DC Update

We found out today that the Eagles interviewed Jim Leonhard for the open defensive coordinator position. I like this quite a bit. Leonhard has an interesting background, as a player and coach. He’s been around some terrific defensive minds and has become one of the best young defensive coaches in football.

Leonhard is a former NFL player who went back to his Alma Mater (Wisconsin) and was the DC there for six years. He was an overachiever as a player. He lacked ideal size and athleticism, but had 21 career INTs in college and at one point held the Big Ten record for punt return yards. He went undrafted, but made the Buffalo Bills roster and stayed in the league for 10 years. Leonhard started 73 games and had 14 career picks. He was a starting safety on the #1 overall defense in 2009 when he was with the Jets.

Leonhard played for Rex Ryan with the Ravens and Jets. He got a masterclass in overload blitzes, stuffing the run and being part of a highly disruptive defense. Leonhard went back to Wisconsin in 2015 and worked under DC Dave Aranda, a college defensive guru. Aranda left and was replaced by Justin Wilcox. Leonhard served as his DBs coach in 2016, but then Wilcox left for a head coaching job. Leonhard took over as DC in 2017 and held that position until there was a coaching change just a few months back.

More than a few people thought Leonhard would be named head coach at Wisconsin, but the job went to Luke Fickell, the mastermind of the University of Cincinnati’s recent run of success. That isn’t an insult to Leonhard. Rather, that points to how big college football has become. Wisconsin has been drifting away from Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State in recent years. They didn’t want to settle for a homegrown up and comer. They wanted a coaching star. Fickell is a proven commodity and now has the challenge of closing the gap with the Big 3 in the Big 10.

Leonhard needs a job and the Eagles need a DC.

I like him because of his background. Leonhard hasn’t coached in the NFL, but he played there for a decade. Learning under Rex Ryan is a great way to build your defensive acumen. Rex acts goofy on ESPN, but he’s brilliant when it comes to coaching defense. Leonhard was lucky to learn from Aranda and Wilcox on the college level. They had to be able to stop the Air Raid, RPOs, the triple option, the spread and other offensive attacks that are in the college game. Those coaches understand adaptability. They are creative thinkers and good teachers.

Leonhard was with the Jets in 2010 when they beat Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in consecutive playoff games. Think about how special that is. Ryan put together brilliant gameplans for those wins. Leonhard has been around a coach who can come up with new wrinkles for the postseason and use them to beat Hall of Fame QBs. That’s a huge selling point for me.

At Wisconsin, Leonhard has used a base 3-4, but he gets very creative. He will even use 2-4-5 looks. The Badgers have had a lot of success with him running the show. They finished Top 10 in Defensive Efficiency in 3 of his 6 seasons (2017, 2019, 2021). In 2019 his defense had 4 shutouts. 4!!! That should legally allow him to choose any job he wants, football or otherwise.

Jim Leonhard, one of the best dc in college football runs a cross dog with cover 3 with the fs playing the middle hole. He also drops 2 de into coverage flat defenders in one of his sim pressures.https://t.co/D7Zs8f7i9C pic.twitter.com/fQd6U6wf7s

— coachkou (@coachkou) February 4, 2023

https://twitter.com/CoachSamz/status/1178029565664468993

Here is some more stuff from his bio prior to the 2022 season.

In Leonhard’s five seasons as defensive coordinator, UW has ranked among the nation’s top five in total defense and top 10 in scoring defense four times. During that time, the Badgers rank third in scoring defense (17.3 points per game), first in total yards allowed (284.8 yards per game), first in pass efficiency defense (110.5), third in rushing defense (103.4 ypg) and first in opponents’ third down conversions (30.5%). Wisconsin has forced 112 turnovers over that span, tied for fourth-most among Power Five Conference teams.

One of the other selling points for Leonhard is that UW had good DL, edge rushers, ILBs and DBs in his time there. They didn’t specialize in just one area. He was able to recruit and develop players with different skill sets. And he wasn’t doing that with elite recruits. Leonhard was getting 3-star kids and turning them into college stars and NFL prospects.

Leonhard would be a good fit schematically. He would have the personnel to make his scheme work. He plays more man coverage than the Eagles do, but that might change if he came to the NFL. Leonhard will blitz, but isn’t going to overdo it. He’s had good pass rushers in his time at UW.

I also think Leonhard would fit from a culture standpoint. Nick Sirianni is big on teaching and having clear messages and core beliefs. Leonhard is the same way. They may not completely align, but the general philosophy of how to do things is similar.

We’ll have to wait to find out if he’s the guy.

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The Eagles are going to take a close look at Vance Joseph.

Philly has made some DC interview adjustments. Per source, Vance Joseph will interview via Zoom with Eagles on Wednesday and again via Zoom on Thursday with GM Howie Roseman/owner Jeffrey Lurie.
Meanwhile, Joseph and Rex Ryan remain in hunt for Broncos DC job. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) February 20, 2023

I’m guessing Joseph will talk to Sirianni on Wednesday and then Lurie/Roseman/Sirianni on Thursday. Maybe you spend the first day on X’s and O’s and the next one on philosophy and culture type stuff. No idea why they would give Joseph two days unless they are doing that for all DC candidates.

This is an important position because Sirianni is an offensive guy. He needs someone who can run the other side of the ball. Sirianni is hands on with the whole team, but the offense will get more of his focus because that’s his expertise.

I thought really highly of Joseph when he was the DBs coach for Houston (2011-2013). They were #3 in passing yards allowed in 2011 and 2013. They were top 10 in opposing passer rating in 2011 and 2012. He did a great job with that secondary.

He has not been great as either a DC or head coach. He has one Top 10 defense in yards (2017 DEN) and two Top 10 in takeaways (2018 DEN, 2021 ARZ). The 2021 Cardinals were 11th in points and yards allowed. He was 11-21 as a head coach. He’s 0-2 in playoff games, both times allowing 30 or more points.

Joseph is a veteran coach. He must be highly thought of as a person to have multiple teams looking at him. It’s especially interesting that Denver fired him as head coach, but would bring him back as DC a few years later. There have been changes since then, but that tells you the front office thinks highly of him.

At least one former Eagles likes him.

"I would love it to be Vance. I know that he's aggressive, I know that he's elaborate, I know he blitzes, I know he mixes things up in different situations. So I would love that hire."https://t.co/z9Hlclz77e

— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) February 20, 2023

That’s a cool endorsement. At the same time, you have to be careful about listening too much to former players. Dawk’s final season in the NFL was Jason Kelce’s first. A lot has changed since then. Blitzing is fun, but these days the best defenses don’t tend to blitz as much. Offenses are more creative than ever.

*****

No word on Sean Desai’s interview schedule. The Eagles requested permission to talk to him. No update beyond that.

Sirianni is smart to talk to different candidates and see who is the best fit for the Eagles. Don’t rush to make a hire and don’t go for the big name. Find the right guy.

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