Should the Jaguars Pursue Wade Phillips to Be Their Defensive Coordinator?

One of the best defensive minds in football is now on the open market after former Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips announced Monday that his contract won't be renewed.

"I have been informed by the Rams that my contract will not be renewed. I want to thank them for the opportunity to be a part of their success the last 3 years," Phillips tweeted. "Most of all I want to thank the players who I loved workings with. I still want to coach and feel I can contribute."

The last sentence is one that should ring loudly in the ears of the Jacksonville Jaguars and their decision-makers. Despite being ousted in Los Angeles, the 72-year old Phillips still wants to roam a team's sidelines.

So, why not Jacksonville's?

Of course, Jacksonville still has a defensive coordinator as it stands today in Todd Wash, who has been in the position since 2016. After owner Shad Khan retained head coach Doug Marrone last week, Marrone announced it could be a little while until any decisions on staff changes would be made.

“I think it is something that is going to go back and be evaluated. I think, obviously, my focus and concentration at the end was to get our players in a better position to perform. I think I am going to go back through the same process of looking at the staff, seeing what we can do," Marrone said last week at TIAA Bank Field when it was announced he would return.

"First, it comes to me – kind of what we talked about here, some of the changes that I am going to make and what we do, not just for myself, but for the staff, everyone that touches these players. I think it is going to be a process of I am going to look at it as … The coaches are gone today, they will be back on the 13th, that Monday. That is when we will start meeting and going through that process.”

So, Wash will likely still be defensive coordinator for at least another week, if not beyond that. But regardless of his status, it would be wise of the Jaguars to put out feelers to Phillips' camp and gauge his potential interest.

Rams this season held opponents to:
Saints: 9 points
Browns: 13 points
Falcons: 10 points
Bengals: 10 points
Bears: 7 points
Cardinals: 7 points
Seahawks: 12 points
Steelers: 17 points.

Now they got gashed in some games (Baltimore, 45 etc), but feels a little sacrificial lamb.
— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) January 6, 2020

For one, Phillips' defenses in Los Angeles were solid all three seasons he coached there. Even in the Rams' dissapointing 9-7 season, Phillips' defense wasn't the issue. In fact, they even excelled, especially when compared to Wash's units.

For context, here are how the Rams' and Jaguars' defenses compared in 2019:

Yards allowed per game:

Rams: 339.63. Ranked 13th in 2019.
Jaguars: 375.44. Ranked 24th in 2019

Points allowed per game:

Rams: 22.75. Ranked 17th in 2019.
Jaguars: 24.81. Ranked 21st in 2019.

Rushing yards allowed per attempt:

Rams: 4.1. Ranked 10th in 2019.
Jaguars: 5.1. Ranked 31st in 2019.

Rushing yards allowed per game:

Rams: 113.06. Ranked 19th in 2019.
Jaguars: 139.31. Ranked 28th in 2019.

Passing yards allowed per attempt:

Rams: 6.5. Ranked 11th in 2019.
Jaguars: 7.3. Ranked 26th in 2019.

Passing yards allowed per game:

Rams: 226.56. Ranked 12th in 2019.
Jaguars: 236.13. Ranked 16th in 2019.

Rushing touchdowns allowed:

Rams: 15. Ranked 22nd in 2019.
Jaguars: 23. Ranked 31st in 2019.

Passing touchdowns allowed:

Rams: 23. Ranked 16th (tied) in 2019.
Jaguars: 22. Ranked 12th in 2019.

Takeaways:

Rams: 24. Ranked ninth in 2019.
Jaguars: 19. Ranked 23rd in NFL.

Sacks:

Rams: 50. Ranked fourth in 2019.
Jaguars: 47. Ranked seventh (tied) in 2019.

So outside of a few different areas, the Rams' defense performed better than Jacksonville's despite also being deficient of talent at some key spots. Phillips has a terrific track record as a defensive coordinator throughout his entire career, and the solid work he did with an iffy Rams' defensive roster only bolstered that.

Phillips' scheme should also entice Jacksonville. He runs an attacking 3-4, a scheme that rejuvenated Dante Fowler's career and helped other players such as Michael Brockers and Corey Littleton thrive.

The Jaguars could benefit from a change to a 3-4, with many of their front seven pieces making more sense in that scheme than they would in a 4-3. This includes Myles Jack, Calais Campbell, Josh Allen, Dawuane Smoot, and Yannick Ngakoue if he remains in Jacksonville.

Phillips is a terrific teacher who commands the respect of his players. He has shown an ability to connect with players of all ages and backgrounds and is regarded as one of the most well-liked coaches in the business. Hotheads like Fowler and cornerback Jalen Ramsey never had anything negative to say about the coach despite voicing displeasure with Jacksonville's coaching staff and schemes in the past.

The two big questions as it pertains to Phillips are if he would even be interested in joining the Jaguars and if the Jaguars will actually move on from Wash.

If the answer to both, or either, of those questions is yes, Jacksonville would be wise to at the very least contact Phillips.

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