The Jets made plenty of moves during the offseason that generated big headlines. I think their best addition, however, was hiring a new defensive line coach, Karl Dunbar, formerly of the Vikings.
Let me start off by saying I think Mark Carrier did a good job in his two years as Jets defensive line coach. I really do not understand the criticism some people have of him. Did Sione Pouha not elevate his game under Carrier? Did Mike Devito not develop into an excellent starter? Did Muhammad Wilkerson not have a good rookie year? I find it odd that some seem to get caught up in the fact he did not play defensive line over his actual body of work on his job.
With that said, I think Dunbar is a big upgrade. I think highly of Carrier. I think Dunbar is an elite defensive line coach. He helped develop Kevin Williams as a college coach at Oklahoma State. He spent one year in Chicago and helped Tommie Harris come close to winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. He moved to Minnesota and consistently put together some of the best defensive lines in the league.
Frequently it is difficult to tell the true value of a position coach unless you follow the team closely. For a better feel, take a look at some of the things said about Dunbar through the years on SB Nation's Vikings blog, Daily Norseman.
I firmly believe that as long as our defensive line is coached by Karl Dunbar, whoever the Vikings take along the defensive line in the draft will reach their maximum potential under his tutelage.
Karl Dunbar (is) pretty much the best in the business at what he does.
I've touted Karl Dunbar as the best defensive line coach in the NFL in this space for some time, and the job he's done with guys like Robison, Kennedy, and Ray Edwards really speaks to that, in my opinion.
A good coach cannot turn a bad player into a good one. See Bill Callahan and Wayne Hunter last year for proof of that. A good coach, however, can turn a raw player with athletic potential into a good one. In the last segment of this series, I talked about how important Quinton Coples could be if he can develop into the pass rusher this team needs. The Dunbar hire ranks above taking Coples because he is the guy who can turn the rookie into a star.