The Rams have obviously been having a disappointing season, as they enter the final two weeks of the season with their playoff chances hanging by a thread the year after making a Super Bowl run. Anytime a team fails to meet expectations there’s the possibility for major changes, and it sounds like that could be the case in Los Angeles. Wade Phillips might be nearing the end of his time with the team, as Alex Marvez of Sirius XM NFL Radio tweets that he’s “hearing there’s a chance” Phillips doesn’t return for the 2020 season. Phillips, 72, has been the Rams’ defensive coordinator for the past three seasons, and was part of head coach Sean McVay’s inaugural staff.
The former Cowboys head coach has been coaching in the league since all the way back in 1976. Before joining forces with McVay he was the defensive coordinator in Denver, overseeing their vaunted ‘No Fly Zone’ secondary which won a Super Bowl in 2015. Marvez adds that Phillips is in the final year of his contract, and that if he were to depart then linebackers coach Joe Barry would be a “strong replacement candidate.” The Rams’ defense has had some notable meltdowns this season, like when they gave up 44 points to the Cowboys last week or 45 to the Ravens a month back, but they’ve also played quite well at times. The secondary has been better since trading for Jalen Ramsey, and they’ve given up 17 or fewer points in six of their last eight games. If Phillips does get the boot or chooses to leave on his own, he’d likely draw some interest from teams in search of a veteran assistant, perhaps to be paired with a young offensive-minded head coach.
Here’s more from out West:
- Terrell Suggs initially said he’d only play for the Ravens after he was cut by the Cardinals, but when he was claimed by the Chiefs it was immediately reported that he’d be joining Kansas City. What changed? Apparently all it took was a short call with Andy Reid. “I was really uncertain about my future last week, but I talked to Coach and it was a brief conversation and I was like, ‘OK,”’ the veteran pass-rusher said earlier this week, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “I asked Coach, ‘I just learned the hard way that a player like me just [doesn’t] fit in anywhere.’ He was like, ‘Trust me, you’ll fit in here.'” Suggs spent the first 16 years of his career with Baltimore before signing in Arizona this past offseason. Now, he’ll be joining one of the Ravens’ main AFC rivals with a chance at a potential final playoff run.
- Raiders safety Karl Joseph was placed on injured reserve after suffering a foot injury early last month, and now we have more details. Joseph had a “partial case of plantar fasciitis in his right foot,” according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic (Twitter link). Tafur also reports that he’ll be good to go in April when offseason programs start across the league. The Raiders declined Joseph’s fifth-year option, so the former first-round pick will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. Joseph started the first nine games of this season, and has said he wants to be back with the Raiders. He was receiving average marks from Pro Football Focus before going down.
- Speaking of the Raiders, there will be a lot of talk about Derek Carr this offseason. The Raiders are set to move to Las Vegas for 2020, and it’s not quite settled as to who will be their quarterback when they play their first game there. Jon Gruden has been publicly supportive of Carr, but “there is a significant disconnect between the coach and the quarterback,” writes Michael Lombardi of The Athletic. Lombardi writes that he believes the Raiders will hold onto Carr, while also drafting a quarterback next April. He speculates that Gruden might look to trade Carr, finding a partner willing to take on Carr’s relatively affordable contract. It’s often hard to tell what Gruden is really thinking as he’s often publicly said one thing while doing another during his short time back in the league, but it’s certainly plausible that he decides to move on from Carr, one of the last holdovers from the pre-Gruden Raiders.
When will Wade get
Another shot at Head Coach?
Should have never gotten another one after benching flutie for Johnson which led to the music city miracle
I’d personally bring him back as the Cowboys HC
He’s a great defensive coordinator. Not everyone is fit to be a general.
Quite true. I think the Falcons should definitely give him an interview if he leaves the Rams.
At 72? Not happening
Happy for Terrell Suggs
How did you not mention the 55 the Bucs dropped on the rams as one of the meltdowns lol
Rams never seemed to play like a team that wanted it. That and Flacco, I mean Goff may not be the long term solution to QB.
Man, I don’t get why Carr gets steamrolled, when more often than not he’s lacked bonafide wideouts to throw to. Get the guy a legit #1, who isn’t insane, and then see what he has, with no excuses, for a fair assessment.
I agree. I’d be ready to draft a QB, if one falls further than expected, but we still have some holes to fill. With WR1 being one of the big holes.
There will b quite a few teams looking for QBs this offseason. Some will b “back ups” to aging Vets. And some will b looking to draft one. But there’s plenty of teams looking. Bengals, Dolphins, Steelers, Chargers, Patriots, Panthers, Broncos, Colts, Jags, Saints, Bucs, Titans…. some May not be as motivated as others (Broncos if they like Lock, Jags if they r gunna try Foles again, Saints if they resign Teddy) but Carr is a fit with the Colts, Bucs and Titans if they all 3 want to upgrade. I personally think he’s a Titan because he’s a clear upgrade from Tannehill.
Just like I wouldn’t draft a QB unless one fell into our laps, it’s the same with a trade. I wouldn’t trade Carr, but I’d be ready to if the right offer came along.