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Just a few thoughts on the Washington Redskins hiring Perry Fewell Tuesday to coach the secondary (they also hired Mike Clark to be their new strength and conditioning coach): The Redskins interviewed Fewell for their head-coaching job last season, so I talked to a few people at that time about him. It was clear that few, if any, pegged him as a future head coach. Then, he didn't have that X factor that it took to be a head coach (and that was from someone who knew him). As a coordinator, Fewell had mixed results: His four defenses in Buffalo ranked between 10-18 in terms of points allowed and were mostly middle of the pack when it came to yards (except for one 31st place ranking). With New York, Fewell's five defenses again had mixed success, with two top-10 finishes for total yards and three that ranked between 27-31. With points, those units ranked between 12-25. I'm not a big believer on going just off stats, but there's a good sample size here. But he's not coming here to be a coordinator. As a position coach, I've heard good things from those in the game -- and it's what I heard last year, too. Fewell is described as energetic, enthusiastic and professional. I think the defense will benefit from a lot of those qualities -- and there's a definite theme to the Redskins' defensive hires thus far. Whether they work out or not, I don't know. I've seen enough change and every time someone new comes on board, there's always talk about how things will be different under the new guy. And I know the secondary liked departed coach Raheem Morris, who was as energetic as they come. But he was not someone who impressed others in the same manner. I've heard that Fewell was liked by his players in New York. I hear you though: The fans want someone who helps the team win. No, it doesn't matter if they're liked or not, but when you spend this much time together you don't want it to be toxic, either. Ultimately, what players really like is a guy who makes them better. But does that mean Fewell is an upgrade? Don't know. But it will be a different vibe, as it will be with new coordinator Joe Barry. I think a new vibe is most definitely needed on defense. Make it more business-like. One NFL assistant said Fewell is better at preparation -- he's considered more of a teacher than a planner -- than adjusting during a game. That could explain some issues as a defensive coordinator. And the word out of New York was that he'd sometimes make the defenses too complicated and perhaps overthink the game plan a bit. What I remember in the research last year, and it was reiterated Tuesday, is that Fewell would listen to his players when it came to changing the scheme. What this means for him as a position coach? That flexibility always helps, but you also have to earn a level of trust before coming to him with suggestions. It's one thing if veteran linebacker Jon Beason has something to say as opposed to a player in his second or third season. As for Clark, he's entering his 12th season and has worked for Chicago, Kansas City and Seattle (when it lost in Super Bowl XL).
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