Is Paul Boudreau a good coach?

[DCH]

He had some great years with run-blocking groups in Carolina and Atlanta, but everyone's favorite thing to swing when everything looks like a nail really, really hates him... and I wonder if he's helping or hindering the young players drafted.

Someone who knows more than me (there's a lot of you out there), help a brother out - is Boudreau a good coach? Do you trust him to develop our young O-line?

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I don't think he is good. I think he is highly respected but I don't think he is that good at teaching/coaching what he is trying to get across to the players. Plus he is too old school. He needs to get creative and more up with the times.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

No

 

[FRO]

I don't know. For most of his tenure he has been given crap. This year he has all inexperienced guys. I don't think we will have a definitive answer until the end of the year or even next year. It takes rookies time to develop. The issues with the line go back to not really investing in it until we picked Robinson in 2014.

 

[LACHAMP46]

He had some great years with run-blocking groups in Carolina and Atlanta, but everyone's favorite thing to swing when everything looks like a nail really, really hates him... and I wonder if he's helping or hindering the young players drafted.

Someone who knows more than me (there's a lot of you out there), help a brother out - is Boudreau a good coach? Do you trust him to develop our young O-line?

Tough call, lack of talent could be affecting the units performance...but this is telling:

Terrance Knighton, he who scares scales, was ravenous for Rams, this after St. Louis beat his Broncos last year … and shut out Washington last season, Knighton’s new team in ’15.

“We saw some things on film that we could take advantage of — we knew if we stop the run, it would be tough,” the nose tackle told me Sunday, after he and the D-line devoured the Rams, winning 24-10. “… We know what type of team they think they are; they’re going to come in, be physical, be frontrunners, and it’s a famous quote: ‘Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.’ That’s the attitude we took. …

“Coach (Jay) Gruden got up in front of the team Wednesday and showed St. Louis tape, showed how physical they are, showing how they beat Seattle and laid it on our guys last year, running reverses when they’re up 21 points. So we took it personal.”

 

[12intheBox]

It's a fair question .... And my answer is I don't know enough to know. But he ain't no Bill Callahan.

 

[CoachO]

As fas as I'm concerned, all you need to know is Jim Hanifan seems to be a fan of Paul Boudreau. And anyone who questions his teaching techniques has never watched him firsthand. The guy is meticulous, maybe to a fault. The amount of time and energy he puts into the smallest details during practices is impressive.

At some point, the burden needs to fall on the player to take what is being taught, and use it. Boudreau has had anything but ideal circumstances since he came back here. Be it injuries, or inheriting guys who are now out of the league, he has not really had a lot to work with.

He has pieced together units with the likes of Barry Richardson and Joe Barksdale and had success. Even last year, they had a viable plan were it not for the numerous injuries.

Now, he is being asked to put a unit on the field that consists of four new starters. They have less than 20 starts from four of the five. Anyone expecting anything resembling a dominant performance week in and week out is setting themselves up for disappointment, IMO..

 

[TheDYVKX]

You can't really judge him off 2 games of tape right now, with 2 rookie starters, a center with like 5 career starts, and a very raw player in Robinson who hasn't even started a season worth of games himself. There's a lot of talent there, but the Great Wall of China wasn't built overnight, and our Wall won't be either. As the season goes, and we don't see any improvement, then maybe we can question Boudreau. But right now there's nothing he can do, or anyone can do, to magically make this OL perform. It takes time.

 

[ChrisW]

As fas as I'm concerned, all you need to know is Jim Hanifan seems to be a fan of Paul Boudreau. And anyone who questions his teaching techniques has never watched him firsthand. The guy is meticulous, maybe to a fault. The amount of time and energy he puts into the smallest details during practices is impressive.

At some point, the burden needs to fall on the player to take what is being taught, and use it. Boudreau has had anything but ideal circumstances since he came back here. Be it injuries, or inheriting guys who are now out of the league, he has not really had a lot to work with.

He has pieced together units with the likes of Barry Richardson and Joe Barksdale and had success. Even last year, they had a viable plan were it not for the numerous injuries.

Now, he is being asked to put a unit on the field that consists of four new starters. They have less than 20 starts from four of the five. Anyone expecting anything resembling a dominant performance week in and week out is setting themselves up for disappointment, IMO..

The O-line saga will unfold over the course of the season. But, so far, we aren't showing the identity that Fisher wants for us. As long as we see some development over the course of the season we can pin it on the players. If we don't see anything, and end up with a losing record again, I'll be ready for a coaching change.

 

[GabesHorn]

The first person Coach Fisher complimented after the loss was the Skins offensive Line Coach. He was the plowboys OL coach last season that suddenly took them to the playoffs and he joined the Skins and got a new group playing pretty stout to play like that Yesterday. Maybe we need to stop making so many excuses for some folks.

 

[TheDYVKX]

The first person Coach Fisher complimented after the loss was the Skins offensive Line Coach. He was the plowboys OL coach last season that suddenly took them to the playoffs and he joined the Skins and got a new group playing pretty stout to play like that Yesterday. Maybe we need to stop making so many excuses for some folks.

They have 3 players who have started at least 60 games in their career in Trent Williams, Shawn Lauvao, Kory Lichtensteiger. We have 1 in Saffold. They have a lot more experience than we do. Maybe if we had a situation like that, it'd be a little different.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

Check out this article from 2012
When will this idea that this guy is good stop? He's not responsible for Barry Sanders success

Same old story with Boudreau

http://m.bleacherreport.com/article...udreau-is-the-key-to-the-rams-success-in-2012

 

[Debacled]

I don't think he is good. I think he is highly respected but I don't think he is that good at teaching/coaching what he is trying to get across to the players. Plus he is too old school. He needs to get creative and more up with the times.

Can someone tell me what the hell this actually means? What is it that the Rams's coaches are doing to is too old school and not "creative and up with the times"? Sometimes I feel like guys are just throwing stuff like this out there just for the hell of it.

This team for all intensive purposes is fielding 4 new starters as CoachO pointed out. Two rookies, a 2nd year player who was extremely (and is still) raw when forced into action last year, and a center who has been a career reserve which the team nearly let walk this past offseason. A spit shine isn't going to make this line outplay itself.

I've said it again and again and I will continue to keep preaching it. This is THE YOUNGEST team in the league. They will be outplayed by experience and the Washington game will not be the only exception. Is it an excuse? Sure isn't but know what to expect. Expect experience to be a weak point.

 

[jrry32]

Is he a good coach? I'd say yes. Is he a great coach? I'd say no. You see a guy like Bill Callahan and it's hard to argue that Boudreau is in the same class.

Not to insult Boudreau, the health problems might be making things tough on him. To be fair to him, I think we owe him more than two games when we replaced 3 out of 5 starting OLs and are starting 2 rookies. Brown has actually looked competent. Havenstein is still struggling. But Barnes has looked solid. Saffold is Saffold.

G-Rob is a bit frustrating but watching him in college, I think we had to accept it would take time for him to develop. The only thing that concerns me is the weight loss. I'm not sold it was the right move. He doesn't seem to be as powerful this year.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Can someone tell me what the hell this actually means? What is it that the Rams's coaches are doing to is too old school and not "creative and up with the times"? Sometimes I feel like guys are just throwing stuff like this out there just for the hell of it.

This team for all intensive purposes is fielding 4 new starters as CoachO pointed out. Two rookies, a 2nd year player who was extremely (and is still) raw when forced into action last year, and a center who has been a career reserve which the team nearly let walk this past offseason. A spit shine isn't going to make this line outplay itself.

I've said it again and again and I will continue to keep preaching it. This is THE YOUNGEST team in the league. They will be outplayed by experience and the Washington game will not be the only exception. Is it an excuse? Sure isn't but know what to expect. Expect experience to be a weak point.

LOL how come now whenever someone wants to validate a point they have to invoke the name of CoachO?

Boudreau was not successful here before, he had a modicum of success in Atlanta that could be due to just having the right players, and what has he been able to do since Fisher brought him over? Have we seen even an average OLine for a full season? Did anyone improve under his tutelage? No

Yet a guy like Bill Callahan can take an average unit and totally confuse Fisher and Williams and negate a good front four. When has Boudreau done anything like that?

The question was is Boudreau a good coach? He is below average to average.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Is he a good coach? I'd say yes. Is he a great coach? I'd say no. You see a guy like Bill Callahan and it's hard to argue that Boudreau is in the same class.

Not to insult Boudreau, the health problems might be making things tough on him. To be fair to him, I think we owe him more than two games when we replaced 3 out of 5 starting OLs and are starting 2 rookies. Brown has actually looked competent. Havenstein is still struggling. But Barnes has looked solid. Saffold is Saffold.

G-Rob is a bit frustrating but watching him in college, I think we had to accept it would take time for him to develop. The only thing that concerns me is the weight loss. I'm not sold it was the right move. He doesn't seem to be as powerful this year.

It's been three years! Shouldn't we have seen some kind of growth with some player that could make us say he did a great job with so and so? Has anyone improved more than average? Has he ever had what one considers a great line or a very good line that he coached from the start? I don't see the track record.

Hanifan patched together OLines out of players that we didn't hear of before. He was a good Oline coach. Callahan made huge improvements in one offseason with Washingtons line. He is creative and coaches to the point where old school Fisher and Williams had no answers to combat him, and they have seen him before in Dallas. Shouldn't they have known what was coming? No, because they didn't think that unit could play the way they did. They shut them out last year and sacked the QB several times and suddenly they can neutralize one of the best front fours in the NFL. That is good coaching.

I get that these new Rams are young. I don't know how much they should count on Boudreaus record. But as a whole I don't see where Boudreau has done anything to make people think he rates as More than average.

 

[jrry32]

It's been three years! Shouldn't we have seen some kind of growth with some player that could make us say he did a great job with so and so? Has anyone improved more than average? Has he ever had what one considers a great line or a very good line that he coached from the start? I don't see the track record.

Hanifan patched together OLines out of players that we didn't hear of before. He was a good Oline coach. Callahan made huge improvements in one offseason with Washingtons line. He is creative and coaches to the point where old school Fisher and Williams had no answers to combat him, and they have seen him before in Dallas. Shouldn't they have known what was coming? No, because they didn't think that unit could play the way they did. They shut them out last year and sacked the QB several times and suddenly they can neutralize one of the best front fours in the NFL. That is good coaching.

I get that these new Rams are young. I don't know how much they should count on Boudreaus record. But as a whole I don't see where Boudreau has done anything to make people think he rates as More than average.

No, you're talking about great coaching. You're talking about a guy that was arguably the best in the business (Hanifan) and a guy that is arguably the best in the business (Callahan).

It's like bemoaning Foles for not being Aaron Rodgers.

Boudreau's done a solid job with the hand he was given. Greg Robinson is the biggest question for him. If he doesn't develop the way he should, Boudreau has failed in his tenure here. If he does, he's likely succeeded. Beyond the guys this year and GR, who have we given Boudreau? Saffold developed quite nicely under him. Barksdale became a decent starter under him after being cut from the Raiders. Long and Wells were washed up FAs that couldn't stay healthy.(of course, we didn't know that when we signed them) Chris Williams and Shelley Smith were both poor players that got nice contracts after playing here.

I mean, the only big miss is Barrett Jones. And I'd say Tim Barnes is making up for that with the way he's playing.

Coaches coach. Players play. It's pretty rare for a coach to be so skilled that he can turn mediocre/average units into great units. And those are the guys you want...unfortunately, there aren't many of them out there.

 

[Mojo Ram]

We'll know more by the end of the season.
Robinson, Havenstein, Brown, Barnes are all fresh, young and starting and there is talent there. Boudreau's fingerprints will be firmly stamped on these guys by then.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

No, you're talking about great coaching. You're talking about a guy that was arguably the best in the business (Hanifan) and a guy that is arguably the best in the business (Callahan).

It's like bemoaning Foles for not being Aaron Rodgers.

Boudreau's done a solid job with the hand he was given. Greg Robinson is the biggest question for him. If he doesn't develop the way he should, Boudreau has failed in his tenure here. If he does, he's likely succeeded. Beyond the guys this year and GR, who have we given Boudreau? Saffold developed quite nicely under him. Barksdale became a decent starter under him after being cut from the Raiders. Long and Wells were washed up FAs that couldn't stay healthy.(of course, we didn't know that when we signed them) Chris Williams and Shelley Smith were both poor players that got nice contracts after playing here.

I mean, the only big miss is Barrett Jones. And I'd say Tim Barnes is making up for that with the way he's playing.

Coaches coach. Players play. It's pretty rare for a coach to be so skilled that he can turn mediocre/average units into great units. And those are the guys you want...unfortunately, there aren't many of them out there.

You and I have a different definition of good. I think Bou is league average at best.

 

[Sum1]

His results in St.Louis, in either stint, don't suggest he's very good. His first stint can be placed on the talent evaluator who brought players in possibly. If that's the case then is it the same this time around?