NFL Coach Update: L.A. Likes McVay; Denver Eyes Joseph

Peter King/Sports Illustrated via MMQB

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/nfl-head-coach-vacancy-sean-mcvay-rams-mailbag-011117

Lots of email about the Chris Berman retrospective and, because in my Tuesday piece on Berman I didn’t say what I thought of the man, I’ll do that here. But first, let’s look at the coaching carousel, which appears to be moving much faster than we thought a few days ago.

On Monday, the Jaguars announced they were keeping interim coach Doug Marrone as the full-timer, backstopped by two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Tom Coughlin as director of football operations. The Bills, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News, appear to be closing in on Carolina defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, 42, a well-respected graduate of the Jim Johnson school of defense in Philadelphia. And then there were four. What each vacancy looks like this morning:

• Denver. The Broncos seem to have it down to two, with Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph having a slight edge over Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. But Joseph was scheduled to leave Denver after an interview Tuesday to keep appointments with the Chargers on Wednesday and the 49ers on Thursday. However—and this might be significant—Joseph had dinner with Elway after their interview and Joseph had not left Denver as of late Tuesday night and was scheduled to stay until this morning. “He has great leadership qualities and a strong vision of what it takes to win,” GM and decider-in-chief John Elway tweeted Tuesday. Longtime Broncos beat man Mike Klis says special-teams coach Dave Toub of Kansas City is still in the equation too. It’s still too early to think Joseph—who then would have a need to build an offensive staff while retaining most defensive assistants, a bit of an awkward scenario—is the better fit over Shanahan. But I’ve heard Elway and club president Joe Ellis were extremely impressed by the Shanahan interview, and that narrowed the early gap between he and the more well-rounded manager he thinks Joseph is. So we’ll see.

• Los Angeles. There’s always a candidate that comes out of the blue. This year’s guy is growing on the Rams, and fast. The Rams are serious about 30-year-old offensive coordinator Sean McVay of Washington. (Well, he’s not so young. He does turn 31 in two weeks.) He was the play-caller in Washington the past two years under Jay Gruden, and the grandson of Bill Walsh’s director of football operations in San Francisco is well respected by his players. When the Rams interviewed McVay, they found a guy who was totally un-awed by the prospect of being the youngest head coach in the league. He’s been training for it under Gruden. “I’m sure,” Gruden told our Andy Benoit last summer, “he’ll be a head coach a lot sooner than people think.” If McVay’s the call over Houston assistant Mike Vrabel or Buffalo interim coach Anthony Lynn (the Rams loved Lynn when they spoke Sunday), he’ll have to build a veteran staff to help him negotiate the stuff he doesn’t know. But the prospect of McVay, who helped tutor Kirk Cousins into respectability, working with top 2016 pick Jared Goff might be most attractive to the Rams. Keep in mind that owner Stan Kroenke has to approve all hires, and he hasn’t met with the youngster yet. So set nothing in stone here.

• San Diego. The Chargers favor a candidate with head-coaching experience, which gives former Falcons coach Mike Smith (seven-year mark in Atlanta: 67-50) a leg up. But that’s not a must. The choice will have to be flexible, in case the franchise moves to the Los Angeles ‘burbs this fall and plays as an orphan for two years while the Rams/Chargers palace dreamed up by Rams owner Stan Kroenke is built. Toub is in play here, as is Joseph (slated to interview Wednesday). All along, a defensive coach has seemed to make sense here, with so much young talent on that side of the ball. If not Smith or Joseph, Detroit defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is also liked in San Diego.

• San Francisco. The Niners know they’ll have to stretch for one of the young stars (Josh McDaniels, Kyle Shanahan), as in a very long-term contract and willingness to allow the pick to help overhaul the culture of this suddenly downtrodden organization. They seem willing to do that, and to lower expectations for the next couple of years while the franchise is rebuilt. An offensive man with the reputation for finding and coaching the quarterback of the future—quite likely not on the roster as we speak—makes the most sense. This is still an open place. The Niners have favorable draft (picks 2, 34, 66 in the first three rounds) and cap positions to sell.

The bizarre allegations about Trump and Russia, explained

The bizarre allegations about Trump and Russia, explained

So it looks like Russia may have some dirty secrets on Donald Trump — and that they worked to influence the outcome of the election. Here’s a helpful explainer.

WHAT DOES RUSSIA HAVE ON TRUMP?

We don’t know for sure. The reports circulating haven’t been definitively verified. But basically, Russia allegedly has some embarrassing dirt on Trump — both personal and financial.

The key allegation against Trump that’s flying around the Internet is that he apparently had prostitutes urinate on a bed Obama had slept in — the type of act known in the business as “golden showers,” if you didn’t know.

Maybe you think that’s kinky. Maybe you think it’s gross. Maybe you think ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. But that’s not all.

OK, WHAT ELSE IS THERE?

Apparently Russia has been gathering intel like this on Trump — and also supporting and helping him — for years, in various ways, including providing intel, and including helping him win the election. One tactic: targeting young Americans specifically to turn them against Hillary Clinton and toward Trump, including convincing pro-Bernie Sanders voters protesting the establishment to support Trump.

One allegation specifically mentions that Trump is happy for Russia to be seen by Americans as a distraction from his “corrupt business ties to China and other emerging countries.”

Put it all together, and at worst you have a president-elect who is vulnerable to pressure or even blackmail by a hostile foreign country. (Russia is not our friend.) At best, Russia can count on Trump for “voluntary co-operation” without even having to blackmail him, according to the intel.

IS THIS NEW INFO?

To many elected officials, the intelligence community and journalists, no. These claims have been flying around for months — since before Election Day. (The website Mother Jones even reported on this in October.) But to most Americans and most of the world, yes, this is new and explosive.

SO WHY ARE WE HEARING ABOUT IT NOW?

President Obama and Trump were both given a synopsis of a report (also being referred to in some media reports as a dossier, which just means a collection of documents) that contained these allegations. The report is 35 pages long. Today, CNN put out a major report on it, as did BuzzFeed, which also published the documents. (They are here.) And that’s when it all exploded.

WHERE DID THIS INFO COME FROM?

“The allegations came, in part, from memos compiled by a former British intelligence operative, whose past work US intelligence officials consider credible,” reported CNN.

WHY WOULD RUSSIA DO ALL THIS? WHAT DO THEY WANT?

The U.S. government, under Obama, is often at odds with Russia. What the Russian government wants is to move things in their direction. Including changing American opinion in their favor.

WHAT DOES TRUMP SAY ABOUT IT?

A lawyer for Trump laughed about it and called the claims “ridiculous,” according to Mic.

Trump’s first news conference in months is scheduled for tomorrow.

NOW WHAT?

The Huffington Post reports that Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) asked Obama to provide Congress with a classified briefing on the subject.

Intel chiefs presented Trump with claims of Russian efforts to compromise him

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/10/politics/donald-trump-intelligence-report-russia/index.html

(CNN)Classified documents presented last week to President Obama and President-elect Trump included allegations that Russian operatives claim to have compromising personal and financial information about Mr. Trump, multiple US officials with direct knowledge of the briefings tell CNN.

The allegations were presented in a two-page synopsis that was appended to a report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The allegations came, in part, from memos compiled by a former British intelligence operative, whose past work US intelligence officials consider credible. The FBI is investigating the credibility and accuracy of these allegations, which are based primarily on information from Russian sources, but has not confirmed many essential details in the memos about Mr. Trump.
The classified briefings last week were presented by four of the senior-most US intelligence chiefs — Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, FBI Director James Comey, CIA Director John Brennan, and NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers.
One reason the nation’s intelligence chiefs took the extraordinary step of including the synopsis in the briefing documents was to make the President-elect aware that such allegations involving him are circulating among intelligence agencies, senior members of Congress and other government officials in Washington, multiple sources tell CNN.
These senior intelligence officials also included the synopsis to demonstrate that Russia had compiled information potentially harmful to both political parties, but only released information damaging to Hillary Clinton and Democrats. This synopsis was not an official part of the report from the intelligence community case about Russian hacks, but some officials said it augmented the evidence that Moscow intended to harm Clinton’s candidacy and help Trump’s, several officials with knowledge of the briefings tell CNN.
The two-page synopsis also included allegations that there was a continuing exchange of information during the campaign between Trump surrogates and intermediaries for the Russian government, according to two national security officials.
Sources tell CNN that these same allegations about communications between the Trump campaign and the Russians, mentioned in classified briefings for congressional leaders last year, prompted then-Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid to send a letter to FBI Director Comey in October, in which he wrote, “It has become clear that you possess explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government — a foreign interest openly hostile to the United States.”
CNN has confirmed that the synopsis was included in the documents that were presented to Mr. Trump but cannot confirm if it was discussed in his meeting with the intelligence chiefs.
The Trump transition team declined repeated requests for comment.
CNN has reviewed a 35-page compilation of the memos, from which the two-page synopsis was drawn. The memos originated as opposition research, first commissioned by anti-Trump Republicans, and later by Democrats. At this point, CNN is not reporting on details of the memos, as it has not independently corroborated the specific allegations. But, in preparing this story, CNN has spoken to multiple high ranking intelligence, administration, congressional and law enforcement officials, as well as foreign officials and others in the private sector with direct knowledge of the memos.
Some of the memos were circulating as far back as last summer. What has changed since then is that US intelligence agencies have now checked out the former British intelligence operative and his vast network throughout Europe and find him and his sources to be credible enough to include some of the information in the presentations to the President and President-elect a few days ago.
On the same day that the President-elect was briefed by the intelligence community, the top four Congressional leaders, and chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees — the so-called “Gang of Eight” — were also provided a summary of the memos regarding Mr. Trump, according to law enforcement, intelligence and administration sources.
The two-page summary was written without the detailed specifics and information about sources and methods included in the memos by the former British intelligence official. That said, the synopsis was considered so sensitive it was not included in the classified report about Russian hacking that was more widely distributed, but rather in an annex only shared at the most senior levels of the government: President Obama, the President-elect, and the eight Congressional leaders.
CNN has also learned that on December 9, Senator John McCain gave a full copy of the memos — dated from June through December, 2016 — to FBI Director James Comey. McCain became aware of the memos from a former British diplomat who had been posted in Moscow. But the FBI had already been given a set of the memos compiled up to August 2016, when the former MI6 agent presented them to an FBI official in Rome, according to national security officials.
The raw memos on which the synopsis is based were prepared by the former MI6 agent, who was posted in Russia in the 1990s and now runs a private intelligence gathering firm. His investigations related to Mr. Trump were initially funded by groups and donors supporting Republican opponents of Mr. Trump during the GOP primaries, multiple sources confirmed to CNN. Those sources also said that once Mr. Trump became the nominee, further investigation was funded by groups and donors supporting Hillary Clinton.
Spokespeople for the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment. Officials who spoke to CNN declined to do so on the record given the classified nature of the material.
Some of the allegations were first reported publicly in Mother Jones one week before the election.
One high level administration official told CNN, “I have a sense the outgoing administration and intelligence community is setting down the pieces so this must be investigated seriously and run down. I think [the] concern was to be sure that whatever information was out there is put into the system so it is evaluated as it should be and acted upon as necessary.”

sanbagger wrote:

The Rams didn’t need any more ammo to let Fisher go…they had more than enough.

It makes sense to me Fisher leaked it in an attempt to buy him some more time…in a sense the Rams would look foolish to give him an extension then turn around and fire him before the season ended.

But, conversely, the Rams would know that coaches get fired with extensions all the time and it doesn’t matter, especially since the deal was really a 1-year the way it was structured.

Zooey wrote:

cuz i’m not exactly sure how it would have benefitted fisher to leak that. it was only going to make fans angrier.

Fisher said in a radio interview after being fired that one thing that disappointed him in the organization was them leaking the extension news.

So according to him, it wasn’t him.

.

JackPMiller wrote:

we are in good shape to get the Shanahans

Let’s hope not.

I don’t want the Shanahans plural.

Dad Shanahan was a mess when it came to the personnel/GM stuff. I have no idea why anyone would want him.

And in terms of giving Kyle advice, there’s always the phone. Just phone Dad. No need to have him on the payroll.

…

SunTzu_vs_Camus
btw –
Wonder how TGs stat of getting hit/1st contact by a defender 1.5yds after hand-off compares with to other NFL RBs? Or even SJs? I dunno but would be interesting to know.

That IS knowable.

The football outsiders stat for that is percentage of runs stuffed.

Their definition: Stuffed: Percentage of runs where the running back is tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage. Since being stuffed is bad, teams are ranked from stuffed least often (#1) to most often (#32).

Rams runs stuffed 2016: 22%, ranked 28th
Rams runs stuffed 2015: 23%, ranked 28th

Rams runs stuffed 2012 (Jackson’s last year): 20%, ranked 21st

The REAL difference between SJ and TG is open field yards, that is yards generated on his own past the LOS.

Jackson was always good at that.

And, TG 2015 was better at that than TG 2016.

I think the key is this. TG 2015 generated most of his yards in the 2nd half after the Rams adjusted to the defense.

That didn’t happen in 2016. Not that they didn’t adjust in 2016. It was just never effective.

And in fact that maps out with another stat—points per quarter. Rams were respectable in the 1st quarter for almost all of 2016. But then starting in the 2nd quarter and going to the 4th, they plummeted. They would be ranked in the high 20s and 30s.

10 head coach candidates: Why they fit, don’t fit Rams

By Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/32667/ten-head-coach-candidates-why-they-fit-dont-fit-rams

OS ANGELES — The proverbial first domino fell on Monday, when Jacksonville announced that interim coach Doug Marrone would remain in the role full time.

That leaves five coaching vacancies, for Denver, San Francisco, Buffalo, San Diego and, most relevant here, the Los Angeles Rams.

The Rams’ interviewing party — a group that is led by COO Kevin Demoff and also includes Les Snead, who might or might not remain general manager after this process is complete — returned to Southern California on Monday and has some very important work ahead of it these next few days. Assistant coaches on playoff teams who continue on cannot be interviewed for the first time after this weekend, with second interviews only allowed the weekend before the Super Bowl. Once eliminated, of course, interviews can be scheduled at any time.

Last week, the Rams interviewed Steve Wilks, Harold Goodwin, Sean McVay, Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia, Anthony Lynn and, before he came off the board, Marrone. This week, they’re expected to interview Teryl Austin, Mike Vrabel, Vance Joseph and Kyle Shanahan, whose original interview was held up by weather. Other names might pop up, as well. A convenient one-stop shop for content related to all coaching vacancies can be found here. Below is a categorical look at the 10 names linked to the Rams.

Teryl Austin

Age: 51

Current title: Lions defensive coordinator, three seasons

Prior roles: Ravens secondary coach (2011-13) … Florida defensive coordinator (2010) … Cardinals defensive backs coach (2007-09) … Seahawks defensive backs coach (2003-06)

Why he fits: Austin runs a very aggressive 4-3 scheme — though he can also adjust well — and has historically gotten the most out of his players. He can do well with a Rams group that features a solid defensive line and athletic linebackers, and he’d be very well-suited to improve a thin secondary. Austin has coached the secondary for Super Bowl teams in 2005 (Seahawks), 2008 (Cardinals) and 2012 (Ravens). He also has the magnetic personality that can thrive in a big market like Los Angeles, ESPN Lions reporter Michael Rothstein would tell you.

Why he doesn’t: Austin interviewed for head coaching vacancies with eight teams the past two years and many believe this is the year he finally gets a gig. The Rams might not be a fit, though, for one very obvious reason — their biggest need is someone who can fix the offense. And though Demoff has stressed that the organization would remain open-minded in its search, it’s hard to hire someone like Austin unless he has an offensive-minded coach he can bring with him. The Lions won’t let current offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter take the same job elsewhere. Maybe quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan?

Harold Goodwin

Age: 43

Current title: Cardinals offensive coordinator, four seasons

Prior roles: Colts offensive line coach (2012) … Steelers offensive line coach and quality control coordinator (2007-11) … Bears assistant offensive line coach (2004-06)

Why he fits: Goodwin came up coaching offensive lines, which is nice for a Rams team that drafted seven offensive linemen from 2014-15 and has yet to see results. While he was in Pittsburgh, the Steelers frequently had strong running games. In Arizona, he helped spark the resurgence of quarterback Carson Palmer. The Cardinals improved 20 spots, from 32nd to 12th, in total offense in Goodwin’s first year as offensive coordinator in 2013. In 2015, they had the best offense in the NFL.

Why he doesn’t: Goodwin doesn’t call plays. That task falls on Bruce Arians, one of the NFL’s sharpest offensive minds. Goodwin has certainly gained a lot from working under Arians all these years, but going from an offensive coordinator who doesn’t call plays to the head coach of a team that needs a lot of offensive help might be too big of a jump. Goodwin might need more seasoning.

Vance Joseph

Age: 44

Current title: Dolphins defensive coordinator, one season

Prior roles: Bengals defensive backs coach (2014-15) … Texans defensive backs coach (2011-13) … 49ers defensive backs coach (2006-10)

Why he fits: Joseph is the third successful defensive backs coach to emerge as a head coaching candidate for the Rams, who previously employed another former defensive backs coach — Jeff Fisher. Under Joseph’s watch from 2014-15, the Bengals’ secondary led the NFL with 41 interceptions and limited opposing quarterbacks to an NFL-low 77.4 passer rating. In three seasons in Houston, the Texans allowed the NFL’s lowest completion percentage (54.5). Joseph has a knack for developing young defensive backs. He’s also an honest, clear communicator.

Why he doesn’t: The Dolphins’ defense wasn’t very good in Joseph’s first year as an NFL coordinator. Miami gave up the fourth-most yards during the regular season, then surrendered 30 points in a wild-card loss to the Steelers.

Anthony Lynn

Age: 48

Current tile: Bills interim head coach, one season

Prior roles: Bills offensive coordinator and running backs coach (2015-16) … Jets assistant head coach (2014) … Jets running backs coach (2009-13) … Browns running backs coach (2007-08) … Cowboys running backs coach (2005-06) … Jaguars running backs coach (2003-04)

Why he fits: Two words: running game. Under Lynn’s watch, the Bills have boasted the NFL’s most effective rushing attack each of the past two years. Lynn helped Fred Taylor rush for a combined 2,796 yards from 2003 to ’04, then helped Jamal Lewis have back-to-back 1,000-rushing-yard seasons from 2007 to ’08. From 2009 to ’13, the Jets — with four different lead rushers — averaged 136 rushing yards per game, third-highest in the NFL during that time. Lynn is the perfect man to help a Rams running attack that declined drastically in Todd Gurley’s second season.

Why he doesn’t: Like Goodwin, Lynn doesn’t have much experience as a play-caller, doing it in only the final 13 games of 2016. He also never worked with quarterbacks until he became offensive coordinator this season, which would bring serious questions as to whether he could actually help 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff. That inexperience might not jibe for a Rams organization that needs a quick turnaround in an impatient market.

Josh McDaniels

Age: 40

Current title: Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, five seasons

Prior roles: Rams offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2011) … Broncos head coach (2009-10) … Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2006-08) … Patriots quarterbacks coach (2004-05) … Patriots defensive assistant (2002-03)

Why he fits: McDaniels has spent 13 years learning under Bill Belichick and working with Tom Brady, and along the way he has developed into one of the game’s most innovative offensive minds. The Patriots finished within the top 10 in points in all nine of McDaniels’ seasons as offensive coordinator. That includes 2007, when McDaniels was at the controls of an offense that scored a then-record 75 touchdowns. And it includes 2016, when McDaniels masterfully adjusted while being without Brady for the first four games and without Rob Gronkowski for the final five.

Why he doesn’t: McDaniels didn’t handle his first head coaching gig well. He bickered with Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, reportedly tuned out his assistant coaches, did not make sound personnel decisions and wound up in the middle of a videotaping scandal. McDaniels was only 33 when he took that job and said he has since grown. The Rams would really be counting on that if they gave him the job. McDaniels didn’t necessarily help them in 2011, a 2-14 finish with an offense led by Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson.

Sean McVay

Age: 30

Current title: Redskins offensive coordinator, three seasons

Prior roles: Redskins tight ends coach (2011-13) … Redskins assistant tight ends coach (2010) … wide receivers coach and quality control coordinator in United Football League (2009) … Buccaneers offensive assistant (2008)

Why he fits: Kirk Cousins was a fourth-round pick who sat behind Robert Griffin III for the majority of his first three seasons. McVay helped elevate him to a star. With McVay as offensive coordinator from 2015-16, Cousins ranked third in completion percentage, fourth in Total QBR and fifth in yards per attempt. During that time, the Redskins’ offense gained the sixth-most yards in the NFL. McVay has quickly become an aggressive play-caller who loves to throw the ball downfield. He also projects himself well and has quickly gained a reputation as a standout interviewer. ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim highlighted some of McVay’s traits here.

Why he doesn’t: Well, you know, he’s really, really young. McVay will be 31 by the end of this month. And though he has packed a lot of NFL inexperience in a very short time, McVay — grandson of former Giants coach and 49ers vice president John McVay — is still evolving as a play-caller and a leader.

Matt Patricia

Age: 42

Current title: Patriots defensive coordinator, five seasons

Prior roles: Patriots safeties coach (2011) … Patriots linebackers coach (2006-10) … Patriots offensive assistant (2004-05)

Why he fits: Patricia, a trained aeronautical engineer, is one of the NFL’s brightest minds and has had unquestioned success. Since he stepped in as defensive coordinator in 2012, the Patriots have given up the NFL’s fewest points. Patricia has been calling the defensive plays since 2010. And like McDaniels, he has benefited from an entire NFL career of working under Belichick. Those who know him consider Patricia a tireless worker to whom players easily respond.

Why he doesn’t: Like with any other defensive-minded coach, a limited offensive background will hurt Patricia on a Rams team that is motivated mainly by improving its lackluster offense. Patricia, however, did play center in college and called plays for the offensive line. If nothing else, interviewing Patricia is a very good way for the Rams to get feedback on their roster. Demoff sees this process as an ideal opportunity for that.

Kyle Shanahan

Age: 37

Current title: Falcons offensive coordinator, two seasons

Prior roles: Browns offensive coordinator (2014) … Redskins offensive coordinator (2010-13) … Texans offensive coordinator (2008-09) … Texans quarterbacks coach (2007) … Texans wide receivers coach (2006)

Why he fits: He isn’t the game’s most coveted offensive coordinator for nothing. In nine seasons in that role, Shanahan — son of Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Shanahan — has guided six top-10 offenses. He made Griffin the Offensive Rookie of the Year, helped turn Matt Schaub into a Pro Bowl quarterback and has made Matt Ryan an MVP front-runner this season. Under Shanahan, the Falcons scored an NFL-leading and franchise-record 540 points in 2016. His scheme — a wide-zone running game, which would require quick reads from Gurley, and lots of play-action — is appealing to the Rams’ personnel.

Why he doesn’t: It might take a while to grasp Shanahan’s offensive concepts, as evidenced by the Falcons’ disappointing showing in 2015. There are also the usual questions about assembling a staff and leading a group that come with your typical rookie coach.

Mike Vrabel

Age: 41

Current title: Texans linebackers coach, three seasons

Prior roles: Ohio State defensive line coach (2012-13) … Ohio State linebackers coach (2011)

Why he fits: Vrabel has far more playing experience than anybody on this list, having spent 14 years as a linebacker for the Steelers, Patriots and Chiefs. After his playing career ended, Vrabel rose quickly as a coach, spending three years coaching linebackers and defensive linemen at his alma mater and then spending three years coaching linebackers for the Texans, where he helped develop Jadeveon Clowney and Benardrick McKinney. Now he’s getting coaching interviews. Vrabel is considered an excellent teacher and motivator.

Why he doesn’t: He is seen in some circles as a potential head coach, but that is probably still years away. Vrabel has only ever been a position coach and has no experience as a coordinator. He needs that responsibility first, which is why it was surprising to see the Rams request an interview in the first place.

Steve Wilks

Age: 47

Current title: Panthers assistant head coach and defensive backs coach, two seasons

Prior roles: Panthers defensive backs coach (2012-14) … Chargers defensive backs coach (2009-11) … Bears defensive backs coach (2006-08)

Why he fits: Wilks has spent a lot of years working under Ron Rivera, most recently helping with scheduling and planning, so he is familiar with the logistics of a head coach. He has also done a lot in the secondary despite having very little in the way of draft picks and free agents, most notably leading a Super Bowl-caliber group that led the NFL in interceptions in 2015.

Why he doesn’t: Wilks, like Vrabel, still needs experience as a coordinator. He is reportedly next in line with the Panthers if current defensive coordinator Sean McDermott lands a head coaching job this offseason. That is the natural next step.

Agamemnon wrote:

I almost didn’t post it

That was a lot of work posting that though.

.

wv wrote:

he emphasized the “Pats players are unselfish“.

One could reasonably conclude he was making a point there.

I think his point was that you take a pay cut to play for a perennial contender and not for a team still struggling.

So I think his point was about himself. I am being playfully ironic in how I put that (the phrase “I think his point was” was not literal). But I stand by it. I think its a comment on the dynamics of free agency for older players. I dont see the Rams as full of selfish players. But Long wasn’t going to take such a drastic pay cut to play for them as a role player.

Rams to interview Mike Vrabel for head-coaching vacancy

Michael David Smith

Rams to interview Mike Vrabel for head-coaching vacancy

A surprising new name has been added to the Rams’ coaching wish list: Mike Vrabel.

Vrabel, the Texans’ linebackers coach, will interview with the Rams next week, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reports.

Vrabel is best known to football fans for his 14-year career as a linebacker for the Steelers, Patriots and Chiefs. After retiring as a player he spent three years on the coaching staff at Ohio State, and then spent the last three years on the Texans’ staff.

Some might question whether the 41-year-old Vrabel is ready to be a head coach, as he has never even been a coordinator. But the Rams are apparently interested in hearing what he has to say. That they’re willing to wait until next week to interview him suggests that they’re taking their time about finding a new head coach and won’t hire one any time soon.

nittany ram wrote:

wv wrote:

Zooey wrote:

In any event, here is the President of the United States getting into a pissing contest with an actor. An actor. What kind of guy does that?

==============
Well, maybe a really shrewd rightwinger. Cause counter-attacking Rich Hollywood Liberals plays very well on the right. It always has, as far as i can remember.

I mean look at the people in that room with Streep — would you guess most working class voters identify with the folks in that room?

w
v

I agree. This sort of thing may make the left hate him more but it makes his supporters love him more and he’ll take that as a win every time.

Good ol’ Trump…stickin’ it to the rich liberal elite who have lost touch with the working man from the comfort of his golden toilet.

Guys, this stuff is nonsense if you subtract race and gender.

So is it working people? As an entire class?

Or do you really mean something more specific than that?

.