Tag: Jack Del Rio

10 NFL teams with new looks for 2020

Touchdown Wire looks at the 10 NFL teams that will have the most change in 2020.

The National Football League is all about change from year to year and 2020 is going to be no different.

Whether it’s a new head coach, different assistants, the additions of rookie or players switching teams, there are always teams that look totally different than the year before. That can be better or worse. But not many teams ever sit completely still.

The 2020 season is going to be full of teams with looks that are vastly different than 2019. Let’s take a look at the at the 10 teams that will have the biggest changes in looks in 2020.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Tomlin did perhaps his finest coaching job in 2019. He somehow kept his team in the playoff race until the end. He did that without injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Tomlin shuffled young quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges. With Roethlisberger back, the Steelers should get back to the playoffs in 2020. Just getting Roethlisberger back will change the Steelers’ look back to what it used to be.

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Jack Del Rio isn’t about to tell fans who the Redskins are drafting in 2020

Many assume that the Redskins will draft Chase Young in the 2020 NFL Draft, but Del Rio isn’t about to give fans any extra intel.

If you were to ask 100 people what the Washington Redskins are going to do with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, it’s safe to guess that 99 of them will tell you that Ohio State defensive end Chase Young is going to be the next member of the Redskins.

That one other person, however, is defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, and they only reason his answer wasn’t Young is that it’s too early to say just yet.

Del Rio talked to the Washington media for the first time on Wednesday via a conference call, and when asked about the prospect of the team drafting the generational talent to be added to his defense, he replied that it’s way too early to be talking about that just yet, as the scouting process for the draft is still fresh.

“Honestly, I am not going to be providing my evaluation for the world anyway,” Del Rio said, via The Athletic. “We will work at it. We will start with evaluating our roster first and learn our guys first. Then, we will prep for potential free agents and turn our attention to the draft. We have a lot of work to do in terms of the evaluation that will be ongoing throughout this offseason.”

There are several options open to the Redskins with the No. 2 pick. They obviously could take the easy route and draft Young; they could trade back for an assumed massive haul of picks and bolster their early-to-middle round stock of picks; they could select Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons and focus more on need than talent; they could even choose to draft a top QB prospect, assuming that they aren’t yet sold on rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

No matter what they do, though, it’s clear that Del Rio is not keen on letting fans and media members alike privy to the information.

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Jack Del Rio stresses importance of improved communication for his defense

Jack Del Rio sees some problems with the Redskins defense.

Washington Redskins defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio — like anyone else — knows he has some serious talent on the defensive side of the football.

Also like anyone else, he could tell the defense looked lost at times last year.

Del Rio, speaking with the media Wednesday, said communication is key next year. He said the issues last year prevented the defense from even beginning to digest what the opposing offense was doing, per Zach Selby of the team’s website: “We don’t have time to look for those clues if we don’t know what we’re doing to begin with.”

And this from ESPN’s John Keim: “That’ll be one of the big challenges and areas that has to improve. All you have to do is watch the tape… Countless examples.”

This doesn’t paint the last coaching staff in a great light, but so goes the benefits of bringing on some experienced outside eyes.

The nice part? The Redskins will improve personnel this offseason in addition to potentially fixing a fundamental issue like this.

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Redskins could consider drafting Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons ahead of DE Chase Young

It’s a foregone conclusion that Washington will draft Chase Young at No. 2, but Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons might be a better fit for Redskins.

Ever since the Washington Redskins locked up the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, it has almost been a foregone conclusion that they would select Ohio State defensive end, Chase Young. With the Cincinnati Bengals seemingly a lock to draft LSU’s Heisman-winning quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick, it seems almost too easy for Washington to just take Young — who is thought to be a generational talent and quite possibly the best player in the 2020 draft class — and move on with it.

However, there was one player in the College Football National Championship that put a stamp on his career year, and he just might be good enough to warrant a look from the Redskins before April rolls around.

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That player is Isaiah Simmons, a linebacker out of Clemson. Before the National Championship game, Simmons was already recognized as the top linebacker in this years’ draft class, and many expected him to be selected somewhere in the top-10, maybe even the top-5. However, his seven tackles, one sack, and instrumental effect on the game Monday night might have caused a few people in Washington to rethink their no-brainer pick of Young.

Here’s the case for drafting Simmons over Young. If you’re Washington, you don’t really need another edge rusher, with Montez Sweat and Ryan Kerrigan already on the roster. Add in the breakout year that Ryan Anderson had in 2019, and you’re pretty much set at that position.  However, a major position of need for the Redskins is at linebacker alongside Reuben Foster and Cole Holcomb. This draft pick would then suit need over talent, and they could be set with a stout defense for years to come, should Kerrigan get back to his dominant ways after a down year in 2019. In his time at Clemson, Simmons finished with 148 total tackles, 11 sacks, and four interceptions. Comparatively, Young finished his career with 68 total tackles and 30.5 sacks at Ohio State.

Still, many — including us — believe that with the No. 2 overall pick, it is better to draft the player with the most upside and figure out a fit later. Young is thought to be a future Hall-of-Fame talent, and the Redskins’ move to a 4-3 defense under Jack Del Rio is a perfect fit for him to succeed alongside Sweat. Still, Simmons’ performance in the CFP Title game should at least be noticed in Washington, as they now have two defenders who could completely change the outlook of their defense in 2020 and years to come.

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Breaking down the Redskins power dynamic heading into 2020

With Bruce Allen out of the picture, the pyramid of power has shifted greatly in Washington, with Ron Rivera calling the shots.

Incremental change is what the Washington Redskins needed after a fourth-consecutive season without a playoff berth, and incremental change is what they got.

Bruce Allen is gone. Ron Rivera is in. Larry Hess is gone. Ryan Vermillion and Larry Wilk are in. Eric Schaffer is gone. Doug Williams is in a new role. Any which way you look at it, the power dynamic in Washington has changed, and according to NBC Sports Washington, this is now how it looks.

Dan Snyder — Team Owner
Aug 29, 2019; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder on the field before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Of course, as the owner of the team, Snyder remains at the top of the power pyramid. Though he may endlessly say that head coach Ron Rivera is the only voice that matters in the organization, it is still his final stamp of approval that is needed on every major decision that happens. As long as Snyder is the owner of the team, it will be his word that goes.

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Redskins key to defensive success is embracing the pass rush

One of the areas of strength for the Redskins is the defensive line, where they will need to rest their focus in order to succeed.

By virtually any metric you use in 2019, the Washington Redskins’ defense underachieved. After being projected by some to finish as a top-5 or top-10 defense in the NFL, they wrapped up the season with the following stats:

  • Yards per game — 385.1 (27th)
  • Points per game — 27.2 (27th)
  • 3rd down conversion % — 49 (32nd)
  • 1st downs per game — 22.1 (28th)

Like we said…any metric. This is one of the reasons why Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio have been brought into the organization to help shore up the defense and turn around the losing ways in Washington. In order to do so, the two highly-respected defensive coaches plan to change from a 3-4 defensive scheme to a 4-3, hoping that it will better fit their personnel, and allow them to do one thing above all else;

Rush the quarterback.

“It just makes sense to have them covering less and rushing more,” Del Rio said, via Redskins.com. “I’ll keep it as simple as that.”

When you take a look at the defensive depth chart for the Redskins, one of the position groups that stands out is the defensive line. Just look at this group of players that Del Rio will likely be able to work with next year.

  • Ryan Kerrigan
  • Montez Sweat
  • Chase Young
  • Matt Ioannidis
  • Daron Payne
  • Jonathan Allen
  • Ryan Anderson

Are you going to try to tell me that this unit will have a tough time getting to the quarterback snap after snap? That seems like a stretch. In the years past, Washington has tried to focus on the changing of the guard in the NFL, and scheme their defense to be more fit to cover the pass and focus less on getting to the QB. That mentality is no longer, under the new leadership, where both coaches want to stress the importance of putting pressure on the opposing backfield via the edges.

“I’ve spoken to a couple of players thus far, and their mentality is that they want to make it right,” Del Rio said. “They want to work, and that’s what it’s going to take.”

For any team to succeed, the best thing a coach can do is look at his personnel and scheme his gameplan in order to fit his roster. In Washington, the defensive line is stout, and the rush on the edge is downright dangerous. You want to win? You take advantage of that. Look for those sack numbers to go up next year, and with them, the defensive rankings as well.

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Jack Del Rio stresses player-based culture for Redskins

Jack Del Rio has some similar ideas to Ron Rivera.

Ron Rivera isn’t the only coach talking about a player-based culture for the Washington Redskins.

Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has recently echoed these same sentiments, noting some of the best teams he’s been with over the years have been strong in this area.

Here’s an excerpt of the comment, via Scott Allen of the Washington Post:

“The coach provides a vision, but at the end of the day, the players in the locker room, it’s their team,” Del Rio said. “… The very successful teams are player-led. I was part of a Super Bowl-winning team [as the linebackers coach] in Baltimore in 2000 that was player-led. Brian Billick and the staff did a great job of creating that atmosphere where players understood it was their team. We went through that season, we never had a bed check the whole year, including Super Bowl week. There wasn’t any babysitting. To me, it’s not about babysitting. You’re talking about grown men. You want to get the right men that are dedicated and determined to win. That’s what a successful culture looks like.”

The Redskins hope they already have some of this in place with homegrown leaders like Jonathan Allen, not to mention recent arrivals like Landon Collins.

But expect this makeover to create more change this offseason as Rivera and Del Rio weed out some of the roster and replace with free agents and prospects.

On paper, it sure sounds good right now.

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Why Jack Del Rio says a 4-3 defense is the obvious choice for Redskins

Del Rio’s first big move as the DC was saying Washington would transition to a 4-3 defense, which he says is an obvious fit for personnel.

When Jack Del Rio was hired as the new defensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins, one of his first moves on the job was to commit to a 4-3 defensive scheme, rather than the 3-4 scheme that the Redskins have been running in the recent past.

So for non-football lifers, what does this mean? Let’s break it down.

The first step to understanding the difference between a 4-3 and 3-4 defense is getting comfortable with the personnel changes it brings. A 4-3 consists of four defensive lineman and three linebackers, while a 3-4 is the opposite. In a 4-3, the quarterback pressure is created mainly by the lineman, where a DT typically draws a double-team, and the rest of the line is free to play with a one-on-one matchup. In a 3-4, which is how the Redskins have lined up for years now, the pressure is created by the linebackers out on the edge. This role was filled by both Ryan Kerrigan and Montez Sweat in 2019. A change to the 4-3 would likely see them move to the defensive end position, rather than an ‘edge-rusher’ distinction. So how would this help the Redskins?

“You’ve got guys like Montez Sweat, [Ryan] Kerrigan,” Del Rio said, via NBC Sports Washington. “These are guys that are some of your premier edge rushers. It just makes more sense to have them covering less and rushing more. I’ll keep it as simple as that.”

It helps by putting Kerrigan and Sweat — and quite possibly Chase Young — in a position to succeed more. While they are now operating out of a linebacker position, where they are occasionally asked to drop back into coverage, the new scheme would as them to focus on the thing: get to the quarterback.

“When Ron and I talked about the roster, talked about the fit, talked about the people we have here,” Del Rio added, “for both of us, it was obvious that a 4-3 would be a good fit.”

Whether or not Kerrigan stays with the team is a different conversation, but the fact remains that in order for the Redskins to get the most out of their defensive roster, a 4-3 is the scheme to go with.

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WATCH: Jack Del Rio ‘can’t wait to get started’ with Washington Redskins

Longtime NFL coach Jack Del Rio is back in the league after a two-season hiatus, joining the Washington Redskins’ staff as Ron Rivera’s defensive coordinator.

Longtime NFL coach Jack Del Rio is back in the league after a two-season hiatus, joining the Washington Redskins’ staff as Ron Rivera’s defensive coordinator.

He tweeted confirmation on New Year’s Day, saying he’s ready to get going:

Del Rio brings his 4-3 defense to Washington D.C., switching it up from the 3-4 scheme the team has used the past few seasons.

He last coached in the NFL in 2017, his final of three seasons as the Oakland Raiders’ head coach. Del Rio joined ESPN as an NFL analyst in August 2019.

Jack Del Rio ‘can’t wait to get started’ with Washington Redskins (Redskinswire)

Jack Del Rio – who’s been out of coaching for two seasons – is back in the NFL as the defensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins.

Jack Del Rio – who’s been out of coaching for two seasons – is back in the NFL as the defensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins.