Thinking out side of the box for the next DC (Long)

I started a thread last week about bringing back Spags because he would be the "easy" choice. Here are a few guys that some of us probably don't know but may be great fits for our defense as well. All of them are coaches on aggressive style defenses.

Matt Burke Bengals LB COACH

Matt Burke joins the Bengals for 2014 as linebackers coach, bringing 10 seasons of NFL experience that include the last five as linebackers coach for the Detroit Lions.

Burke, 37, helped lead a Lions defense that ranked sixth in the NFL against the run in 2013. He was instrumental in the development of LBs Stephen Tulloch and DeAndre Levy at Detroit. Both players joined the Lions during his tenure.

Levy tied for second in the NFL last season in INTs with six, becoming only the third LB in Lions history with six or more and the first since Joe Schmidt in 1958.

The 2013 Lions defense led the NFL in lowest opponent third-down conversion rate (30.3 percent, 64-of-211) and finished second in lowest red-zone TD percentage (38.1). Detroit had a streak last season of 37 consecutive quarters without allowing a rushing TD, breaking a club record of 35 that had stood since 1934. The Lions also became the first NFL team since 1933 to allow 62 or fewer rushing yards in six straight games with no rushing TDs allowed.

“We’re fortunate to get a coach of Matt’s quality and experience to move into this spot,” said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, who promoted LBs coach Paul Guenther to defensive coordinator for 2014. “Matt has come up under the system of Jim Schwartz, starting with Jim at Tennessee (Titans) and then moving on when Jim got the head coaching job at Detroit. He was one of Jim’s hand-picked guys, and I think most people know how much I respect Jim as a friend and colleague.

“Matt did great work with developing the young linebackers at Detroit, and he brings ideas and perspective from another system, which is something great for us to have as a staff.”

Prior to joining the Lions, Burke spent five seasons on the Titans coaching staff, working as an administrative assistant and defensive assistant. He was a defensive assistant working primarily with linebackers when the Titans posted an NFL-best 13-3 record in 2008.

“It’s a great opportunity to come and work with one of the NFL’s best defenses,” Burke said, “and I look forward to getting to know our players and establish communication with them. It’s great to be able to work with Marvin. Jim (Schwartz) feels the same way about Marvin as Marvin does about him, so I think everyone felt it was a good fit all around.”

Burke coached three seasons in the college ranks before entering the NFL.

A native of Hudson, Mass., Burke played safety at Dartmouth. He was part of an undefeated Ivy League championship team in 1996.

Mike Caldwell LB COACH Cardinals

Mike Caldwell enters his second season as linebackers coach, his second stint in Arizona after playing the same position with the Cardinals in 1997. He joined the Cardinals as an assistant on 2/5/13 after a five-year coaching tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles (2008-12).

With the Cardinals in 2013, Caldwell oversaw an inside linebacker group that featured standout seasons from Karlos Dansby and Daryl Washington. A second-team All-Pro selection, Dansby established career highs in tackles (135), INTs (4) and passes defensed (21) while also notching 6.5 sacks. He became just the fourth player with at least six sacks, four INTs and two INT-return TDs in a season since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. Washington finished second on the team with 81 tackles while also adding three sacks, 10 tackles for loss, two INTs and a fumble recovery.

Arizona’s defense finished as the NFL’s sixth-ranked overall unit and featured the league’s top-ranked run defense (84.4 yards per game) after allowing the fewest rushing yards in team history for a 16-game season (1,351). The Cardinals also had 47 sacks, the third-highest total in franchise history, and had 30 takeaways, including 20 interceptions which tied for the fifth-best total in the NFL.

After serving as a training camp coaching intern with the Eagles in 2007, Caldwell began his coaching career as a defensive quality control coach with Philadelphia in 2008. He was promoted to assistant linebackers coach in 2010 and elevated to linebackers coach in 2011. During his first season overseeing the linebackers, Caldwell helped develop several young players into key roles, including Jamar Chaney who intercepted three passes to go along with a team-leading 104 tackles. He also integrated two rookies into the rotation – sixth round pick Brian Rolle, who started 13 games and contributed 63 tackles, one sack and a fumble recovery for a TD, and fourth rounder Casey Matthews. In 2012, Caldwell oversaw standout linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who led the team with 113 tackles and 15 tackles for loss.

Ed Donatell Secondary coach 49ers

Ed Donatell is in his fourth season with the 49ers as the team’s secondary coach.

Working with assistant secondary coach Greg Jackson, San Francisco’s secondary allowed just 221.0 passing yards per game in 2013, ranking 4th in the NFC and 7th in the NFL. The secondary accounted for 14 interceptions, ranking t-7th in the NFL and t-3rd in the NFC. Rookie S Eric Reid was selected to the Pro Bowl, becoming the first 49ers rookie safety to be selected to the Pro Bowl in franchise history.

Donatell helped guide the 49ers to the best pass defense in the NFC and the fourth-best in the NFL, in 2012, allowing just 200.2 yards per game. That total is the lowest given up by the 49ers since 1997 (165.4 yards per game). The 49ers secondary also boasted two Pro Bowl selections (S Donte Whitner and S Dashon Goldson) and a First-Team All-Pro (Goldson).

In 2011, the 49ers secondary tallied 22 interceptions, which ranked second among all NFL secondaries. Goldson and CB Carlos Rogers each recorded a career-high six interceptions, and were both selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in their careers. Rogers was named a starter in Hawaii, while also being selected Second-Team All-Pro. The defense finished the season ranked fourth in the NFL in percentage of pass attempts intercepted (3.9).

With over three decades of coaching experience, including 22 years in the NFL, Donatell has worked with several of the most highly regarded defensive backs in pro football history, including Ronnie Lott, Steve Atwater, LeRoy Butler, Darren Sharper, Ty Law, Lawyer Milloy, Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins.

Donatell most recently served as the secondary coach with the Denver Broncos from 2009-10. Over the course of two seasons with the Broncos, the team ranked seventh in the NFL in opponent completion percentage (58.8) and ninth in passing yards per game (223.7).

Prior to working as the defensive coordinator for the University of Washington in 2008 and a special assistant for the New York Jets in 2007, Donatell served as the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons from 2004-06.

In his first season with Atlanta in 2004, the Falcons advanced to the NFC Championship Game and led the NFL in sacks (48) for the first time in club history. During his final year as the Falcons defensive coordinator in 2006, the club led the NFL in third-down percentage (30.2), while ranking sixth in the league in yards per carry allowed (3.8).

Donatell spent four seasons as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator (2000-03), helping the Packers lead the NFL with 116 takeaways from 2001 to 2003. Green Bay advanced to the playoffs during each of those three seasons, including the 2001 and 2002 campaigns when they won the NFC North title. In 2002, Donatell’s defense set a Green Bay record with 52 sacks and led the NFL with 45 takeaways. That year, Sharper earned his second Pro Bowl selection under Donatell after tying for the NFC lead among safeties with seven interceptions.

In Donatell’s first stint with the Broncos (1995-99) he served as the team’s secondary coach and won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1998 an 1999. The Broncos ranked seventh in the league in both passing yards per game (199.6) and passing yards per attempt allowed (6.5), en route to earning three playoff berths under Donatell. The Broncos also ranked in the top 10 against the pass in four of Donatell’s five seasons as defensive backs coach.

Donatell made his NFL coaching debut as the secondary coach with the New York Jets from 1990-94, where he worked with Lott in the final two seasons of his career.

Prior to making the jump to the NFL, Donatell spent 11 seasons in the collegiate ranks. He served as the defensive backs coach at Cal State Fullerton (1989), the University of Idaho (1986-88) and the University of Pacific (1983-85). He also was a graduate assistant at the University of Washington (1981-82) and Kent State (1979-80).