8 things to know about new Rams DC Raheem Morris

For the second straight offseason, the Los Angeles Rams were left searching for a defensive coordinator. And for the second straight year, Sean McVay opted to bring in an outside candidate rather than hiring from within.

He landed on Raheem Morris as his next defensive coordinator, replacing Brandon Staley at the helm of the league’s No. 1-ranked defense. Morris was the Falcons’ defensive coordinator and interim head coach in 2020 but was not retained on a permanent basis.

Here are eight things to know about the Rams’ new defensive coordinator.

He’s coached alongside Sean McVay before

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Morris and McVay have crossed paths before, and not just once, but twice. They first worked on the same staff in 2008 with the Buccaneers when McVay was the assistant WRs coach and Morris coached the defensive backs. After three years on separate staffs, the two came together again in Washington. McVay was the tight ends coach and offensive coordinator, with Morris on the other side of the ball as the secondary coach. They have built a connection over the years and with the Rams, they’ll work more closely than ever. Their past relationship was surely a factor in McVay’s decision to hire Morris, and this is a show of confidence in the 44-year-old coach.

Played safety and got his coaching start at Hofstra

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Before getting into coaching, Morris was a safety at Hofstra University back when they had a football team. He played there from 1994-1997 and graduated with a degree in physical education in 1998. Morris didn’t go on to play in the NFL, but immediately after graduating, he worked as a graduate assistant at Hofstra. He then coached Cornell’s defensive backs for a year before returning to his Alma Mater as Hofstra’s DBs coach and special teams assistant from 2000-2001.

Brings plenty of experience, but not as a coordinator

(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Morris brings with him to the Rams 18 years of NFL coaching experience. He spent time with the Bucs, Washington and Falcons, holding roles such as defensive quality control coach and defensive pass game coordinator. Morris was the Buccaneers’ head coach from 2009-2011, his only stint as a full-time head coach. Despite being a head coach in four separate seasons, Morris has only been an NFL defensive coordinator once: in 2020. He was the Falcons’ DC before being promoted to interim head coach. His experience as a defensive play caller is limited, which is important to note as he takes on this role with the Rams.

Spent four years coaching Julio Jones and the Falcons’ WRs

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Morris is obviously a defensive coach, but he has experience on the offensive side of the ball. From 2016-2019, Morris was the Falcons’ wide receivers coach, working with the likes of Jones and Calvin Ridley. He won’t be coaching the wideouts in L.A., but those four years as the wide receivers coach could give him a different perspective when it comes to coaching the Rams defense.

Defensive backs are his forte

(AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Being a former safety himself, most of Morris’ experience in coaching is in the secondary. He coached the defensive backs for several years in Tampa Bay and did the same in Washington for three years. While with the Falcons, he was also the pass game coordinator. So game planning against opposing passing attacks is in his blood, which bodes well for the Rams. He’ll inherit a secondary that features Jalen Ramsey, likely Darious Williams, Jordan Fuller and possibly John Johnson. There shouldn’t be much drop-off in the Rams secondary under Morris.

Falcons ranked 29th in yards, 19th in points last season

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It was not a good season for the Falcons in 2020, especially on defense. They finished the year 29th in yards allowed and 19th in defensive scoring, struggling to slow down many of the offenses they faced. But the unit did improve after Morris was promoted to interim head coach. After allowing at least 30 points in four of the Falcons’ first five games under Dan Quinn, they gave up more than 30 points just twice under Morris in the final 11 games. They still finished last in passing yards allowed, but that was with a secondary that can't match the talent that Los Angeles has. Still, there was a lot still to be desired from the Falcons defense under Morris.

Learned different schemes under Dan Quinn and Jon Gruden

(AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

Morris worked longest under Quinn and Gruden and in doing so, he deployed multiple schemes. Under Gruden in Tampa Bay, the Bucs primarily used a Tampa 2 scheme that called for a lot of zone coverages with two deep safeties. In Atlanta under Quinn, the Falcons ran a lot of Cover 3 and single-high looks. Neither of those fit exactly what the Rams ran this past season under Brandon Staley. They utilized a lot of zone, but it was primarily quarters coverage with four defenders dropping back deep to limit big plays. Morris’ track record of working in multiple schemes should make for an easy transition from Staley to Morris.

Not afraid to blitz

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Morris and the Falcons blitzed a good amount last season, though not as much as teams like the Ravens and Dolphins. According to Pro Football Reference, they blitzed 32.8% of the time in 2020, which was 12th-most in the NFL. The Rams, for comparison, blitzed only 27.3% of the time, 19th in the league. Expect the Rams to blitz more than they did this season with Morris calling the plays, and with an elite secondary in coverage, it should make for an aggressive style of defense.

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