49ers new DC hire all but ensures Rams will reclaim NFC West Division title

Los Angeles Rams former defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was a major factor in Los Angeles, California finally earning a Lombardi Trophy. He managed to stockpile three All-Pro defenders on the roster in defensive back Jalen Ramsey, defensive lineman Aaron Donald, and edge rusher Von Miller. Better still, he sweet-talked two-year-retired defensive back Eric Weddle into returning to the active roster.

The rest was history.

Of course, the past is history. But there may be an enclave of fans who fear a similar fairytale season by Morris now that he has accepted a new defensive coordinator position with the San Francisco 49ers. A likeable player-focused can always find ways to get more with less. But are fans' fears founded in real risk?

Fans didn't appreciate Morris during his tenure with Los Angeles. He did not always lead an infallible group, and his strategy tried to mask his defense's shortcomings. As a result, fans were often frustrated by a defense that played too far back, too soft, and too passively to stop determined offenses.

Still, why should fans love this hire by a hated rival? Why indeed...

Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer

4. Morris doesn't fit 49ers defensive DNA

The San Francisco 49ers love smash-mouth physical defenses. That is not what Raheem Morris delivers as a defensive coordinator. He was the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons in 2020, a squad that was 29th-ranked that season.

He took over a top-ranked LA Rams defense in 2021. The group finished 19th in the NFL. In 2022, the group landed 19th overall as well. In 2023, the group finished 20th. Much of the challenge was a defense that failed to adjust to what offenses threw at it over halftime.

49ers fans are going to hate that.

3. Rams know Raheem Morris, Morris knows NFC West

In 2021, Los Angeles was 3-3 in the NFC West. In 2022, the team was just 1-5 in the division. In 2023, the team improved to 5-1 in the division. While the defensive coordinator is not exclusively responsible for the team's wins or losses, the fact that he could merely break even against the teams he was most familiar with is telling.

He has a pretty good track record against the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals. But when facing the physical and patient 49ers offense, his defense struggled.

Lo and behold, LA's offense is physical as well.

2. A bend-don't-break defense that often breaks

It's fair to presume that Los Angeles fans have not forgotten the frustration with a defense that seemed to specialize in a prevent defense that didn't prevent a thing. Perhaps the Rams roster simply didn't have the right players. But the defense never improved for Los Angeles over his entire tenure.

It required three All-Pro players and a miraculous return from retirement to land a Super Bowl victory. That is impossible to replicate in San Francisco.

1. No Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, or Von Miller on 49ers roster

Speaking of All Pros, Raheem Morris inherits a very respectable inside linebacker in Fred Warner. But Morris is addicted to pass rushers, and the 49ers defense was a league-worst in that department. Sure, Nick Bosa's season was marred by injury. But Morris is known for his lack of patience with pass rushers who don't produce.

He lowered the boom on Atlanta Falcons struggling pass-rusher Dante Fowler. The same ritual occurred in 2022 when the team shed four underproducing pass rushers. It's his trademark. And you can bet that it was Raheem Morris's demands that landed a 2026 Round 1 pick to enable the Falcons an opportunity to add a second rookie edge rusher.

Morris loves pass rushers. That could be a problem for a 49ers roster that is either getting up in years or unproven. It's a safe bet that the Niners will select at least one pass rusher before Day 3 of the 2026 NFL draft. That may pan out, but it will divert resources from other positions in dire need of an infusion of youth and depth.

Fret not, Rams fans. Raheem Morris is coming to the NFC West rival 49ers. But it's not as ideal a fit as some NFL pundits have suggested. It very well could be that the 49ers new DC hire all but ensures the Rams will reclaim the NFC West Division title.

As always, thanks for reading.