Thomas: Can Ryan Make The Rams Better?

[r8rh8rmike]

Can Ryan make the Rams better?

56 minutes ago • By Jim Thomas jthomas@post-dispatch.com

Stop if you’ve heard this one before on the Internet — the Rams are hiring Rob Ryan as their new defensive coordinator.

Nothing’s official yet.

But this time the Rams will hire Ryan, and while it won't be announced today (Friday), it will be made official within the next few days. The brother of New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan and son of legendary NFL coach Buddy Ryan interviewed with Rams coach Jeff Fisher last week.

Fisher has known the Ryan family since his days as a safety with the Chicago Bears in the early 1980s.

It is debatable — some around the NFL would say highly debatable — whether Ryan can take a Rams defense that flirted with top 10 status in 2012 to the next step.

In nine seasons as a defensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders, Ryan has had only one top 10 defense and never has been a coordinator on a playoff team. Recently fired by Dallas, Ryan’s defenses had anywhere between nine and 13 players on the field at various times with the Cowboys.

Observers in Dallas felt it was difficult to know what the Cowboys’ defense stood for because it did so many things. Dallas head coach Jason Garrett said recently that one of the reasons Ryan was fired was because the defense didn’t produce many turnovers — the Cowboys had only 16 in 2012, which tied for 27th in the league.

There’s also the question of whether Ryan will be able to run a 3-4 scheme in St. Louis, although he has had earlier experience running the 4-3. The Rams clearly have 4-3 personnel.

But in conversations with coaches and scouts at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., the feeling by many is that Fisher can help soften some of Ryan’s excesses — keeping him more organized and less emotional.

No one doubts that Ryan has a bright football mind – creative and aggressive.

Position coaches who have worked with him say he treats his assistants well, lets them do their job and invites input.

And the weekly media sessions by the new defensive coordinator could be standing room only every Thursday at Rams Park. Like the rest of his family, Rob Ryan can be boastful and flamboyant, and he is liable to say just about anything.

The Rams also are expected to finalize the hiring of former Tennessee assistant and Houston defensive coordinator Frank Bush as their linebackers coach —thus wiping the slate clean of Gregg Williams and his son Blake Williams.

Gregg Williams was employed by the Rams for less than two months last season as defensive coordinator before being suspended indefinitely by the NFL for his role in the “Bountygate” pay-for-performance scandal in New Orleans. Blake Williams was fired as Rams linebackers coach at the end of the 2012 season – his only year in St. Louis.

[mde8352gorams]

Not the most reassuring of articles, but let's hope Rob Ryan becomes the DC Jeff Fisher needs to get us to the next level and enter the playoffs. Its possible that Jeff wants Rob to act more as an implementer than a initiator. Let the speculation begin.

Go Rams!

[AvengerRam]

Very negative tone to this article. I think there is still a bit of an "us vs. them" mentality at the PD that carried over from prior regimes.

[RamBill]

Reports are circulating that Jeff Fisher and the St. Louis Rams will hire former Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to take over their defense.

The Cowboys fired Ryan on Jan. 8, and he flew to St. Louis ten days later to sit down with Fisher.

The fact that Ryan would interview with Coach Jeff Fisher was not surprising considering the history between the two. When Jeff Fisher was a defensive back with the Chicago Bears in the 1980′s, his defensive coordinator was the bombastic Buddy Ryan. Ryan had two twin boys who would go to practice everyday and acted as the team’s ball boys.

It’s a chance to work with a family friend and a chance to coach a young and potentially very good defense. Ryan has been a defensive coordinator in a 3-4 defense and Rams run a 4-3. A source close to Ryan tells us that it would not be a problem. Rob has coached a 4-3 as well in the past.

Watch Cusumano Discuss Ryan's Fit with the Rams

[Vinnie25]

Reports are circulating that Jeff Fisher and the St. Louis Rams will hire former Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to take over their defense.

The Cowboys fired Ryan on Jan. 8, and he flew to St. Louis ten days later to sit down with Fisher.

The fact that Ryan would interview with Coach Jeff Fisher was not surprising considering the history between the two. When Jeff Fisher was a defensive back with the Chicago Bears in the 1980′s, his defensive coordinator was the bombastic Buddy Ryan. Ryan had two twin boys who would go to practice everyday and acted as the team’s ball boys.

It’s a chance to work with a family friend and a chance to coach a young and potentially very good defense. Ryan has been a defensive coordinator in a 3-4 defense and Rams run a 4-3. A source close to Ryan tells us that it would not be a problem. Rob has coached a 4-3 as well in the past.

Watch Cusumano Discuss Ryan's Fit with the Rams

Hmmm Robert Quinn as the next DeMarcus Ware.... intriguing??? Maybe Having Rob Ryan around isn't such a bad thing after all

[Guam rammer]

Yes! but only if fisher can keep him on a leash. Fact of the matter is this is still jeff fishers team and i dont see a defensive coordinator coming in here running his own system.