LA Rams may be shopping for their 4th DC in four years
by Bret Stuter of RamblinFan
There is an old adage: Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it. That was never more true than the repeated and intensifying calls of some LA Rams fans to outright fire their 2021 defensive coordinator, Raheem Morris. Of course, like spending someone else’s money, calling for firing somebody does nothing for the organization, because the true upgrade or downgrade in the equation truly comes down to who will you replace him with?
And that’s usually the conversation ends.
But it may be where the conversation picks back up in the offseason. You see, per ESPN NFL Analyst Dan Graziano, there is also an ever-increasing buzz within NFL circles regarding the likelihood of Raheem Morris’ name in discussions of possible 2022 NFL head coaching positions:
Just for the record, if Raheem Morris is hired as a head coach, that would mean the LA Rams will need to hire their fourth different defensive coordinator in four years. That is a nightmare in terms of sustaining defensive excellence for the organization.
Which teams may be in the marketplace for a new head coach? Well, you have to think the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, and Las Vegas Raiders are thinking about an organizational change. Right now, there isn’t a large number of head coaching candidates who are deemed worthy of taking over a new team.
Morris may be HC material once more
The success of rookie head coach Brandon Staley in taking over the LA Chargers, and getting them in the AFC Playoff picture in just his first year with the team, might be a huge factor. After all, NFL organizations want some level of certainty, and Staley’s success could pave the way for Morris in 2022.
How would a change of that nature impact the fans? Let’s be real, few have really thought that one through. The focus is only on getting rid of Morris with zero consideration about his successor or how another new DC would set back the defense once more.
From the team’s perspective, it would truly be a setback. Even if the team intends to stick with a Fangio-Staley philosophy/strategy, the 2022 version would be a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy. While both the Denver Broncos and LA Chargers boast Top-10 pass defenses, only the Broncos are good against the run. In total defense, the Broncos are ranked eighth, the LA Rams are ranked 12th, and the LA Chargers are ranked 16th.
Of course, if Morris is indeed hired on elsewhere in 2022 as a head coach, the LA Rams would once more qualify to be awarded a third-round compensatory draft pick for 2023 and 2024. With the LA Rams’ future draft picks already spent for some 2021 players, picking up a third-rounder in the 2023 and 2024 NFL Drafts would be welcome compensation.
