Change of course: 4 clubs that need leadership shakeups

As we enter the final month of the regular season, several teams have left the playoff race and are counting the weeks until "Black Monday," when they'll have a chance to clean out their front-office and coaching staffs.

Not all teams finishing the year with lowly records are expected to make major changes, but here are five trending toward hiring a new head coach, general manager, or both:

Giants

Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese must be well aware that this will be their last season with the Giants. The reckless optimism of benching Eli Manning for Geno Smith seems to signal they're trying to do anything to hold onto their positions without any thought of future repercussions.

Besides their offensive line and running game, the Giants still have a decent roster, so a total rebuild isn't necessary. That means they should be able to attract top candidates, as they're still considered one of the league's premier organizations.

Whoever's hired will have to decide Manning's fate in New York.

Broncos

John Elway signed a very rich contract before the season that essentially made him unfireable despite his recent track record in the draft and free agency.

Vance Joseph, on the other hand, won't be able to use his recent contract signing as a reason to keep his job. The Broncos rushed into his hiring after Gary Kubiak's retirement, and, in the process, lost defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

The core of the roster is aging and a new franchise quarterback is needed. Elway has always wanted to run an offensive-driven team, but has had to settle for being a defensive powerhouse since Peyton Manning's decline. Look for offensive coaches like Eagles coordinator Frank Reich to be considered.

Browns

The "Moneyball" approach hasn't been working. The root of the Browns' issues may actually lie with owner Jimmy Haslam and his overinvolvement, but until he decides to let the football operations staff do its job, changes will keep being made.

With one win through their last 27 games, head coach Hue Jackson, executive vice president Sashi Brown, and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta have simply not done their jobs. Other than adding Myles Garrett, the team is only marginally better - if not worse - than the one they took over.

It will be tough for the Browns to attract coveted head coach and GM candidates, as they've been terrible over the last two years. Taking a risk on a hidden-gem college coach like Stanford's David Shaw may give the team an edge in scouting prospects.

Buccaneers

The logic behind getting rid of Lovie Smith for fear of losing Dirk Koetter to another team was likely the same logic used to draft kicker Roberto Aguayo in the second round.

Koetter has looked to be in over his head for the last two seasons running the team and won't be missed by many, while GM Jason Licht has made several questionable draft picks and signings since 2014 as the team has failed to live up to the high expectations he publicly set for it.

Jon Gruden's name keeps coming up in college coaching searches and will more than likely be tossed around the Buccaneers organization. If they want to follow their own trend, defensive coordinator Mike Smith has head coaching experience and has been rumored as a possible candidate.

Other teams facing major offseason changes: Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)