Defensive Coordinator Interviews
 

Pelissero has reported that the Colts are lining up the DC candidates with interviews starting next week.

He specifically mentions Anarumo and Wilks are expected to be in the mix for the job.


A little later, Breer confirms the Anarumo interview and indicates it will occur on Tuesday.


https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1877383693192331682


https://x.com/AlbertBreer/status/1877412887934693792

The Colts completed another interview:


https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1877852940032954759

A bit of a reach here? Never heard of the guy myself which means nothing but is there a pedigree here or are we just checking the boxes casting a wide net?

That and likely checking the box for the Rooney rule.

I am pretty sure that the Rooney Rule only requires one minority candidate for coordinator jobs so I don't think this interview was prompted by the Rooney Rule - of course...assuming that the Wilks interview happens.

The Colts may have just wanted to bring Banda in the building. He has an interesting back story. And with Ron Milus gone, he may be an option for the DB coach opening as well in case he wants to jump ship from Cleveland and expand his contacts / network in the NFL ranks.

And it would be payback for the Browns poaching Ventrone from the Colts.

It might be tough bringing in a top DC because this whole thing might get blown up if next season goes in the ditch again. Not sure any coach wants to sign up for what could be only one year.

Hadn't thought of that. If the next season is a bust, which Irsay might suspect, I could see him promoting from within. Give someone a shot to show his stuff while understanding a new GM would bring in new staff anyways.

A fourth candidate emerges: the Colts plan to interview Dennis Allen later this week per Rapoport and Fowler.


https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1878826586180636881


https://x.com/JFowlerESPN/status/1878816230305611989

Add Wink Martindale to the candidates list.

I believe the last time he was in the building...he was a finalist for the head coaching job which Steichen eventually won.


https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1879215787539578896

I would be good with this. A few years back he was 2nd in blitz rate. This year that defensive performance against OSU was a master class. Old grizzly dude that I doubt is gonna put up with a bunch of fucking soft ass shit.

He's also interviewing with Atlanta & possibly Cincinnati. I fully expect Ballard to drag his feet long enough to fuck up the entire situation.

After interviewing Martindale in '23, Ballard should have pretty good idea if this is his guy or not. But, since supposedly this is a Steichen hire, then we will see.

This will tell us a lot about Steichen. Does he want an ass kicker or another pacifier like Bradley.

I think I'd like to see an ass kicker.

"When coach Lombardi says sit down, you don't look for a chair."

It might be someone else who is dragging their feet...reportedly Dennis Allen is wanting to take his time with the process and look at all the coordinator jobs once some of the head coach openings are filled. If Allen is the Colts target, maybe they can speed up his decision making process.


For the most part, Atlanta's interview list has a lot of the same candidates as the Colts - Martindale, Wilks, and Anarumo.


There were rumors that Cincinnati was hoping to land Eberflus but that was before they conducted any interviews so things may change. Mike Zimmer (who previously served as the Bengals DC) is also suddenly a free agent again after the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy couldn't agree to terms on a new contract.

I like the idea of Wink coming here

A way more aggressive in your face style of defense that forces the action

I believe Latu would excel in this style of defense he’d be able to utilize his athleticism way more

Yeah but his name is “Wink”.

He was, at one time in his life, a game show host !

Doesn't Martindale run a 3-4 base?

That style has rarely lasted in Indy. Fangio tried it, Pagano tried it. Didn't work with the personnel.

I found the video I remember watching about Martindale with the Giants. Very interesting watch. It's that whole style of bringing almost everyone to the line, so the QB has limited pre-snap info, but you don't know where they're going until the snap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwG4j_8dqi4&t=14s

Get Mike Zimmer.

This is the kinda stuff I wanna see. It doesn't look like this defense requires elite talent either. The Giants certainly didn't have elite talent at that time, other than Xavier McKinney and Dexter Lawrence. It does seem that we would need a smart athletic safety though. Which we do not have.

It would be nice to see Kenny Moore start blitzing from the corner again, like he use to.

Better than Pink or Stink IMHO. Besides, would he leave the game show circuit? :)

I like that. Not only does it disguise the D from the QB, it gives the players a defined role prior to the moment of action. Kinda keeps their head in the play.

So are interviews over and were down to decision time?

They have not interviewed the head janitor and chief toilet scrubber yet.

Then its off to the 2nd tier water boys and Irsay´s gardener before he gets sent back in the round up of illegals.:D

Atlanta is turning back the clock to 2020 and decided to bring back Jeff Ulbrich as their DC.

When Dan Quinn was fired midseason, Raheem Morris was elevated from DC to the interim Head Coach and Ulbrich was elevated from LB Coach to interim DC.

The Falcons have now re-created that organization, of course without the interim labels.

Martindale style defenses are fun when they work... But Giants and Ravens fans bitched about him being "obsessed with bringing everybody."

He had three great years with BAL, but he also had a lot of great players. So how much was scheme vs personnel?

Final year with BAL they were last vs the pass, I think. With the Giants, they were like bottom 5 vs the run and only middle of the pack vs the pass, so 25th/27th in total defense each year.

Bitching about Bradley's easy catches and cushions could easily turn into bitching about guys getting to the edge while the entire defense is in the backfield. Or going balls out to the QB and getting murdered in the run game.

No doubt we'll get burned w/ some big plays if we switch to a more pressure style defense. Especially in year 1 where we'll likely have a lot of the same players who either aren't a good fit for the new scheme or are will still be learning. But give me an aggressive D that mixes up coverages over one that sits back in a vanilla zone and goes into a prevent on every 3rd down.

It's not like we didn't give up big plays or were any good against the run in Bradley's scheme. We were 21st, 24th, and 24th in run D in his 3 years, and as we know were murdered several times against the run under him.

The reasoning before, for not running a pressure defense, is the youth in the defense.

That in no longer an excuse. The nucleus of the defense will be going into the following years: Buck yr 10, Grove yr 9, Moore yr 8, Franklin yr 8, Paye yr 5 Odeyingbo yr 5, Thomas yr 4, Cross yr 3, Jones yr 3, Brents yr 3.

I didn't include Blackmon, Speed, Womack, Lewis and a few others, because I don't expect them back.

These are Ballard's guys. If they can't handle it than he and his players should be gone.

Totally agree. Although I think Womack will be back as he showed enough to be a depth guy and is still on his rookie deal and only counts ~$1M against the cap. Although he obviously isn't anything great, so he could get beat out in training camp.

fuck chris ballard!

Be my guest!