I expected a lot more enthusiastic fan reaction to the Ravens' re-hiring of Steve Spagnuolo this past week. To me the guy is a defensive genius. Having Spags on staff makes a big potential difference for the Ravens defense if you ask me. But most Baltimore fans I've heard reacting to the news are apathetic at best about the hire
John Harbaugh has appointed Steve Spagnuolo as their new secondary coach. Spagnuolo has also been named the team's assistant head coach.
I kinda grew up watching Spags design secondary schemes and secondary blitzes for Jim Johnson's old 4-3 defense in Philadelphia during the best parts of the Andy Reid era…then watched Spags get hired away by the New York Giants and lead their defense to a Super Bowl win.
Spagnuolo, who was a senior defensive assistant last year, will be filling the void left by Teryl Austin’s departure. Austin left to be Jim Caldwell’s defensive coordinator in Detroit.
Spagnuolo will be returning to being a secondary coach for the first time since he was coaching with Harbaugh in Philadelphia (2001-2003). Although Spagnuolo has been a defensive coordinator (New York Giants, New Orleans Saints) and head coach (St. Louis Rams), his roots are coaching defensive backs.
The Ravens have a talented, young group of defensive backs for Spagnuolo to work with. Cornerback Jimmy Smith emerged last year, and is expected to start opposite Lardarius Webb again in 2014. Rookie Matt Elam started nearly the entire year, and the Ravens could welcome in a new playmaking free safety, according to Newsome’s desires.
Last season, Spagnuolo helped Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees studying opponents and contributed some ideas and insight that were different from what the Ravens had done in the past.
“How fortunate are we to have a former NFL head coach, former defensive coordinator and secondary coach become the Ravens’ coach for our defensive backs?” Harbaugh said.
“Steve is one of the outstanding teachers in the NFL, and he already worked with our defensive staff and players last season as a senior assistant. Our players respect him, and a number of our veteran defensive backs recently said to me that they wanted Steve to coach them.”
Spagnuolo's career has been marked by an attacking 4-3 defense similar to the one Jim Johnson used with the Eagles. The Ravens run a 3-4 defense. But that should not be a conflict as long as Spags is sticking with the defensive back assignments.
A lot of fans remember Spags' tough time with the New Orleans Saints two seasons ago. There is a faction of fans who saw what happened in New Orleans that season and don't want anything to do with Spagnuolo. Of course, he also won a Super Bowl in his first season as defensive coordinator with the Giants. He's well thought of around the NFL, and especially in the NFC East.
It also doesn't help that the Saints gave up more yards than any team in history during Spagnuolo's 2012 season with New Orleans.
True, since he left the Rams, St. Louis has become a pretty darn good defense and team. The Saints went from the worst ever defense to playoff-caliber defense. The difference for both getting better was getting rid of Spags, or so the popular Ravens fan myth-of-the-week seems to be going…
What the fans may be missing is Spags laid the foundations for defensive improvement in both St. Louis and New Orleans which are blossoming now. It takes two-to-three years to fix a defense—if you're lucky.
Last year he helped turn a struggling Ravens defense that had just lost Ray Lewis and Ed Reed— and more importantly 4 other starters (like Cary Williams and Paul Kruger —and the previous year Jarret Johnson)— into a Top 10 defense by year's end. Folks also forget to mention that the Saints had half their starting defense suspended for the "bounty gate" scandal when Spags took over in New Orleans.
Keeping Spags around is a good idea for the Ravens. His overall knowledge and teaching ability will come in handy—especially around playoff time in 2014-15….
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