Just Blog Baby
FanSided

Las Vegas Raiders: 5 potential replacements for Paul Guenther

By Khaled Abdallah

Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, who formerly coached the same unit for the Cincinnati Bengals, reacts to a penalty in the first quarter of a Week 15 NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.Oakland Raiders At Cincinnati Bengals 12 16 2018
Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, who formerly coached the same unit for the Cincinnati Bengals, reacts to a penalty in the first quarter of a Week 15 NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.Oakland Raiders At Cincinnati Bengals 12 16 2018 /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Reports are Wade Phillips is interested in the Raiders vacancy. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Reports are Wade Phillips is interested in the Raiders vacancy. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Las Vegas Raiders: 5 potential replacements for Paul Guenther

Wade Phillips: Currently unemployed

Just about everything we have said about Rod Marinelli and his experience applies to Wade Phillips as he has also been coaching football at a high level since the mid-1970s. Phillips has close to 20 years of experience as a defensive coordinator and like Marinelli has been a head coach in the NFL as well.

Phillips is as respected as they come in the NFL and has been talked about as a hot commodity this season to help fix some struggling units around the league. He was most recently with the Los Angeles Rams where he helped build a defense that made its way to Super Bowl LIII where they held down the New England Patriots until the fourth quarter but got little help from their offense.

The Rams defenses during his tenure were an average unit, finishing 16th in the NFL in points allowed and 17th in yards but were in the top 10 in takeaways in each year. Some of that of course had to do with having one of the best defensive players of all time in Aaron Donald in the heart of the defense but Phillips does deserve some credit for his efforts there.

Phillips also built a number one defense in Denver in 2015 which led the Broncos to a victory in Super Bowl 50 though he once again was able to build around an all-time great in Von Miller. He did however bring the best out of recent Raider free agents Cory Littleton and Lamarcus Joyner and could likely do it again.

The Raiders don’t currently have a player anywhere near the abilities of Donald or Miller but just like Marinelli, Phillips knows more about defense in the NFL than Paul Guenther ever will and would be an upgrade.

Also like Marinelli, Phillips is in his 70s and may not have the same drive as a younger, hungrier coach. He is reportedly interested in returning to the NFL in some capacity and the Raiders could certainly do worse than him as their next defensive coordinator.

Home/Las Vegas Raiders News