Broncos Select Phillips as DC

The Broncos picked Wade Phillips as their new defensive coordinator, the team announced on Wednesday evening. The hiring of Phillips is all about familiarity for new head coach Gary Kubiak, as he served as Kubiak’s defensive coordinator with the Texans from 2011-2013. Phillips helped spark a huge turnaround for the Texans defense, although the arrival of J.J. Watt may have had something to do with that as well.

In Denver, Phillips will switch the Broncos to a base 3-4 defense. That will suit edge rushers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware beautifully, but the lack of a true nose tackle is going to be an issue. DT Terrance Knighton is set to become a free agent in March and is likely to follow former Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio to Oakland.

“”With Jack here the past four years, we’ve played 3-4, we’ve played 4-3, we’ve played everything,” said CB Chris Harris Jr. “So us playing in every scheme since we’ve been here, I don’t think it will be hard to adjust at all.”

As Kubiak fills out his coaching staff, it is clear he is looking for familiarity more than just raw ability. Other assistant coaches hired so far include linebackers coach Reggie Herring and  defensive line coach Bill Kollar, both former assistants with the Texans.

This is not an unusual practice, as most new hires like to bring familiar faces along with them. But here’s the problem: the entire Texans coaching staff was fired after the 2013 season for very good reason: a disastrous 2-14 campaign in which the Texans lost their final 14 games. And this, unbelievably, came on the heels of two consecutive playoff appearances.

People like to give Kubiak & Co. a free pass for that season because the team was hit hard by injuries and the unexpected implosion of QB Matt Schaub. However, I seem the remember the Cardinals and Bengals both making the playoffs this season despite significant injuries and shoddy quarterback play. It can be done; the coaches in Houston just couldn’t figure out how, so they were fired.

Now, John Elway — in his “Super Bowl or bust” frame of mind — has brought the band back together in Denver. Oh, and by the way, Kubiak may once again not have a legitimate quarterback, pending Peyton Manning’s decision on whether to return next season.

This can only end well.

San Francisco Stays In-House … Again

The 49ers will promote quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst to offensive coordinator, according to the league’s official network. The promotion makes perfect sense, considering how well San Francisco’s quarterbacks performed last season … oh, wait a minute.

Chryst was not San Francisco’s first choice. Lane Kiffin (Alabama), Rob Chudzinski (Colts) and Bob Bicknell (Eagles) all opted to stay with their respective teams rather than take over play-calling duties in the Bay Area. It is hard to blame them, either, given how the last coaching staff was treated by 49ers management.

This hiring season has been nothing short of a disaster for the 49ers, who have now promoted from within to fill their two most important vacancies (defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was promoted to head coach). That doesn’t send a great message to the locker room … both of these men were considered lesser coaches than Jim Harbaugh for the last six years and now they are supposed to lift the team higher than Harbaugh ever could?

Chryst’s resumé is especially suspect. His last work as a play-caller came 15 years ago with the Chargers. In his two seasons in that capacity, the Chargers finished 26th and 28th in total offense. Ironically, Chryst’s quarterback during those seasons was Jim Harbaugh, so maybe that’s another failure that can be unfairly pinned on him.

More recently, it is difficult to see how Chryst’s work as San Francisco’s quarterbacks coach merits a promotion. Colin Kaepernick is coming off a wildly inconsistent season in which he clearly regressed. He struggles to get past his primary read and lacks poise and patience in the pocket. After working with Chryst for the last three seasons, you would think those issues would be less glaring by now.

These in-house hires express a desire for continuity … hopefully, 49ers fans are pumped up at the prospect of another 8-8 season.

Browns Players Take Up for Manziel

There is no way to get through the biggest media week of the NFL season without a Johnny Manziel story. That was made possible this week when a couple Browns defenders offered up some choice quotes about Manziel, who figures to be the team’s starting quarterback in 2015.

Karlos Dansby went on the NFL Network’s Super Bowl Live and said: “”Oh, without a doubt [Manziel can lead us to the Super Bowl]. It’s gonna take a lot of sacrifices. Guys can’t have egos, you gotta check ’em at the door. We gotta … rally around each other and continue to fight for each other, just play lights-out football.”

Cornerback Joe Haden went on Around the NFL on Wednesday and added: “I think Johnny really understands what he needs to do to be successful.”

It is good to see the Browns backing their player, but they don’t really have a choice. Brian Hoyer is a free agent who has no desire to return to the circus town that Cleveland has become. That is going to stick the Browns squarely in the alcohol-soaked hands of Manziel, who spent his rookie season partying too much and studying too little (by his own admission).

Manziel spent just seven quarters on the field in 2014 and was mostly terrible. Now, the Browns have to hope they can fix his priorities before they can fix his game.

Hey, if they can fix Josh Gordon they can fix anybody. Good luck, Cleveland.

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