If you had any doubts over the infectious smile and affable personality of former LA Rams DC Raheem Morris, you are likely getting a cold shower awakening right now. The loss of Morris as the team's defensive coordinator for the past three seasons is a significant challenge. But that was clearly just the tip of the iceberg. If you are keeping a running total, the Falcons' newly-formed coaching staff will resemble that of the LA Rams.
In many ways, it's because their coaches were on the Rams coaching staff this past season. The latest Rams rumors are that the Rams will be losing three more promising young coaches to join Morris on the Falcons staff. They are Offensive Assistant K.J. Black, Offensive Assistant Nick Jones, and Coaching Analyst Tim Berbenich.
That now tallies up to six personnel en route from the LA Rams coaching staff to the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff. That seems a bit . . . much. This is a bit frustrating for the LA Rams organization and fans, as the Falcons are cannibalizing the Rams coaching staff in their quest to form one of their own. Should the NFL place a ceiling on the number of personnel one team can poach from another?
Or perhaps limit the number of coaches who can be hired away to another team at five or less?
Before we lobby too hard over changing the rules to help in protecting the team from the annual migration elsewhere, let's review the losses from the Rams coaching staff after a 10-7 season in 2023:
Name | Former role | Left to | New Role | Yrs Exp | Refilled by: |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eric Henderson | DL Coach/Run Game Coord | USC | Co-Defensive Coordinator/DL Coach | 7 years | Giff Smith |
Raheem Morris | Defensive Coordinator | Atlanta Falcons | Head Coach | 22 years | Chris Shula |
Zac Robinson | QB Coach/Pass Game Coordinator | Atlanta Falcons | Offensive Coordinator | 5 years | |
Jimmy Lake | Assistant Head Coach | Atlanta Falcons | Defensive Coordinator | 6 years | |
Jeremy Springer | Assistant ST Coach | New England Patriots | ST Coordinator | 2 years | |
Chris Shula | LB Coach/Pass Rush Coord | LA Rams | Defensive Coordinator | 7 years | |
K.J. Black | Offensive Assistant | Atlanta Falcons | Offensive Assistant | 1 year | |
Nick Jones | Offensive Assistant | Atlanta Falcons | Assistant OL Coach | 2 years | |
Tim Berbenich | Coaching Analyst | Atlanta Falcons | Pass Game Specialist/ Game Mgmt | 1 year |
If you exclude the Atlanta Falcons impact on the team, the loss of coaches after the 2023 NFL season is quite manageable. Yet in the face of one team pulling away six coaches in one year, that seems to be a bit heavy handed.
The good news is that the Rams have begun to refill open positions on the coaching staff. So far, two roles have been staffed, and if nothing else changes, the team needs to hire seven more coaches to fill the staff once more.
Yes, the Rams always seem to attract top-tier coaching talent. But, wouldn't it be nice if an NFC West Rival's coaching staff was depleted in a similar fashion?