One phrase... Export to Excel. A GM needs his data, and it's there... but good luck making use of it!
First, let me begin with my main disappointment in the game. You can't get at ALL the data you need simultaneously. For example, when evaluating my team in the off-season, I want to see the age and salary status of players at the same time that I'm looking at their various talent ratings. NFL Head Coach has all this data. However, it's segmented in the user interface such that you can't see it at the same time (from the same screen). That would not be a problem if EA would have provided an export feature on any and all of the game's data-centric screens.
Two additional interface gripes: 1) In a game like this, tables of data are a good thing. I know this is supposed to be a 3-D simulation, but there is so much wasted screen space that you are constantly scrolling up, down, left and right. Did I mentioned that an export feature could have fixed this? 2) The roster screens are too hierarchical in nature. Filters for teams and positions are at one level while the actual numerical ratings are at another. This prevents you from quickly comparing players across teams and when search for free agents. Oh, yes, the export feature would have solved that also...
There is plenty to like about NFL Head Coach. It is very deep, and aspects of the game are much more realistic than Madden in Franchise Mode. For example, in Madden you could use the instant feedback meters to pull of the perfect trade or offer the absolute minimum salary. In NFL HC, you don't get instant feedback and you have limited opportunities to interact with player agents and opposing GMs. I hate it when a GM hangs up on me for wasting his time with too many low-ball trade offers, but it feels realistic.
I agree with what most reviewers are saying about the strict schedule, but after a while, I got used to that. The whole concept of dynamic trust, motivation, and strategy seem natural to manipulate. They seem to have the expected impact in the short-term, but I've yet to see the long-term impact of these aspects of the game.
In summary, the game tends to grow on you It takes a while to adjust to the game (especially the coach's office user interface), and the game certainly won't adjust to you. It's a nice game, but the restrictive user interface and lack of high-power data crunching tools make the game "fair" instead of "great".