Does anyone really believe that Juan Castillo is just a "Run Game Coordinator"???

[HoustonRaven]

The only evidence you'll get is to look at the trend of recent coaching hired.

In 2010 Pees chose not to return to the Patriots as the defensive coordinator, instead he signed on with the Ravens as the Linebacker coach. 2 years later he's promoted the defensive coordinator.

Jim Caldwell was brought in as quarterback coach on January of 2012 and replaced Cam in December 2012.

Now we have Castillo. All of these coaches came to the organization with a resume' of being successful coordinators or head coach. From a career perspective, a coach with ambition would be easily sold on the Ravens since many former coaches later became head coaches. Rex and Chuck being recent examples. There's a reason both Caldwell and Pees were attracted to the Ravens as I'm sure both had other options.

The organization would be foolish to reveal it's long term plan. I think that by bringing a coach into the organization and giving them time to learn the system and organizational dynamics is smart business acumen.

If I were Moeller, I'd be looking over my shoulder.

The team likes to promote from within.

And there's no indication at the time those people were brought in that their superiors were on the verge of being canned.

[Bigfish]

The team likes to promote from within.

And there's no indication at the time those people were brought in that their superiors were on the verge of being canned.

In Pees case, he came in 2010 and Mattison was the coordinator at the time. Wisely Chuck was selected to succeed him and I'm sure Pees was on the short list of candidates. Was Mattison run off? I know many weren't happy about his defensive style whereas Chuck was held in high esteem

Caldwell replacing Cam is a different scenario. Not often is an offensive coordinator released during the season. Cam was skating on thin ice coming into the season and I'm sure thought was given to his replacement.

You're correct in saying there was no indication they brought these coaches in to replace anyone, conversely there is no indication to say they weren't. The team is not going to reveal it's strategy either way.

[Paintballguy]

Succession planning is just good business practice. A company or organization would be smart to identify candidates that could eventually move into a higher role. Castillo may very well be tagged as a potential offensive coordinator if Caldwell gets a head coach job.

[HoustonRaven]

You're correct in saying there was no indication they brought these coaches in to replace anyone, conversely there is no indication to say they weren't. The team is not going to reveal it's strategy either way.

Very true.

But if we relay on past history of the organization and it's hiring practices, I think it's safe for me to assume he was brought in for exactly what they said he was brought in for -- to help the running game.

[jonboy79]

IMO, the move for Castillo (and the title) is more about having a OC in waiting than replacing Moeller as OL coach. They've already said that they expect Caldwell to get HC offers in the future. IMO, they are potentially grooming Castillo to replace him.

BIngo, as far as I can tell at least.

[AirFlacco]

Ive been saying it all along. Until hes promoted... thats exactly all he is. Its certainly an eye opener for moeller to get his shit together, but you cant have two OL coaches and expect that to work out for you. "Too many Chiefs not enough Indians." You can have two working on different aspects entirely though. I expect him to make our players better by working on their Run Blocking technique and thats about it.

If Castillo is the OL coach as many suggest he is, why in the world would Moeller still be here? theres literally zero reason for it. You dont keep around a dud in this buisness for no reason. IMO, they want him for his ZBS for pass protection and feel comfortable with him there doing so.

As we saw with CAM, HARBs is fiercely loyal to his friends/assistants and stays with them as
long as he can. It took a player's revolt to fire CAM which HARBs said was the hardest thing
he ever did.

So now he doesn't want to fire another pal but he has to bring the best coach in the game
to work with the line and the team didn't start winning until they moved KO to LG and
Big Mac to LT.

I wonder if Castillo had something to do with that because it occurred after he arrived and
we started our run after that.

I never heard of a run game coach but that's just a title. Castillo with the line and it
has done nothing but get better since he came. He's the best there is.

[Shas]

The whole thing is strange. One of these coaches has to be in charge and Moeller is the one with the title. Honestly I can't see it functioning this way during the season. Camp is one thing but once they have actual results someone is going to get credit or take the blame for how things go.

I can see the point that it's strange. Of course, I don't know Moeller personally or professionally. I won't defend what I've read about past problems, but I also can't go as far as some fans who want to dispose of him. I just don't know enough.

As for his professional effectiveness I think a lot of people trash him whithout having the slightest idea of what he does or how he's viewed by his players. Maybe that criticism is deserved, maybe not. We don't know. Osemele certainly transitioned well this year and did so before Castillo arrived after the regular season. Oher settled in on the right side. But no one would call this a dominant line.

None of that really goes to your point that Castillo's job seems to be invented with the potential to create line-of-command issues or the potential to make Moeller entirely redundant.

I can't answer that because we really don't know what their individual roles are. I can see evidence that Moeller actually has value and that Castillo isn't necessarily here to replace him.

When you see "Coordinator" in his title to me that implies to me that he should have a more strategic role. That is, looking at game film and designing each week's blocking schemes against certain opponents.

Keep in mind that this would encompass more than just the O line. He could be the guy who is dictating where the tight end needs to line up, when a running back needs to chip, how much the fullback is needed to lead into the hole, or whether an opponent is vulnerable to counters or end arounds, etc., etc. In that sense Castillo's job is more parallel to Caldwell's. And in some sense that makes sense if you think Caldwell should be scheming for how they want to attack a team in the passing game, given his history in Indy.

It strikes me as a unique and interesting way to approach game planning if you ask one guy to study where that week's opponent is vulnerable against the pass and another guy obsessed with finding opportunities in the running game.

Of course it would make more sense if you also had a passing game coordinator with both men reporting to the offensive coordinator as the final arbitrator and play caller.

I don't even know if that's anywhere close to how Castillo's role is defined. If it is, then it's a simple matter of making Moeller the guy who is the tactician, drilling them on technique and grading them individually.

That said, we keep hearing about Castillo grooming and developing young players. Which implies a more tactical role that would be more redundant to Moeller than Caldwell.

We really don't know the full story of what everyone does, I don't think.

Maybe Castillo is to Moeller what Caldwell was to Cam. A competent underling who can step up and replace a mediocre coach if he can't cut it with one last chance.

Another analogy may be when Billick hired Vic Fangio, for whom the title of Special Assistant to the Head Coach / Defense was invented. (and later amended to /linebackers under John Harbaugh). I think it was just one of those deals where Fangio was too valuable a coach not to tap into his talent even if they didn't have a role for him. Billick may have envisioned him as Rex's replacement had Rex gotten another job. But the expectation I think was that Fangio would eventually get a better offer and they'd just use him wherever they could in the meantime.

I think it's interesting that he used his connection to Billick to get to John Harbaugh and then from John he got to Jim Harbaugh at Stanford and then followed him to San Fran where he faced the Ravens as defensive coordinator.

I expect Castillo will bide his time here until he or Caldwell get a better offer.

IMO, the move for Castillo (and the title) is more about having a OC in waiting than replacing Moeller as OL coach. They've already said that they expect Caldwell to get HC offers in the future. IMO, they are potentially grooming Castillo to replace him.

Yes. You can tell that's how I see it as well. Groom him, or at least benefit from his O Line expertise before he gets a better offer himself.

[Bigfish]

Succession planning is just good business practice. A company or organization would be smart to identify candidates that could eventually move into a higher role. Castillo may very well be tagged as a potential offensive coordinator if Caldwell gets a head coach job.

I agree. Biscotti's business experience would promote best business practices such as succession planning into his organization. While he's not an Xs and Os guy, this is an area he would feel comfortable in providing input. Castillo was recruited by several organizations and something convinced him that the Ravens provided him with future opportunities. I don't believe his future ambition is to be a run game coordinator.

[AirFlacco]

BTW, I posted the first thread about the possibility of Castillo coming. Vinny mentioned it
I think after the Skins came or just before. We were losing those games to Charlie Batch and
the Skins.

So Vinny said HARBs was talking to his old pal in Philly but other teams were interestred and
rumors had him joining Andy Reid in KC but as posters mentioned on the thread, that didn't
make sense because Reid fired him.

Reid screwed him switching him from the offense to d-coord. It was like setting him up for
the fall and he got the blame and was fired last October so there was no chance Castillo
was going to KC. Those posters were right.

And the ones saying he's more than a run game coach are right too.

HARBs just didn't want to off Moeller after firing CAM but Moeller can't be too happy with
Castillo lurking over his shoulder and working with the linemen.

But hey,he just got a ring.

Does anyone know if Castillo gets a ring? He came late in the season but was there for the
entire playoffs and we started winning after he came so I would think he gets one.

[Ravenous1]

BTW, I posted the first thread about the possibility of Castillo coming. Vinny mentioned it
I think after the Skins came or just before. We were losing those games to Charlie Batch and
the Skins.

So Vinny said HARBs was talking to his old pal in Philly but other teams were interestred and
rumors had him joining Andy Reid in KC but as posters mentioned on the thread, that didn't
make sense because Reid fired him.

Reid screwed him switching him from the offense to d-coord. It was like setting him up for
the fall and he got the blame and was fired last October so there was no chance Castillo
was going to KC. Those posters were right.

And the ones saying he's more than a run game coach are right too.

HARBs just didn't want to off Moeller after firing CAM but Moeller can't be too happy with
Castillo lurking over his shoulder and working with the linemen.

But hey,he just got a ring.

Does anyone know if Castillo gets a ring? He came late in the season but was there for the
entire playoffs and we started winning after he came so I would think he gets one.

Honestly I tend to think of Castillo as "quality control" and insurance.

I think they want someone around who can take the reigns from Caldwell should he get a HC job and frankly I believe that the whole Oher LT escapade and other Oline issues likely left John feeling less than confident in Moeller's ability to get the job done at the level the organization wants. I do not think its coincidental that Castillo arrived and since that point Oher has moved to RT and now even without a true LT on the roster they are talking about KO and not Oher.

In many ways the way they are using Castillo makes a lot of sense. He will have significant input and ability to address issues regarding the Oline while also having a bigger role that will ease any transition should it be necessary after this season. Far as Moeller not being happy about Castillo over his shoulder... who cares.. the guy is lucky to have a job period and my guess is he knows it.

[Doctor]

I just think that Harbaugh doesn't like to pass up the opportunity to get a good coach on his staff...nothing more. Just like we don't like to let a good player slip by if we're able to make a move.

We have Suggs and Upshaw in place, and a draft coming up, but Dumervil unexpectedly shakes loose, and we tailor a contract to get him, despite being relatively tight to the cap.

Moeller is in place as the O-Line coach already, along with Caldwell as Offensive Coordinator...but Castillo is let go after a failed experiment on the Defensive side, and Harbaugh thinks his input can help us Offensively. They call him "Run Game Coordinator", but the title is just that...you have to call him something, and maybe Castillo liked that better than Offensive Consultant (like Saunders was).

Whatever it is, and however the responsibilities are divided up, I hope our O-Line dominates this year...with or without McKinnie.

[lobachevsky]

It occurs to me that maybe I'm reading too much into Castillo being the one who visited & worked out the OL prospects.

One of the more effective ways to fall off the wagon is to spend long stretches of time in unfamiliar territory far from your family & support structure.

Maybe part of the reason Juan hit the road was so Andy didn't have to risk it. (How big a part is anyone's guess. You'd have to look at Moeller's travel schedule for the past couple of years to judge.)