Not defending McCarthy, but you don't move on without a succession plan and a solid chance of a good replacement. Better be prepared to roll the dice on the next head coach and take your chances. What percentages of new coaches fail?

This year was a disappointment, primarily because Hundley didn't live up to expectations and the front office went "all in" on his abilities.

We've been in the NFC championship game how many times in the last few years? Seems our defense has been the one to "drop the ball" - no pun intended - pretty much every year except 2010. Acknowledge that the buck stops with McCarthy.

I'm interested to see what a new DC, the return of Philbin, and a new GM - potentially with a new approach to team composition - can do with this roster. I'm open to seeing what McCarthy can do with these new pieces, primarily because I'm not convinced change for the sake of change is a good betting proposition.