Nolan’S Notes

[falcon057]

Nolan’s Notes

By: Daniel Cox | February 14th, 2012

Mike Nolan has seen his share of the NFL. Among his nine stops at the NFL as a coach, he’s spent time as a linebackers coach, wide receivers coach and a head coach. Outside of those roles, Nolan has spent 14 years as a defensive coordinator in the league. That’s long enough to see a lot of what the NFL has to offer and learn how to counter it.

It appears that one of Nolan’s best assets is his ability to identify what is and isn’t working and correct it with results on the field. In each of Nolan’s stops as a coordinator before Atlanta, the coach assumed a roster that was producing at an average or below-average level. In each instance, often with little changeover on the roster, Nolan piloted a turnaround on defense.

Perhaps Nolan’s best turnaround job was in Denver in 2009. There he took over a defense that ranked 30th in the NFL in points allowed. When the season ended, the Broncos’ defense ranked 12th. Nolan use three defensive additions to the existing roster to help turn around Denver’s defense. That season he was also calling the plays that saw defensive end Elvis Dummervil have a breakout season with 17 sacks.

Nolan moved to Miami in 2010 and took the Dolphins from 25th to 14th in points allowed with one key free agent addition, inside linebacker Karlos Dansby. The coordinator kept the arrow pointing up in 2011 when he helped improve things again, moving to sixth in the NFL in points allowed.

As Baltimore’s coordinator from 2002 to 2004, Nolan inherited a talented defense. The season before he joined the Ravens were ranked 4th in the NFL in points allowed. In 2002, they dropped to 19th, but with an influx of young talent to the defense, many of whom still make up the team’s defensive core, he took them to 6th in 2003 and 2004.

In Atlanta, Nolan takes over a top-ranked run defense, but an overall defense that allowed 350 points in 2011, ranked 18th. Like in his other positions, he takes over a roster that has talent and youth, exactly the kind of defense Nolan has made a name for himself coaching to new highs in the NFL.

[niels petersen]

Nolan is exactly what we needed. Nolan has always coached defenses that were good at getting off the field on 3rd downs, and we haven't been able to do that during these past 4 years.

He usually improves the pass defense as well, which we badly need.

And of course he does well in the points per game category as well.

Love this hire!

[vel]

He simplifies things and lets the guys play using their natural athleticism. Our past scheme was too complicated and slowed the players down because they had to think too much. I bet we won't see as many blown assignments this year.

[shc]

He simplifies things and lets the guys play using their natural athleticism. Our past scheme was too complicated and slowed the players down because they had to think too much. I bet we won't see as many blown assignments this year.

I remember Urlacher saying a similar thing about Ron Rivera. Said he taught concepts instead of schemes/plays. And that it let the defense rely on their athleticism and talent.

[vel]

I remember Urlacher saying a similar thing about Ron Rivera. Said he taught concepts instead of schemes/plays. And that it let the defense rely on their athleticism and talent.

It really is a difference that most people don't understand around here. I caught a ton of heat for heading the Fire MM train, and BVG to an extent, because I knew how poor the schemes were and how severely they were holding the team back. BVG's zone scheme had so many moving parts, mixed with the overall fear of making mistakes, that the players just started dropping to their zone/assignment first, and then playing defense second. That's why we always saw guys in players' zones but never accounted for. They were thinking too hard. Just ask Houston. Got to an aggressive yet simplified defense and took off.

[atljbo]

To me.. I think we will resign Grimes.....Thomas Decoud is the true question mark... Is Decoud the deep playing FS Nolan will want ?

[vel]

To me.. I think we will resign Grimes.....Thomas Decoud is the true question mark... Is Decoud the deep playing FS Nolan will want ?

I think this is a wild card as well. Yes, this safety class may not be great, but getting Martin or Smith would be better potentially than keeping DeCoud. Somebody suggested a 1 year contract for him and get one next year, when it's loaded.

[raysnill1]

I think this is a wild card as well. Yes, this safety class may not be great, but getting Martin or Smith would be better potentially than keeping DeCoud. Somebody suggested a 1 year contract for him and get one next year, when it's loaded.

I wonder what would happen if they moved Dunta to FS. him paired with Moore seems like it could reap positive results.

[vel]

I wonder what would happen if they moved Dunta to FS. him paired with Moore seems like it could reap positive results.

Give DRob one assignment all game and he will thrive. It's just like Nnamdi. Both of those guys played man all game their entire career. They had 16 assignments in a season. Nothing else, just man up and play. When they changed teams, all of a sudden they had to think and react and all these other things and they looked bad because of it. Put DRob back on 1 guy a game and his play will improve. Same with Nnamdi. Simplify things and the athleticism shows.

Look at the 40 yard dash and the 3 cone drill. The 40 is simple: run straight as fast as you can. The 3 cone drill though requires come other things to think about. As a result, some guys can run blazing hot 40s but not so hot 3 cone drills.

[atljbo]

I wouldnt move Dunta to FS... Let him play press man mostly and leave him alone (rather its on the island or as a NB)

With the FS thing.... I cant see us bringing in a rookie FS to start... A rookie coming in head will already be swimming.. We will bring in a new scheme and the FS will have to call the plays for the secondary... I just cant see us putting a rookie FS in that predicament

[vel]

I wouldnt move Dunta to FS... Let him play press man mostly and leave him alone (rather its on the island or as a NB)

With the FS thing.... I cant see us bringing in a rookie FS to start... A rookie coming in head will already be swimming.. We will bring in a new scheme and the FS will have to call the plays for the secondary... I just cant see us putting a rookie FS in that predicament

I can't see it really either but it could happen and I wouldn't be against it, only if we got Martin or Smith. I think Barron is out of the question. I am fine with DeCoud and just think he needs a more structure environment. There was no discipline on the defense. That's why there was a lack of development of players as well.

[atljbo]

I can't see it really either but it could happen and I wouldn't be against it, only if we got Martin or Smith. I think Barron is out of the question. I am fine with DeCoud and just think he needs a more structure environment. There was no discipline on the defense. That's why there was a lack of development of players as well.

I mean it doesnt have to be Decoud... I just think it will be a in guy in the league already (Will already know how to make the defensive calls) ... It will be a new scheme to whoever runs it Decoud or a new FA FS

[vel]

I mean it doesnt have to be Decoud... I just think it will be a in guy in the league already (Will already know how to make the defensive calls) ... It will be a new scheme to whoever runs it Decoud or a new FA FS

I forgot where I read it, but they said Decoud was excellent at getting the correct calls made, it's just his personal limitations in his play that restricted him.

Decoud has his strengths, like a lot of other players on the team, but he wasn't played to them. There was too high of an emphasis placed on stopping the run and running the ball on this team. Consequently, we produced just that. A bunch of sound tackling safeties and corners and linebackers and sound blocking TEs and WRs and OLinemen but no playmakers. The team was conditioned this way since 08.

[Big_D]

I like the suggestion of Dunta at FS. Just think of the powerful tackles when he gets a running start.

[jbrinson]

I can't see it really either but it could happen and I wouldn't be against it, only if we got Martin or Smith. I think Barron is out of the question. I am fine with DeCoud and just think he needs a more structure environment. There was no discipline on the defense. That's why there was a lack of development of players as well.

I hope one of them a could make a impact like nate allen did with the eagles

[egoprime II]

I wonder what would happen if they moved Dunta to FS. him paired with Moore seems like it could reap positive results.

Good thought, but it will never happen. Robinson is being paid like an elite CB. Safeties come far cheaper. Moving Robinson to safety presents a lot of cap management problems, simply because then we would have three players making CB money on the field at the same time.

True, we could go with younger cheaper players at the two CB spots. Do we have those players on the roster or will we have to use some premium picks to draft some? Keep in mind, if we dip into free agency, even average CBs do not come cheap.

[k-train]

I think this is a wild card as well. Yes, this safety class may not be great, but getting Martin or Smith would be better potentially than keeping DeCoud. Somebody suggested a 1 year contract for him and get one next year, when it's loaded.

I like Martin, but I really feel that from what I've seen of him, he'll be a strong safety. Smith could play either spot IMO, but might be better at FS. I'm kind of intrigued by George Iloka from Boise State, also. For some reason, I just have a feeling that we will grab that guy.