After another ugly loss, the Washington Redskins are staring some difficult decisions in the face. If they move on from Jay Gruden and target some defensive coaches to replace him, these are some of the options.
Fair or not, Jay Gruden’s job is on the line. He’s in his fifth year in Washington, and he has only made the postseason once. In each of the past two seasons, his team has been decimated by injuries, making it hard to compete. And while the squad looked like they may make a playoff run early in the season, they have fallen victim to familiar issues in recent weeks. And that’s a problem.
The injury issues could absolutely be forgiven if the Redskins seemed to be making progress. But they’re not. They’re still struggling with discipline, fundamentals, penalties, energy, and consistency on both sides of the ball. That has been the case in the past few seasons, and it hasn’t been fixed. That’s why Gruden’s job could be on the line.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed. Gruden could remain with the Redskins beyond this season. The organization could give him a reprieve and give him another year to right the ship. And frankly, that might be the right move. But still, if the team does decide to go in another direction, it’s possible that they might target a defensive-minded coach this time around.
With that said, there are some interesting defensive minds on the market. The options on offense might be more exciting, but here’s a look at five guys that could really give the Redskins the culture change they need all-around.
Del Rio is easily the most experienced candidate on this list. He held the head coaching job with the Jacksonville Jaguars for nine seasons and also coached the Oakland Raiders for three years. Before and between, he was a defensive coordinator for the Panthers and Broncos.
To put it lightly, that’s a lot.
While many would argue against a retread (and typically, I would be in that camp), Del Rio is a special case. During his NFL career, Del Rio has consistently proven to be one of the better defensive minds in the game. He helped to craft some very strong Denver defenses and did well when called upon as an interim coach when John Fox missed time due to health concerns. That’s what landed him a job with the Raiders.
While many remember Del Rio’s last season as a disappointment, retrospectively, it’s impressive that he was able to get that team to six wins. Frankly, the team didn’t have a lot of talent on either side of the ball, so Del Rio did well to milk as much out of those teams as he could. And, of course, he wasn’t in on the decision to trade Khalil Mack, so that’s a plus, too.
Del Rio could bring some discipline to the Redskins unit. If he brought in a strong defensive coordinator, that could be enough to ensure that the players on the side of the ball would improve their fundamentals and start tackling better. And at the very least, Del Rio would bring a new voice and philosophy to the team. So, that could be a plus.
Still, if the Redskins go for a defensive-minded guy, it might be better for them to find someone that isn’t a retread. Del Rio should still be an option if Jay Gruden ends up elsewhere, but for now, Del Rio is lower down on the list of options.
Some may scoff at this notion, as the Saints defense wasn’t good at the beginning of the season. However, in recent weeks they have rebounded quite nicely, and Dennis Allen has played no small part in that.
Early in his career as the defensive coordinator for the Saints, Allen wasn’t able to do much. The team’s units lacked talent, and as a result, the defenses in 2015 and 2016 were bottom-five units in the league. And it’s notable that he was the interim defensive coordinator in 2015, as he replaced Rob Ryan late in the season. So, that defense wasn’t entirely his.
When Allen was on thin ice, he surprisingly turned the team’s defense around in 2017. That year, the Saints had a top-10 scoring defense and while they were only 17th in yardage allowed, they were able to win games with their defense. They rounded out into a complete unit, and Allen seamlessly integrated new, young talent into the defense. He did well to get the most out of young studs like Marshon Lattimore and Alex Anzalone. And that carried over into 2018.
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Though the Saints secondary struggled early in the season — the first three games were particularly brutal — Allen’s unit has started playing much better in recent weeks. In fact, after being ranked as one of the worst defenses early in the season, they have climbed up to a middle-of-the-pack rating in both yardage and scoring defense. And considering how damaging their 48-point Week 1 outing was, that’s pretty impressive.
Allen’s fit with the Redskins would be to maximize the young talent on the defensive side of the ball. The ‘Skins have a lot of young talent in the secondary and on the defensive line, and in the ideal world, Allen would come into work with the secondary while retaining Jim Tomsula to work with the defensive line. That could spark an improvement from the young talent and reinvigorate a disinterested looking defense.
Of course, Allen does come with some issues. He had a poor tenure as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, compiling an 8-28 record over the course of two-plus seasons from 2012-2014. That said, Allen now has four more years of experience under his belt, and he may be better served to operate in a larger role now.
Allen might not be the top defensive option, but he still should get consideration if the team wants a young, defensive-minded coach. Expect him to be on the short-list for defensive candidates if he continues to lead the New Orleans defense to solid results.
A lot of Redskins fans have been calling on Gregg Williams as a potential possibility as a head coach. The fit could be a sensible one, as he did have a four-year stint as the Redskins defensive coordinator from 2004-2007. And during that time, the team finished with a top-10 defense three times. So, he has a track record of success in Washington.
There would be some issues with bringing in Williams, but they can be explained.
One concern is that Williams has only really created average defenses since he came back to the NFL in 2014. Granted, he was working with the Rams and the Browns, but too often, the defenses have allowed chunk plays. But again, that may have been a talent deficiency and not a coaching deficiency. His work with the front sevens was definitely impressive, and their discipline is solid.
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Beyond the concerns with Williams’ ability is that he was involved with the Bountygate scandal in New Orleans. He was suspended indefinitely by the league as a result of that. Of course, this issue was many years ago, and Williams has been forgiven. But, it’s possible that bringing him in as a candidate could draw more criticism to a Redskins team that has already been dealing with a lot of off-the-field attention in recent weeks. Still, it’s unlikely that this would be a major issue. It’s just something that has to be brought up when discussing Williams.
All that said, Williams should still garner some consideration. He understands the storied history of the Redskins franchise, and he worked under the legendary Joe Gibbs. He would bring a no-nonsense attitude and might bring some accountability to the defense. And if he keeps doing well as the Browns interim coach, that may be enough to showcase what he might be capable of as a head coach.
Williams is a solid candidate, and it seems probable that he might get a shot as a head coach at some point. But if he doesn’t get a shot as a head coach, he could be targeted as a defensive coordinator. He and Jim Tomsula could make an excellent duo, so keep an eye on Williams regardless. If he’s not a head coach candidate, he may be available as a DC.
Richard is becoming one of the hotter names on the coaching market. Richard was the man responsible for making the Legion of Boom in Seattle. And now, he’s on his way to building an excellent defense in Dallas.
Since the mid-point of the season, the Dallas defense has been red-hot. They limited the Saints to 10 points in a Thursday night clash, and their defensive backs have been playing excellent in coverage. Richard’s performance and coaching have played no small part in the improvements of the Dallas defense.
Richard also comes with plenty of experience managing solid defenses in Seattle. He had two top-five units and one that barely fell outside the top-10 in his three years as the Seattle defense. He was rumored to be a potential head coaching candidate at many times, but instead, Seattle went in a different direction and that’s what led Richard to Dallas.
You can see the development from the young corners in Dallas, and that can be attributed to Richard. Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, and Anthony Brown have all rounded into quality players and have radically improved as this year goes along. If they continue to play at this level, that will make Dallas a playoff contender. Props to Richard for being able to help turn that defense into an excellent unit.
If Richard came to the Redskins, his main role would be to improve the secondary. They have a lot of young talent there, and Richard could help unlock their potential. He might be able to relate to the younger guys on the squad, and he could help the young defensive line to improve as well.
Basically, if you look at his track record, Richard is a proven developer. He helps younger players find success. Washington could definitely use that and if they poach talent from a divisional rival, that would be a plus. That’s what makes Richard such an intriguing candidate.
If the Redskins do end up looking for a new head coach and if they do go for one on the defensive side of the ball, Vic Fangio would be my top pick. He has a consistent record as a defensive coordinator and has done excellent work with every defensive unit that he has coached since becoming a defensive coordinator in 2011.
After spending years as the linebackers coach for the Ravens and a year at Stanford as the defensive coordinator, Fangio joined Jim Harbaugh‘s staff in 2011 with the 49ers. And in his role as coordinator there, the 49ers thrived under him.
In four seasons, the 49ers finished top-five in yardage allowed and top-10 in scoring defense every year. They were remarkably consistent, and Fangio was able to get the most out of all his players very easily. He simply knows how to get the most out of players, and that has been on display in Chicago.
In his four years with the Bears, Chicago has steadily improved each year as Fangio helped to develop talent and create a solid, 3-4 defense that reminds many of the Bears defense of old. This year, the Bears are arguably the best defense in the league. And while that may be related partially to the acquisition of Khalil Mack, Fangio deserves credit for the unit’s discipline and tenacity.
The Redskins have defensive talent. They just need someone to coach them up and improve their discipline. Fangio could be that guy. He definitely should get a call if the team looks for a defensive coach — especially after how good the Bears defense looked against the Rams on Sunday night.