5 Observations on Ryan Nielsen's Opening Jaguars Press Conference
Ryan Nielsen has arrived.
Roughly a month after being hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars as defensive coordinator, Nielsen gave his first public remarks on Thursday. So, what did he say and what can we glean from it?
The coaching staff is set
Nielsen wasn't able to dive much into the defensive staff that has been built around him, with a Jaguars spokesperson saying that head coach Doug Pederson will announce the full staff soon. That makes sense; the defensive coordinator shouldn't announce the head coach's staff, even if he has had a big hand in building it.
But, as Nielsen said, he still has a lot of pieces in place. He mentioned that it consists of coaches he has worked with (Kris Richard), people he has coached himself (Jeremy Garrett), and people he hasn't worked with (Matt House?). In short, his staff is built and they are just waiting to announce it to the public. That will happen sooner than later.
The coverage won't be just man-based ... or will it
Predictably, Nielsen didn't go as far as to call his scheme man-coverage based. In fact, he noted that just because his scheme was one thing in the past doesn't mean it won't change in Jacksonville, which is important to note. And he's right. Just because he did things one way in Atlanta and New Orleans doesn't mean that is how it should be done in Jacksonville.
And when it came to his philosophies, Nielsen noted that there is zone coverage involved and he lives on the mantra of "Nothing deep, nothing cheap." So, could it be man coverage that looks like zone like Trent Baalke said? Perhaps. Could it be primarily man-based? Perhaps. Either way, the importance of the secondary and how it is retooled can't be overstated.
The offense was a big reason for Nielsen joining
One interesting thing Nielsen mentioned was the Jaguars offense. Nielsen saw the offense up close in Week 4 when the Jaguars beat the Falcons in London, so he went into the interview process with plenty of knowledge about the offense and the pieces on the roster. And as Nielsen mentioned more than once, the offense -- and Trevor Lawrence -- is a reason he took the job.
It makes sense, too. A good offense makes things easier for any defensive coordinator. There is less pressure to get stops, offenses can take advantage of what the defense can do, and more. Nielsen likely learned in 2023 with the Falcons how much a bad quarterback and offense can hamstring a great defense. He is clearly hopeful that won't be the case here.
Nielsen isn't ready to peg any player in a role yet
Nielsen was asked about a few specific players on Thursday, ranging from Josh Allen to Travon Walker. He didn't give away much in terms of what their roles may be though, giving generic answers when asked about Walker potentially playing inside. And that is for a reason.
It became abundantly clear throughout the course of Nielsen's presser that his focus today isn't what role players will play or exactly what the scheme looks like. It is instead about building relationships inside the building. Time for Xs and Os will come later this spring when the Jaguars know what they are working with. Until then, roles will likely not be revealed.
Our first impression of Nielsen
The last observation is my first impression of Nielsen after meeting him for the first time and seeing him field questions in person. Ultimately, I think Nielsen is exactly the type of person and coach he has been advertised as from a personality standpoint. He seems energetic and detailed beyond measure, and most of his answers seemed to revolve on building relationships with players and coaches alike.
No games are won at the podium, but Nielsen's presence commands attention and respect. He doesn't seem like he will have any problems building relationships inside of EverBank Stadium, which will be paramount to how he builds the defensive foundation in Jacksonville.
