ESPN: Source: Wade Phillips agrees to be Rams' defensive coordinator

[jobberone]

Rams are missing a few pieces but I suspect will get a lot better over the next 1-3 years. I think the Skins will get better as well.

 

[csirl]

This is some serious BS that he accepted the Rams job without even interviewing for the Commanders. A team that is vastly superior, and always have been.

Kurt Warner and the Greatest Show on Turf now a fading memory? People forget quickly.

And what about the days of Norm Van Brocklin etc?

 

[robbieruff]

No, Wade will use those players where they are best. If Quinn and Donald get moved, that would mean they are out of position. Wade will most likely be staying in a 4-3, and if he doesn't, I'm going to guess the previous coaching staff with the Rams really screwed up the defensive schemes for the players.

Though, there will most likely need to be some shuffling with the linebackers.

Makes sense. Be interesting to see it play out. Wade has historically been pretty faithful to a base 3-4 but I agree that he is very good at building a system and approach that fits the personnel. Donald is such a unique guy in that he's relatively undersized but has so much strength and explosiveness/quickness.

Happy for Wade.

 

[Denim Chicken]

Nice, glad he didn't go to the Skins. Love that Washington lost Thier OC, fired thier entire Defense staff, and lost out on Wade.

 

[Future]

Interesting. I wonder how the Rams defensive personnel will function in a 3-4? Donald is a beast and can function in any system but who in the hell are the OLBs going to be?

Yea - this makes no sense to me.

It's exactly what Buffalo did when they hired Rex...took a great 4-3 D, brought in a 3-4 guy, and went to crap.

 

[Chuck 54]

Wondering same thing. How does their best player fair in wade's system? Talking bout Donald. Great D couch but puzzling move.

Donald and Brockers will excel at 3-4 DE in the mode that Clowney and Watt are both 3-4 DE's. The great ones make the 3-4 defense work; it's not just the OLB, as we saw with Ware....we never had a 3-4 De worth a damn in Dallas. Quinn and Simms at OLB perhaps. It will be a pretty smooth transition if they can find the inside LBs with some pop.

 

[robbieruff]

Donald and Brockers will excel at 3-4 DE in the mode that Clowney and Watt are both 3-4 DE's. The great ones make the 3-4 defense work; it's not just the OLB, as we saw with Ware....we never had a 3-4 De worth a damn in Dallas. Quinn and Simms at OLB perhaps. It will be a pretty smooth transition if they can find the inside LBs with some pop.

I thought Clowney moves to OLB in their 3-4 alignment and played with his hand on the ground when they go 4 down linemen...didn't realize he was lining up at DE in the 3-4 set but admittedly I don't watch Texans much living in California.

Donald appears a bit slight of build for a 3-4 DE but if anyone can do it undersized it's him...he's a beast...but I think his career would be best as a 3-tech in a Cowboys uniform

 

[dogberry]

Was Elway going to fire the entire coaching staff?

Did Kubiak quit to avoid be required to fire people?

 

[mattjames2010]

Was Elway going to fire the entire coaching staff?

Did Kubiak quit to avoid be required to fire people?

You know, I was going to criticize Elway for letting Phillips go. But he has gotten the Broncos to two Super Bowls the past 3 seasons. So, he knows what he is doing.

But I thought it was a mistake when Texans let Phillips go and I still think this is a mistake for the Broncos. There's not many DCs in this league that are on Phillips level. The issue that Phillips has is, he coaches defenses so well and gets the best out of them that it raises the prices come FA time and they all rush out the door for the biggest contracts.

 

[Walker]

Huge mistake by Denver. Looks like they are at a loss right now.