3 defensive coordinators replacements for Steve Spagnuolo
By John Buhler
The Kansas City Chiefs may need to move off defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo at the end of the season.
At 3-4 on the season, much of the Kansas City Chiefs‘ lack of success falls on defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
It is amazing what can happen in two years. Spagnuolo and the Chiefs were on top of the world after Super Bowl LIV. Now they are fighting for their lives to even make the AFC playoffs. While there is plenty of blame to go around, Spagnuolo will get the blunt of it if the Chiefs fail to live up to lofty expectations in the second half of the year. He may need to go no matter what happens.
Here are three excellent defensive minds the Chiefs could target to replace Spagnuolo in 2022.
Kansas City Chiefs: 3 replacements for Steve Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator
player. Pick Analysis. New York Giants. 3. 31. Scouting Report. Defensive Coordinator. Patrick Graham
Patrick Graham was a big reason behind the New York Giants’ second-half surge
There was a reason why the New York Giants finished the season with some positive momentum. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham really had his side of the ball humming in the second half under first-year head coach Joe Judge. Even if the Giants beat the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, there is a very strong possibility ownership pulls the plug on this collective failing rebuilding effort.
Graham is in his second year as the Giants defensive coordinator. He was the Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator under first-year head coach Brian Flores in 2019. As with Flores, Graham stems from the Bill Belichick coaching tree after a lengthy stay on the New England Patriots coaching staff. Still in his early 40s, Graham has the potential to be an NFL head coach one day.
He is a defensive line coach by trade, but what should not get lost in the shuffle is he can get the most out of his talent schematically. It is not like the Giants or the Dolphins before that were dripping with blue-chippers defensively. Though it may take some time, Graham has the potential to build another Super Bowl-winning defense for head coach Andy Reid to possibly go out on top.
If Judge is fired on or before Black Monday, Graham will be the New York asset worth targeting.