Philadelphia Eagles: DeMeco Ryans deserves a head coaching gig

Aaron Rodgers is a legend.

He’s the reigning NFL MVP, a future Hall of Famer, and an all-time field general with 55,360 passing yards and counting.

The proud quarterback of the NFC’s top-seeded team, Rodgers got to sit back and watch the rest of the conferences duke it out as he and the rest of the Packers enjoyed their bye week. Who would his team face in the divisional round? The Philadelphia Eagles? The Arizona Cardinals? Well, as it turns out, that honor went to none other than the San Francisco 49ers, the team who almost drafted Rodgers all those years ago.

Would ARod finally get his revenge and ride a winning streak into a Super Bowl appearance in his home state? Not if DeMeco Ryans had any say in the matter.

That’s right, after yet another 4,000 yard passing season, Ryan’s squad held the Packers’ passing offense out of the endzone and sent Green Bay home via a 13-10 loss on their home turf. If there was ever a game to put a coordinator on the map, surely it was this one. Teams across the NFL take note; this man deserves a head coaching gig.

DeMeco Ryans has been a leader since his days with the Philadelphia Eagles.

To get a head coaching gig as a defensive coordinator, you have to have two things going for you: A fantastic scheme and a leader’s mentality.

While many a defensive coordinator has found long-term success with the clipboard, as the specific requirements of being a head coach aren’t solely related to schematic requirements of coaching any one side of the ball, it’s harder to do so coming from that side of the ball because offensive coordinators are harder to replace than their defensive counterparts.

I know, that’s a pretty big generalization, and in a way it is, but how many times have we seen teams with defensive-minded head coaches get their offensive coordinators poached and suddenly they fall back to earth? It happened with Kevin Stefanski under Mike Zimmer, could very well happen with the Buffalo Bills and their coordinator Brian Daboll, and will surely happen again time after time for years to come.

Could we see another defensive coordinator hired away from their current team this coaching cycle? Most definitely, I hear Jonathan Gannon’s interview with the Houston Texans went great, even if his stats don’t really justify legitimate consideration.

Would you like to know who does deserve consideration? Yeah, that would be DeMeco Ryans, the one-time Philadelphia Eagles linebacker turned San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator.

In his first season replacing Robert Saleh, Ryan’s defense ranked ninth in points allowed and third in yards surrendered. His 4-3 scheme, which relied on a strong push from the front four and a good bit of creativity ranked seventh against the run, sixth against the pass, and amassed 48 sacks, which ranks fifth league-wide behind only the Steelers, Vikings, Rams, and Bears.

Those numbers, across the board, are very good. If Ryans was somehow relieved of his duties, there would be a bidding war the league over for his services, but being a good coordinator isn’t the only qualifier for a good head coach. No, you also gave to be a good leader of men, something Ryans has had a reputation for since his playing days.

I mean, if you recall back to 2014, Ryans was signed by Howie Roseman in no small part to provide some on-field leadership for Chip Kelly’s defense. Granted his play was on-point too, but Ryans was instrumental in the development of Jordan Hicks and transitioned beautifully into the coaching game once his playing days were done.

Simply put, if ever there was a player-turned-coach worth betting on, it would be Ryans.

Will DeMeco Ryans land a head coaching gig this cycle? Only time will tell. He just completed an interview with the Minnesota Vikings, who like defensive-minded head coaches, and will surely earn a few more before all the jobs are filled. But even if he doesn’t, it’s good to see a former Philadelphia Eagles player turn out good, even if it means having to see him on an opposing sideline for years to come.