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2009 defensive coaching staffs and base defensive schemes (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Jene Bramel
- Start date
Rozelle
Moderator
Jene knows more about who likes to run what in terms of scheme. Even though KC played a lot of cover-2, I'm pretty sure he's not a cover-2 guy, that was probably forced on him by Herm. Dizon was drafted to play LB in cover-2, I would think things not looking too good for him. Sims should be okay, as for Avril... I don't know... not sure about Gunther's history with undersized DEs.
T Bell
Footballguy
Last edited by a moderator:
Rozelle
Moderator
RUMORS FLY THAT LEBEAU IS READY TO RETIRE
Posted by Mike Florio (PFT) January 23, 2009, 11:39 a.m.
There are mounting rumblings in league circles that Steelers defensive coordinator **** LeBeau could be retiring after next weekend’s Super Bowl.
We first caught wind of the talk on Thursday, and our initial snooping didn’t result in anyone telling us that it was a crazy suggestion — especially since LeBeau is 71. (I hope I look as good as LeBeau when I’m 71. Hell, I’m only 43 and I don’t look as good as LeBeau at 71.)
We opted to post the item because a reader advises that Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan of Sirius NFL Radio were talking on-air about the rumors today.
LeBeau, whose NFL playing and coaching career spans half of a century, deserves serious consideration for the Hall of Fame if the Steelers win another Super Bowl on his watch.
And the strong possibility that Super Bowl XLIII could be the final game of a distinguished career might motivate one or more Steelers defenders to attempt to pummel Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner into retirement, too.
Posted by Mike Florio (PFT) January 23, 2009, 11:39 a.m.
There are mounting rumblings in league circles that Steelers defensive coordinator **** LeBeau could be retiring after next weekend’s Super Bowl.
We first caught wind of the talk on Thursday, and our initial snooping didn’t result in anyone telling us that it was a crazy suggestion — especially since LeBeau is 71. (I hope I look as good as LeBeau when I’m 71. Hell, I’m only 43 and I don’t look as good as LeBeau at 71.)
We opted to post the item because a reader advises that Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan of Sirius NFL Radio were talking on-air about the rumors today.
LeBeau, whose NFL playing and coaching career spans half of a century, deserves serious consideration for the Hall of Fame if the Steelers win another Super Bowl on his watch.
And the strong possibility that Super Bowl XLIII could be the final game of a distinguished career might motivate one or more Steelers defenders to attempt to pummel Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner into retirement, too.
Rozelle
Moderator
Ran across this...Jan. 23, 2009 By Eric Edholm PFW
Lions could scrap the Tampa-2 under Schwartz, Cunningham
The Tampa-2 defense that former head coach Rod Marinelli installed and ran the past few seasons could be a thing of the past. New head coach Jim Schwartz and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham worked together in Tennessee, and Schwartz ran what could be called a game-plan-specific defense, meaning the team was willing to switch its approach from week to week based on the opponent and what weaknesses the Titans wanted to exploit. Although Cunningham often deferred as the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator to head coach Herm Edwards, who preferred the Tampa-2 as his base scheme, Cunningham always has been more comfortable in an attacking mode. The Lions might not have the personnel yet to run the same kind of system that the Titans often have, but expect the team to find players who fit the mold of being bigger and tougher at the point of attack, instead of the quicker, lighter defensive personnel favored in the Tampa scheme.
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
nothing especially substantive in below article about new HC steve spagnuolo for the rams, in terms of scheme change implications... ex-CAR LB position coach ken flajole is the new DC... i'm sure he would like to do what he was able to with the giants on D, but the most ingenius scheme in the world won't make the rams play like the giants, if they don't have comparable talent (that said, i expect them to be better)... i have added my latest thinking on the state of the rams... for the record, i think that spagnuolo was a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY great hire... i was a little surprised that a high profile candidate took the job, given the general murkiness & shroud of uncertaintly hovering over the current ownership situation... but i think devaney gave spags his first pro job (as a scout, in what sounded essentially like a glorified gofer position, with WAS or SD?)... i'm the most excited i've been for the team (as a formerly incorrigible homer before, almost driven to defection this season) in a few years... a good bit of that stems from the fact that the war room will now be helmed by good, smart football people like devaney & spagnuolo that face a daunting turnaround project, but at least will be pulling in the right & same direction towards a common objective (though realistically it looks like it could be a multi-year project to turn things around & restore the team to greater competitiveness)... this was not always the case with the highly dysfunctional former & mercifully since deposed front office... martz didn't have ideal people or leadership skills when he was the HC & had some really boneheaded draft picks (see eric crouch as the poster boy, but there were many others), linehan had some poor character picks that are off the team (wroten & byrd), & in general the forcibly retired president john shaw was out of touch & GM jay zygmunt over his head, & probably the majority of blame for the organizational steep decline & franchise's bottoming out in recent years can be traced to the latter two for the teams serial failures in the front office, coaching, personnel evaluation & on field performance...
DL - little was one of the best defensive players in the league for about a half decade, but has been in the shop a lot past 2-3 seasons, is approaching his mid-30s & frankly makes too much to not play, or not play well (similar problem with orlando pace), so it is unclear if he will be back... chris long did about what was expected... 4 sacks were slightly underwhelming, and he seemed to wear down as the season progressed, but he could have upside if spagnuolo & STL GM devaney surround him with better talent, coach him up & employ better schemes... glover is almost certain to retire... adam carriker had a soph slump season, but may have been injured with limited strength, explosion & agility for much of the year... year three will be important for his development, otherwise there will be rumblings that he is a bust (after a litany of high profile 1st round DT busts since the post super bowl defense has imploded... damione lewis, wayne "big grease" pickett ((??)) who was actually a decent player that escaped to GB, as well as jimmy kennedy... imo carriker should be better than these guys, but he needs to prove it on the field)... clifton ryan was thought to be an up 'n coming talent, but after a total debacle like the 2008 season, everybody & everything on the defense is called into question... the rams could have used a rotational interior DL like claude wroten, but he never panned out, was not as good as he looked at LSU & is long since released due to repeated off field transgressions... spagnuolo & devaney have their work cut out for them (championships are built from the inside out), as the DL suffers from a lack of talent & depth, and need to get that fixed however they can, via draft, free agency & trade...
LB - witherspoon might be the only sure thing, & even he could a question mark as to position... reportedly the rams were leaning towards moving him to his more natural WLB position, but that was before spagnuolo came aboard... it seems there are other MLBs about the same size that have done well (spoon about a listed 235... similar to guys like vilma, willis, etc... including giants antonio pierce)... if he does move to WLB, that may send incumbent pisa tinoisamoa to a depth, situational & ST role... though he was signed to an EJ henderson-type contract a few years ago (approx $25 mill for 5 years, i think, though i'm sure not all of that was guaranteed), seemingly a lot for a role player... even if spoon remains at MLB, the rams defense has been terrible for a long time, & it seems unlikely that the fault is purely due to poor coaching/schemes... at some point, spagnuolo will be expected to take a hard look at all three levels of the defense... if spoon IS shunted to WLB, it is unclear if they would turn to the draft for a MLB (they won't be taking a LB at 1.02, as that will likely be the best LT prospect on the board... but there could be some good ones at 2.02, though certainly not top rated curry, & almost certainly not rey malauga, unless he runs a grotesquely slow 40 time), free agency, or turn to a vet on the roster like chris draft, who played MLB for ATL & CAR at various times... i'm guessing they would like to upgrade at the SLB position, though they wouldn't necessarily need a high draft pick to accomplish this, & they may have too many other pressing needs & higher priorities on both sides of the ball to attend to it in 2009... this might be ideally filled with a free agent, maybe a player with some leadership skills... the rams seriously need to get bigger, tougher & more physical on defense in general, but especially in the front seven... spagnuolo is very fond of putting pressure on the QB (mentor jim johnson, long time PHI DC, was/is a master at disguising where pressure is coming from, without compromising run support or pass coverage)... witherspoon may be one of his best pass rushers (he brought kawika mitchell from LB in the super bowl, who pressured or got to brady a few times)... one of tinos biggest flaws is he just isn't that strong at the POA... in theory, IF the DL plays better, it could free him up to run & chase, but if defenses sense he is a weakness in run support, they can counter that by specifically attacking him... he is a good athlete with above average speed (prep legend on both sides of the ball in san diego county), and could also be good blitzing, at least in a situational role, and could also be used effectively in coverage...
DB - chavous is done... he would make a great coach (or scout or front office personnel type), but his days as a player are numbered & probably over... OJ atogwe has been one of the rams best defenders the past few years, but that is kind of like being the biggest chick magnet at a dungeons & dragons convention... he is outstanding at making big plays, particularly in INTs, where he makes a lot of plays on the ball, and in FFs, where he is either a hard hitter, has a knack for stripping the ball, or both (he HAS to be among the leading DBs in the latter stat in past 2-3 seasons)... he is a free agent, and has played his way into some nice contract leverage with the home team... but with the team needing to get better & not worse, as bad as they already are, i can't imagine STL will let him escape... imo, atogwe is not an elite FS... he sometimes takes poor angles & can be an erratic open field tackler & last line of defense (alas, a position he is often put in given the appallingly poor play of the front seven in recent years), but perhaps spags can coach him up... probably the teams best CB last season was ron bartell, a physical specimen with elite triangle numbers for his position who began his career slowly, and didn't always play instinctively or physically, & had the padoxically unfortunate combo of giving up too much cushion & getting beat a lot... in 2008 (& really dating back to part of 2007) he played faster & smarter... like atogwe he is a free agent, who it would be a disappointment & a probable setback if they fail to retain him... BTW, not sure if they have a SS on the team capable of filling the void if chavous retires or is released, as some expect (actually there has been a void at the position WITH chavous past few seasons, with him being pretty much done after stints in ARI & MIN)... former 1st rounder tye hill, has been a big disappointment since flashing some talent & ability as a rookie... he has been very brittle & fragile physically, & has seemingly regressed in his coverage skills, getting burned more often than KGB/CIA double agents/moles under aldrich ames watch... he is another high profile 1st round draft pick, similar to carriker, who really needs to show something or else he is destined to be chalked up as a disappointment... just staying healthy would be a nice start... the CB that haslett brought from NO (name escaping me at the moment... edit/add - fakhir brown) who has been suspended & also escaped suspension in recent years, might not be a sure thing to be asked back... he was one of their more reliable & overall best two way defenders at the position recently (though that admittedly isn't saying a lot), but isn't outstanding in coverage, doesn't have a lot of upside, has missed some time past several years, & seems to have some off field check marks against him... spagnuolo stressed that things like character & core values are extremely important in terms of the kind of players he wants to build the team around... in this respect... long, spoon & atogwe would seemingly be good cornerstone pieces to build around at the three levels of defense... atogwe, as mentioned at the end of LB section with spoon & tino, could be an effective blitzer if given the chance and spagnuolo turns him loose...
_______________________________________________________________________________
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/st...26?OpenDocument
St. Louis Rams coach Spagnuolo spells out philosophy
By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/20/2009
Faith. Character. Core values. Team first.
"Those will be the four pillars that we will hang our hat on," said Steve Spagnuolo, the new Rams head coach.
On his first full day in St. Louis, Spagnuolo laid out his general football philosophy Monday. He said he's not about predictions or bold statements. But he's not lacking in confidence, either.
"As head coach, I will be committed to doing everything possible to bring success to this franchise," he said.
He just wouldn't say when.
"I'm not going to go there," Spagnuolo said. "One of the things I've learned from one of the best coaches I've ever worked for — Andy Reid — is it's a process.
"We're going to have to start at the beginning here, take it one step at a time, and build on it. ... We get the 'team first' together, and then we'll move on."
Somehow, you get the impression "Team First" will be emblazoned on T-shirts once the 2009 Rams reconvene for the offseason conditioning program in a couple of months.
"It will always be about 'team,'" Spagnuolo said. "It's not about egos. The teams that function the best, I believe in any industry, are those where nobody cares who gets the credit. Everybody just cares about the team. ... It begins and starts there."
As defensive coordinator of the New York Giants the past two seasons, Spagnuolo ran an aggressive, blitzing defense. He was tutored in such a scheme for eight seasons under defensive guru Jim Johnson in Philadelphia before joining the Giants.
"Jim was mentor, and is a mentor for me, because of who he is and how he coaches defensive football," Spagnuolo said. "I wouldn't be the coach that I am, I wouldn't have had even a chance to have any kind of success as a defensive coordinator, had I not worked for Jim. Just his passion for the game, the way he goes about it, his aggressive style, certainly is something that I'd like to adopt."
Besides Johnson, the two head coaches he has worked for in the NFL — Reid of Philadelphia and Tom Coughlin of the Giants — have been major influences on Spagnuolo's coaching style.
"You take bits and pieces from each," he said. "Really, at the core, they're both the same person in the way they go about things, the goals they've set, and where they're headed. Personalities might be different, but you pick out bits and pieces — hopefully mold what you have — and you hope to come out with a good product."
With his wife, Maria, watching, Spagnuolo made his comments in the Rams Park auditorium before one of the largest media gatherings in years. Also among those listening were players Tye Hill, Todd Johnson and Antonio Pittman. Hill didn't even know Spagnuolo's news conference was taking place when he wandered in Monday to get in some rehab work from a season-ending knee injury.
"I think it was a great hire," Hill said. "Especially me being a defensive guy and seeing what his defense has done. It speaks for itself. ... He's a winner."
Hill said his business partner is Giants strong safety James Butler. As soon as Hill learned Saturday that Spagnuolo had been hired, he called Butler to get a scouting report.
"He told me he's a great coach," Hill said. "He said we're lucky to have him."
Spagnuolo confessed Monday that he has very little knowledge of the Rams' roster. Before his finalist interview Thursday in Los Angeles, Spagnuolo said he threw on the Giants' tape of their game against the Rams in Week 2 of this season. And he looked at a Rams tape from later in the season.
"But you're going through it pretty fast," Spagnuolo said. "And you've got to remember now, I was still working for the Giants."
Following the Giants' season-ending playoff loss to Philadelphia, Spagnuolo was working on season-ending player evaluations and rankings for the team. He wasn't going to shirk those obligations to the Giants even though his Rams interview was looming.
Spagnuolo spoke in very general, complimentary terms when asked later about the cornerstones of the St. Louis offense — running back Steven Jackson and quarterback Marc Bulger.
As for his offensive philosophy, Spagnuolo said, "You've got to be able to run the football and protect the quarterback. That doesn't mean you run the football every snap, but I do believe you've got do those two things. We'll build from there, and we won't have a fancy name for it. We'll just try to be successful at it."
Long before he installs that offense — or the defense and special teams, for that matter — Spagnuolo must put together his staff.
One of the first names to surface as a potential offensive coordinator was Pat Shurmur, quarterbacks coach of the Eagles. Wide receivers coach David Culley, secondary coach Sean McDermott and offensive assistant Mark Whipple — all of the Eagles — also have been mentioned as possible staff additions. So has Giants quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer.
Carolina linebackers coach Ken Flajole has been mentioned as a possible candidate for defensive coordinator.
jthomas@post-dispatch.com
DL - little was one of the best defensive players in the league for about a half decade, but has been in the shop a lot past 2-3 seasons, is approaching his mid-30s & frankly makes too much to not play, or not play well (similar problem with orlando pace), so it is unclear if he will be back... chris long did about what was expected... 4 sacks were slightly underwhelming, and he seemed to wear down as the season progressed, but he could have upside if spagnuolo & STL GM devaney surround him with better talent, coach him up & employ better schemes... glover is almost certain to retire... adam carriker had a soph slump season, but may have been injured with limited strength, explosion & agility for much of the year... year three will be important for his development, otherwise there will be rumblings that he is a bust (after a litany of high profile 1st round DT busts since the post super bowl defense has imploded... damione lewis, wayne "big grease" pickett ((??)) who was actually a decent player that escaped to GB, as well as jimmy kennedy... imo carriker should be better than these guys, but he needs to prove it on the field)... clifton ryan was thought to be an up 'n coming talent, but after a total debacle like the 2008 season, everybody & everything on the defense is called into question... the rams could have used a rotational interior DL like claude wroten, but he never panned out, was not as good as he looked at LSU & is long since released due to repeated off field transgressions... spagnuolo & devaney have their work cut out for them (championships are built from the inside out), as the DL suffers from a lack of talent & depth, and need to get that fixed however they can, via draft, free agency & trade...
LB - witherspoon might be the only sure thing, & even he could a question mark as to position... reportedly the rams were leaning towards moving him to his more natural WLB position, but that was before spagnuolo came aboard... it seems there are other MLBs about the same size that have done well (spoon about a listed 235... similar to guys like vilma, willis, etc... including giants antonio pierce)... if he does move to WLB, that may send incumbent pisa tinoisamoa to a depth, situational & ST role... though he was signed to an EJ henderson-type contract a few years ago (approx $25 mill for 5 years, i think, though i'm sure not all of that was guaranteed), seemingly a lot for a role player... even if spoon remains at MLB, the rams defense has been terrible for a long time, & it seems unlikely that the fault is purely due to poor coaching/schemes... at some point, spagnuolo will be expected to take a hard look at all three levels of the defense... if spoon IS shunted to WLB, it is unclear if they would turn to the draft for a MLB (they won't be taking a LB at 1.02, as that will likely be the best LT prospect on the board... but there could be some good ones at 2.02, though certainly not top rated curry, & almost certainly not rey malauga, unless he runs a grotesquely slow 40 time), free agency, or turn to a vet on the roster like chris draft, who played MLB for ATL & CAR at various times... i'm guessing they would like to upgrade at the SLB position, though they wouldn't necessarily need a high draft pick to accomplish this, & they may have too many other pressing needs & higher priorities on both sides of the ball to attend to it in 2009... this might be ideally filled with a free agent, maybe a player with some leadership skills... the rams seriously need to get bigger, tougher & more physical on defense in general, but especially in the front seven... spagnuolo is very fond of putting pressure on the QB (mentor jim johnson, long time PHI DC, was/is a master at disguising where pressure is coming from, without compromising run support or pass coverage)... witherspoon may be one of his best pass rushers (he brought kawika mitchell from LB in the super bowl, who pressured or got to brady a few times)... one of tinos biggest flaws is he just isn't that strong at the POA... in theory, IF the DL plays better, it could free him up to run & chase, but if defenses sense he is a weakness in run support, they can counter that by specifically attacking him... he is a good athlete with above average speed (prep legend on both sides of the ball in san diego county), and could also be good blitzing, at least in a situational role, and could also be used effectively in coverage...
DB - chavous is done... he would make a great coach (or scout or front office personnel type), but his days as a player are numbered & probably over... OJ atogwe has been one of the rams best defenders the past few years, but that is kind of like being the biggest chick magnet at a dungeons & dragons convention... he is outstanding at making big plays, particularly in INTs, where he makes a lot of plays on the ball, and in FFs, where he is either a hard hitter, has a knack for stripping the ball, or both (he HAS to be among the leading DBs in the latter stat in past 2-3 seasons)... he is a free agent, and has played his way into some nice contract leverage with the home team... but with the team needing to get better & not worse, as bad as they already are, i can't imagine STL will let him escape... imo, atogwe is not an elite FS... he sometimes takes poor angles & can be an erratic open field tackler & last line of defense (alas, a position he is often put in given the appallingly poor play of the front seven in recent years), but perhaps spags can coach him up... probably the teams best CB last season was ron bartell, a physical specimen with elite triangle numbers for his position who began his career slowly, and didn't always play instinctively or physically, & had the padoxically unfortunate combo of giving up too much cushion & getting beat a lot... in 2008 (& really dating back to part of 2007) he played faster & smarter... like atogwe he is a free agent, who it would be a disappointment & a probable setback if they fail to retain him... BTW, not sure if they have a SS on the team capable of filling the void if chavous retires or is released, as some expect (actually there has been a void at the position WITH chavous past few seasons, with him being pretty much done after stints in ARI & MIN)... former 1st rounder tye hill, has been a big disappointment since flashing some talent & ability as a rookie... he has been very brittle & fragile physically, & has seemingly regressed in his coverage skills, getting burned more often than KGB/CIA double agents/moles under aldrich ames watch... he is another high profile 1st round draft pick, similar to carriker, who really needs to show something or else he is destined to be chalked up as a disappointment... just staying healthy would be a nice start... the CB that haslett brought from NO (name escaping me at the moment... edit/add - fakhir brown) who has been suspended & also escaped suspension in recent years, might not be a sure thing to be asked back... he was one of their more reliable & overall best two way defenders at the position recently (though that admittedly isn't saying a lot), but isn't outstanding in coverage, doesn't have a lot of upside, has missed some time past several years, & seems to have some off field check marks against him... spagnuolo stressed that things like character & core values are extremely important in terms of the kind of players he wants to build the team around... in this respect... long, spoon & atogwe would seemingly be good cornerstone pieces to build around at the three levels of defense... atogwe, as mentioned at the end of LB section with spoon & tino, could be an effective blitzer if given the chance and spagnuolo turns him loose...
_______________________________________________________________________________
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/st...26?OpenDocument
St. Louis Rams coach Spagnuolo spells out philosophy
By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/20/2009
Faith. Character. Core values. Team first.
"Those will be the four pillars that we will hang our hat on," said Steve Spagnuolo, the new Rams head coach.
On his first full day in St. Louis, Spagnuolo laid out his general football philosophy Monday. He said he's not about predictions or bold statements. But he's not lacking in confidence, either.
"As head coach, I will be committed to doing everything possible to bring success to this franchise," he said.
He just wouldn't say when.
"I'm not going to go there," Spagnuolo said. "One of the things I've learned from one of the best coaches I've ever worked for — Andy Reid — is it's a process.
"We're going to have to start at the beginning here, take it one step at a time, and build on it. ... We get the 'team first' together, and then we'll move on."
Somehow, you get the impression "Team First" will be emblazoned on T-shirts once the 2009 Rams reconvene for the offseason conditioning program in a couple of months.
"It will always be about 'team,'" Spagnuolo said. "It's not about egos. The teams that function the best, I believe in any industry, are those where nobody cares who gets the credit. Everybody just cares about the team. ... It begins and starts there."
As defensive coordinator of the New York Giants the past two seasons, Spagnuolo ran an aggressive, blitzing defense. He was tutored in such a scheme for eight seasons under defensive guru Jim Johnson in Philadelphia before joining the Giants.
"Jim was mentor, and is a mentor for me, because of who he is and how he coaches defensive football," Spagnuolo said. "I wouldn't be the coach that I am, I wouldn't have had even a chance to have any kind of success as a defensive coordinator, had I not worked for Jim. Just his passion for the game, the way he goes about it, his aggressive style, certainly is something that I'd like to adopt."
Besides Johnson, the two head coaches he has worked for in the NFL — Reid of Philadelphia and Tom Coughlin of the Giants — have been major influences on Spagnuolo's coaching style.
"You take bits and pieces from each," he said. "Really, at the core, they're both the same person in the way they go about things, the goals they've set, and where they're headed. Personalities might be different, but you pick out bits and pieces — hopefully mold what you have — and you hope to come out with a good product."
With his wife, Maria, watching, Spagnuolo made his comments in the Rams Park auditorium before one of the largest media gatherings in years. Also among those listening were players Tye Hill, Todd Johnson and Antonio Pittman. Hill didn't even know Spagnuolo's news conference was taking place when he wandered in Monday to get in some rehab work from a season-ending knee injury.
"I think it was a great hire," Hill said. "Especially me being a defensive guy and seeing what his defense has done. It speaks for itself. ... He's a winner."
Hill said his business partner is Giants strong safety James Butler. As soon as Hill learned Saturday that Spagnuolo had been hired, he called Butler to get a scouting report.
"He told me he's a great coach," Hill said. "He said we're lucky to have him."
Spagnuolo confessed Monday that he has very little knowledge of the Rams' roster. Before his finalist interview Thursday in Los Angeles, Spagnuolo said he threw on the Giants' tape of their game against the Rams in Week 2 of this season. And he looked at a Rams tape from later in the season.
"But you're going through it pretty fast," Spagnuolo said. "And you've got to remember now, I was still working for the Giants."
Following the Giants' season-ending playoff loss to Philadelphia, Spagnuolo was working on season-ending player evaluations and rankings for the team. He wasn't going to shirk those obligations to the Giants even though his Rams interview was looming.
Spagnuolo spoke in very general, complimentary terms when asked later about the cornerstones of the St. Louis offense — running back Steven Jackson and quarterback Marc Bulger.
As for his offensive philosophy, Spagnuolo said, "You've got to be able to run the football and protect the quarterback. That doesn't mean you run the football every snap, but I do believe you've got do those two things. We'll build from there, and we won't have a fancy name for it. We'll just try to be successful at it."
Long before he installs that offense — or the defense and special teams, for that matter — Spagnuolo must put together his staff.
One of the first names to surface as a potential offensive coordinator was Pat Shurmur, quarterbacks coach of the Eagles. Wide receivers coach David Culley, secondary coach Sean McDermott and offensive assistant Mark Whipple — all of the Eagles — also have been mentioned as possible staff additions. So has Giants quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer.
Carolina linebackers coach Ken Flajole has been mentioned as a possible candidate for defensive coordinator.
jthomas@post-dispatch.com
Last edited by a moderator:
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
There were hints that this offseason's group of coaching changes and free agent movements would be significant and it certainly looks like that will be the case. NINETEEN teams (barring any other surprises) will have new head coaches or defensive coordinators this year. My apologies for not keeping this thread up to the minute as in years' past. I'm hoping to add a string of posts reviewing each team's changes during the coming week.
Weiner Dog
Footballguy
So far, it's looking like the following...LDE - Jolly --- Harrell (if healthy)
NT - Pickett --- Cole
RDE - Jenkins --- Harrell (if healthy)
LOLB - Kampman --- Thompson --- Hunter
We now need to know the early canidates for the two ILB positions and ROLB.
link:
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/38512934.html
Tampa, Fla. - As the Green Bay Packers brace to enter the brave new world of the 3-4 defense, the longtime defensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers has a word of warning for holdover starters Ryan Pickett, Cullen Jenkins and Johnny Jolly.
"If he's got selfish guys, Dom won't be playing the 3-4. Period," John Mitchell said Tuesday at the Super Bowl, referring to Green Bay's new defensive coordinator, Dom Capers. "Because the defensive line is not going to get a lot of sacks or pub.
"You've got to have three guys who don't care who gets the publicity. All they want to do is be good football players and win."
Pickett, who will enter his ninth season, will be asked to be Green Bay's version of nose tackle Casey Hampton.
If, as expected, Jenkins plays the right end position held down by Brett Keisel in Pittsburgh, his quickness and pass-rushing burst might be compromised on early downs.
And Jolly figures to be among the contenders at left end, where Aaron Smith has started for the Steelers since 2000.
"The 3-4 is tough to play because, first of all, you've got to have a great nose tackle," said Mitchell, the Steelers' assistant head coach who has coached the unit since 1994. "Then you've got to have two ends that will play good technique and let the outside linebackers and the inside linebackers be the featured guys in the defense."
Today, there are two main forms of the 3-4 in the National Football League.
The first dates back 30 years to Bill Parcells and his two Super Bowl-winning teams in New York. His first lieutenant, Bill Belichick, brought that defense to New England in 2000, refined it and sent assistants Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini off to coach it elsewhere.
The second could be referred to as the Pittsburgh 3-4. The Steelers have employed the 3-4 since 1983 but its current version stems from 1992, when Bill Cowher, **** LeBeau and Capers collaborated.
A critical difference between the two is the positioning of the three linemen. The Parcells-Belichick branch asks their big men to line up directly over the blockers in front of them and control the gap on either side. The Pittsburgh branch is more of a one-gap system.
"If you look at us and New England, it's two different defenses," Mitchell said. "We don't play a lot of two-gap anymore. We switched five, six years ago."
Capers hasn't said yet what he will do in Green Bay.
Hampton often will adjust slightly toward the tight end-side of the center.
"Wherever that center puts his hat that's the side he's going to play," Mitchell said. "What A gap he has, the 'backer away from him has the other A gap."
In a traditional two-gap scheme, the ends are head-up over the tackles and the inside linebackers, such as Tedy Bruschi in New England, must wade in and take on guards. James Farrior and Larry Foote are midgets compared to somebody like Harry Carson was in New York.
Farrior and Foote are over the guards 4½ yards deep. The strong outside linebacker, LaMarr Woodley, generally lines up a yard or two outside the tight end when he's dropping and over him when he's playing the run. On the weak outside, James Harrison plays about 2 yards outside the tackle.
"With the guys we have right now, when you play two-gap you tie them down," Mitchell said. "Aaron Smith can run. Brett Keisel can run. Casey does a good job running. We have good inside backers who can cover ground. We can get away with a line playing one gap."
At this point, it would appear that Aaron Kampman will play Woodley's position and the holdover linebackers will vie for the other three positions.
"Dom will probably use the slightly offset line more than the two-gap," Davis said. "The Dom Capers scheme will not override what the players can do."
Harrison and safety Troy Polamalu are the biggest stars on this Steelers' defense but Smith, Keisel and Hampton underwrite the whole operation.
"What my guys have over a lot of guys in the 3-4 is we're better technicians," Mitchell said. "In **** LeBeau's scheme, the front has to play well for everybody else to play well."
Mitchell said Smith was the best end he had ever coached. Hampton is a top-five nose man. And Keisel is more athletic but not as massive as Kimo von Oelhoffen, the Steelers' 310-pound right end from 2000-'05.
"Keisel plays with great leverage," Mitchell said. "Smith might be the most underrated defensive lineman in the league.
"But in the 3-4 you've got to start with a great nose tackle. If you've got a guy that can't control the nose you're going to have a tough time playing the 3-4."
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Apologies for some redundancy.
New York Jets (HC Rex Ryan DC Mike Pettine, formerly Eric Mangini)
Though both Eric Mangini and Rex Ryan could be classified as primarily 3-4 coaches, neither have typical 3-4 backgrounds. Mangini, at times, was even more conservative than his mentor Bill Belichick, and Ryan was usually among the most aggressive coordinators in the league out of his multiple front playbook. (As an interesting side note, some of you may remember Mike Pettine from the “Season” series on ESPN from a few years ago.) Ryan left no doubt that he wants to bring the physical, pressure-filled, multiple-front style of play he used in Baltimore to the Jets, though both he and Pettine noted that they’ll be flexible along the way. And, for you fellow scheme
out there, Pettine shared an interesting way to think about multiple front schemes in his opening presser. He noted that they plan to use some traditional 3-4 concepts, but only rarely, preferring instead to call their scheme a “three and a half and three and a half” instead of a mix of 3-4 and 4-3 concepts.
Expect the Jets to become significantly more aggressive this season, though that doesn’t necessarily mean blitz-happy in Ryan’s scheme. There will still be plenty of four and five man rushes and zone coverage behind, assuming the Raven model. It’s difficult to fit the Jet personnel into the slots of prospective Raven HOFers, but the pressing questions are whether Kerry Rhodes will fill a deep centerfielding role as Ed Reed has and who might inherit the primary pass rushing role (and how that player gets classified across league hosting sites). For now, I’d be very leery of a major investment in Rhodes and cautiously optimistic about Calvin Pace (who could be used as Adalius Thomas was) in all leagues. I don’t see a major change in role or value for David Harris or Darrelle Revis, and I’d be surprised if Vernon Gholston became more than a situational pass rusher.
Baltimore (DC Greg Mattison, AHC Vic Fangio, formerly Rex Ryan)
Don’t expect much change from the Ravens this season, at least philosophically. Greg Mattison has said he’ll keep the playbook the same, and the pressure philosophy mirrors what he did for many years as a college coordinator before joining the Ravens last season. The primary ripple effect here will be what happens with Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis and Bart Scott in free agency. All three were big supporters of Rex Ryan and may not work as well with Mattison and an old school guy like Vic Fangio, who could see a bigger coaching role this season.
Cleveland (HC Eric Mangini, DC Rob Ryan, formerly Romeo Crennel)
Those hoping for a new defensive scheme in Cleveland this season are probably going to be disappointed. The defensive philosophies of Eric Mangini and Romeo Crennel were both primarily influenced by Bill Belichick, and Mangini strongly endorsed the 3-4 scheme in his opening press conference. Don’t expect Rob Ryan, who used a 4-3 front in Oakland recently and has a family history full of aggressive defensive minds, to push Mangini into much more of an aggressive, multiple-front playbook than he used in New York. Ryan worked with Mangini under Belichick and tried to force his defensive personnel into a 3-4 when he first got to Oakland in 2004, a move which did not go well. Any change in player value here will come from changes in the supporting cast rather than a change in defensive role and philosophy.
New York Jets (HC Rex Ryan DC Mike Pettine, formerly Eric Mangini)
Though both Eric Mangini and Rex Ryan could be classified as primarily 3-4 coaches, neither have typical 3-4 backgrounds. Mangini, at times, was even more conservative than his mentor Bill Belichick, and Ryan was usually among the most aggressive coordinators in the league out of his multiple front playbook. (As an interesting side note, some of you may remember Mike Pettine from the “Season” series on ESPN from a few years ago.) Ryan left no doubt that he wants to bring the physical, pressure-filled, multiple-front style of play he used in Baltimore to the Jets, though both he and Pettine noted that they’ll be flexible along the way. And, for you fellow scheme
out there, Pettine shared an interesting way to think about multiple front schemes in his opening presser. He noted that they plan to use some traditional 3-4 concepts, but only rarely, preferring instead to call their scheme a “three and a half and three and a half” instead of a mix of 3-4 and 4-3 concepts.Expect the Jets to become significantly more aggressive this season, though that doesn’t necessarily mean blitz-happy in Ryan’s scheme. There will still be plenty of four and five man rushes and zone coverage behind, assuming the Raven model. It’s difficult to fit the Jet personnel into the slots of prospective Raven HOFers, but the pressing questions are whether Kerry Rhodes will fill a deep centerfielding role as Ed Reed has and who might inherit the primary pass rushing role (and how that player gets classified across league hosting sites). For now, I’d be very leery of a major investment in Rhodes and cautiously optimistic about Calvin Pace (who could be used as Adalius Thomas was) in all leagues. I don’t see a major change in role or value for David Harris or Darrelle Revis, and I’d be surprised if Vernon Gholston became more than a situational pass rusher.
Baltimore (DC Greg Mattison, AHC Vic Fangio, formerly Rex Ryan)
Don’t expect much change from the Ravens this season, at least philosophically. Greg Mattison has said he’ll keep the playbook the same, and the pressure philosophy mirrors what he did for many years as a college coordinator before joining the Ravens last season. The primary ripple effect here will be what happens with Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis and Bart Scott in free agency. All three were big supporters of Rex Ryan and may not work as well with Mattison and an old school guy like Vic Fangio, who could see a bigger coaching role this season.
Cleveland (HC Eric Mangini, DC Rob Ryan, formerly Romeo Crennel)
Those hoping for a new defensive scheme in Cleveland this season are probably going to be disappointed. The defensive philosophies of Eric Mangini and Romeo Crennel were both primarily influenced by Bill Belichick, and Mangini strongly endorsed the 3-4 scheme in his opening press conference. Don’t expect Rob Ryan, who used a 4-3 front in Oakland recently and has a family history full of aggressive defensive minds, to push Mangini into much more of an aggressive, multiple-front playbook than he used in New York. Ryan worked with Mangini under Belichick and tried to force his defensive personnel into a 3-4 when he first got to Oakland in 2004, a move which did not go well. Any change in player value here will come from changes in the supporting cast rather than a change in defensive role and philosophy.
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Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Houston (DC Frank Bush, formerly Richard Smith)
Bush made it a point to emphasize aggressiveness and a faster, downhill style of play in his initial press conferences. A downhill style will certainly keep DeMeco Ryans’ value high, but a gap-attack philosophy up front could also help Mario Williams (who should be effective playing the run on the way to the quarterback). The big winner here could be Amobi Okoye. Assuming the Texans continue to use a lot of three-technique alignments, we may finally see Okoye put up enough tackles to be a consistent weekly option in all league formats. It’s a stretch, but Bush’s emphasis on speed could give Xavier Adibi a slight edge over Zac Diles in the competition for every-down OLB snaps.
Jacksonville (DC Mel Tucker, formely Gregg Williams)
Tucker moves over from Cleveland, where he used the 3-4 playbook influenced by his coach, Romeo Crennel, and Bill Belichick. There were rumors at times over the past two seasons that the Jaguars might use some 3-4 elements, but that’s unlikely to happen. Tucker has little pro experience, and his college teams weren’t 3-4 defenses. This will again be Del Rio’s defense, which means fewer pressure packages on early downs, more zone coverage in the secondary and possibly back to a L-R OLB alignment. Expect some regression in strong safety value this year, and we’ve seen enough of the prospective linebackers to know that there’s unlikely to be a major change in value there.
Denver (HC Josh McDaniels, DC Mike Nolan, formerly Bob Slowik)
The Broncos tried all sorts of fronts on defense last season, looking to find a way to generate pressure and get back to the superior run stopping force they had been not too long ago. They worked in some 3-4 and even a 4-4 stack in the second half of the season, neither of which were very successful. Post season rumblings that the front office was interested in making the defense a 3-4 scheme were quickly supported with the interviews of guys like Dom Capers and Mike Nolan. Nolan’s hiring, along with the hire of former San Diego defensive line coach Wayne Nunnally, are a sure sign that this defense will begin trending toward a 3-4.
It may not happen right away, however. Nolan has been more of a multiple front coach lately, using all manner of fronts in Baltimore and San Francisco. And the Broncos don’t yet have a true 3-4 nose tackle. Dewayne Robertson is there, but he hated the 3-4 in New York and isn’t likely to be any more thrilled playing a one gap nose tackle in Nolan’s 3-4 as he’ll still see plenty of double teams. Most of Nolan’s multiple front looks have tended to use pass rushers as swing OLBs – Manny Lawson, Parys Haralson, Roderick Green and Justin Smith in SF and Adalius Thomas and Terrell Suggs in Baltimore. His preference seems to be for some size inside. That likely means that DJ Williams should hold some value here; with a little luck he’ll end up at the favored RILB slot. However, if early rumors that Nate Webster may not be on the roster are true, it’s hard to see a guy like Jamie Winborn or Wes Woodyard playing the strong inside spot. So there’s an intriguing possibility that Wes Woodyard could end up at the RILB spot, even if it isn’t a long-term thing. I think it’s likely that Jarvis Moss will be used very similar to Manny Lawson if they can get him coached up enough to play some zone coverage as an LOLB/SLB. Elvis Dumervil may also be an option there. The other spot to watch will be the RDE position. Many players have had above-average 3-4 end value playing in Nolan’s schemes – Marques Douglas foremost among them, but Ray McDonald was quietly having a reasonable season before his injury last year. That player could well be Tim Crowder this season. Free agency, the draft and early mini-camps should clear up some of the alignment uncertainty, but roles and projected numbers may be fluid very late into the preseason and possibly beyond.
Bush made it a point to emphasize aggressiveness and a faster, downhill style of play in his initial press conferences. A downhill style will certainly keep DeMeco Ryans’ value high, but a gap-attack philosophy up front could also help Mario Williams (who should be effective playing the run on the way to the quarterback). The big winner here could be Amobi Okoye. Assuming the Texans continue to use a lot of three-technique alignments, we may finally see Okoye put up enough tackles to be a consistent weekly option in all league formats. It’s a stretch, but Bush’s emphasis on speed could give Xavier Adibi a slight edge over Zac Diles in the competition for every-down OLB snaps.
Jacksonville (DC Mel Tucker, formely Gregg Williams)
Tucker moves over from Cleveland, where he used the 3-4 playbook influenced by his coach, Romeo Crennel, and Bill Belichick. There were rumors at times over the past two seasons that the Jaguars might use some 3-4 elements, but that’s unlikely to happen. Tucker has little pro experience, and his college teams weren’t 3-4 defenses. This will again be Del Rio’s defense, which means fewer pressure packages on early downs, more zone coverage in the secondary and possibly back to a L-R OLB alignment. Expect some regression in strong safety value this year, and we’ve seen enough of the prospective linebackers to know that there’s unlikely to be a major change in value there.
Denver (HC Josh McDaniels, DC Mike Nolan, formerly Bob Slowik)
The Broncos tried all sorts of fronts on defense last season, looking to find a way to generate pressure and get back to the superior run stopping force they had been not too long ago. They worked in some 3-4 and even a 4-4 stack in the second half of the season, neither of which were very successful. Post season rumblings that the front office was interested in making the defense a 3-4 scheme were quickly supported with the interviews of guys like Dom Capers and Mike Nolan. Nolan’s hiring, along with the hire of former San Diego defensive line coach Wayne Nunnally, are a sure sign that this defense will begin trending toward a 3-4.
It may not happen right away, however. Nolan has been more of a multiple front coach lately, using all manner of fronts in Baltimore and San Francisco. And the Broncos don’t yet have a true 3-4 nose tackle. Dewayne Robertson is there, but he hated the 3-4 in New York and isn’t likely to be any more thrilled playing a one gap nose tackle in Nolan’s 3-4 as he’ll still see plenty of double teams. Most of Nolan’s multiple front looks have tended to use pass rushers as swing OLBs – Manny Lawson, Parys Haralson, Roderick Green and Justin Smith in SF and Adalius Thomas and Terrell Suggs in Baltimore. His preference seems to be for some size inside. That likely means that DJ Williams should hold some value here; with a little luck he’ll end up at the favored RILB slot. However, if early rumors that Nate Webster may not be on the roster are true, it’s hard to see a guy like Jamie Winborn or Wes Woodyard playing the strong inside spot. So there’s an intriguing possibility that Wes Woodyard could end up at the RILB spot, even if it isn’t a long-term thing. I think it’s likely that Jarvis Moss will be used very similar to Manny Lawson if they can get him coached up enough to play some zone coverage as an LOLB/SLB. Elvis Dumervil may also be an option there. The other spot to watch will be the RDE position. Many players have had above-average 3-4 end value playing in Nolan’s schemes – Marques Douglas foremost among them, but Ray McDonald was quietly having a reasonable season before his injury last year. That player could well be Tim Crowder this season. Free agency, the draft and early mini-camps should clear up some of the alignment uncertainty, but roles and projected numbers may be fluid very late into the preseason and possibly beyond.
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Jene Bramel
Footballguy
New York Giants (DC Bill Sheridan, formerly Steve Spagnuolo)
The Giants have been Sheridan’s only professional stop and all indications are that he’ll continue the aggressive, pressure schemes brought to New York by Steve Spagnuolo. Primary issues here will be what happens with the young players, who were marginalized last season in favor of vets like Danny Clark, Chase Blackburn and James Butler, and how the defensive line will accommodate the return of Osi Umenyiora. No word yet from Sheridan on any of those issues.
Indianapolis (HC Jim Caldwell, DC Larry Coyer, formerly Tony Dungy and Ron Meeks)
It’s only been reported by a local TV station, but Coyer has likely been hired by Indianapolis to replace Ron Meeks. This situation is more interesting than it may appear on the surface. With Caldwell hand picked to replace Dungy well in advance, it was assumed that most of Dungy’s philosophy would remain in place. However, Caldwell wasted little time in moving Meeks along. One school of thought might argue that the firing of Meeks on the heels of Dungy’s retirement means that the Colts’ new braintrust is considering a move away from the Tampa-2 defensive scheme. Coyer used plenty of Cover-2 in Denver and didn’t blitz much, however, and spent last season with Monte Kiffin in Tampa Bay. The Colts also don’t have the personnel to quickly move away from zone coverage and four man pass rushes. Caldwell has yet to say anything about his defensive preferences and Coyer’s hiring hasn’t been confirmed by the team. We’ll see what’s said in press conferences to come, but the overall philosophy probably isn’t changing.
Detroit (HC Jim Schwartz, DC Gunther Cunningham, formerly Rod Marinelli and Joe Barry)
Unlike some of the other changes around the league, this one will be major. Schwartz and Cunningham both favor pressure schemes, though willingly scale back their gameplans to fit their personnel. Cunningham in particular is probably itching to bring pressure after his recent seasons with Herm Edwards in Kansas City. Both have said that nearly all positions are up for competition and that they foresee bringing more size to the defense. Clearly, neither of those two ideas is compatible with the Tampa-2 scheme that Marinelli used there. There’s probably still room for Cliff Avril to succeed at right end and Schwartz used a three-technique tackle regularly, which could give Cory Redding some value again if the Lions can find a solid nose. Ernie Sims loses the bump the Tampa-2 gives WLB, but he really never took advantage anyway. There remains big potential for an above-average talent at MLB, but it’s highly unlikely that Jordon Dizon fills that bill. A high profile free agent signee or draft pick at MLB or SS would be a nice IDP target this summer.
The Giants have been Sheridan’s only professional stop and all indications are that he’ll continue the aggressive, pressure schemes brought to New York by Steve Spagnuolo. Primary issues here will be what happens with the young players, who were marginalized last season in favor of vets like Danny Clark, Chase Blackburn and James Butler, and how the defensive line will accommodate the return of Osi Umenyiora. No word yet from Sheridan on any of those issues.
Indianapolis (HC Jim Caldwell, DC Larry Coyer, formerly Tony Dungy and Ron Meeks)
It’s only been reported by a local TV station, but Coyer has likely been hired by Indianapolis to replace Ron Meeks. This situation is more interesting than it may appear on the surface. With Caldwell hand picked to replace Dungy well in advance, it was assumed that most of Dungy’s philosophy would remain in place. However, Caldwell wasted little time in moving Meeks along. One school of thought might argue that the firing of Meeks on the heels of Dungy’s retirement means that the Colts’ new braintrust is considering a move away from the Tampa-2 defensive scheme. Coyer used plenty of Cover-2 in Denver and didn’t blitz much, however, and spent last season with Monte Kiffin in Tampa Bay. The Colts also don’t have the personnel to quickly move away from zone coverage and four man pass rushes. Caldwell has yet to say anything about his defensive preferences and Coyer’s hiring hasn’t been confirmed by the team. We’ll see what’s said in press conferences to come, but the overall philosophy probably isn’t changing.
Detroit (HC Jim Schwartz, DC Gunther Cunningham, formerly Rod Marinelli and Joe Barry)
Unlike some of the other changes around the league, this one will be major. Schwartz and Cunningham both favor pressure schemes, though willingly scale back their gameplans to fit their personnel. Cunningham in particular is probably itching to bring pressure after his recent seasons with Herm Edwards in Kansas City. Both have said that nearly all positions are up for competition and that they foresee bringing more size to the defense. Clearly, neither of those two ideas is compatible with the Tampa-2 scheme that Marinelli used there. There’s probably still room for Cliff Avril to succeed at right end and Schwartz used a three-technique tackle regularly, which could give Cory Redding some value again if the Lions can find a solid nose. Ernie Sims loses the bump the Tampa-2 gives WLB, but he really never took advantage anyway. There remains big potential for an above-average talent at MLB, but it’s highly unlikely that Jordon Dizon fills that bill. A high profile free agent signee or draft pick at MLB or SS would be a nice IDP target this summer.
Biabreakable
Footballguy
Did Monte Kiffin retire?
I see no mention of him but he has been replaced by Bates in Tampa Bay. Seems like a guy who should have a job if he is still willing.
I see no mention of him but he has been replaced by Bates in Tampa Bay. Seems like a guy who should have a job if he is still willing.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Kiffin decided late in the season to coach with his son at the University of Tennessee.
E-A-G-L-E-S
Footballguy
Just passing along they are reporting here in Philly that Eagles D coordinator Jim Johnson dx w/ melanoma, sounds like mets to spine in lower back. Malignant melanoma can be tough. Hope he gets well
Obviously this could affect the eagles staff
Obviously this could affect the eagles staff
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Wow. Tough is an understatement.
Larry Thomas
Footballguy
More on coach Johnson
By Les Bowen
Philadelphia Daily News
Daily News Sports Writer
TAMPA -- There was something ominous about the “back problem” that suddenly caused Jim Johnson to have to ride a motorized scooter around the NovaCare complex late in the Eagles’ season, and led him to coach the final two playoff games from the press box. Before the NFC Championship Game, Johnson told a questioner he’d injured himself swinging a golf club. Then he acknowledged he hadn’t played golf in quite a while.
So it might not have been quite shocking, but it was terribly saddening Thursday when the Eagles announced Johnson would not be traveling to Hawaii to coach the NFC Pro Bowl defense, as he undergoes treatment for melanoma that has metastasized to his spine, where a tumor grew that caused his back problem. The team said Johnson, 67, wants to continue as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, as his treatment allows.
The Eagles did not offer a prognosis; however, metastasized cancer is very serious, and team athletic trainer Rick Burkholder indicated that the tumor is not Johnson’s only cancer site. Burkholder said Johnson underwent melanoma surgery in 2001 but has been cancer-free in regular checkups since then.
“He presented with the back pain the week of the Minnesota game,” Burkholder told Daily News and Inquirer reporters in a hastily arranged call from the San Francisco airport, where Burkholder was changing planes for his trip to the Pro Bowl. “We got him an MRI right after the Giants game, and the MRI looked funny. We thought he was going to have a disc problem, because of the symptoms, but it actually looked like there was a tumor beside this stress fracture in his spine. That alerted our doctors that something else might be going on. They did further testing, further scans, had him see some other doctors, and it looks like the melanoma is back, in his back. It’s manifested itself in a tumor in his spine.
“He’s already started treatment, radiation treatment. That’s the first course ... I think about 4 weeks of radiation, then we’ll take the next step from there.”
Burkholder acknowledged that “there are some other areas of his body — I’m not going to really get into where stuff is — but that’ll all be treated together. The main deal is his back, right now ... that’s what we have to attack.”
Asked specifically if the cancer had spread to Johnson’s brain or spinal fluid, Burkholder said that did not seem to be the case, so far, “but we’ll continue to monitor.”
Burkholder emphasized that team internist Dr. Gary Dorshimer and Johnson’s oncologists, based out of Pennsylvania Hospital, are “very optimistic, and Jim is really upbeat about it. Vicky, his wife is upbeat about it.”
Burkholder said no surgery is planned.
“The radiation will calm some of that pain down and let him get back to a little more normal walking,” Burkholder said.
Several oncologists contacted by the Daily News indicated that, given the description of the set of circumstances, Johnson's outlook likely is very dire, unless he is extremely lucky. Without direct access to tests and exams, the oncologists declined to offer a specific prognosis."
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, asked about Johnson before an ESPN appearance, said he was told about the diagnosis in a phone call from coach Andy Reid.
"He's a fighter ... That's kind of tough to hear, about a guy like that," McNabb said. "He cares about people. He's willing to do whatever, for anyone. To see him go through this is tough. But we're all behind him. We'll provide support for him, continue to pray for him. He'll go through his treatments and do what he has to do."
Burkholder said the medical staff began to strongly suspect a cancerous tumor in the final days before the Eagles’ Jan. 18 NFC Championship Game loss at Arizona.
“Thursday and Friday, going into the Arizona game, we were suspicious that he needed more testing. He had more testing done on Monday, when we got back, and that’s what proved for sure that it was cancer,” Burkholder said.
Johnson, much more demonstrative on the sideline than Eagles coach Andy Reid, is the only defensive coordinator the Birds have employed since Reid became their head coach 10 years ago. They were not friends when Reid hired Johnson; rather, Reid appreciated how difficult it was to score against Johnson’s Indianapolis Colts defenses, when Reid was an assistant with the Packers.
Johnson is known for his unorthodox blitz schemes, which produced 342 sacks from 2000-2007, tying his defense for first in the NFL. His unit was the strength of the team early in the decade, then wavered as key players aged. It emerged with a new group of standouts this past season, ranking third in the NFL, propelling the Eagles’ march to the NFC Championship game, where its performance was a keen disappointment. Johnson has not spoken publicly since that loss, which we now know virtually coincided with his cancer diagnosis.
The week before, Reid joked affectionately about his defensive mastermind, after the Eagles did not allow a touchdown in their upset of the defending Super Bowl champion Giants.
“I’m partial, but I’ve got the best defensive coordinator in the National Football League,” Reid said. “These guys believe in him and the things he does, he’s kept it fresh for them. He’s kept it fresh for ’em, even though he’s 100 years old. You noticed today he was up in the box. The poor guy’s in the box. His back’s aching a little bit, so he called it from up there.”
Reid was not available for comment Thursday.
Eagles defensive coordinator has cancer
Thoughts and prayers go out to the Johnson family.
By Les Bowen
Philadelphia Daily News
Daily News Sports Writer
TAMPA -- There was something ominous about the “back problem” that suddenly caused Jim Johnson to have to ride a motorized scooter around the NovaCare complex late in the Eagles’ season, and led him to coach the final two playoff games from the press box. Before the NFC Championship Game, Johnson told a questioner he’d injured himself swinging a golf club. Then he acknowledged he hadn’t played golf in quite a while.
So it might not have been quite shocking, but it was terribly saddening Thursday when the Eagles announced Johnson would not be traveling to Hawaii to coach the NFC Pro Bowl defense, as he undergoes treatment for melanoma that has metastasized to his spine, where a tumor grew that caused his back problem. The team said Johnson, 67, wants to continue as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, as his treatment allows.
The Eagles did not offer a prognosis; however, metastasized cancer is very serious, and team athletic trainer Rick Burkholder indicated that the tumor is not Johnson’s only cancer site. Burkholder said Johnson underwent melanoma surgery in 2001 but has been cancer-free in regular checkups since then.
“He presented with the back pain the week of the Minnesota game,” Burkholder told Daily News and Inquirer reporters in a hastily arranged call from the San Francisco airport, where Burkholder was changing planes for his trip to the Pro Bowl. “We got him an MRI right after the Giants game, and the MRI looked funny. We thought he was going to have a disc problem, because of the symptoms, but it actually looked like there was a tumor beside this stress fracture in his spine. That alerted our doctors that something else might be going on. They did further testing, further scans, had him see some other doctors, and it looks like the melanoma is back, in his back. It’s manifested itself in a tumor in his spine.
“He’s already started treatment, radiation treatment. That’s the first course ... I think about 4 weeks of radiation, then we’ll take the next step from there.”
Burkholder acknowledged that “there are some other areas of his body — I’m not going to really get into where stuff is — but that’ll all be treated together. The main deal is his back, right now ... that’s what we have to attack.”
Asked specifically if the cancer had spread to Johnson’s brain or spinal fluid, Burkholder said that did not seem to be the case, so far, “but we’ll continue to monitor.”
Burkholder emphasized that team internist Dr. Gary Dorshimer and Johnson’s oncologists, based out of Pennsylvania Hospital, are “very optimistic, and Jim is really upbeat about it. Vicky, his wife is upbeat about it.”
Burkholder said no surgery is planned.
“The radiation will calm some of that pain down and let him get back to a little more normal walking,” Burkholder said.
Several oncologists contacted by the Daily News indicated that, given the description of the set of circumstances, Johnson's outlook likely is very dire, unless he is extremely lucky. Without direct access to tests and exams, the oncologists declined to offer a specific prognosis."
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, asked about Johnson before an ESPN appearance, said he was told about the diagnosis in a phone call from coach Andy Reid.
"He's a fighter ... That's kind of tough to hear, about a guy like that," McNabb said. "He cares about people. He's willing to do whatever, for anyone. To see him go through this is tough. But we're all behind him. We'll provide support for him, continue to pray for him. He'll go through his treatments and do what he has to do."
Burkholder said the medical staff began to strongly suspect a cancerous tumor in the final days before the Eagles’ Jan. 18 NFC Championship Game loss at Arizona.
“Thursday and Friday, going into the Arizona game, we were suspicious that he needed more testing. He had more testing done on Monday, when we got back, and that’s what proved for sure that it was cancer,” Burkholder said.
Johnson, much more demonstrative on the sideline than Eagles coach Andy Reid, is the only defensive coordinator the Birds have employed since Reid became their head coach 10 years ago. They were not friends when Reid hired Johnson; rather, Reid appreciated how difficult it was to score against Johnson’s Indianapolis Colts defenses, when Reid was an assistant with the Packers.
Johnson is known for his unorthodox blitz schemes, which produced 342 sacks from 2000-2007, tying his defense for first in the NFL. His unit was the strength of the team early in the decade, then wavered as key players aged. It emerged with a new group of standouts this past season, ranking third in the NFL, propelling the Eagles’ march to the NFC Championship game, where its performance was a keen disappointment. Johnson has not spoken publicly since that loss, which we now know virtually coincided with his cancer diagnosis.
The week before, Reid joked affectionately about his defensive mastermind, after the Eagles did not allow a touchdown in their upset of the defending Super Bowl champion Giants.
“I’m partial, but I’ve got the best defensive coordinator in the National Football League,” Reid said. “These guys believe in him and the things he does, he’s kept it fresh for them. He’s kept it fresh for ’em, even though he’s 100 years old. You noticed today he was up in the box. The poor guy’s in the box. His back’s aching a little bit, so he called it from up there.”
Reid was not available for comment Thursday.
Eagles defensive coordinator has cancer
Thoughts and prayers go out to the Johnson family.
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Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Green Bay (DC Dom Capers, formerly Bob Sanders)
The Packers, with Capers on board, will move toward a base 3-4 front this season, removing one of the last bastions of the big defensive tackle 4-3 defense in the league. Capers used some 4-3 in Jacksonville, but is a 3-4, zone blitz coach. There’ve been some great posts by Weiner Dog and others above discussing potential alignments, and there’s been plenty of media speculation on what will happen. Up front, it would seem likely that Ryan Pickett will play the nose and Cullen Jenkins will get the right end slot. Jenkins should hold most of his value (40/6 with upside) in that role. Most seem to believe that Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk will play the two inside spots and Aaron Kampman moved back to, theoretically, LOLB. There’s been no confirmation of those spots yet, and there are arguments for other alignments.
It might be a stretch for Kampman to play the Woodley, Haggans, Gildon, Greene role. He may or may not have the athleticism to drop in coverage, but he’d hold up well against the run on that side. There’s definitely an argument that his pass rush ability would be better served on the weak side. I think Kampman probably starts on the strong side on base downs, though, then gets moved around on passing downs. The other OLB slot isn’t as clear. Last season, the Packers wanted Brandon Chillar on nickel downs late in the season, but used Brady Poppinga as a pass rushing end in the nickel package. Neither are a prototypical ROLB, though. Hawk would be another possibility, but rumors suggest he’ll stay inside. He may be the best all-around candidate outside, so don’t be shocked to see him there if the Packers don’t address the position in coming months. Barnett would seem to be entrenched inside, and this particular 3-4 won’t favor one ILB over another. Desmond Bishop would probably work well alongside Barnett, and moving Hawk outside over Poppinga/Chillar in favor of Bishop inside may be a better use of the current personnel.
In general, this isn’t a good thing for the value of any current Packer.
Carolina (DC Ron Meeks, formely Mike Trgovac)
Things aren’t likely to change much in Carolina. There had been rumors (fueled by Julius Peppers’ comments and the interviews of coordinators like Jim Haslett) that the Panthers might switch to a 3-4 front. For now, we’re hearing the usual vague things we hear most often after minor changes like this – the new guy will assess his talent and adapt the scheme to his talent – but Meeks has almost always followed the lead of his head coach (coaching LeBeau’s way in Cincinnati, Smith’s way in St. Louis and Dungy’s way in Indianapolis). That’s not to say he’s not a talented coach, just that he’s yet to show a strong preference for any one scheme. Philosophically, he seems to have gravitated toward quick, fundamental, swarming style defenses. We’ll probably not see a big change with his hiring. Maybe a little 3-4 here, maybe a spare Tampa-2 coverage there. But this probably doesn’t mean a big bump for Thomas Davis or a major change in role for Julius Peppers.
New Orleans (DC Gregg Williams, formerly Gary Gibbs)
Though Williams had grown a little more enamored with the Tampa-2 in Washington and used fewer 46 concepts in recent seasons, he’s still a pressure coach at heart. Sean Payton apparently wanted to see a little more aggression and certainly had to be disappointed in his pass rush over the past two seasons, so it’s reasonable to expect a more aggressive scheme in 2009. Aside from a few more pass rush opportunities at linebacker, however, I’m not sure that means a significant change in opportunity for anyone in the front seven. It probably gives the defensive ends a little more upside, assuming they can take advantage as Andre Carter did in late 2006 and 2007. Roman Harper’s value should stay reasonably high, but likely more dependent on how the corners play than scheme.
The Packers, with Capers on board, will move toward a base 3-4 front this season, removing one of the last bastions of the big defensive tackle 4-3 defense in the league. Capers used some 4-3 in Jacksonville, but is a 3-4, zone blitz coach. There’ve been some great posts by Weiner Dog and others above discussing potential alignments, and there’s been plenty of media speculation on what will happen. Up front, it would seem likely that Ryan Pickett will play the nose and Cullen Jenkins will get the right end slot. Jenkins should hold most of his value (40/6 with upside) in that role. Most seem to believe that Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk will play the two inside spots and Aaron Kampman moved back to, theoretically, LOLB. There’s been no confirmation of those spots yet, and there are arguments for other alignments.
It might be a stretch for Kampman to play the Woodley, Haggans, Gildon, Greene role. He may or may not have the athleticism to drop in coverage, but he’d hold up well against the run on that side. There’s definitely an argument that his pass rush ability would be better served on the weak side. I think Kampman probably starts on the strong side on base downs, though, then gets moved around on passing downs. The other OLB slot isn’t as clear. Last season, the Packers wanted Brandon Chillar on nickel downs late in the season, but used Brady Poppinga as a pass rushing end in the nickel package. Neither are a prototypical ROLB, though. Hawk would be another possibility, but rumors suggest he’ll stay inside. He may be the best all-around candidate outside, so don’t be shocked to see him there if the Packers don’t address the position in coming months. Barnett would seem to be entrenched inside, and this particular 3-4 won’t favor one ILB over another. Desmond Bishop would probably work well alongside Barnett, and moving Hawk outside over Poppinga/Chillar in favor of Bishop inside may be a better use of the current personnel.
In general, this isn’t a good thing for the value of any current Packer.
Carolina (DC Ron Meeks, formely Mike Trgovac)
Things aren’t likely to change much in Carolina. There had been rumors (fueled by Julius Peppers’ comments and the interviews of coordinators like Jim Haslett) that the Panthers might switch to a 3-4 front. For now, we’re hearing the usual vague things we hear most often after minor changes like this – the new guy will assess his talent and adapt the scheme to his talent – but Meeks has almost always followed the lead of his head coach (coaching LeBeau’s way in Cincinnati, Smith’s way in St. Louis and Dungy’s way in Indianapolis). That’s not to say he’s not a talented coach, just that he’s yet to show a strong preference for any one scheme. Philosophically, he seems to have gravitated toward quick, fundamental, swarming style defenses. We’ll probably not see a big change with his hiring. Maybe a little 3-4 here, maybe a spare Tampa-2 coverage there. But this probably doesn’t mean a big bump for Thomas Davis or a major change in role for Julius Peppers.
New Orleans (DC Gregg Williams, formerly Gary Gibbs)
Though Williams had grown a little more enamored with the Tampa-2 in Washington and used fewer 46 concepts in recent seasons, he’s still a pressure coach at heart. Sean Payton apparently wanted to see a little more aggression and certainly had to be disappointed in his pass rush over the past two seasons, so it’s reasonable to expect a more aggressive scheme in 2009. Aside from a few more pass rush opportunities at linebacker, however, I’m not sure that means a significant change in opportunity for anyone in the front seven. It probably gives the defensive ends a little more upside, assuming they can take advantage as Andre Carter did in late 2006 and 2007. Roman Harper’s value should stay reasonably high, but likely more dependent on how the corners play than scheme.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Tampa Bay (HC Raheem Morris, DC Jim Bates, formerly Jon Gruden and Monte Kiffin)
The hiring of Bates should remove any doubt that the Bucs would be moving away from the Tampa-2 as a foundation of its defensive scheme. Bates will still play a 4-3 and will still err on the side of speed in his front seven, but the days of the smallish defensive line and three-technique tackle are gone, as is the bump the Tampa Bay WLB often got due to so many zone coverage calls and run spill concepts. Those who have been around awhile fondly recall the posts from two Januarys ago pimping the prospective MLB in Denver after Bates signed on there, and had no fear driving the DJ Williams is a lock to finish among the top fifteen (or better) bandwagon. Barrett Ruud is already considered a clear top ten performer, so there’s no sneaky value to found here, but if Bates can get a defensive tackle or two that fits his scheme, 110+ solos isn’t out of the question in 2009. Gaines Adams should also do reasonably well in this scheme. However, those chasing Derrick Brooks replacement as the next big Tampa-2 WLB can put down their toothbrushes. The every-down WLB here will have some value, but will have a much, much harder time approaching 90 solos. It’s still worth tracking the defensive tackles here, but there won’t be a primo undertackle for the taking.
St. Louis (HC Steve Spagnuolo, DC Ken Flajole, formerly Jim Haslett)
Not much to add to Bob Magaw’s post re: Spagnuolo above. This defense will have Spagnuolo’s imprint – pressure 4-3 wherever possible. Certainly some interesting pieces here on the front line with Leonard Little, Chris Long, Adam Carriker and some interesting vets, too. No official word yet on what the team is planning to do with Will Witherspoon, but he could do well inside or outside in this defense. The player to watch here, however, is O.J. Atogwe. Guys like Brian Dawkins and Gibril Wilson have been extremely productive in this scheme as free safeties who play the run. Atogwe may not be quite in that class, but this defense may make it much easier to repeat his 75+ solo effort next year than the other alternatives that were on the table (Leslie Frazier, Jim Haslett).
Seattle (HC Jim Mora, DC Gus Bradley, formerly Mike Holmgren and John Marshall)
Nothing specific came out of the press conferences in Seattle to nail down whether the Seahawks would lean more toward the man coverage schemes favored by Mora or the Cover-2 base that Bradley learned in Tampa Bay. It’s not likely to matter too much for our purposes, as it’s unlikely that the Seahawks are about to become a Tampa-2 team. Both guys have been known as aggressive, gap-attack coaches in prior stops and both have favored mostly four man pass rushes in recent seasons. A more downhill style of play could help Lofa Tatupu finally break free from his recent 90-95 solo tackle ceiling and could also make Deon Grant a little more valuable in the tackle columns. If the Seahawks announce some shockers like a big OLB free agent signing (other than re-signing Leroy Hill) and move Julian Peterson to end, there may be more to read into Bradley’s hiring and a potential move toward more Cover-2 packages. For now, consider Tatupu a slight buy low candidate and watch for developments over the next 3-4 months.
The hiring of Bates should remove any doubt that the Bucs would be moving away from the Tampa-2 as a foundation of its defensive scheme. Bates will still play a 4-3 and will still err on the side of speed in his front seven, but the days of the smallish defensive line and three-technique tackle are gone, as is the bump the Tampa Bay WLB often got due to so many zone coverage calls and run spill concepts. Those who have been around awhile fondly recall the posts from two Januarys ago pimping the prospective MLB in Denver after Bates signed on there, and had no fear driving the DJ Williams is a lock to finish among the top fifteen (or better) bandwagon. Barrett Ruud is already considered a clear top ten performer, so there’s no sneaky value to found here, but if Bates can get a defensive tackle or two that fits his scheme, 110+ solos isn’t out of the question in 2009. Gaines Adams should also do reasonably well in this scheme. However, those chasing Derrick Brooks replacement as the next big Tampa-2 WLB can put down their toothbrushes. The every-down WLB here will have some value, but will have a much, much harder time approaching 90 solos. It’s still worth tracking the defensive tackles here, but there won’t be a primo undertackle for the taking.
St. Louis (HC Steve Spagnuolo, DC Ken Flajole, formerly Jim Haslett)
Not much to add to Bob Magaw’s post re: Spagnuolo above. This defense will have Spagnuolo’s imprint – pressure 4-3 wherever possible. Certainly some interesting pieces here on the front line with Leonard Little, Chris Long, Adam Carriker and some interesting vets, too. No official word yet on what the team is planning to do with Will Witherspoon, but he could do well inside or outside in this defense. The player to watch here, however, is O.J. Atogwe. Guys like Brian Dawkins and Gibril Wilson have been extremely productive in this scheme as free safeties who play the run. Atogwe may not be quite in that class, but this defense may make it much easier to repeat his 75+ solo effort next year than the other alternatives that were on the table (Leslie Frazier, Jim Haslett).
Seattle (HC Jim Mora, DC Gus Bradley, formerly Mike Holmgren and John Marshall)
Nothing specific came out of the press conferences in Seattle to nail down whether the Seahawks would lean more toward the man coverage schemes favored by Mora or the Cover-2 base that Bradley learned in Tampa Bay. It’s not likely to matter too much for our purposes, as it’s unlikely that the Seahawks are about to become a Tampa-2 team. Both guys have been known as aggressive, gap-attack coaches in prior stops and both have favored mostly four man pass rushes in recent seasons. A more downhill style of play could help Lofa Tatupu finally break free from his recent 90-95 solo tackle ceiling and could also make Deon Grant a little more valuable in the tackle columns. If the Seahawks announce some shockers like a big OLB free agent signing (other than re-signing Leroy Hill) and move Julian Peterson to end, there may be more to read into Bradley’s hiring and a potential move toward more Cover-2 packages. For now, consider Tatupu a slight buy low candidate and watch for developments over the next 3-4 months.
Larry Thomas
Footballguy
Good stuff Jene 
Larry Thomas
Footballguy
By LES BOWEN
Philadelphia Daily News
bowenl@phillynews.com
TAMPA - As the shock of hearing that Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson is fighting a very serious form of cancer begins to fade just a little, one of the next thoughts is of how much Johnson's style and personality have defined this Eagles era.
It's often called the Andy Reid era, or maybe even the Donovan McNabb era, but the Birds' success over the past decade has just as much or more to do with the team's 67-year-old defensive coordinator, who is taking radiation treatments to shrink a melanoma tumor on his spine. Johnson intends to continue coaching, the team has said, though oncologists not connected with the situation have told the Daily News that from what has been reported, his situation seems dire.
Johnson's illness could lead to more significant change for a coaching staff that underwent some shuffling yesterday, as forecast this week in the Daily News. Former quarterback Doug Pederson was announced as the new offensive assistant/quality control, with James Urban moving from that role to the quarterbacks coaching job vacated when Pat Shurmur went to St. Louis. Rory Segrest moved from special-teams coordinator to coaching the defensive line, replacing 67-year-old Pete Jenkins, who retired. Ted Daisher, once a special-teams assistant under John Harbaugh, returned to take Segrest's former spot.
Indications are that if Johnson's cancer treatment makes him unable to proceed as normal, secondary coach Sean McDermott will take on more responsibility. Other teams wanted to talk to McDermott about defensive-coordinator openings this month, but McDermott went on no interviews.
Of course, everyone hopes that that won't be necessary, that Johnson will rally and will be back barking at his troops come the first minicamp of spring.
"Along with the fans . . . one of the reasons for me staying with the Eagles so long was Jim," Eagles free safety Brian Dawkins said.
"What he allowed me to do, what he asked me to do, me being comfortable with what he does as a defensive coordinator, how aggressive he is. I've never really said that before," reflected the 13-year veteran, who spent the last 10 of those seasons as the on-field embodiment of Johnson's aggressive scheme.
Dawkins, a pending free agent who has said he wants to return to the Eagles, was in the Super Bowl media center yesterday to take part in a news conference honoring him as a finalist for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The winner will be announced tomorrow before Super Bowl XLIII.
"He expects so much of us - you really couldn't 'mike' him during the game, a long string of 'beeps' the whole time, but that's just him, and we know that, because he expects us to get everything right the first time. He pushes us that way. Every guy on the defensive side of the ball respects him, to the utmost . . . He's just one of those, obviously, old-school guys. He'll let you have it. If he watches the film and finds out he may have been wrong, he'll come back and apologize. In the moment, he's just so juiced and so fired up, I think sometimes his emotions get the best of him," Dawkins said.
McNabb, who visited the media center a little while later on behalf of Novartis pharmaceuticals, said being an offensive player didn't make him immune from Johnson's outbursts. McNabb said Johnson's outspoken aggressiveness has been a big part of the team's personality, an inspiration.
"When you have a guy like Jim . . . as an offensive player, I'm talking to Jim on the sideline, it's like, 'Jim, we're going to get this drive, we're going to score.' And Jim's like, 'Hey, go do it; we'll get the defense ready,' " McNabb said. "You go down to score, you come back, Jim's one of the first guys to greet you, and say, 'Hey, we're going to get you the ball back.' When you hear a coordinator say something like that, especially Jim, you know, he's blitz, blitz, blitz, that just gives you more and more confidence."
Team head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said no one suspected that Johnson's back problem was a cancerous tumor until an MRI exam was done following the playoff victory over the Giants, the first of two games Johnson coached from the press box. Players certainly didn't know, Dawkins and McNabb said, but they sensed Johnson was struggling.
"He was in pain, [but] he didn't miss a day, he didn't miss a meeting," Dawkins said. "He was still standing up in meetings . . . he still did his normal routine even though he was in that much pain, so that's going to tell you how much he's going to fight through this thing."
Dawkins agreed that McDermott would seem the most likely assistant to take on more responsbility, if the situation requires it.
"That would be my sense of it," he said. "Obviously, they haven't talked to me about any of those things - I'm kind of on the outside looking in right now, not really in the fold completely. But I would think that Sean would be the guy that would step up in rank."
Eagles' Dawkins, McNabb offer good wishes to Jim Johnson
Johnson's situation may be why McDermott didn't interview, I have a feeling, when the day comes, McDermott will be a very good DC. If Johnson is unable to return to duties, not only Philadelphia but the NFL will miss one of the great DCs of all-time. Best wishes for a successfull and speedy recovery to coach Johnson.
Philadelphia Daily News
bowenl@phillynews.com
TAMPA - As the shock of hearing that Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson is fighting a very serious form of cancer begins to fade just a little, one of the next thoughts is of how much Johnson's style and personality have defined this Eagles era.
It's often called the Andy Reid era, or maybe even the Donovan McNabb era, but the Birds' success over the past decade has just as much or more to do with the team's 67-year-old defensive coordinator, who is taking radiation treatments to shrink a melanoma tumor on his spine. Johnson intends to continue coaching, the team has said, though oncologists not connected with the situation have told the Daily News that from what has been reported, his situation seems dire.
Johnson's illness could lead to more significant change for a coaching staff that underwent some shuffling yesterday, as forecast this week in the Daily News. Former quarterback Doug Pederson was announced as the new offensive assistant/quality control, with James Urban moving from that role to the quarterbacks coaching job vacated when Pat Shurmur went to St. Louis. Rory Segrest moved from special-teams coordinator to coaching the defensive line, replacing 67-year-old Pete Jenkins, who retired. Ted Daisher, once a special-teams assistant under John Harbaugh, returned to take Segrest's former spot.
Indications are that if Johnson's cancer treatment makes him unable to proceed as normal, secondary coach Sean McDermott will take on more responsibility. Other teams wanted to talk to McDermott about defensive-coordinator openings this month, but McDermott went on no interviews.
Of course, everyone hopes that that won't be necessary, that Johnson will rally and will be back barking at his troops come the first minicamp of spring.
"Along with the fans . . . one of the reasons for me staying with the Eagles so long was Jim," Eagles free safety Brian Dawkins said.
"What he allowed me to do, what he asked me to do, me being comfortable with what he does as a defensive coordinator, how aggressive he is. I've never really said that before," reflected the 13-year veteran, who spent the last 10 of those seasons as the on-field embodiment of Johnson's aggressive scheme.
Dawkins, a pending free agent who has said he wants to return to the Eagles, was in the Super Bowl media center yesterday to take part in a news conference honoring him as a finalist for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The winner will be announced tomorrow before Super Bowl XLIII.
"He expects so much of us - you really couldn't 'mike' him during the game, a long string of 'beeps' the whole time, but that's just him, and we know that, because he expects us to get everything right the first time. He pushes us that way. Every guy on the defensive side of the ball respects him, to the utmost . . . He's just one of those, obviously, old-school guys. He'll let you have it. If he watches the film and finds out he may have been wrong, he'll come back and apologize. In the moment, he's just so juiced and so fired up, I think sometimes his emotions get the best of him," Dawkins said.
McNabb, who visited the media center a little while later on behalf of Novartis pharmaceuticals, said being an offensive player didn't make him immune from Johnson's outbursts. McNabb said Johnson's outspoken aggressiveness has been a big part of the team's personality, an inspiration.
"When you have a guy like Jim . . . as an offensive player, I'm talking to Jim on the sideline, it's like, 'Jim, we're going to get this drive, we're going to score.' And Jim's like, 'Hey, go do it; we'll get the defense ready,' " McNabb said. "You go down to score, you come back, Jim's one of the first guys to greet you, and say, 'Hey, we're going to get you the ball back.' When you hear a coordinator say something like that, especially Jim, you know, he's blitz, blitz, blitz, that just gives you more and more confidence."
Team head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said no one suspected that Johnson's back problem was a cancerous tumor until an MRI exam was done following the playoff victory over the Giants, the first of two games Johnson coached from the press box. Players certainly didn't know, Dawkins and McNabb said, but they sensed Johnson was struggling.
"He was in pain, [but] he didn't miss a day, he didn't miss a meeting," Dawkins said. "He was still standing up in meetings . . . he still did his normal routine even though he was in that much pain, so that's going to tell you how much he's going to fight through this thing."
Dawkins agreed that McDermott would seem the most likely assistant to take on more responsbility, if the situation requires it.
"That would be my sense of it," he said. "Obviously, they haven't talked to me about any of those things - I'm kind of on the outside looking in right now, not really in the fold completely. But I would think that Sean would be the guy that would step up in rank."
Eagles' Dawkins, McNabb offer good wishes to Jim Johnson
Johnson's situation may be why McDermott didn't interview, I have a feeling, when the day comes, McDermott will be a very good DC. If Johnson is unable to return to duties, not only Philadelphia but the NFL will miss one of the great DCs of all-time. Best wishes for a successfull and speedy recovery to coach Johnson.
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Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Clancy Pendergast fired in Arizona. Raiders hire John Marshall (Seattle DC last four seasons) as defensive coordinator under Tom Cable. Kansas City and Dallas defensive coordinator jobs still pending.
stevegamer
Footballguy
We're up over 20 now with the additions of Arizona & Dallas (unless you counted them). That still doesn't count Jim Johnson in Philly - and that's a horrible situation for the man, and a pending one for the team.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Yep. Arizona makes twenty. Interested to see how the Arizona situation shakes out. Local news is speculating that Whisenhunt will pursue the LB coach from Pittsburgh, who he was interested in two years ago. That might bring more 3-4 fronts and zone blitz concepts to this front seven.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
The past week was quiet on the coaching front. Nothing significant in Arizona, where former LB coach Bill Davis looks likely to take over, with little change in the defensive philosophy expected. It's also been announced that Wade Phillips will coordinate the defense in Dallas, not that there would have been a major change in philosophy there anyway.
Today, however, Adam Schefter is reporting that the Chiefs, who hired Gary Gibbs and Clancy Pendergast last week without announcing their roles, are going to install a 3-4 front as their base defense. And, if you thought that the Broncos would have trouble filling out a 3-4 front, consider what the Chiefs have to work with -- Tamba Hali, Tank Tyler, Glenn Dorsey, Brian Johnston, Derrick Johnson, Rocky Boiman, Demorrio Williams.
If Schefter's report proves true, there is a complete overhaul coming in Kansas City.
Today, however, Adam Schefter is reporting that the Chiefs, who hired Gary Gibbs and Clancy Pendergast last week without announcing their roles, are going to install a 3-4 front as their base defense. And, if you thought that the Broncos would have trouble filling out a 3-4 front, consider what the Chiefs have to work with -- Tamba Hali, Tank Tyler, Glenn Dorsey, Brian Johnston, Derrick Johnson, Rocky Boiman, Demorrio Williams.
If Schefter's report proves true, there is a complete overhaul coming in Kansas City.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
If Kansas City is serious about installing a 3-4 front immediately, it looks an awful lot like they'll be shoehorning personnel to scheme. The two most important roles in today's 3-4 fronts are the nose tackle and rush OLB. The Chiefs have neither.
Clancy Pendergast used plenty of three man nickel fronts in Arizona, but didn't use a 3-4 on base defensive downs until Ken Whisenhunt came on board. It's possible that the same hybrid, multiple front playbook that Arizona used in the past two seasons will be the "3-4" that Schefter is reporting, but that wouldn't necessarily fit with what Scott Pioli has worked with in New England alongside Bill Belichick. Gary Gibbs has some experience with 3-4 fronts, briefly coaching linebackers in the classic 3-4 that Parcells favored while he was in Dallas.
At nearly every position in a prospective 3-4 front seven, the current personnel would seem to be a little too big, too small or too slow to fit.
Turk McBride and Tamba Hali aren't good fits for a 3-4 end, hybrid or not. Moving Hali back to linebacker is questionable; he's not as likely to succeed as Greg Ellis or even Matt Roth. Jay Ratliff ended up working out well as a NT in Dallas, but Glenn Dorsey isn't a great bet to do as well. Maybe he's another Darnell Dockett DE/DT in the making. Tank Tyler probably isn't stout enough to survive on the nose either.
Assuming Hali gets slotted at one OLB slot, you have to think that the other spot is filled by a big name FA acquisition (if possible) or some kind of draft pick (though there may not be a clear rush OLB prospect at the third overall pick). Brian Johnston may be in the mix there, too. Derrick Johnson has some versatility, but you'd have to guess that he'd slot inside (as Pendergast did with Karlos Dansby). Aaron Curry with the third pick to play the SILB spot with Johnson the WILB might be an option. Otherwise, assuming a lesser draft pick or free agent acquisition, there's a bunch of replacement level talent fighting for the other inside spot and determining who plays where. There are a number of interesting FA linebackers around (Crowell, Boley, BScott, ADavis, Crowder, Barton, Spikes) that could be used as stopgaps.
Still just the beginning of a pretty interesting offseason here.
Clancy Pendergast used plenty of three man nickel fronts in Arizona, but didn't use a 3-4 on base defensive downs until Ken Whisenhunt came on board. It's possible that the same hybrid, multiple front playbook that Arizona used in the past two seasons will be the "3-4" that Schefter is reporting, but that wouldn't necessarily fit with what Scott Pioli has worked with in New England alongside Bill Belichick. Gary Gibbs has some experience with 3-4 fronts, briefly coaching linebackers in the classic 3-4 that Parcells favored while he was in Dallas.
At nearly every position in a prospective 3-4 front seven, the current personnel would seem to be a little too big, too small or too slow to fit.
Turk McBride and Tamba Hali aren't good fits for a 3-4 end, hybrid or not. Moving Hali back to linebacker is questionable; he's not as likely to succeed as Greg Ellis or even Matt Roth. Jay Ratliff ended up working out well as a NT in Dallas, but Glenn Dorsey isn't a great bet to do as well. Maybe he's another Darnell Dockett DE/DT in the making. Tank Tyler probably isn't stout enough to survive on the nose either.
Assuming Hali gets slotted at one OLB slot, you have to think that the other spot is filled by a big name FA acquisition (if possible) or some kind of draft pick (though there may not be a clear rush OLB prospect at the third overall pick). Brian Johnston may be in the mix there, too. Derrick Johnson has some versatility, but you'd have to guess that he'd slot inside (as Pendergast did with Karlos Dansby). Aaron Curry with the third pick to play the SILB spot with Johnson the WILB might be an option. Otherwise, assuming a lesser draft pick or free agent acquisition, there's a bunch of replacement level talent fighting for the other inside spot and determining who plays where. There are a number of interesting FA linebackers around (Crowell, Boley, BScott, ADavis, Crowder, Barton, Spikes) that could be used as stopgaps.
Still just the beginning of a pretty interesting offseason here.
stevegamer
Footballguy
It's clear to me at this point, that if we really see some of these teams with little to no 3-4 talent moving to 3-4 fronts in the same offseason, some coaching/front office personnel need to be evaluated as to whether or not they should have jobs because they aren't too bright.
We've got no supply of players of types we need to make the switch, and demand for such players is increasing, so lets make sure to switch now to decrease the supply more! Brilliant!
We've got no supply of players of types we need to make the switch, and demand for such players is increasing, so lets make sure to switch now to decrease the supply more! Brilliant!
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
It's clear to me at this point, that if we really see some of these teams with little to no 3-4 talent moving to 3-4 fronts in the same offseason, some coaching/front office personnel need to be evaluated as to whether or not they should have jobs because they aren't too bright.
We've got no supply of players of types we need to make the switch, and demand for such players is increasing, so lets make sure to switch now to decrease the supply more! Brilliant!
This is a key point and one that may not be widely written about for years. One of the reasons the Steelers (and eventually Patriots) were so successful with their 3-4 defenses earlier this decade (and still before that in Pittsburgh) was that there were relatively few teams (at times, just two or three) looking for standup edge rushers and, to borrow a phrase from Bill Parcells, "planet-like" down linemen.The player pool has increased some in recent seasons, but above-average 330lb nose tackles and versatile 255lb edge rushers are always going to be few and far between.
There is something to be said for the versatility the current versions of the three man front allows in pass defense. It's interesting that so many teams are using two and three man nickel fronts. It's even more interesting that a number of today's 3-4 teams use four man fronts in their nickel packages.
I was struck by three possible changes in defensive philosophy late last season. It looked likely that we'd see more hybrid schemes, less Tampa-2 and more specialization. Add in the move toward increased aggressiveness in those sticking with 4-3 fronts and I think we lovers of defense are in for a great ride over the next few seasons. It should be fun trying to stay ahead of the curve in projecting numbers for IDP purposes.
Oh, and with the Broncos and Chiefs blowing up their defenses while the Raiders staying stagnant in a read-and-react look, the Charger offensive players should be licking their chops in 2009.
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Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Or it might become a story immediately.It's clear to me at this point, that if we really see some of these teams with little to no 3-4 talent moving to 3-4 fronts in the same offseason, some coaching/front office personnel need to be evaluated as to whether or not they should have jobs because they aren't too bright.
We've got no supply of players of types we need to make the switch, and demand for such players is increasing, so lets make sure to switch now to decrease the supply more! Brilliant!
...
stevegamer
Footballguy
I think if one can place futures bets on division titles, the Chargers are smart money. -They are the defending champs of the division.It's clear to me at this point, that if we really see some of these teams with little to no 3-4 talent moving to 3-4 fronts in the same offseason, some coaching/front office personnel need to be evaluated as to whether or not they should have jobs because they aren't too bright.
We've got no supply of players of types we need to make the switch, and demand for such players is increasing, so lets make sure to switch now to decrease the supply more! Brilliant!
The player pool has increased some in recent seasons, but above-average 330lb nose tackles and versatile 255lb edge rushers are always going to be few and far between.
There is something to be said for the versatility the current versions of the three man front allows in pass defense. It's interesting that so many teams are using two and three man nickel fronts. It's even more interesting that a number of today's 3-4 teams use four man fronts in their nickel packages.
I was struck by three possible changes in defensive philosophy late last season. It looked likely that we'd see more hybrid schemes, less Tampa-2 and more specialization. Add in the move toward increased aggressiveness in those sticking with 4-3 fronts and I think we lovers of defense are in for a great ride over the next few seasons. It should be fun trying to stay ahead of the curve in projecting numbers for IDP purposes.
Oh, and with the Broncos and Chiefs blowing up their defenses while the Raiders staying stagnant in a read-and-react look, the Charger offensive players should be licking their chops in 2009.
-They had a win taken away by refs.
-They suffered injuries.
-There is a real chance all of the defenses in divsion will be worse.
stevegamer
Footballguy
Jene:
The Dallas thread in the Shark Pool has Wade Phillips as Dallas' DC.
The Dallas thread in the Shark Pool has Wade Phillips as Dallas' DC.
stevegamer
Footballguy
Bumping this so new people can see it.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Article this weekend from the Lions' official website.
Confirms a melding of defensive principles from Gunther Cunningham and Jim Schwartz. Base defense sounds similar to the defense Jimmy Johnson and Jim Bates made popular in the 90s than what the Titans have done in recent seasons. Should allow better pass rushing angles outside, depress the value of the DTs slightly, and improve the MLB value.
There's also a hint that the Lions will use some 3-3-5 nickel alignments, as a way to rush Julian Peterson -- but from a two point stance. Could be good news for the presumptive MLB seeing a decent percentage of snaps on passing downs if that works out.
Confirms a melding of defensive principles from Gunther Cunningham and Jim Schwartz. Base defense sounds similar to the defense Jimmy Johnson and Jim Bates made popular in the 90s than what the Titans have done in recent seasons. Should allow better pass rushing angles outside, depress the value of the DTs slightly, and improve the MLB value.
There's also a hint that the Lions will use some 3-3-5 nickel alignments, as a way to rush Julian Peterson -- but from a two point stance. Could be good news for the presumptive MLB seeing a decent percentage of snaps on passing downs if that works out.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, Sean McDermott has officially been named the replacement defensive coordinator for Jim Johnson in Philadelphia. McDermott has extensive experience alongside Johnson and is very well thought of around the league. The defensive scheme and philosophy won't change.
T Bell
Footballguy
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
My intended meaning was that: It's unfortunate and also not surprising given the news this summer that Jim Johnson isn't able to handle the duties of defensive coordinator due to his illness and that the Eagles have had to name McDermott as a replacement.Sorry if that read poorly.
stevegamer
Footballguy
Jim Johnson has died, there is a thread in the Shark Pool.He will be missed.My intended meaning was that: It's unfortunate and also not surprising given the news this summer that Jim Johnson isn't able to handle the duties of defensive coordinator due to his illness and that the Eagles have had to name McDermott as a replacement.Sorry if that read poorly.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Yes, I edited it last month.
Tenacious
Footballguy
Awesome Thanks.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Awesome blog post, indeed.For those interested in more on under fronts, check out posts in the discussing defensive schemes defensive line thread here and the thread on the Tampa-2 (of which under front concepts are a major part).
Thanks for the post, JAM (and coolnerd).
Kool-Aid Larry
Footballguy
I was just revisiting this most excellent thread, and was wondering if we can get one or two gap bases edited in.
Or is that too much.......?
Or is that too much.......?
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Sure. I deleted them this spring since most of the 3-4 teams have morphed into at least a significant minority of 1-gap snaps. I'll amend the list with the current leanings.
Kool-Aid Larry
Footballguy
sweet --- you're awesome.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Updated the notations in the initial post after seeing some confirmation of the preseason alignments and some surprising alignments last weekend.
Most notably, Jacksonville and New Orleans lined up in the 3-4 as a base frequently in Week 1. The Ravens and Jets and Patriots are playing a lot of 4-3, while KC and DEN aren't as "hybrid" as their coordinators may suggest. Also added a 46 notation to the Cowboys and Texans.
Most notably, Jacksonville and New Orleans lined up in the 3-4 as a base frequently in Week 1. The Ravens and Jets and Patriots are playing a lot of 4-3, while KC and DEN aren't as "hybrid" as their coordinators may suggest. Also added a 46 notation to the Cowboys and Texans.
