We are squarely in the dead zone of the NFL offseason and the sports landscape overall. But it’s time for Wolf Sports’ annual NFL expansion series. This is a fan-favorite project that I know some of you wait months for, and hopefully you all have your patience rewarded and enjoy again this year. For those that are new here, the premise is simple: If there was an NFL expansion franchise in 2023, what would the 33rd team look like? Starting with Part I (city, branding, and coaching staff), the series will continue throughout the week before ultimately settling on our 2023 NFL expansion roster. OK, let’s go.
[This year, it felt fitting to use ChatGPT artificial intelligence to come up with the five city options and the five team name options based on my location selection.]
City
San Antonio, Texas
While it might not be ideal, Texas is plenty big enough for a third NFL franchise—and San Antonio has the population to support a team. My advisors (Chat GPT) say San Antonio could tap into the Hispanic market, which could make sense from a cold business perspective while growing the game.
Portland, Oregon
The University of Oregon has become a big brand in college football, and a couple of hours north in Portland is the likely landing spot if an NFL team were to ever come to the state. Personally, I’d rather consider trying to get a foothold in the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, region instead of attempting to battle Seattle for fans in the Pacific Northwest.
San Diego, California
California is such a truly massive state that it could add a fourth team down the coast, bringing a franchise back to San Diego. The city has fantastic weather, a population of well over one million people, and a history of hosting three Super Bowls.
London, England
Do we make the jump with an NFL team in London for the league’s 33rd franchise? The capital of the United Kingdom is bigger than New York City, and fans across Europe have grown a rabid love for the NFL. London is one of the greatest cities in the world, and it’s going to get a team at some point.
St. Louis, Missouri
Despite a population of around 300,000, St. Louis has proven to have some of the best sports fans in America with the MLB’s Cardinals and the NHL’s Blues—as well as the Rams before they moved back to Los Angeles. They’ve obviously had tremendous success on the field, which helps, but the Chiefs are a prime example of what a team from the region can become.
Choice: London, England
I feel that Texas has enough going on football wise, especially when you throw in the high school and college game. Portland was a hard no for me. And while they aren’t that close, an expansion team in St. Louis might have trouble dealing with Kansas City to gain fans—not an easy draw trying to compete with Patrick Mahomes and company. So, this came down to the West Coast or England, with London getting the edge as the NFL expands its horizons across the pond on a permanent basis.
Team Name
Monarchs
The World League of American Football and NFL Europe team in London was known as the Monarchs during their run from 1991-1998, so there’s some familiarity there. The name could also pay some homage to the legendary late Queen Elizabeth.
Knights
Knights is an obvious choice, but that doesn’t make it a bad one. The NHL’s expansion team in Las Vegas (which just won the Stanley Cup) is known as the Golden Knights, and they’ve done some cool stuff with their branding and arena. And not having “Golden” in the name helps differentiate from the hockey team.
Royals
Like Monarchs, Royals could form somewhat of a connection to the people of England with its royal family. However, I believe a lot of people are not high on paying too much homage to “royalty” in 2023, and while this team would be based in London, the United States did fight a war to abolish rule under the Crown.
Blitz
London Blitz flows nicely, and it speaks to the resiliency the United Kingdom showed during the 1940-1941 bombing campaign from Germany during World War II. London Blitz is a strong name, sounds good, and has a connection to football.
Bulldogs
I am slightly partial to dog team names like Bulldogs, as I think we need more of them in sports considering most people love dogs and they represent loyalty. It’s also a team name that sounds natural with London as the city name.
Choice: Knights
My advisors tell me this name “suggests a sense of honor, courage, and loyalty,” and I agree. Among these options, I think Knights is the best—and a safe—choice.
Head Coach
DeMeco Ryans
The choice to lead last year’s NFL expansion team, DeMeco Ryans again had the 49ers defense playing at a high level in 2022 and earned a head coach opportunity. Ryans is a great leader and would probably be intrigued by having the No. 1 pick in the draft, but he starred for the Texans as a player and opts to coach Houston over London.
Ben Johnson
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has done a tremendous job in Detroit, and we would want to talk to him like other teams did during the NFL offseason. Ultimately, Coach Johnson decides he has unfinished business with the Lions and declines our offer.
Raheem Morris
Raheem Morris has head coach experience from his time with the Buccaneers from 2009-2011, and he was also the interim head coach for the Falcons in 2020 (11 games). The winning defensive coordinator with the Rams in Super Bowl LVI is a highly thought of coach, and his experience could be key for an expansion team.
Jim Caldwell
While Jim Caldwell has said he doesn’t plan on being a head coach again, he was 36-28 in four seasons leading the Lions and was previously Peyton Manning’s head coach and made Super Bowl XLIV. Caldwell would be a strong choice to lead the expansion squad.
Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh continues to flirt with the NFL before eventually returning to a Michigan program he’s gotten to the College Football Playoff the past two seasons. It’s easy to see why the NFL has been interested considering the success he’s had in both college and in the league, including a 44-19-1 record with the 49ers.
Choice: Jim Harbaugh
I believe that we can convince Coach Harbaugh to make the jump back to the NFL with an intriguing offer to coach the London team and select a premier franchise quarterback with the No. 1 pick in the draft. With Harbaugh, we know the Knights will have a clear identity with a hard-nosed style of play, which is critical while building an organization and team from scratch.
Offensive Coordinator
Sherrone Moore
After three seasons as the tight ends coach for Michigan, Sherrone Moore has coached the offensive line while being the co-offensive coordinator the past two seasons when the program reached new heights in the CFP era. The Wolverines offensive line won the Joe Moore Award as the best o-line in the country the past two years, so having him lead the offense would be a major perk at a critical spot.
Joe Brady
Entering his second season as the quarterbacks coach for the Bills, Joe Brady remains an interesting person to watch for offensive coordinator roles in the future. The passing game would be the former LSU assistant’s specialty, which could be big in today’s wide-open NFL.
Darrell Bevell
Much of Darrell Bevell’s time as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator from 2011-2017 overlapped with Harbaugh’s time in San Francisco, so there might be some respect and familiarity while making this OC hire. Bevell was the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator for the explosive Dolphins attack in 2022.
Choice: Sherrone Moore
It’s the case for any team, but perhaps even more important for an expansion club: You must get good play from the offensive line to have success. The 37-year-old Moore would help bring a bully mindset that the Wolverines have won with.
Defensive Coordinator
Jesse Minter
Michigan’s 2021 defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald re-joined the Ravens (and Jim’s brother John) to become their DC after one season with the Wolverines, and Jesse Minter can be another one-and-done in this scenario, joining Jim in London. Minter helped the Wolverines keep up a top level of play last season.
Brian Flores
Brian Flores took the defensive coordinator gig with the Vikings in real life, but we’d want to talk to the former Dolphins head coach too. Flores can bring some multiplicity to the defense, which can help while adjusting to what might have to be a versatile inaugural roster.
Dennard Wilson
Dennard Wilson has been an assistant coach in the NFL for a decade, and some Eagles players weren’t happy when he left the team to join the Ravens after being passed over for the defensive coordinator job in Philadelphia. Wilson obviously got to know John Harbaugh and was hired by him, and Jim and the Knights also would have liked to talk.
Choice: Jesse Minter
We’re going with Jesse Minter to keep serious continuity for the coaching staff Harbaugh continued to have success with at Michigan last season. Harbaugh has more than enough head coach experience and can navigate having two relatively inexperienced coordinators.
General Manager
While we might hire a general manager to help with day-to-day responsibilities, this will be an ownership-coach driven approach with Harbaugh having a ton of input on player personnel. The London Knights will not hire a traditional GM.
Check back tomorrow for Part II of the 2023 NFL expansion series, with the NFL Expansion Draft!