The Redskins announced a surprise that Mike Pettine got the first interview for a new defensive coordinator. Here are three reasons why he could be a good hire.

Outside the box - The Redskins have a habit of hiring coaches with a high level of familiarity. Many times, the ties date back to Bruce Allen and Jay Gruden's days with the Tampa Bay Bucanneers. Pettine has none of those ties. While that might not mean much, if nothing else it confirms the organization is casting a wide net in this coaching search.

The Redskins have a habit of hiring coaches with a high level of familiarity. Many times, the ties date back to Bruce Allen and Jay Gruden's days with the Tampa Bay Bucanneers. Pettine has none of those ties. While that might not mean much, if nothing else it confirms the organization is casting a wide net in this coaching search. Impressive results - Pettine served as defensive coordinator for five seasons, four with the Jets and one with the Bills. In those five years, he never had a defense finish below 10th in yards allowed. His passing defenses never finished below 6th in the NFL.

These are ranks from Mike Pettine as defensive coordinator with Jets, Bills. Theyre good. https://t.co/LhlH1VfJNL pic.twitter.com/WOa1GGdNCB — JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 9, 2017

Like Rex, but without the baggage - Plenty of Redskins fans would like to see the franchise bring in former Bills and Jets coach Rex Ryan to serve as defensive coordinator. That seems unlikely, but Pettine might be the next best thing. The former Browns head coach had his best success working with the bombastic coach, getting his start as an assistant and later working with linebackers in Baltimore while Ryan served as D-coordinator. When Ryan got the top job with the Jets, Pettine joined him as defensive coordinator.

Stay tuned for plenty more updates on the Redskins defensive coordinator search.

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