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It frequently happens with NFL coaches, that a new HC comes in with his background and then that side of the ball often lags. The best example was Brian Billick. #1 Offense in NFL history at the time in Minn as the OC under Dennis Green, but despite the SB win, the Ravens were never better than average on offense. Their defense was great, all-time great.
If you go back and look at a lot of teams, it is kinda the norm, not an exception. The thinking is that HC ego often overrate how much a difference their coaching can make. So, they spend more resources on the "other" side of the ball, thinking they can coach "their" side up to overcome a lack of talent. It just doesn't work, at least not very often.
Staley is very inexperienced. Often, when you have coaches like that, a team will make a special effort to get a coordinator or position guy who has been a HC before. That was a big part of why the Rams hired Wade to be the DC. Partly to let McVay focus more on the O, but to give him the sounding board. We didn't do that.
The other thing that always worries me is when a coach is a "scheme" guy. Is he trying to make his scheme work, or is he trying to put together a D that will work for the players he has now? Pagano was always trying to make his D work, and there was always a stretch every season, where he couldn't get guys lined up correctly. How flexible is Staley willing to be about simplifying his D, or adjusting the personnel, or whatever? When it comes down to it, he has to make the thing work with the guys we have.
I keep hearing about how the whole D didn't seem to have been installed this year, because of injuries and new players. OK, maybe those issues won't be as bad next year, but what about 2 or 3 years, will be shitty on D again because you have too much D to install quickly or for new players to pick up quickly?
I don't think we will hire Fangio, but I think that would be an excellent move. 1st, he is a very experienced DC. He has been successful in college and on multiple teams in the NFL. He has been a DC for 5 different teams in the NFL, including expansion teams (2x), which has to be a unique experience. I don't know if I would consider him a scheme guy, but he certainly has found ways to make his scheme work, both in terms of being able to have inital success, as well as sustain success (several of his D kept playing at a high level well after he was gone).
If you go back and look at a lot of teams, it is kinda the norm, not an exception. The thinking is that HC ego often overrate how much a difference their coaching can make. So, they spend more resources on the "other" side of the ball, thinking they can coach "their" side up to overcome a lack of talent. It just doesn't work, at least not very often.
Staley is very inexperienced. Often, when you have coaches like that, a team will make a special effort to get a coordinator or position guy who has been a HC before. That was a big part of why the Rams hired Wade to be the DC. Partly to let McVay focus more on the O, but to give him the sounding board. We didn't do that.
The other thing that always worries me is when a coach is a "scheme" guy. Is he trying to make his scheme work, or is he trying to put together a D that will work for the players he has now? Pagano was always trying to make his D work, and there was always a stretch every season, where he couldn't get guys lined up correctly. How flexible is Staley willing to be about simplifying his D, or adjusting the personnel, or whatever? When it comes down to it, he has to make the thing work with the guys we have.
I keep hearing about how the whole D didn't seem to have been installed this year, because of injuries and new players. OK, maybe those issues won't be as bad next year, but what about 2 or 3 years, will be shitty on D again because you have too much D to install quickly or for new players to pick up quickly?
I don't think we will hire Fangio, but I think that would be an excellent move. 1st, he is a very experienced DC. He has been successful in college and on multiple teams in the NFL. He has been a DC for 5 different teams in the NFL, including expansion teams (2x), which has to be a unique experience. I don't know if I would consider him a scheme guy, but he certainly has found ways to make his scheme work, both in terms of being able to have inital success, as well as sustain success (several of his D kept playing at a high level well after he was gone).
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