Analyzing why the San Francisco 49ers might hire Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt as their defensive coordinator.
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00:00 Start with Dave Merritt.
00:01 Let you know about him.
00:04 This is very intriguing for an outside.
00:06 But potential hire.
00:07 Yeah, I agree with you.
00:10 It's one that I didn't expect.
00:12 I don't think anybody expected.
00:14 I had never really heard much of him,
00:16 but I did do a little bit of research on him
00:18 and I like what I read.
00:20 I mean, he's been coaching
00:22 in one former fashion for 26 years.
00:24 He was an ex NFL player himself linebacker.
00:28 I believe he's like 5253 years old,
00:31 so he's been around the game a lot.
00:33 He has five rings as a positional coach
00:36 and he's coached every single,
00:39 every single positional group on the defense.
00:42 He's coached the defensive line.
00:43 He's coached the linebackers
00:45 and most recently defensive backs,
00:47 which is what he's done most of.
00:48 But again, played linebacker,
00:50 coached all three levels,
00:52 comes from a Spagnolo tree,
00:55 which you definitely love to hear.
00:57 I mean, that's a defense
00:58 that traditionally gives the 49ers
01:00 a little bit of issues.
01:01 That's the same defense
01:03 that was able to wrap up
01:04 and two Super Bowls Tom Brady.
01:07 So yeah, I love looking outside
01:10 and finding somebody different
01:13 that has a lot of credibility.
01:17 It sounds like I'm really excited
01:19 to hear more about him
01:20 and maybe he's the guy.
01:21 This is, I think, a really, really
01:23 good move by the 49ers.
01:26 I've been really down
01:28 on Kyle Shanahan lately
01:29 because I feel like
01:30 he made me look like an idiot.
01:31 I was telling people all year
01:32 and this guy's changed, he's grown
01:34 and then he blew it in the Super Bowl
01:35 like he always does.
01:36 And I'm pretty hard on him.
01:37 But now looking at Spagnolo's guy
01:40 makes me feel like Kyle
01:42 is at least open minded to learning.
01:44 Because even if he doesn't hire Dave Merritt,
01:48 that interview could be so productive.
01:51 What do you guys do
01:53 to set down my offense every time?
01:56 I mean, all those unblocked rushers.
01:58 Like what was your
01:59 what exactly did you key on?
02:00 You want to get this job, right?
02:02 Tell me exactly what you keyed on
02:04 and then maybe you're
02:05 maybe we'll hire you or maybe not.
02:06 But one way or another,
02:08 that should be such a insightful
02:11 afternoon for Kyle Shanahan
02:14 if he approaches it the right way
02:15 with an open mind.
02:17 I like that, and it's funny
02:20 because I was I was actually thinking
02:22 that right before I went live,
02:23 I was like, gosh, man, if he's smart,
02:25 he's at least going to drag
02:26 some information out of this
02:28 because there has to be something
02:30 you can learn.
02:30 How did you shut me down?
02:32 Exactly.
02:33 And how?
02:34 Yeah, how?
02:34 And you don't even have to say
02:36 how did you shut me down?
02:37 How would you shut me down?
02:38 Like you could make it a hypothetical
02:40 knowing that you just played
02:41 and these are probably the things
02:43 that he brought to the table
02:45 and that they did.
02:45 And it's interesting because,
02:48 you know, that these guys self scout,
02:49 but maybe he comes up
02:51 with a completely different
02:52 thought process
02:53 than what you were thinking of.
02:54 You're like, oh my God,
02:55 I didn't even see that,
02:56 but he's absolutely right.
02:57 I agree with that.
02:59 I think that's a great move
03:00 either way by Kyle.
03:01 Other thing I like about this move
03:03 is it seems to suggest to me
03:05 that Brandon Staley
03:06 is no longer an option,
03:07 which I think is good.
03:08 Sorry, nothing personal against Brandon.
03:11 I think it's a terrible fit.
03:12 And Brandon, if you're watching,
03:14 I just I'm trying to save you
03:15 from being Steve Wilkes 2.0
03:17 because that's all you would be
03:18 be the same exact setup,
03:20 the same exact mistake.
03:21 Dave Merritt, at least.
03:25 I don't even know
03:25 if they hire him either,
03:26 but they could learn so much from him and.
03:28 Seems like.
03:30 He's a little bit older.
03:33 I like it.
03:33 I mean, look,
03:34 if he's a Spagnola disciple,
03:36 I'm interested and the thing about
03:38 we talk about Brandon Staley
03:39 for a second.
03:40 Yeah.
03:41 He's a loser.
03:43 He got fired midseason.
03:44 He gave up 63 points to Aiden O'Connell.
03:45 No one wants that.
03:46 On their sideline.
03:48 Well, I mean, we got Brandon Staley.
03:52 Hold up, wait a second.
03:54 Brandon, I mean what?
03:56 One thing that nobody is talking about
03:58 and I brought this up the other day.
03:59 Did the Rams not hire
04:02 a defensive coordinator this offseason
04:03 and if Staley was so great,
04:05 why did they not kick the tires on him?
04:06 Good, so why would we then hire Staley
04:11 like that he was in house?
04:13 Coach the defense very well.
04:16 So I mean, at least the numbers say that.
04:18 Yet you didn't kick the tires on him
04:20 when it came to your open spot
04:22 this offseason.
04:22 I think there's a reason for that.
04:24 One more thing is interesting.
04:26 A couple years ago, maybe last year,
04:28 Vic Fangio was seen as.
04:29 The best defensive coach in the league,
04:32 maybe or or Bill Belichick.
04:33 Those two.
04:34 Both of their stocks
04:36 went down this year.
04:37 Happens fast.
04:39 They're getting a little old
04:40 and maybe a little out of touch.
04:41 What some of their players
04:43 really didn't like him.
04:43 Meanwhile, Steve Spagnuolo
04:46 been hanging around for like 2025 years.
04:49 Looking at him like me.
04:51 Is he the best defensive
04:52 coordinator in the league?
04:53 He just might be.
04:54 So I think this is really smart.
04:56 If you can't beat the Chiefs,
04:58 you need to learn as much about them
04:59 as you possibly can.
05:01 They're the gold standard.
05:02 This is good.
05:02 Yeah, most certainly
05:04 they are the gold standard.
05:05 And regardless of whether you hire him,
05:07 to your point,
05:08 you can get some things from the interview.
05:10 But the thing is, is that
05:12 Sorenson and Bullocks we knew
05:13 we talked about it right away.
05:15 Hey, these are guys that
05:16 we could potentially look at.
05:17 I know I brought up Bullocks.
05:18 You brought up Sorenson.
05:20 This right here, Merritt
05:22 is completely out of left field
05:24 and that intrigues me.
05:25 If they were to hire Merritt,
05:27 I wouldn't be disappointed
05:28 in this search taking so long.
05:30 If they hired Staley
05:32 and it's obviously it's not about me.
05:33 I mean, what do I know?
05:35 But hiring Staley
05:37 or even hiring within,
05:39 even though that was my prediction.
05:40 At this point, this many weeks
05:43 past the season
05:44 is a little bit disappointing.
05:46 Merritt at least is something fresh,
05:48 something new that I didn't think of.
05:51 And I like it.
05:52 [Music]