I posted this topic knowing it would get a rise. Mr. McGrady basically wrote an apology while offering nothing to support this new strategy. And most of us are in agreement about his anti-swarming, new tackling technique/ approach angles, ball stripping comments.
My defensive knowledge is limited to high school too, but defense is reactionary, fundamentals and technique are stock, even if a coordinator sees the need to back off at a given stage of a game. We had a base defense that ran stunts and blitzes. Staying at home was merely protecting your area. And we stripped the ball after the ball carrier was stood up. Swarming was expected.
McGrady describes this as if it were a hockey defense, defending a power play, bend but don't break. There might be something to meshing a defense with a hurry-up offense, but it cannot be considered a change in "fundamental defensive philosophy." The article was nicely written, but it was style without substance.