Potential New DC Candidates - Brian Flores Hired!!!

Since the defense has integrated the "Fangio Shell" defensive scheme, and you don't want to immediately pivot to another scheme in just one offseason, I do think that if O'Connell decides to move on from Donatell and bring in someone else, he'll want a Defensive Coordinator that at least has been in a coaching staff that runs it and knows the ins/outs. That doesn't necessarily mean the new DC would absolutely need to continue to use the exact same model that Donatell established (I could be wrong, but I think there are a few different versions of the true Fangio 2-high "shell" - Staley doesn't run the exact same one Fangio did), but I do think that they would need to have a familiar background in the "Fangio Shell".

That being said, what are the teams that currently utilize some form of the "Fangio Shell"? I may not be aware of them all, but I think these are the majority of them:

NFL Teams Using a Version of "Fangio Shell" Scheme:
Chargers: Staley is a Fangio-disciple and runs his version of it
Rams: Raheem Morris runs the exact same scheme Staley left (McVay wanted it that way)
Vikings: obviously
Packers: LaFleur hired Joe Barry from Rams to implement it in Green Bay
Broncos: Evero is a disciple of Staley
Seahawks: DC Clint Hurtt moved the 'Hawks to a 3-4 in '22 (part of Fangio's staff in Chicago)

There are some other defenses that run some Fangio-Shell concepts due to coaching staff having spent time working with Fangio in the past (for example: NYJ Coach Robert Saleh was on Fangio's staff in Houston in the mid-2000's), but they have developed their own scheme: those include Jets (Saleh worked with Fangio in Houston), Detroit (Lions DC Aaron Glenn played for Fangio in Houston) and Cleveland/SF, both of whom have DC's who worked under Saleh.

So now that we know who the teams are that are currently using a verion of Fangio's system, are there any candidates from those teams that O'Connell could look into? Since I don't know the other teams' defensive coaching staffs that well, I relied on a recent article I found of Head Coach, Coordinator and GM candiates heading into the offseason to assist me (link), and here are the names of defensive assistants from those teams that run Fangio schemes:

Fangio himself: not really a candiate because it's been strongly circulated that Sean Payton wants him wherever he lands
Sean Desai: Seahawks Asst HC
Christian Parker: Broncos DB Coach
Eric Henderson: Rams DL Coach/Run Game Coordinator

So if you take out Fangio, that's three potential candidates. Let's look at each one individuallly...

Sean Desai: worked on Fangio's staff in Chicago, and then took over as DC in '21 when Pagano retired (Pagano continued to run Fangio's scheme after he left to be HC in Denver) until Clint Hurtt (another Fangio disciple from Chicago) brought him in to implement Fangio's 3-4 shell in Seattle. Former Vikings DB Coach Karl Scott is on Seattle's 2022 Defensive Staff under Hurtt/Desai. Chicago's 2021 defense was ranked 13th in Defensive DVOA so he didn't do so bad in his lone season as DC. The fact that he lasted in Chicago's defensive coaching staff through three Head Coach changes (Trestman to John Fox to Matt Nagy) is a testament to him and shows he can adapt. Desai is only 39 and has a background in education: he earned a doctorate in educational administration from Temple. The Cleveland Browns have requested to interview him after they fired former DC Joe Woods on 1/9.

Christian Parker: spent 2019/2020 with the Packers under Mike Pettine as a Defensive Quality Control Coach who focused on the secondary in addition to breaking down opponent film, analyzing their offensive tendencies, developing defensive playbook and coordiating the scout team. Before his time in Green Bay (and current time in Denver under DC Ejiro Evero), Parker spent 6 yrs at the collegiate level as a DB coach and "Defensive Analyst". Parker replaced Renaldo Hill in Denver, who became the Chargers DC under Brandon Staley. If the Broncos lose out on Payton and promote Evero to Head Coach, it's being speculated that Parker could be promoted up to DC. Like Desai, Parker "survived" multiple Head Coaching changes: Parker was hired by Fangio in Denver in 2021 and Hackett retained him for the 2022 season, one of only two coaches from Fangio's coaching staff to "surive" the turnover. Parker is only 31. 

Eric Henderson: former DL player for the Bengals for 3 seasons (2006-2009), Henderson started his coaching career in college at Georgia Millitary College in 2012 as a grad asst, then jumped to Oklahoma St (again as a grad asst), and then a DL coach for UTSA in 2016 before getting on an NFL staff in 2017 with the Chargers under DC Gus Bradley until he joined Wade Phillips with the Rams in 2019. While the situation is tenuous with the Rams at the moment (McVay is currently deciding if he wants to remain on as the Rams HC, and if he departs/resigns, Raheem Morris will be a leading candidate to replace him and Henderson will likely be promoted up to DC), Henderson could get DC interviews with other teams as he has experience with defensive playcalling: from a Rams SI.com Aug 2022 article (link): "Henderson has held defensive play-calling duties throughout the preseason, impressing McVay along the way." Henderson is 40 and has a degree in management. 

Conclusion:
Seeing as how O'Connell went with a "veteran" and experienced Defensive Coordinator in Donatell to start and given that McVay also leaned heavily onto a veteran/experienced Defensive Coordinator in Wade Phillips at the start of his tenure, if O'Connell wanted to go the veteran/experienced route, if Brandon Staley suddenly became available (ie, fired after losing this Saturday's Wild Card game in Jacksonville, which is a possibility given that Staley foolishly played his starters into the 2nd half during Wk 18, even after knowing they were locked into the #5 seed, causing an injury to star WR Mike Williams), I would think that would be a possibility. 

If Staley isn't an option and O'Connell needed to choose between the three candidates mentioned above, Desai probably offers the most extensive NFL coaching experience, having been in the NFL coaching ranks since 2013. But if you really wanted to go towards the more younger/analytical path to the 2023+ defense, he'd look to Parker. Henderson has impressed McVay - who has a developed his own "coaching tree" - and has started calling plays, too. I would probably lean on Desai first, then Henderson and Parker.