Vikings Notify Jaguars They Will Speak With Mel Tucker
by Alfie Crow on Jan 10, 2012 12:36 PM EST
in Jacksonville Jaguars News
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PrintThe Minnesota Vikings are speaking to candidates for their currently filled defensive coordinator position and have notified the Jacksonville Jaguars they will interview Mel Tucker. Tucker has been the Jaguars defensive coordinator, at least in title, since the 2009 season. In the 2011 season, Tucker served as the Jaguars interim head coach after Jack Del Rio was fired. With Tucker as the interim head coach, the Jaguars went 2-3 in their final five games.
You'll notice the Vikings simply notified the Jaguars of their intent rather than asking permission because they don't have to. Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union explains why:
Tucker isn't one of the coaches disputing the end date of his contract. His contract expires at the end of January. According to NFL tampering rules, as of today at 12:01 a.m., the Jaguars no longer have exclusivity on coaches whose contracts expire this offseason. That expires on the second Tuesday after the team's last game.
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We'll lose Mel
because we haven’t chosen a new HC to tell him whether or not he is invited back. He needs to secure himself a job…
What if he signs with Minnesota for a DC job and then we want him as our HC? He is allowed to walk, because it is an upward move, yes?
He's allowed to walk
because his contract expires at the end of the month.
Or are you saying
he could quit the DC job and come back to be HC ?
yeah this one
I know he can freely go to Minnesota. If he signs there, could he freely come back if offered the HC position? I think yes…
I would think if he actually Signs (a contract) with Minnesota
He would then be apart of the Minnesota staff where the Jags would then have to seek permission from them to talk to Tucker, which then Minnesota could deny the Jags of that opportunity. But I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t let it get that far because if the job is offered to Tucker from Minnesota and Tucker is still interested in being part of the Jaguars he would then notify Gene and Khan and then they’d go from there.
by Jags85 on Jan 10, 2012 4:10 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I would think if he actually Signs (a contract) with Minnesota
He would then be apart of the Minnesota staff where the Jags would then have to seek permission from them to talk to Tucker, which then Minnesota could deny the Jags of that opportunity. But I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t let it get that far because if the job is offered to Tucker from Minnesota and Tucker is still interested in being part of the Jaguars he would then notify Gene and Khan and then they’d go from there.
by Jags85 on Jan 10, 2012 4:10 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I really hope they are giving him a fair shot as the Jaguars HC.
And not interviewing for the sake of satisfying the Rooney rule. It is what it is though.
I've given...
my reasons as to why I think it’s possible he’ll be a Jaguar next year. I really hope he decides to stay.
Why go coach a bum team rather than the Jags D
Because Mel wants to show he can fix a weak defense and make him look like a better HC candidate. Tucker can be replaced because Jags have veterans all over the defense.
This really doesnt make sense to me...?
He JUST showed he can turn a defense around and even after losing starters and role players he can keep it together…mark those off the checklist. Thats why hes already in this position. What he needs to prove, is that hes a leader and consistant. Thats the reason he isnt a hot name out there, because he is still unproven in hc qualities. Doesnt mean he cant or wouldnt be good, just means thats what hes probably looking for to makw the next step. I think his ideal situation is to stay here, even if not hc, because showing consistancy will get him a hc job faster than having to take on rebuilding a whole new defense.
I believe consistancy at a high level displays leadership
In 9/10 cases. Im not saying there wont be flavors of the week, but most guys have shown consistancy as a hc or coordinator in at the least the ufl/afl/cfl/ncaa before they are taken seriously. Usually those big “turn-arounds” came second. Tucker has shown success in his past, but mostly as a dbacks coach. Again, what im suggesting is that by staying here, finishing what he started – thereby proving hes not a one year wonder who was gifted with 3 big name free agents – and showing an estabolished strong defense one or two more years and he will be one of those big names. Rebuilding a vikings defense would be impressive, and may even get him a job as a hc somewhere, but not as fast and not as lucrative.
Imagine how much his stock goes up
If at the end of next year: Alualu tkes the next step, knighton has kept his weight under control, mathis has played well under the circumstances if resigned, cox continues on and plays a whole season at least as good as he was this year, we have more turnovers with half our players not being on IR, another fa/rookie has come in and played well…
Obviously not all of this will happen, but as long as our players stay healthy our defense should be better next year as is. I believe just a couple of those things happening would improve his chances way more than showing up to the vikings just in time for jared allen to retire and having to work with an old depleted defense. He has lots to show what he can do with a young top 6 def.
Why would Tucker get credit for Alualu taking the next step and Knighton keeping his weight down? Wouldn’t the defensive line coach get credit for that?
Should or would?
Young coach on the rise, Jaguars back to back good years, things going the right way. You don’t think Tucker/New HC isn’t going to get some of that credit?
For what you specifically mentioned in regards to individual players, no. The credit would go to their position coaches, as it should.
I'll take your word for it.
What are some examples of what he could get credit for having done, though? Other than the ability to maintain?
You didn't answer my question.
For example you guys are already crowning Chudzinski but in my opinion his resume is not as good as Tucker’s. Tucker has had two top 5 defenses on two different teams. Chud is good because?? He developed Cam Newton, an already freakishly gifted QB???? I’ll give him credit for helping to shape a top 10 offense in Carolina but how much of that is just Cam being really really good?
Just to be clear, im not on the chud bandwagon.
Im on the wait and see train. Its much more fun this way. I like chud, but im not gaga. I think you get the impression that i dont think tucker would be good or is qualified, and thats not true. My point is that i feel he will be more successful, if not already head coach, as our defensive coordinator than a defensive coordinator somewhere else. Imo, the league looks for the qualities ive already discussed, im not saying its what i look for because i dont hire coaches, lol. Its also not necessarily even based on what i prefer.
The way you hype Tucker while in the same breath writing off Chudzinki’s accomplishments as “just Cam being really, really good” is hysterically hypocritical.
Tucker had a top 5 defense in the season which half the defensive starters were replaced with veteran players. How much of that was just finally replacing garbage players with quality? You write it off for Chud, but prop up Tucker for it in the same breath. How does that work?
Chud’s resume is better than Tucker’s. He’s got more NFL experience and more overall accolades. His offense in Miami was virtually unstoppable. When he was the TE’s coach at Miami he had three All-American tight ends. When he was in Cleveland as the OC, he got Derek Anderson to the pro-bowl and a hefty contract. He was the Chargers TE coach in Anotonio Gates best seasons in the NFL.
Not to mention in the season Tucker was the Browns DC they finished 27th in the NFL in defense, not Top 5. The Jaguars finished 6th, so he’s never had a defense finish in the top 5, ever.
Well those TEs would have been good even without Chud.
Antonio Gates was already a world class athlete. I’m sure Chud helped him too but Gates would have still been an elite player.
And you are wrong. Straight from his Wiki….Under Tucker, Cleveland consistently ranked fifth in the league, with the defense making 73 interceptions.3 After the firing of Browns head coach Romeo Crennel, Tucker was replaced by Rob Ryan.7
Did Mel Tucker show he could turn the defense around, or did replacing half the starters show a defense could be turned around?
I don’t really see how the chicken-egg relates to the others.
With Tucker, I think it is undeniable the Free Agenct acquisitions were a MAJOR comnent in the turnaround. Let’s not forget Tucker was DC in 2010 when the Jaguar defense was pretty atrocious.
As for the Chud Newton thing, I am not sure you can really say right now how Newton would have faired with other coaches, and determine what role Ched had in Newton’s ridonculous year
"The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price." -Vince Lombardi
Twitter: @JWGreenbaum
I honestly think it is HC or bust for Tucker in Jacksonville
"The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price." -Vince Lombardi
I am in total agreement
"The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price." -Vince Lombardi
He has my vote for Head Coach.
If not, my wish is the Jags make it clear to him, in terms of money, that what he accomplished here with the defense, didn’t go unnoticed. I mean come on… the year before last we finished near the bottom of the league in defense. I don’t quite understand what all the fans see in these other coordinators.
free agency
had a lot to do with the success. I am not doubting Tucker as a DC, but do realize that bring the same players back from 2010 in 2011 and you once again have a bottom of the league defensive unit
"The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price." -Vince Lombardi
I dont disagree
But look how he dealt with injuries. Look at how he used guys like landry and poz, limiting opposing offenses from abusing them inncoverage the same way they had been before. Look at howthe defense remained tough even through the end of unwinnable or hard games. When our defense oushines the ravens, mentally, i think hes accomplished quite a bit in one season.
Once again
not doubting him as a DC, but do not think that if he leaves and some new guy is brought in that this defense immediately drops from a top 10 defense to a 15-20 defense or worse.
"The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price." -Vince Lombardi
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