the NFL is a tightrope walk, and you better hope there's a net down there.
This may be controversial, though - the ownership is trending downward. This is no longer the best organzation in the NFL, so you can't lean on that positive anymore. The Vulcan braintrust is no Paul Allen, and Bert Kolde is no Tod Leiweke.
So... yeah. I can't disagree with the article as it raises good points. This was the best spot for Macdonald, but it would've been a pretty bad fit overall for some of the other candidates like Harbaugh. Canales as well. It would've been cool because he's a home grown star coach, but taking on a Carroll protege would've been messy.
I'm more than open to a Carroll protege down the road if Mac doesn't work out - especially Brennan Carroll, who is an absolute stud of an offensive coordinator with a background in OL coaching. He's been tearing it up in Arizona and he'll tear it up for the Huskies too.
