Former Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai is joining the Rams.

 

When former defensive coordinator Raheem Morris left the Los Angeles Rams to take a head coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons, the defense suffered a major blow.

While Morris was in charge of the defense during the Rams’ run to the Super Bowl LVI, head coach Sean McVay felt at ease moving Chris Shula up to take his place. Shula is acquainted with Morris’s strategy and has worked with a number of the team’s defensive groups.

Although Shula seems like a good fit on paper, he will be calling defenses all by himself for the first time, which may cause him to adjust during the 2024 NFL season.

But it appears that Los Angeles will be providing Shula with further assistance as they plan to appoint Sean Desai, the former defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, to a senior defensive position.

Desai has been a defense coach in both the collegiate and professional ranks for many years. In 2023, Desai joined the Eagles as their defensive coordinator after working in a number of capacities for the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks.

Desai served as defensive assistant and assistant head coach for Seattle in 2022. After eight years in a variety of roles, he was elevated to defensive coordinator in Chicago in 2021.

Desai was let go in 2023, but despite the defense taking a step back, his expertise makes him a valuable asset to the coaching team. Although his daily duties are still unknown, it seems he will be contributing to the offense in some capacity.

It makes sense to add someone like Desai to aid with the transition after McVay lost a number of defensive coordinators in the summer. McVay is renowned for his ability to see brilliance in coaches and players alike, and it is clear that he thinks Desai’s arrival will benefit the team.

Eric Henderson says leaving the Rams was ‘no-brainer’ for him.

In addition to losing Morris, the Rams also lost Eric Henderson, their run game coordinator and defensive line coach, who left to become a co-defensive coordinator at USC. Henderson, one of the league’s top d-line coaches, rebuilt the group in 2023 after Los Angeles cut several of its experienced players.

Henderson gave an explanation of his choice to depart the Rams following his hiring by the Trojans. He claimed that the possibilities at USC made attending a no-brainer for him.