Assessing the Redskins coaching options: 49ers DC Robert Saleh

Should the Redskins pursue Saleh?

While NFL teams have demonstrated more of a tendency to hire offensive-minded coaches in recent seasons, a market correction could be on the way. This offseason, there are plenty of solid defensive-minded coaches on the market. Saleh is one, Ron Rivera is another.

And with some of the more recent offensive-minded hires struggling through their first seasons in their new roles (Freddie Kitchens, in particular, comes to mind) NFL teams may want to give more consideration to options on the defensive side of the ball. After all, defense wins championships, right?

Cliches aside, Saleh is a candidate who the Redskins should certainly pursue. He has a nice skill set and his recent success with the 49ers points to his ability to effectively utilize personnel, something that has too often been an issue under Greg Manusky and previously, Joe Barry. And perhaps more importantly, the energy he brings to the field may be unmatched compared to other coaching candidates.

If Saleh can really solidify what many have viewed as a potential-packed defense for the past two seasons, that would be a massive win for the Redskins. He would still need to bring somebody on board to help accelerate Dwayne Haskins‘ development, but that’s something that he certainly could do.

Saleh will certainly be one of the best defensive-minded coaching candidates out there. The Redskins should at least give him an interview and give him consideration as a potential energetic on-field culture changer.

In this analyst’s opinion, Saleh is a top-three candidate for this job. But we’ll see what happens during the interview process.