According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the St. Louis Rams have hired former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.
A little longer than five minutes but still...Rams hired former Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan as their defensive coordinator.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 25, 2013
Many people cannot stand the move. They state that Ryan’s defenses have never been that great and that he is too aggressive as a coordinator. Some even take it to another level and say if it was not for Ryan’s last name, he would be coaching little league.
Well, once you look past all the chatter and hating on Ryan, you will see that this is a great move for the Rams. Even if you are one of those who question his abilities, Ryan will bring a lot to the table for the Rams.
[caption id="attachment_55" align="alignright" width="287" caption="Rob Ryan will bring his big name to St. Louis in 2013"]
[/caption]
Love or hate Ryan, he is the most well-known coordinator in football. For that matter, he is more known than a lot of head coaches in the league. Obviously, being well-known is not the same thing as being successful. However, Ryan’s big name status will mean a lot to the Rams.
In 2012, how many times did you hear about the Rams in the national media? Not too often. The Rams put together an awesome season after years and years of failure. Yet, the Colts and Redskins took all the national attention as great turnaround stories. These teams did have great seasons, but both came into the 2012 season with a much more proven roster than the Rams.
Enter Rob Ryan. If there is one thing you know about the guy, it is that the national media loves to cover him. He will bring a lot of attention with him to St. Louis, which is something that the Rams have not had since the “Greatest Show on Turf” days.
Ryan’s skills are also underrated as well. Sure, his teams are usually middle of the pack at best defenses, but look at the teams he has been with. Oakland, Cleveland, and Dallas, have any of those teams had premier defensive talent over the last several seasons?
The Rams, on the other hand, do have some great young defensive talent. Chris Long, James Laurinaitis and others are just entering the prime of their careers while youngsters like Janoris Jenkins and Robert Quinn have shown great talent despite barely gotten their feet wet in the NFL.
The Rams defense ranked 14th in total defense last year. As young as they are, one would be shocked if they did not improve on that next season. Ryan would have a very hard time screwing that up.
Ryan’s biggest criticism has been his aggressive play calling. He blitzes too much and gives up too many big plays. However, do not expect that to be much of a problem with the Rams.
The Rams were one of the most aggressive defenses in the league last season as is. They tied for the league lead in sacks last season with 52. Yes, the Rams have several great pass rushers, but you do not get that many sacks without a lot of blitzes.
Honestly though, the biggest reason as to why Ryan will be successful with the Rams is obvious. He is joining a great staff with several positional coaches that are some of the best in the league. Not to mention that he will be coaching under one of the premier head coaches in all of football.
[caption id="attachment_56" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Head Coach Jeff Fisher hopes Ryan will only help his great coaching staff"]
[/caption]
No matter whom the coordinator is, Jeff Fisher will have the final say in the game plans for the Rams. Last season, a 27 year old kid with minimal experience was running this defense. One could not seriously believe that Jeff Fisher was not a big reason for that.
With Fisher, Ryan, and all the great positional coaches on the Rams, this defense will be successful for the Rams. A monkey could be the defensive coordinator and this team will still be alright. That’s how good this team’s staff is.
Ryan is a clear upgrade from Blake Williams. His experience will only help a young Rams defense. His attitude will only toughen up this fierce defense. Overall, this is a great addition to Jeff Fisher’s already stacked coaching staff.
Back to the Los Angeles Rams Newsfeed