The Tennessee Titans are in the market for an inside linebackers coach after the departure of Tyrone McKenzie and a defensive coordinator after the retirement of Dean Pees.
But for the latter, are they actually?
Apparently, there’s a chance that coach Mike Vrabel could take control of the defense himself and serve as Pees’ replacement as opposed to naming a new coach the former defensive coordinator.
ESPN’s Turron Davenport reported on Wednesday that we should expect the head coach to have a heavy hand in the defense in the upcoming season.
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The general feeling within the Titans facility is that Mike Vrabel isn't likely to name a DC. Expect Coach Vrabel to have a larger role with the defense. https://t.co/spEHFvXElp
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) January 30, 2020
This makes sense, considering the Titans haven’t been officially linked to any serious outside candidates.
While a move like this could generate some mixed emotions, Vrabel is a great defensive mind and more than capable of assuming this role.
His former team, the New England Patriots, had success without a defensive coordinator last season.
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Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s son, Steve Belichick, called the defense during games while serving as the team’s defensive backs coach.
It likely wouldn’t be the exact same situation in Tennessee, given the differences in how the two coaching staffs do things and the fact that Vrabel could very well be the one calling the plays for the defense on game day.
Vrabel obviously has experience coaching a defense with the Houston Texans, and while that season didn’t go particularly well for the team, there were a number of other factors that went into the Texans’ lack of success.
But things could be different this time around, and it will be interesting to see how the situation shakes out ahead of the 2020 NFL season.
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