"The Houston Texans have named Ray Rhodes as the team’s new assistant defensive backs coach, it was announced today.Rhodes joins the Texans following five seasons (2003-07) with the Seattle Seahawks. He was the Seahawks defensive coordinator from 2003-05, and then moved into the role of special projects/defense for the past two seasons.
The Seattle defense improved from 28th in the NFL the year prior to his arrival to 19th in his first season. Seattle made the playoffs in each of Rhodes’ five seasons there.
Rhodes is reunited in Houston with a number of former colleagues, including Texans head coach Gary Kubiak, with whom he coached in San Francisco in 1994 and in Denver from 2001-02." Texans Press Release
4 comments:
I was already excited about this when they announced it - but then I heard that he was also going to be advising Richard Smith - not just working exclusively with the defensive backs... that makes me RIDICULOUSLY excited about the hire. Great move. The Texans really knocked it out of the park with Gibbs and Rhodes.
Hiring Gibbs and Rhodes gives us such a keen insight into what Kubiak and Rick Smith are all about.
I suspect that Rhodes will evolve into a co-defensive coordinator. The organisation chart may have him listed as something else but he is too forceful of a personality to allow Richard Smith to get in the way.
Were it not for some health concerns I think Richard Smith would be gone. This may be the tenth time I've said that but I'm convinced.
I think, given the way the situation has gone so far, this season is setting up perfectly as a do-or-die one for Richard Smith.
If Rhodes is okay for all of next year, the Texans will already have a guy within the organization that can replace Smith if he doesn't perform up to whatever standard Kubiak has set for him, either explicitly or in his mind.
The only thing that worries me is that we may have just created for ourselves a classic case of too many chiefs and not enough indians. What is Rhodes job really going to be? Are any of the staff going to get into a pissing contest with one another? Under what circumstances do you think Rhodes might not just be vying for Smith's job, but Kubiak's as well?
Firstly I wanted nothing more than for Richard Smith to be successful. His inexperience cost us last year. He does get to play the injury card but that doesn't cover the mistakes he made utilizing what we had.
Most notably the lack of agressivness on the defense. This is territory well covered here and elsewhere.
If they bought Rhodes they have bought his ideas. This implies to me a recognition that Richard Smith's contributions were found wanting. I think he has already lost the turf battle. And I have no doubt that Rhodes will capture the loyalty of the players.
Besides I am really tired of typing Richard Smith and Rick Smith. One of them has to go.
Next year would have to be a disaster of bibilical proportions for Kubiak's job security to be threatened. (Who is Anti-QuarterBack in that metaphor? I can't bear it!)
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