Buccaneers: Kris Richard availability presents possibilities for the Bucs
If you search the web, there is no news pertaining to Buccaneers coaches, but there are plenty about others. This includes Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard.
There are rumors the coach has been fired, and teams like the Buccaneers should certainly take notice of a young coach who has grown up in the business with one of the best defenses in recent memory.
At a minimum, he’s available for interviews, per Ian Rapoport:
More change coming for the #Seahawks: DC Kris Richard would be allowed out of his contract for another opportunity, sources say. He's had a long relationship with Pete Carroll, who believes Richard would benefit from experiencing something new. Could have OC & DC openings.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 10, 2018
Formerly a player under head coach Pete Carroll at USC, Richard was actually drafted by Seattle and played one year before returning to his campus to coach under Carroll. When the head coach moved to the NFL, he brought Richard with him.
As a secondary coach, Richard helped the Seahawks build and develop the “Legion of Boom” and dominate the NFC West until injuries mostly took their toll on the unit.
The 2017 Seahawks defense finished 13th in the NFL in opponent scoring, compared to the Buccaneers who finished 22nd. This despite sweeping injuries to their six best defenders, more than half of their unit.
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In 2016, with a healthier group, the Seattle defense finished third. Tampa, finished 15th, still worse than Seattle did in an injury plagued season.
Richard’s first year as defensive coordinator for Seattle was 2015, when he led his defense to a first-place finish in opponent scoring.
Now, nothing I’ve seen has pointed to the Bucs parting ways with defensive coordinator Mike Smith. But news or Richard’s availability will hopefully spark some sort of conversation within the walls of One Buc Place.
Some will say he was blessed with top NFL talents. Folks, Richard helped make this defense with one first-round pick (Thomas), a second-round pick (Wagner), a fourth-round pick (Wright), two fifth-round picks (Sherman and Chancellor), and two free-agents (Bennett and Avril).
These aren’t all guys who were sure-fire stars. The two fifth rounders were coached directly by Richard from the moment they entered Seattle, when he was the defensive backs coach.
Richard is aggressive as a play caller, and has proven he can build a defense given driven players who want to succeed.
He may not be able to come in as the defensive coordinator, but if the misplaced blame on Richard continues, then perhaps Tampa can bring him in as an assistant defensive coordinator or even defensive backs coach.
Best case scenario is he helps bring some aggression to the Tampa secondary. Worst case? The Glazers clean house on Koetter’s staff in 2019 and give Richard the reigns to the defense all together.
I wouldn’t even go as far as to predict this might happen. But the opportunity is there, and I really hate to see the Buccaneers miss out on it.
David Harrison is one of the Buccaneers Co-Experts for The Pewter Plank. You can reach him about this or any other NFL topic on Facebook, or on Twitter.
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