Stephen Jones: Rob Ryan Had Too Many Schemes

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was fired by the Cowboys back in January

According to executive vice president Stephen Jones, the problem that led to defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s ouster wasn’t that his defensive schemes weren’t effective, necessarily. There were just too many of them.

“I think Rob is a very smart guy,” Jones said, per the Dallas Morning News. “His schemes are very sound. There are a lot of schemes. That becomes a question. We made a tough decision. We felt like too many schemes can cause problems regardless of how good they are and how sound they are. If there is more than the players can digest in this day and time--as you don’t keep players for long, they move on and you have injuries--you just had to make a decision. And we made a tough one.”

Of course, that decision led to Ryan being canned via a long distance phone call as he vacationed out of the country shortly after season’s end. He very nearly joined Jeff Fisher’s staff in St. Louis before the Rams’ brass changed their mind, and has since taken over the Saints defense.

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