Inside the Minds of the NFL’s Six New Coaches

Inside the Minds of the NFL’s Six New Coaches

Understanding their football philosophies gives insight into the draft

By Andy Benoit

The MMQB begins a series of inside-inside football stories and video pieces for the 2017 season with a view into the life of ESPN NFL information czar Adam Schefter on his busiest day of the year: the kickoff day to NFL free-agency.

The best thing about the NFL draft is that it forces honesty. In the decisions they make, coaches and GMs tell us what they really think about their players and how they really feel the game should be approached. This year, six teams will make decisions with new head coaches. Aside from Doug Marrone in Jacksonville, they’re all first-time head coaches. Here’s an overview of each man’s core beliefs and how it will impact his team’s draft.

Sean McVay
Los Angeles Rams

As an offensive designer, McVay relies heavily on geometry, especially through the air. Many of his pass designs involve multiple routes working together to exploit a predicted defensive coverage. He tries to regulate those coverages with his receiver spacing and distribution. He’ll figure out what a defensive coordinator calls versus specific formations in certain down and distances, and he’ll align his receivers in places that compromise those calls. This can be very nuanced. For example, there’s a big difference between a receiver lining up, say, 12 yards from the sideline versus 10 yards from the sideline. Where receivers align in relation to each other is also huge, as is presnap motion. With this sort of approach, you need a variety of different styles of receivers. As the offensive coordinator in Washington, McVay had a true speedster in DeSean Jackson, an inside possession receiver in Pierre Garçon, a shifty slot weapon in Jamison Crowder and a mismatch-making tight end in Jordan Reed. The skill sets of all four players complemented each other. The Rams’ receiving corps is decidedly less diverse. (And less talented.) Ex-Bill Robert Woods is essentially Garçon minus some strength and Crowder minus some quickness. Tavon Austin looks like a slot receiver but isn’t patient enough to play there. The rest of the receiving corps is comprised of backups. To run McVay’s scheme, the Rams need several new wideouts.

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