From Marvin Lewis to Mike Nolan to Rex Ryan, the Ravens always have been grooming their next defensive coordinator.
But maybe not anymore. It’s unclear who replaces Ryan, who will be introduced as the head coach of the New York Jets this afternoon.
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Will it be Greg Mattison, the team’s linebackers coach? Or what about the team’s special assistant, Vic Fangio, who has been coaching in the NFL for 23 years? Or maybe, does the coach who will oversee the league’s second-ranked defense come from outside of the Ravens’ nest –possibly Romeo Crennel, Cleveland’s recently fired head coach?
“It’s the same thing when Mike Nolan left,” linebacker Bart Scott said. “When you lose a leader, someone else has to step up. It’s just like when you lose a good football player. There’s a lot of great candidates on this team. We’ve got a lot of good coaches on this team. It’s up to the coaching staff and I’m sure [general manager] Ozzie [Newsome] will make the great decision on the next man to take the next step and keep this ball rolling.”
But this much is clear: The guy who moves into Ryan’s old office at 1 Winning Drive must have a track record of success using the Ravens’ 3-4 scheme, which utilizes four linebackers fronted by three linemen.
That means the team’s secondary coach Chuck Pagano, defensive line coach Clarence Brooks, Mattison and Fangio could make a smooth transition.
“You lose a guy here and you lose a coach there — it’s just the nature of the NFL today,” safety Dawan Landry said. “Coach [John] Harbaugh did a great job of putting this staff together and whether it’s someone from within or from somewhere else, I’m sure he’ll fit in just fine. We just need someone who can lead us, put us on his back and take us from there.”
The Ravens finished no worse than fifth in the league in total defense during Ryan’s four-year tenure as defensive coordinator. This season, the Ravens did not allow a 100-yard rusher all season and led the league in takeaways (26 interceptions, eight fumbles).
“He understands the game from a players’ perspective,” safety Jim Leonhard said. “That’s not to say he’s going to be a players’ coach, per se. But he understands what you go through on a day-to-day basis and what the players need, what they need to hear and what the you need to be told. He’s just a realistic coach.”
