LA Rams News: DC search may reportedly end with hire of Raheem Morris

In LA Rams News today, a rapid series of events over the search for a new defensive coordinator had new updates every few seconds, much like the ticker tape of the New York Stock Exchange. Of course, the reason the LA Rams were searching at all was due to the one-hit-wonder of defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who parlayed a one-year stint as the rookie defensive coordinator role with the LA Rams into a head coaching gig with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Due to the defense’s sudden rise to the top of the NFL rankings, many expected the Rams to focus solely upon internal candidates. After all, why not try to recapture the magic of this defensive success next season?

But there were reasons to pause a moment on that. Yes, it was just one season. Yes, Staley’s defense played very well all year. But when the Rams defense was truly pitted against a top-ranked offense, it wilted. It wilted against the Buffalo Bill early in the season. It needed a miracle interception to shut down the Tampa Bay offense at mid-season. And it never seemed to have much traction whatsoever in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs against the Green Bay Packers.

The LA Rams defense under Staley excelled at the defensive line, edge rushing, and secondary. But it almost dared teams to attack the middle of the defense due to a lack of depth and quality at the inside linebacking position. It was a simple strategy, one that was exploited by the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets.  So the defection of Staley affords the Rams to refocus the image of the defense once more.  Can it improve? That’s why they focused upon an external candidate, Raheem Morris, so quickly.

Oh Morris, time for defense

The LA Rams defense is a very attractive unit among the NFL. The squad is already loaded with two All-Pro defensive players in defensive lineman Aaron Donald and defensive back Jalen Ramsey. And the fact that the Rams defense is bursting with talented young players is just as attractive.  So the Rams defense is truly prime real estate in the NFL.

That has allowed them to pique the interest of one of the hottest names among defensive coordinator candidates, Raheem Morris. Does anyone else recall Morris the cat from the old cat food commercials? Oh Morris, time for defense!

Morris is a veteran coach of both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. One of the keys to Staley’s candidacy one year ago was that he was a former NFL quarterback. That 360-degree-perspective is one of the key qualities that the Rams will likely want in their new defensive coordinator. That, and of course, results.  Morris brings that, albeit as a patchwork in various NFL roles.

What of the internal candidates? What of cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant, or defensive line coach Eric Henderson? All indications are that both were indeed interviewed for the defensive coordinator role.  And based on the performance of their positional responsibilities, they most definitely made strong cases why they deserved a promotion. But McVay is very discerning and specific over who and what characteristics he wants at the defensive coordinator role.

Background, and breaking, news

So we’ll need to take a few slides to talk about his background and his qualities. But let’s stick a pin in that for a moment, there are new developments underway. You see, the LA Rams appear to be in the final stages of hiring their next defensive coordinator.  You are not wrong if you feel that this escalated quickly, leading to this:

So why Morris? And why now?

Well, sometimes it’s who you know, and sometimes it’s what you know, in the case of Raheem Morris, it’s truly both.  Morris and McVay are long time friends and have remained so from their early days at Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers coaching staff to the present.

In the sphere of influence under head coach Sean McVay, he wears the moniker of head coach, but he remains almost entirely focused upon the offense. He wants to entrust the defensive coordinator to do what must be done to be ready each week and to adapt the defense to each weekly opponent. For the 50,000 foot level, Morris passes the sniff test. But, what do LA Rams fans have to be excited about upfront and personal about this guy?

McVay loves him, others do too

First and foremost, Sean McVay loves the guy. Okay, so what if McVay loves or hates the guy? Well, McVay and Morris have been friends over the long term. In fact, McVay has likely followed Morris’s career since they coached together in Tampa Bay.

Let’s be clear. Morris does not pussyfoot around, as evidenced by the way he publicly roasted outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. for his lack of production for the Falcons this season. And it’s that hard-nosed brutally honest approach that quickly turns defenses around. He took over for the unit a the midpoint of the 2019 season and turned it completely around.  And it was that experience that gave the Falcons hope for a positive defense in 2020.

That was not the case for 2020 and may disappoint so many fans who will point to the Falcons defense as proof of a bad coach and system.  Well, system perhaps. The Falcons created a dual-share of defensive play-calling duties split between defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich.  Of course, nobody talks much about the injuries that decimated the Falcons’ defense. But that was the difference between positive progress and regression. You can guess what side of the fence the Falcons defense fell on.

But there is overwhelming evidence that Morris was part of the solution, not part of the problem. He has the strong backing of former coach Tony Dungy. He was promoted to interim head coach after the Falcons fell to 0-5, and salvaged a 4-12 season. And he was endorsed by linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich to be hired on as the Falcons full-time head coach.  He has solid defensive knowledge, an encyclopedia of defensive strategies. And he embraces that buzzword that we have all come to know and cherish: Deception.

A defensive savant

He knows all defensive strategies. But he knows the path to success is steady improvement. He doesn’t believe that free agents will save a team. He doesn’t expect rookies, no matter where they are drafted, to show up and lead the team. His philosophy is the blend of old-school and new-age.  Under Morris, the Falcons showed a mastery of the cover-one defense (man coverage with one deep safety) and cover-three defense (defense introduced by Seahawks Pete Carroll, with three safeties playing zone on the back half of the defense). Of course, Morris first learned the Tampa-2 defense from his early days of coaching in the NFL.

Raheem Morris knows defense. He knows all aspects of the defense and uses that knowledge to put his own spin to base defensive coverages. At Atlanta, he flipped that strong knowledge base to help their receivers develop as well. All the while, he knows that the key to a successful defense is not quarterback sacks, but rather making the quarterback uncomfortable. One interview says it best, a March 2020 interview with ESPN Staff Writer Vaughn McClure:

"‘To have a successful defense, you guys know, is affecting the quarterback, whatever that means,” Morris said. “A lot of people, when you say affect the quarterback, they automatically go right to sacks. But you’ve got to get him off the spot. You’ve got to fool him with disguise. You’ve got to get those guys to think a little bit. People ask about identity all the time. Coach Quinn talks about identity all the time. I think you’ve got to go out there and put it on tape. And you are what your tape says you are.’ – Coach Raheem Morris"

That same statement could just have easily been made by Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. It tells the tale of Morris’ mindset. He knows that the key to defense is not the chalkboard or whiteboard or graphic display, but what transpires on the football field.

4-3 or 3-4?

The LA Rams run a 3-4 defense. The Atlanta Falcons ran a 4-3 defense. So something has to give, right? Or does it? Well, if you look at the Rams current roster, you’ll see that the team has six defensive linemen for their current 3-4 configuration. If you factor in DE Derek Rivers, that brings the team’s total to seven. If you look at the team’s linebacker depth, the team has played all season with just two to three healthy inside linebackers for the same 3-4 defense.

A switch to a 4-3 defense makes some sense. For starters, that would limit the opposing offensive line’s ability to focus so many blockers at Aaron Donald. It would also strengthen the Rams’ ability to match a strong offensive line like that fielded by the Green Bay Packers.  The Rams have had no shortage of linemen and recently signed four more from the practice squad to reserve/future contracts.

But there is nothing saying that the Rams must go to a 4-3. The Rams can offer the same coverage packages that Morris excels at with a 3-4 slanted front. In essence, the Rams will run a base 3-4 but use one of the outside linebackers in a pseudo-defensive lineman role as a pass rusher.

Of course, nothing is a done deal at this moment in time, but events seem to be in rapid motion to that conclusion. With the Rams just losing Staley, the Rams are eager to restore the coaching staff to full strength to allow the team to vet the current roster and coordinate any desired changes or additions to the front office rather quickly to allow them to prioritize their offseason strategy.

Losing Staley was bound to sting, and the next defensive coordinator to take over in his wake was never arriving in a ticker-tape parade. I think that the Rams are making a wise choice. Raheem Morris is tough-minded but fair.  He is incredibly knowledgeable, and his experience will be a huge plus to the Rams’ coaching staff. We’ll know with certainty in the coming days, and that will give us time to pull together more information on him. Stay tuned.