Hue Jackson's targeted assistant coaches are all either being blocked by their teams from coming to Cleveland, or seem likely to stay where they're at.
In the case of Kirby Wilson, the interview has been blocked by the Minnesota Vikings as a "lateral move", which is BS. I'm not certain of the rules, but legal action is possible here.
"Running Game Coordinator" isn't a gimmick. Hue's decision not to hire an offensive coordinator all but confirmed this. It seems that Wilson would literally run half the offense. How can the Vikings call that a lateral move for a running backs coach?
Pep Hamilton was to be an assistant head coach/offense. I don't have the latest on him, but it seems unlikely. Ray Horton will probably stay where he is.
On offense, there isn't a big problem, since Hue Jackson can train assistants up. On defense, it could be a problem.
Hue ideally wants an experienced defensive coordinator who can pretty much run everything on that side of the ball. The way it's shaking out, all those guys might be gone.
Hue can dig through guys who were scapegoated for inferior talent (that is, really inferior, as opposed to fictionally inferior, like the Browns defense).
He could try to steal Duck LeBeau, but I don't think he can.
More likely, he'll have to recruit and promote a defensive assistant from among the playoff teams.
Long term, that's not a bad way to go, since these coaches have learned from the best. Short term, it's a challenge for a rookie coordinator who has to learn on the job.
It fits, however: The Cleveland Browns are starting over. Every young coach wants to make his own stamp, and has some new and different ideas of his own that he'd like to try.
Hue Jackson can certainly help. As an offensive coordinator, he has a thorough understanding of every type of defense. In order to plan against them, he had to.
Hue doesn't want to worry about the defense during weekly preparations during the season, but could certainly help a newly-minted defensive coordinator get up and running.
The Seahawks just got bounced, along with the Chiefs. Both defenses were excellent, and it wasn't all just about talent. I haven't studied those staffs, but Hue and Paul probably have.
The Seahawks might also be a great place to find a personnel guy. No team in the NFL has found more sleepers than that team, and I believe analytics were a part of that.
Hue, like most people, will look to people he knows first. This could bring the Steelers into it.
The Steelers couldn't stop the pass this season, but stopped the run, and got turnovers. Their vulnerability to wide receivers was largely the result of a weak secondary, so if you shortly hear news of a Steelers assistant being interviewed, don't have a kniption fit.
Some of the comments I hear about the Steelers sound like stalking. I've never understood why it's so important to many Browns fans that the Steelers lose, long after it's become meaningless to the Browns fortunes.
It's like crabs in a pot. When one gets close to escaping, the others reach up and pull it back down.
The Steelers are a model organization. If Hue sees one of those defensive assistants as a good coordinator prospect, that's fine with me.
The longer the next interview takes to materialize, the more likely it becomes that Paul and Hue want somebody from the Patriots, Cardinals, Panthers, or Broncos.
At least he should get somebody from a very good system, who learned from a very good coordinator and head coach.
I really liked this article by Tony Grossi. I hope Paul and Hue click on the link after reading this.
UPDATE thanks to Pat McNanoman: Jim Schwartze is a possible: Cliff Notes: 4-3 wide nine defense. No line shifts, 4-man front even vs spread offenses, blitzes sparingly, shifts safeties and linebackers a lot.
Took over Pettine defense, made it 4th best in scoring, second best vs run, lots of sacks. Got canned by Ryan, defense went down tubes, players angry, frustrated.
Not good for Kruger. Not ideal for Shelton. Good for Mingo, all inside linebackers, Campbell, Whitner (if retained). Solomon, Orchard okay, the rest of the defensive tackles fit great.
Hope Jim can adapt a little if we get him. The current defense is thin at defensive ends who fit, Mingo weak vs run but can cover; possible DE AND weak side linebacker; probably not every down player but situationally valuable.
Tweaks: At least one more edge-rusher, bigger cornerback.
No comments:
Post a Comment