Instant analysis of Rams’ hiring of Raheem Morris as DC...

Instant analysis of Rams hiring Raheem Morris as defensive coordinator

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Cameron DaSilva

Sean McVay and the Rams have found their replacement for Brandon Staley. The team announced Thursday that it has agreed to terms with Raheem Morris as its defensive coordinator. Morris, 44, started last season as the Falcons’ defensive coordinator but took over as the interim head coach when Dan Quinn was fired five games into the season. The Falcons went 4-7 under Morris and improved on defense, but they still ranked last in passing yards allowed. Morris brings plenty of experience to the table. He was the Buccaneers’ head coach from 2009-2011 and has 18 total years of NFL experience. Morris is the Rams’ third defensive coordinator in as many years, succeeding Wade Phillips and Staley




The Los Angeles Rams were dealt a major blow to their defense just days after Saturday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers, losing defensive coordinator Brandon Staley to the Chargers. He was hired as their head coach, a move that has just about everyone except Rams fans loved.

Sean McVay wasted no time finding Staley’s replacement, though. On Thursday, just before the Chargers introduced Staley as their head coach, the Rams announced they have agreed to terms with Raheem Morris as their new defensive coordinator.

While many expected McVay to stay in-house and promote someone such as Aubrey Pleasant, Ejiro Evero or Eric Henderson, he once again looked outside the walls of the team’s headquarters in Thousand Oaks and landed on Morris. He’s no stranger to McVay, either. The two spent time on the same coaching staff in Tampa Bay and Washington and have built a strong connection over the years.

Replacing Staley will certainly be difficult, but Morris is more than capable of carrying the torch and maintaining a high level of play from this defense. It’s hard not to like the Rams’ decision to hire Morris, given his track record, relationship with McVay and leadership skills.

As a former head coach of the Buccaneers and interim coach in Atlanta, Morris is more than capable of leading a defense. Here’s what Julio Jones said of Morris’ leadership style back in October.

“It’s [the] small things but it’s huge,” Jones said. “You have to be perfect right then and there.”

Morris is a big proponent of accountability. When he took over as the Falcons’ interim coach, his leadership style was immediately apparent, holding players accountable for how they performed in practice and on Sundays.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Matt Ryan, either, who said this after the Falcons won their first game under Morris.

“I think he challenged us to hold everyone accountable as best we can and then made it real clear for us what our responsibility as an offense is was to go score and get it in the end zone,” Ryan said. “We were better with that today. We need to be better with that as we move forward.”


(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Morris helped turn around what was a disastrous Falcons team in the first quarter of the season. Atlanta started 0-5 in its first five games, giving up at least 30 points four times. Then Morris took over and the Falcons finished 4-7 in their last 11 contests.

Morris earned an interview for the full-time head-coaching job, but Atlanta opted to go with an offensive mind in Arthur Smith. But the way Morris rallied his players and pushed them to finish strong didn’t go unnoticed.

Though Morris will be in charge of the defense, he coached Atlanta’s wide receivers for four seasons from 2016-2019. That experience on the offensive side of the ball brings value when it comes to game planning against opposing teams, something McVay pointed out in his statement after Morris was hired.

“Not only is Raheem a great communicator, he is also an excellent teacher,” McVay said. “Raheem’s background coaching both offense and defense gives him a unique perspective which allows him to see the field from a 22-man perspective.”

Where there should be little to no drop-off is in the secondary. Morris is a former defensive backs coach and a college safety himself, so he has a long history of coaching players in the secondary.

And with his experience in both Cover 2 and Cover 3 systems under Jon Gruden and Quinn, Morris should be able to adapt and utilize multiple schemes in Los Angeles. With a blitz-heavy defense and plenty of man coverage to come, the aggressiveness on defense will remain unchanged for the Rams.

This was a strong hire by McVay, bringing in not only someone he’s familiar with, but a coach who has a perspective on both sides of the ball. And if Ramsey is excited about the hire, why shouldn’t fans be, too?

It’s too soon to know exactly what the Rams’ defensive scheme will be next season, but there are a lot of reasons to like this hire by McVay.