What Could a Kris Richard and Ryan Nielsen Reunion Mean for the Jaguars' Defense?
The Jacksonville Jaguars defensive staff is getting a shakeup in 2024.
A few weeks after head coach Doug Pederson fired all but three of his defensive assistants, the Jaguars are filling out their staff around new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.
One such role seems to be going to former New Orleans, Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks secondary coach Kris Richard. Hiring Richard would mean a reunion with Nielsen after the two served as co-defensive coordinators with the Saints in 2022.
What exactly would a Richard hire mean for the Jaguars? We spoke to John Hendrix of Saints News Network to break it down.
1) How much credit does Kris Richard get for New Orleans' secondary play during his time there?
When Aaron Glenn left for the Lions, Sean Payton hired Richard to run the secondary. He was a valued member of the coaching staff, taking over a then 5th-ranked pass defense to turn in No. 14 in 2021 and No. 2 in 2022. You really didn't have to worry about things in the secondary with Richard in charge. He had his players ready to go each week.
This is a quote from Dennis Allen in 2021 on Richard: "Highly competitive, extremely intelligent. Brings a championship pedigree that gives him instant credibility."
What led to the team moving on from him was philosophical differences after Allen's first season as head coach, so the Saints moved in a new direction with Joe Woods and Marcus Robertson, also replacing Cory Robinson in the process.
2) How well did the Saints develop defensive backs during Richard's tenure?
He's a real teacher of the game. In addition to Marshon Lattimore, the Saints had Malcolm Jenkins, Marcus Williams, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, P.J. Williams, Ken Crawley, Paulson Adebo, Bradley Roby, Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Maye and Alontae Taylor in their secondary in his time in New Orleans. The Saints had plenty of injuries to deal with in his two-year span, and Richard really elevated the secondary play even with a big number of personnel changes.
3) Richard and Ryan Nielsen will be reuniting. How did the tandem work together in 2022?
They were co-defensive coordinators in 2022. They trust each other to get the job done. Both are real likable personalities and you always come away learning something when you talk to them. Both were important staples for the Saints defense during their tenure, not to mention that it was Nielsen who went viral during his interaction with Tom Brady in that 9-0 shutout pitched by New Orleans. Nielsen's ties and roots were seen on the Falcons defensive line last season, as he had David Onyemata, Kentavius Street and Albert Huggins, all who had spent time with the Saints. Don't be surprised if Street and Huggins follow Nielsen.
