FanPost

Rob Ryan: The Jake Delhomme of DCs?

There is a lot of enthusiasm about adding Rob Ryan as DC.

I’ll abstain. I understand, that Garrett didn’t want to wait too long and be left holding the bag.

In Jason Garrett’s search for a defensive coordinator he has shown patience but he doesn’t want to wait too long before the hole closes.

It might be time to pull the trigger on Ryan, who has been a coordinator in Oakland and Cleveland and won Super Bowl rings in New England as an assistant coach.

The Cowboys do not want to be caught without an experienced 3-4 coordinator when the music stops. Garrett has eight games of head coaching experience. I would think he would like to have an experienced coordinator with him in 2011.

With that said, it’s not an appointment that I’m excited about. Why? Here’s where Rob Ryan’s defenses ranked in defensive pass efficiency (Here on why defensive pass efficiency is key)

Year

Defensive Pass Efficiency Rank

Team

2004

31st

OAK

2005

23rd

OAK

2006

5th

OAK

2007

28th

OAK

2008

20th

OAK

2009

26th

CLE

2010

27th

CLE

You know what Dallas’s problem was this year? Yes … they dropped to 28th in defensive pass efficiency.

Now a lot of people are saying that Ryan had worse talent in Oakland and Cleveland. Is that objectively true? Let’s look at the roster Ryan inherited in Oakland in 2004.

Defensive Starters

Age

Drafted By

Rd

Pick

Year

LDE

Tyler Brayton

25

Oakland Raiders

1st

32

2003

LDT

Ted Washington

36

San Francisco 49ers

1st

25

1991

RDT

Warren Sapp

32

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1st

12

1995

RDE

Bobby Hamilton

33

UDFA

LLB

DeLawrence Grant

25

Oakland Raiders

3rd

89

2001

MLB

Danny Clark

27

Jacksonville Jaguars

7th

245

2000

RLB

Napoleon Harris

25

Oakland Raiders

1st

23

2002

LCB

Phillip Buchanon

24

Oakland Raiders

1st

17

2002

RCB

Charles Woodson

28

Oakland Raiders

1st

4

1998

RCB

Nnamdi Asomugha

23

Oakland Raiders

1st

31

2003

FS

Ray Buchanan

33

Indianapolis Colts

3rd

65

1993

Avg

28.0

71

And here’s the roster he’ll inherit in Dallas

Defensive Starters

Age

Drafted By

Rd

Pick

Year

LDE

Marcus R. Spears

27

Dallas Cowboys

1st

20

2005

NT

Jay Ratliff*+

29

Dallas Cowboys

7th

224

2005

RDE

Igor Olshansky

28

San Diego Chargers

2nd

35

2004

LOLB

Anthony Spencer

26

Dallas Cowboys

1st

26

2007

LILB

Bradie James

29

Dallas Cowboys

4th

103

2003

RILB

Keith Brooking

35

Atlanta Falcons

1st

12

1998

ROLB

DeMarcus Ware*+

28

Dallas Cowboys

1st

11

2005

LCB

Terence Newman*

32

Dallas Cowboys

1st

5

2003

RCB

Mike Jenkins*

25

Dallas Cowboys

1st

25

2008

SS

Gerald Sensabaugh

27

Jacksonville Jaguars

5th

157

2005

FS

Alan Ball

29

Dallas Cowboys

7th

237

2007

Avg.

28.6

77.7

Let’s see, he’ll be inheriting a defense in Dallas that is older 28.6 years (and actually I think you add a year) vs. 28.0 years and has was drafted lower 71st overall on average vs. 78th overall on average. That Oakland defense featured 7 1st round draft picks versus 6 1st round draft picks on Dallas. That defense also had 3 players (Sapp, Woodson, and Asomugha) who are HOF candidates. The point being that defense wasn’t devoid of "talent".

Here’s a fun one from Bob Strum.

It is really difficult to measure his tenures in Oakland and Cleveland. The easiest way to see this reality is to name his best pass rusher for his 7 years as a DC. In Oakland, was it Tommy Kelly? Derrick Burgess? Old Warren Sapp joined him in 2006

I guess that Strum doesn’t know that Derrick Burgess led the NFL in sacks in 2005 and that Sapp joined Oakland in 2004 (coming off 7 straight pro-bowl seasons).

Then there’s Cleveland.

Defensive Starters

Age

Drafted By

Rd

Pick

Year

LDE

Kenyon Coleman

30

Oakland Raiders

5th

147

2002

NT

Shaun Rogers

30

Detroit Lions

2nd

61

2001

NT

Ahtyba Rubin

23

Cleveland Browns

6th

190

2008

RDE

Robaire Smith

32

Tennessee Titans

6th

197

2000

LOLB

Kamerion Wimbley

26

Cleveland Browns

1st

13

2006

LILB

David Bowens

32

Denver Broncos

5th

158

1999

LILB

D'Qwell Jackson

26

Cleveland Browns

2nd

34

2006

RILB

Eric Barton

32

Oakland Raiders

5th

146

1999

RILB

Jason Trusnik

25

ROLB

Matt Roth

27

Miami Dolphins

2nd

46

2005

ROLB

David Bowens

32

Denver Broncos

5th

158

1999

ROLB

Jason Trusnik

25

LCB

Eric Wright

24

Cleveland Browns

2nd

53

2007

RCB

Brandon McDonald

24

Cleveland Browns

5th

140

2007

RCB

Mike Adams

28

SS

Brodney Pool

25

Cleveland Browns

2nd

34

2005

SS

Mike Adams

28

Cleveland's roster looks worse. However, to me it was notable that Ryan couldn’t get on the same page with his best players. Shaun Rogers … 3 time pro bowl nose tackle gets benched. Kamerion Wimbley, their best pass rusher (11 sacks, 5 sacks, 4.5 sacks, 6.5 sacks) traded to Oakland for a 3rd round pick (where he had 9 sacks this year). I don’t know if the Wimbley trade was Ryan’s decision but you have to think he had a say. When I see a team trade away their best pass rusher and subsequently be one of the bottom 5 teams in pass defense it makes me question their competency. It's hard for me to say it's all because of inferior talent when the coach can't use the talent on the roster.

Maybe Ryan will flourish in a stable disciplined environment. Maybe Ryan’s defenses need the right framework to be successful. Maybe Ryan will be the perfect yin to Garrett’s yang. I don’t know. I'm certainly rooting for it. And I understand that in these circumstances Ryan is probably the best Dallas could do. But I’m definitely not celebrating this morning.

Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.