BA & TB: Conversation on the Def. Coord. Situation

[Mitch]

Like many of you, I am trying to figure out who Bruce Arians has in mind for the defensive coordinator position. I have a theory, so I thought that for shiggs and gittles, I would share it.

BA: So, Todd, I imagine you are going to want to take a couple of coaches with you to New York.

TB: Yes, coach. I want to bring Mike Caldwell and James Bettcher.

BA: What if I just hold on to Caldwell and promote him to DC?

TB: Gotchya beat on that one coach, because I want to bring in Caldwell as my assistant head coach, which trumps the DC position. I want Bettcher to be my DC.

BA: Whoa. Not so fast, Todd. Bettcher's MY guy. (He was Chuck Pagano's special assistant in Indy, then BA's special assistant when Pagano was in the hospital. In fact, Bettcher brought messages back and forth to the hospital from Pagano to BA and vice versa.)

TB: You gonna promote him to DC?

BA: If that's what it takes.

TB: You know, just like you on offense, I am going to be calling the plays on defense in New York. Do you the Bettch is ready to call the defenses on game day?

BA: Yes, but I need to hire an advisor.

TB: Dick LeBeau?

BA: That's who I want.

TB: Would Dickie go for that? I mean what Bettch is only 36 years old and has never called a game in his career at any level.

BA: We're going to talk it over next week.

TB: Man, why not hire the master himself as your DC?

BA: Because I believe in Bettch the way I believed in you...and I don't want to lose his arse to you or anyone else, that's why.

TB: Alright, I won't touch Bettch, but I want to bring Ryan Slowik with me.

BA: Dang, dude, you are getting to be a pain in the arse, y'know that?

TB: No hard feelings, coach.

BA: I am going to have to kick your arse when we play y'all in a couple of years.

TB: Yeah, well you are going to have to kick Dan Williams', Antonio Cromartie's and Tommy Kelly's arses too, because they'll be Jets with me.

BA: That's alright. We gonna run you and those ragged arses silly.

TB: Betchya a Crown Royal.

BA: Game on. Now get your sorry arse outahere.

TB: Love ya coach.

BA: Yup, I know. F'n right you do!

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Lol, classic

 

[AZ Native]

 

[Gandhi]

Mitch, this a great post. Do you think Bettcher is more likely to get promoted than Nick Rapone?


My thoughts are that Rapone is highly likely to be the new defensive coordinator. I have found some articles that I think underline my thinking.


In this article, Arians talks about why he thinks coaches with extensive experience sometimes are the best choices:http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/arians-shocked-harbaugh-uncertainty-supports-fangio


To point out what that has to do with Rapone, he has coached for many years under various coaches and in different schemes. While at Pittsburgh he called plays out of a 3-4 base defense but with multiple different formations and looks. At Connecticut Rapone used the 4-3 as a base defense, which he also did at Delaware. He is being described as a very aggressive playcaller who want his defenses to penetrate, to attack, to confuse, and Rapone used to call a lot of blitzes everywhere he has been. He is described as an excellent teacher as well – something Arians put a lot of emphasis on.


Here is an article about how Rapone and Arians has been very close for many years, and how Rapone is apparently very good at fitting in on coaching staff’s: http://www.ncnewsonline.com/opinion...cle_53eed00b-c2ff-5cd5-9737-910cca100596.html


I think that very important is the Cardinals actually do hire Dick Lebeau. If the defensive setup is Rapone as the defensive coordinator and Lebeau as a consultant, and think it is extremely important that Rapone is ready and open-minded enough to talk advice’s from Lebeau.


The last article is about how NFL-defenses prepare for the read option-offense, and how Arians thinks they got a head start some years ago by bringing Rapone on to the staff: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20...-kaepernick-joe-philbin-defensive-coordinator


Nick Rapone does how more experience coaching a 4-3 base defense but he has shown through many years that he can adapt, and that he can handle both the 4-3 and the 3-4. I think it could be an amazing combination with him and Lebeau as they can lean on each other to create a highly creative defense out of multiple looks, formations and disguises, and with a lot a blitzes and innovative pre snap-movement.


Mitch, do you think Bettcher might be the defensive coordinator because rumor has it the Cardinals wants to hire Lebeau as the linebacker-coach, and one can’t really imagine him only being the inside linebacker-coach as Bettcher is the outside linebacker-coach right now?


I think you might be on to something though I see the whole thing unfold differently.

 

[BigRedRage]

I hope Arians doesn't use "arse"

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Entertaining.

Jets defensive line in the 3-4 if they bring in Dan Williams.

DE: Muhammad Wilkerson
NT: Dan Williams
DE: Sheldon Richardson

Ridiculous, and when they play the Bills ?

DE: Marcell Dareus
NT: Kenrick Ellis
DE: Kyle Williams

The AFC East is starting to become very NFC West-like, at least defensively.

 

[Mitch]

Mitch, this a great post. Do you think Bettcher is more likely to get promoted than Nick Rapone?


My thoughts are that Rapone is highly likely to be the new defensive coordinator. I have found some articles that I think underline my thinking.


In this article, Arians talks about why he thinks coaches with extensive experience sometimes are the best choices:http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/arians-shocked-harbaugh-uncertainty-supports-fangio


To point out what that has to do with Rapone, he has coached for many years under various coaches and in different schemes. While at Pittsburgh he called plays out of a 3-4 base defense but with multiple different formations and looks. At Connecticut Rapone used the 4-3 as a base defense, which he also did at Delaware. He is being described as a very aggressive playcaller who want his defenses to penetrate, to attack, to confuse, and Rapone used to call a lot of blitzes everywhere he has been. He is described as an excellent teacher as well – something Arians put a lot of emphasis on.


Here is an article about how Rapone and Arians has been very close for many years, and how Rapone is apparently very good at fitting in on coaching staff’s: http://www.ncnewsonline.com/opinion...cle_53eed00b-c2ff-5cd5-9737-910cca100596.html


I think that very important is the Cardinals actually do hire Dick Lebeau. If the defensive setup is Rapone as the defensive coordinator and Lebeau as a consultant, and think it is extremely important that Rapone is ready and open-minded enough to talk advice’s from Lebeau.


The last article is about how NFL-defenses prepare for the read option-offense, and how Arians thinks they got a head start some years ago by bringing Rapone on to the staff: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20...-kaepernick-joe-philbin-defensive-coordinator


Nick Rapone does how more experience coaching a 4-3 base defense but he has shown through many years that he can adapt, and that he can handle both the 4-3 and the 3-4. I think it could be an amazing combination with him and Lebeau as they can lean on each other to create a highly creative defense out of multiple looks, formations and disguises, and with a lot a blitzes and innovative pre snap-movement.


Mitch, do you think Bettcher might be the defensive coordinator because rumor has it the Cardinals wants to hire Lebeau as the linebacker-coach, and one can’t really imagine him only being the inside linebacker-coach as Bettcher is the outside linebacker-coach right now?


I think you might be on to something though I see the whole thing unfold differently.

I wrote this thread, Gandhi, because I have had a hunch that James Bettcher is BA's guy. I think it is very similar to what Bill Belichick did with OC Josh McDaniels when he made him the coordinator at such young an age and groomed him.

Now, the move makes no sense unless Dick LeBeau signs on to coach the LBers and to offer Bettcher valuable input---and to be a safety net if Bettcher struggles making the calls on game days. This is why BA said that he wanted to surround his new DC "with the right parts."

It would be a very bold move on BA's part. But, there's something about Bettcher that both Chuck Pagano and BA really really like. I think BA feels a genuine trust in the guy and perhaps sees a little of his younger self in him.

I think, in addition, that BA is grooming QB coach Freddie Kitchens to be the passing game coordinator to pair with Harold Goodwin as the running game coordinator. Bettcher (36), Kitchens (40) and Goodwin (41) are the kind of hungry and passionate young bucks that BA likes to surround himself with.

BA has been talking about establishing an in-house "coaching tree." This is what he means----having the young bucks learn from some of the all-time greats.

 

[Mitch]

I hope Arians doesn't use "arse"

Well, he certainly doesn't kiss it!

 

[Mitch]

Entertaining.

Jets defensive line in the 3-4 if they bring in Dan Williams.

DE: Muhammad Wilkerson
NT: Dan Williams
DE: Sheldon Richardson

Ridiculous, and when they play the Bills ?

DE: Marcell Dareus
NT: Kenrick Ellis
DE: Kyle Williams

The AFC East is starting to become very NFC West-like, at least defensively.

Actually, the Jets already have a mammoth NT they really like in Damon Harrison (6-4, 350, 4, William Penn). Maybe we might be able to sign Big Dan after all.

Rugby (and everyone)---do you think Dan Williams has done enough to warrant a $4-5M/yr. contract? Bearing in mind, too, that he only plays something like 28% of the snaps. I am not sure he has---he came on late toward his contract year which is always a concern. I thought he played very well this year, but in flashes.

 

[Vermont Maverick]

The AFC East is starting to become very NFC West-like, at least defensively.

not to mention QB...

QB: Geno Smith
QB: EJ Manuel

QB: Shaun Hill
QB: Ryan Lindley
QB: Colin Kaepernick