Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been a hot commodity in the NFL this offseason. Flores has already received head-coaching interest from multiple teams and has even interviewed with the Washington Commanders about their defensive coordinator opening.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has expressed his desire and confidence in keeping Flores in Minnesota. But if he does secure a new gig elsewhere, the Vikings may already have their next defensive coordinator in mind in former Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Raheem Morris.
This thought comes from The Athletic's Alec Lewis when he recently shared that Morris "would definitely be in play" to be the Vikings' defensive coordinator if Flores were to leave.
Morris's success as a defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams is what got him hired as the Falcons head coach in the first place, and bringing in his elite defensive mind to be Flores' heir makes sense on multiple levels.
Could the Minnesota Vikings turn to Raheem Morris if Brian Flores leaves?
The biggest reason it's such a good fit is that Morris runs a similar style to Flores. He employs the 3-4 front and loves attacking the quarterback with various looks and personnel. He may not be the mad scientist that Flores is, but he loves getting after the quarterback, forcing the ball out earlier than intended.
Minnesota got a first-hand look at Morris's defense in Week 2 when J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings' maligned offensive line were under a constant and relentless attack.
Atlanta sacked McCarthy six times that day and hit him 11 times in total. The pressure didn't stop for his defense as Morris's Falcons would go on to break their franchise record for sacks in a season with 57.
Another reason it's such a good match is the personnel the Vikings already have in place. Minnesota has two elite edge rushers in Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. They also have Dallas Turner, who came on in his second season and led the team with eight sacks.
Blake Cashman is a stud in the middle, and Jalen Remond is an emerging player on the defensive line. The Vikings are definitely lacking in the safety department, as the projected combination of Theo Jackson and Josh Metellus is a far cry from the duo of Xavier Watts and Jessie Bates that Morris got to work with in Atlanta.
Even with some holes, there's more than enough already in place to make Morris's attacking style flourish in Minnesota.
Familiarity is the last reason this is a great match. Morris and O'Connell worked together with the Rams when that team went on to win the Super Bowl in the 2021 season. These two haven't been shy about complimenting and showing respect to each other every chance they get, and clearly could work together harmoniously.
It's also possible that O'Connell would name him the assistant head coach now that Mike Pettine has retired. Morris is familiar with a handful of other coaches on the Vikings' current staff and would feel right at home working with them.
It's clear Minnesota doesn't want to lose Flores, but Morris would arguably be the best replacement available if the team wound up needing a new defensive coordinator before next season.