Should Cam be calling the plays?

Ethan Skolnick at the Sun-Sentinel has written an article about head coaches who pull double duty by calling the plays. This is the situation that Cam Cameron will be stepping into. Cameron has said that he will call the plays "until I can find someone who can do it better." Cameron still has not named an offensive coordinator making it clear that he welcomes the additional responsibilities of calling plays. As offensive coordinator in San Diego, he called the Chargers' plays with great success. So, now that he is a head coach, should he relinquish these play-calling duties? The article points out the pros and cons of play-calling head coaches:

The Cons:

"Now Cameron will try to maintain that excellence with new players while juggling the additional responsibilities inherent to the head-coaching position. Those include managing egos on three units, meeting often with the media, and appearing at events featuring sponsors and fans.

Offensive coaching is a two-part process: The game plan is designed during the week, then implemented and adjusted on game day. Head coaches frequently find themselves pulled in other directions in both situations. Other commitments keep them out of meeting rooms early in the week. Other units and clock concerns call for their Sunday attention.

The more tangible issue is time. Linehan says, "It's head coach and coordinator, so it's double the time; there's an argument that there's not enough hours in the day for that."

Gruden concedes the double duty can be "tough" and "taxing." Sean Payton, a play-caller who won NFL Coach of the Year in his first season, still called the heavy workload "a job in progress" that requires considerable delegation.

"You don't have enough time to do everything," Bills President Marv Levy said."

The Pros:

"Payton believes "maybe it's easier to be aggressive as a head coach" when the play-caller is the same person, since coordinator play-callers must look over their shoulders.

Most coaches are most comfortable with themselves."

I think that Cameron deserves a shot at calling the plays if it is what he really wants to do. He clearly has had success in play-calling, but it remains to be seen whether the burdens of being head coach will detract from his ability to do so. If he does feel that he cannot perform both duties, I hope that he will not delay the transfer of duties to whoever becomes offensive coordinator.

----------

Speaking of the offensive coordinator, the Sun-Sentinel reports that the Dolphins have interviewed Terry Shea for their OC position. Last season Shea served as the Kansas City Chiefs' quarterbacks coach.

The article also mentions that Cameron will shift former OC Mike Mularkey to tight ends coach.