Sam Mills III faces the tough task of replacing Jim Tomsula in Washington

How Mills can help replace Jim Tomsula

Replacing Jim Tomsula isn’t going to be an easy task. Tomsula is one of the most respected defensive line coaches in the NFL and the work he did with the Washington front was spectacular.

As mentioned before, Tomsula was able to get the most out of the team’s defensive line in three his seasons in D.C. He oversaw the development of Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, and Matt Ioannidis, and his work with the lattermost player is certainly impressive given that Ioannidis didn’t even make the 53-man roster his first year with the team.

And beyond the big names, Tomsula helped to turn guys like Tim Settle, Anthony Lanier, and Ziggy Hood into solid rotational players. Simply put, he was able to get the most out of all of his guys. It will be interesting to see if Mills can do the same.

For now, Mills isn’t nearly as proven as Tomsula. However, he has been able to generate a lot of pass rush pressure when armed with talented players. Given the insanely skilled players at his disposal in Washington, Mills should have a chance to perform well.

Mills and the scheme are the biggest changes for the group. Mills should be focused on bringing along the young guys on the roster while acknowledging that the veterans know what it takes to win consistently; they’re one of the few units that did that last year.

Mills shouldn’t be looking to reinvent the wheel. He can pick up some tips from the top players about Tomsula’s practices, keep those implemented, and then bring a few of his own to help change things up. But overall, the defensive line group is one of the few places that didn’t need an overhaul for Washington this offseason. So, Mills should just look to keep things humming in that room and not disrupt the flow too much.

This transition isn’t going to be easy. Tomsula is such a great coach. But Mills’ fit with this unit is certainly something to watch in 2020.