Rams interview Dick Jauron

Akron Beacon-Journal

The Rams have interviewed Dick Jauron for their open defensive coordinator position. Jauron was a free safety in the NFL for eight seasons, with the Lions and Bengals, and made the Pro Bowl as a punt returner in 1973. He was Buffalo's secondary coach in 1985, then held the same job title with the Packers for nine years. He coached two Pro Bowl defensive backs while at Green Bay - Leroy Butler and... current Rams secondary coach Chuck Cecil.

Jauron was the Jagwires' first defensive coordinator, working there from 1995-98. Success there landed him the head coaching job in Chicago, and he was the NFL Coach of the Year in 2001, when the Bears went 13-3. They lost in their first playoff game, though, and that was Jauron's only winning season in five years at Soldier Field. He was the Lions' DC in 2004-5 and was interim HC after Steve Mariucci got fired. That led him back to Buffalo, where he was head coach for four years, going 7-9 three times before getting fired midway through a 6-10 season. He was the Eagles' secondary coach in 2010 and was Cleveland's DC the past two seasons.

Besides Cecil and Butler, Dre Bly, Asante Samuel and Shaun Rogers have all been Pro Bowl players for Jauron as a DC or secondary coach. The Browns were 23rd in the league in total defense last season, 25th against the pass, 19th against the run. They finished 11th in sacks with 39 and finished 16th in 3rd down percentage with 38%. In 2011, Cleveland was a poor 30th against the run but had the #2 pass defense, probably because they were easy to run on, and finished 10th overall.

Jauron's a 4-3 system coach, so at least he's a scheme fit. He gets pretty good reviews for his work at Cleveland, where the run D did make serious improvement, and the pass defense couldn't have been helped by Joe Haden's early-season suspension. (Cleveland actually started last season minus both their regular starting corners.) Personality-wise, he's an inverse Rob Ryan, who he actually succeeded at Cleveland. He seems to have made his career nut off that Jagwire defense, yet it was never better than 15th while he was there, jumping to 4th in 1999 after he left.

RamView can find little reason for enthusiasm in bringing Jauron aboard. All I see is all I've ever seen from Jauron teams, unexciting mediocrity. He seems like a perfect fit as far as the chemistry of the coaching staff goes, and he has plenty of experience, but I don't know what that experience is worth when no team he has served as head coach or defensive coordinator has finished higher than 10th in total defense. Hell, even Ryan had the one big year in Oakland.

Jauron wouldn't be a bad pickup at this stage; there can't be many DCs with shining resumes out there for the taking. But he'd be little reason to start a parade, either. I'm thinking C-minus if Jauron gets the job.

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