Tag: Paul Guenther

Former Bengals coordinator joins Cowboys

That’s two former Bengals defensive coordinators on staff for the Cowboys.

Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther is back in the news for popping up with a new team.

Guenther, it turns out, will join the coaching staff alongside fellow former Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who just reprised the same role with the Dallas Cowboys.

But Guenther will shift to the offensive side of the ball, where he’ll serve as the run game coordinator.

Guenther joined the Bengals in 2005 as an assistant and worked all the way up to the defensive coordinator role from 2014-2017 before going on to serve in the same role in Las Vegas for multiple seasons. He then joined Zimmer’s staff in Minnesota for the 2021 season.

Those Cowboys now have two former Bengals defensive coordinators on staff, guys the Bengals will play against next year during the regular season.

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Cowboys News: ESPN host Stephen A.’s ankle, celebrity ballers latest Parsons victims

Parsons participation in NBA All-Star weekend ends up with his coach in the hospital after trying to get in his way and the celebrities on the other side not faring much better. | From @ArmyChiefW3

Reputed and outspoken Cowboys hater, Stephen A. Smith, has been known to use every available chance to throw shade at Cowboys fans worldwide. Those antics may have him rethinking the time and place after an encounter with Dallas star pass rusher Micah Parsons lands him in the hospital. Speaking of Parsons, his 37 points earn him Celebrity All Star MVP honors. As his new defensive coordinator gets comfortable in the role, Mike Zimmer is finalizing his staff of assistants which will include a former Cowboys player.

While on the topic of former players, Zimmer’s track record of guys who have succeeded under his tutelage speaks for itself.

The defensive ends were given a salary inspection which may lead some to believe the edge group could be a priority once the new league year begins. Before that day rolls around, Dallas hopes to have their franchise quarterback Dak Prescott locked up to a shiny new contract. The space created from a Prescott extension could prompt moves in the wide receiver room, should it? A former Cowboys head coach gives an honest assessment of the old and new defensive staffs. That and much more in this edition of Cowboys news and notes.

 

Paul Guenther joining Cowboys defensive staff as run game coordinator, reuniting with Mike Zimmer

From @ToddBrock24f7: Guenther has been an NFL coach for 19 years; seven of them have been spent under Mike Zimmer. He’ll look to fix the Cowboys’ run defense.

Mike Zimmer is bringing a familiar face to his new defensive coaching staff in Dallas.

The Cowboys are hiring Paul Guenther as their next run game coordinator, according to multiple outlets. The 52-year-old first worked with Zimmer in Cincinnati, already on staff when Zimmer took over as defensive coordinator in 2008. Guenther worked as a special teams assistant, assistant linebackers coach, assistant defensive backs coach, and linebackers coach for the Bengals during Zimmer’s time there. He was promoted to defensive coordinator after Zimmer left for Minnesota in 2014. After four seasons as DC in Cincinnati,  he then served in the same role for the Raiders for another three years.

The Pennsylvania native was later reunited with Zimmer in Minnesota for the 2021 season, working for the Vikings as a senior defensive assistant.

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In all, Guenther has spent 19 years in various NFL coaching positions; he worked under Zimmer for seven of them.

With the Cowboys, Guenther will be charged with shoring up the defense’s Achilles heel. Dallas gave up over 112 rushing yards per game last season.

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Vikings’ defensive staff so far

Here is the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive staff in the 2021 offseason so far.

The Minnesota Vikings have seen some prominent staff members leave this offseason. But the Vikings have made sure to fill many of those staff positions already.

There are a few possible openings at the moment, but a lot of the defensive and offensive coaching staff is under contract for the 2021 NFL season.

Earlier this week, Vikings Wire showed you how the offensive coaching hires and promotions affected the overall staff.

Now that the Vikings have made some additions to the defensive coaching staff, take a look at the full list of coaches on defense at the moment. Here is the full list:

Report: Vikings hiring Paul Guenther to be senior defensive assistant

The Minnesota Vikings reportedly hired another familiar face: Paul Guenther, who will be the team’s defensive assistant.

The Vikings elected to not renew the contract of former defensive assistant Dom Capers this offseason.

Capers, who has since moved on to coach for the Lions, added another experienced presence to the defensive coaching staff last year.

This offseason, the Vikings filled a defensive assistant spot with another longtime coach: Paul Guenther, who will be a senior defensive assistant for the team, according to multiple reports.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Guenther had several offers, but “Zimmer’s persistence in pursuing Guenther paid off.”

Guenther was previously the defensive coordinator of the Bengals and the Raiders. He took the Cincinnati job after Zimmer left to become the head coach of the Vikings. Zimmer and him worked together for six years.

This hire is another one that suggests a sign of continuity. Minnesota is entering an important season and the team has had in-house promotions like Klint Kubiak and Andrew Janocko. Despite not being on staff, Guenther is another person who has familiarity with Zimmer and his scheme.

Jon Gruden says DC Paul Guenther is a ‘good coach,’ calls mistakes on defense ‘very correctable’

Raiders coach Jon Gruden called defensive coordinator Paul Guenther ‘a good coach’ and said mistakes on defense are ‘very correctable.’

When coach Jon Gruden returned to the Raiders, he brought defensive coordinator Paul Guenther with him. He’s a disciple of Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, whose defense Gruden constantly praised from the Monday Night Football broadcast booth.

But four games into the pair’s third year of a roster rebuild, Guenther’s defense isn’t keeping pace with Gruden’s offense. In the Raiders’ loss to the Bills in Week 3, Guenther’s group allowed 30 points.

Gruden says the mistakes on defense are correctable, however. And he gave Guenther his stamp of approval.

“I know he’s a good coach. And I know the mistakes were very correctable and we’ll correct them,” Gruden told reporters on Monday, when asked about Guenther. 

That may or may not be true, but Guenther’s defenses have been among the worst in the NFL during his tenure with the Raiders, which started in 2018. According to the Associated Press, the Las Vegas defense under Guenther is second to last in points allowed per game, in addition to ranking near the bottom of the league in various other categories.

Gruden seemed to expand a bit on his comment when asked about the absence of rookie cornerback Damon Arnette.

“I think we played pretty good. We just have to eliminate the mistakes,” Gruden said. “The first touchdown pass, we’re in a man-to-man coverage and we have a couple of guys who don’t play man-to-man. It’s not that hard. That’s very correctable, and it’s going to get corrected. If we eliminate the mistakes, we can be a whole lot better.”

Gruden was referring to the Bills’ first touchdown of the day when CB Amik Robertson was beaten badly for a touchdown — on his first day as a pro.

And that says a lot about the Raiders predicament. The defense is young, and there was no preseason. So there is room for growth, to be sure. At some point, Guenther must show that progress, no matter who is on the field.

The great unknown: Raiders’ defense about to be tested for the first time vs. Panthers

In a year without a preseason, the Raiders know a lot more about their offense than their rebuilt defense.

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In a year with no preseason, it’s a good time for NFL teams to be familiar with their personnel. For the Las Vegas Raiders, the offense is a known quantity, save for their rookie wide receivers.

The offense moved the football last season with an assortment of different wideouts, however, and none possessed the potential of Henry Ruggs III and Byran Edwards, which bodes well for this year’s situation. But I digress.

This year’s Raiders defense, as opposed to the offense, is more of an unknown entering Week 1. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther has two new starters at linebacker, a rookie cornerback, a key addition on the defensive line and a second-year safety with much to prove in Johnathan Abram.

Further complicating matters, Guenther has no film of the Panthers, whom the Raiders will face on Sunday.

Perhaps the most striking change to the defense is the linebacking unit. After struggling at that position for years, the Raiders struck early in free agency in signing Cory Littleton, a former Pro Bowler who excels in pass coverage. Las Vegas also signed Nick Kwiatkoski to patrol the middle.

Littleton, who played for the Rams a season ago and enters his fifth year in the NFL, said the defense isn’t a finished product, but the key is limiting mistakes and outlasting the other team.

“I most certainly expect us not to be perfect, but what game ever is a perfect game?” he said to reporters on Wednesday. “All you got to do is try to limit the mistakes that you do have and make less mistakes than the other team.”

As for the secondary, the new look starts with cornerback Damon Arnette. The rookie first-round pick will start on the outside, opposite second-year CB Trayvon Mullen. Each will be tested relentlessly by opponents until they prove they can keep up, especially Arnette.

Guenther says games are won or lost in practice, and he likes what he’s seen from the young CB duo, so he isn’t nervous about the big reveal on Sunday. “It’s a player’s day. It’s a player’s game,” he said. “I have the utmost confidence in both guys. They’ve showed well, very well out here for the training camp. So, I’m excited to see them play.”

Abram isn’t a rookie like Arnette, but he played in just one game last year, injuring his shoulder after delivering a hit Week 1 against Denver. Himself a former first-round pick, he has much to prove, starting with avoiding another catastrophic injury without losing his edge.

Up front, Las Vegas is leaning heavily on former Cowboys defensive tackle Maliek Collins to unlock the potential of Guenther’s group. Joining the team as a free agent, Collins was labeled as a key to the Raiders defense by coach Jon Gruden, and he was named team co-captain of the club.

Though his career, which is entering its fifth year, is on the rise, Collins has yet to have a true breakout campaign. According to Guenther, the time is now for Collins. “He’s been voted a captain here for a reason,” Guenther said. “He’s a guy that’s a coach on the field, he’s a very good player.” 

The Raiders will need as much on-field communication as possible. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said it’s the first time he’s had to prepare for an NFL offense without any film to look at. Plus, Las Vegas faces All-Pro running back, Christian McCaffrey

“You really just have to follow your rules of the defense,” Guenther said. “We have to follow our rules, play sound, play with sound eyes, rush the quarterback. I’m harping to our guys: play aggressive, don’t be worried about making mistakes and make sure we’re tackling good.” 

Added Littleton, “Know where our help is. There is going to be a lot of situations where I‘ll have outside leverage on a back, hoping that I have somebody working across the middle of the field that’s going to protect me. And that’s what we do as a defense, protect our brothers.”

Abram is more comfortable directing traffic pre-snap, which should also help the defense stay on the same page and protect each other. But there will almost assuredly be a learning curve for the Raiders defense.

Sunday is just the start for this group, however. If they’re to set a foundation for greatness, they must bond quickly through solid effort, win or lose. “Right now, where we are, we’re not perfect but we’re really something special,” said Littleton. “I can see it, and I expect us to show that.”

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Raiders’ Paul Guenther could look to add another Bengals LB this offseason

The former Bengals coach could try to get a current Bengals free agent.

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If the Cincinnati Bengals want to get Nick Vigil back in free agency after the market opens, they may have to contend with former defensive coordinator Paul Guenther.

Guenther, currently holding the same position with the Las Vegas Raiders, gambled on Vontaze Burfict last offseason after the Bengals cut him.

Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reported Vigil could be a possible Raiders target, which isn’t too hard to see.

Guenther helped bring Vigil into the league while coaching in Cincinnati as a coordinator from 2014-2017. Given that they gambled on Burfict at all, those Raiders obviously have a massive need at linebacker so it would make sense to bring aboard a veteran like Vigil who already knows the ins and outs of the system.

Whether the Bengals want Vigil back is up for discussion as they remake the entire core around Germaine Pratt. His play improved late in the season after the team cut Preston Brown (a guy Guenther also kicked the tires on), but it might’ve been a case of too little, too late. Vigil, going on 27 years old, graded at 54.5 at Pro Football Focus and let up 38 completions on 56 targets last year.

The Bengals figure to hit linebacker multiple times this offseason, though the consensus seems to be they’ll bring on outside guys through free agency and/or the draft.

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