Tomlin: Morris Should Be Better In 2010

Posted Mar 23, 2010 by Roy Cummings

Updated Mar 23, 2010 at 10:08 AM

By ROY CUMMINGS
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

ORLANDO – A standard line of thinking among NFL insiders is that players usually improve most between their first and second seasons in the league. Former Bucs assistant coach and current Steelers coach Mike Tomlim believes the same holds true for NFL head coaches. That’s why he believes Bucs coach Raheem Morris will be better in 2010 than he was in 2009.

“It’s like it is with a second-year player,’’ Tomlin said Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings. “You’ve had a lap around the track, and so there’s no element of the journey that you’re not familiar with. I think prior to the first year you have a vision of the journey, a vision of your plan. And after your first year you’ve got tangible evidence of why it works and maybe why it doesn’t. That’s information that can be quality information for you if you’re sharp, and Raheem is sharp. So I imagine he’ll be better in 2010.’’

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels echoed those sentiments. Like Morris, he was a 32-year-old rookie head coach last year, and he said the comfort level that he and Morris have a year after their initial hiring should result in each of their teams performing better in 2010.

“I spoke with Raheem last night and that first year was what we talked about,’’ he said. “I think we just know a lot more now than we did last year at this time, particularly about the team that we have, about our staff, the process you want to go through and about some of the things that you did that you wouldn’t want to do again.

“Of course, there are also some things you did that you definitely would do again. I know he went through some changes with his staff and we had some changes with our staff as well. But I can tell from listening to him that he’s obviously more comfortable with what he’s doing, with who’s there around him and with what he knows about the team.’‘