Ryan helped by value Saints place on smart players
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan shows as much interest in simplifying his notoriously complex schemes as he shows in cutting his long silver hair.
"We don't coach a braindead scheme," Ryan told The Associated Press on Tuesday during training camp at The Greenbrier resort. "We're going to coach good football and whatever our players can handle, that's what I'm going to give them."
When Ryan was overseeing defenses for eight straight non-playoff teams in Oakland, Cleveland and Dallas, the knock on him was that his players sometimes struggled with the various pre-snap adjustments his defense requires. He also routinely asks players to line up in a number of different positions in a single game.
Last season, Ryan's first in New Orleans, he asked Kenny Vaccaro, then a rookie safety, to play not only both safety spots, but also to handle some cornerback and linebacker responsibilities.
"He put me in six positions and helped me pick it up," Vaccaro said, adding that players who characterize Ryan's schemes as too complicated could be making excuses for their own failures. "He provides us with the knowledge. ... We can get his scheme."
Last year provided proof that Ryan's way can work. The Saints, who in 2012 were the NFL's last-ranked defense, climbed to fourth in Ryan's first season.
In his second season, the expectation by those who know Ryan well is that he'll push his players to learn and do more.
"Being that this is Year 2 ... I would expect him to expand a lot more, which is going to keep people constantly guessing," said retired NFL linebacker Scott Fujita, who played for Ryan in Cleveland.
Ryan said his defenses could
work on any team, but stressed that the Saints provided "definitely the right environment" for him to thrive. Ever since head coach Sean Payton took over as head coach in 2006, Saints scouts have put a premium on players' abilities to process information and translate that to assign- ment-sound football.
The Saints have shown they value players who can compensate for a perceived lack of speed or size with anticipation and proper reads.
"We had a really smart group" last season, Ryan said. "Most people don't play nickel as much as we did. That really takes extra coaching and I wouldn't say we dialed anything back for that group — but I've definitely dialed it back before for other teams."
Ryan's success with the Saints, has made him a huge hit in the Big Easy with players and fans alike.
"I love New Orleans, and it just happens to be an awesome city and they seem to appreciate just a good guy," Ryan said.
Instantly recognizable by his bulging belly and long locks, Ryan can appear arrogant and brash at times. He says his father, Buddy Ryan, was the best defensive coach in the game. He unleashes profanity-laced outbursts during practice.