DMN Blog: Bradie James likes what he's seen and heard from Wade Phillips lately
By Tim MacMahon/Blogger
Bradie James isn't a guy who blows smoke up the coach's caboose just for the sake of doing so.
You might recall that James expressed skepticism after hearing that Wade Phillips declared he would change his ways. And James criticized the canning of Brian Stewart, saying that "the defensive coordinator wasn't the problem."
But James sounds like a believer after an off-season of working with Phillips as the head coach/defensive coordinator (titles not necessarily in that order).
"Wade is different," James said on ESPN 103.3 yesterday. "Wade is really different, man."
It's not that Phillips' personality has done a 180 while he implements the Get Tough Plan. Phillips hasn't been put in a situation that called for butt kicking yet, though James acknowledged that the coach would need to put his foot down (or up, as the case may be) when a player is late or violates a team rule to make his clear that the discipline talk isn't lip service.
James is already sold on Phillips filling the defensive coordinator role.
"This is the most I've ever talked to Wade Phillips," he said. "For whatever reason, he sits in our meeting room and this is his defense. I've learned so much in the last couple of weeks, just dealing with him during minicamps and OTAs.
"I think I've gained a whole new appreciation for him and the scheme, because there's no middleman now. When you had a defensive coordinator, you had Brian Stewart, so you had to go through him and you don't know how Wade is feeling. You've just got to take him for his word. Now you don't have that. You go straight to the horse's mouth, and he makes the change right here on the field and it stays that way. There's no uncertainty."
Bradie James isn't a guy who blows smoke up the coach's caboose just for the sake of doing so.
You might recall that James expressed skepticism after hearing that Wade Phillips declared he would change his ways. And James criticized the canning of Brian Stewart, saying that "the defensive coordinator wasn't the problem."
But James sounds like a believer after an off-season of working with Phillips as the head coach/defensive coordinator (titles not necessarily in that order).
"Wade is different," James said on ESPN 103.3 yesterday. "Wade is really different, man."
It's not that Phillips' personality has done a 180 while he implements the Get Tough Plan. Phillips hasn't been put in a situation that called for butt kicking yet, though James acknowledged that the coach would need to put his foot down (or up, as the case may be) when a player is late or violates a team rule to make his clear that the discipline talk isn't lip service.
James is already sold on Phillips filling the defensive coordinator role.
"This is the most I've ever talked to Wade Phillips," he said. "For whatever reason, he sits in our meeting room and this is his defense. I've learned so much in the last couple of weeks, just dealing with him during minicamps and OTAs.
"I think I've gained a whole new appreciation for him and the scheme, because there's no middleman now. When you had a defensive coordinator, you had Brian Stewart, so you had to go through him and you don't know how Wade is feeling. You've just got to take him for his word. Now you don't have that. You go straight to the horse's mouth, and he makes the change right here on the field and it stays that way. There's no uncertainty."
posted by The Gryphon at 5:24 PM
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