NFC West news: 49ers lose DC DeMeco Ryans to Texans

© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports Another notable name that should deservedly drum up interest around the league is DeMeco Ryans. The former Pro Bowl linebacker started as a defensive quality control coach in 2017 with the San Francisco 49ers and he’s now been arguably the best defensive coordinator in the NFL since replacing Robert Saleh in 2021. The 49ers have boasted a top-seven DVOA defense in back-to-back seasons under Ryans and it’s clear that the players love playing for him. If McVay steps away and the Rams want a fresh face to lead the team, they should stay within the NFC West and consider bringing in Ryans.

The San Francisco 49ers have had the Los Angeles Rams’ number in the last three years, particularly on defense. DeMeco Ryans and Robert Saleh were both part of that dominance as the 49ers’ defensive coordinators, but both are now out of the NFC West.

On Tuesday, Ryans agreed to become the Houston Texans’ next head coach, a well-earned promotion for the former Texans linebacker. The 49ers had the No. 1 defense in the NFL last season, the fourth straight year they ranked in the top five in yards allowed. Ryans was with San Francisco from 2017-2022, going from defensive quality control coach to inside linebackers coach to defensive coordinator.

Any time a rival loses an excellent coach, it’s good news for the Rams. They’ll still need to play much better against the 49ers than they have in recent years, but the departure of Ryans helps.

Since 2019, the Rams have scored more than 20 points against the 49ers only twice and are 1-8 in those nine games. They averaged only 15.4 points against the 49ers since 2021, which was the first year Ryans took over as the DC.

MORE:

Tyler Huntley now has as many Pro Bowl selections as Matthew Stafford

Rams are currently $14 million over the 2023 salary cap

Salary cap will jump to $224.8 million in 2023, an NFL record

Chargers passing on Thomas Brown and Zac Robinson, will hire Kellen Moore as OC

Jalen Ramsey replaces Darius Slay in Pro Bowl, his 6th career selection