Philadelphia’s Fisher Likely to Be Ram Defensive Coach : NFL: Robinson, Shaw have made an informal offer to 32-year-old USC alumnus. He would replace Fritz Shurmur.

After two days of discussions, Jeff Fisher is all but signed, sealed and set to design a new, attack-style Ram defense.

Coach John Robinson and Executive Vice President John Shaw made an informal offer to Fisher Friday morning, and a multiyear contract probably will be tendered by Monday.

Fisher, 32, has been the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator for the past three seasons, but his contract expires Feb. 1, and the situation there has been drastically altered by the firing of Buddy Ryan as coach and the elevation of offensive coordinator Rich Kotite--over Fisher--to fill the job.

Unless the Eagles come up with a surprising counteroffer, Fisher will sign with the Rams next week, according to sources close to the situation.

Fisher is the Rams’ only choice to replace former defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, who was fired along with five other assistants Wednesday. The only holdover on the defensive staff is defensive line coach Marv Goux.

“The situation popped up, and I think it was right to respond quickly to it before they resettled it (in Philadelphia), while he decided whether he wanted to stay there,” Robinson said Friday.

“It’s going to be cut and dried one way or the other. He has to go back, and if we offer him the job, then he has to say, ‘OK, what do I want to do.’ I’d say (there’d be a final result by) Tuesday or Wednesday. I don’t know what you wait for.”

Said Fisher: “A decision is going to have to be made. There’s not been a formal offer yet--we still have some things to discuss--but I’m sure things can be worked out here. We both want things to get done as quickly as possible.”

Fisher, who played for Robinson at USC, said he would enjoy the challenge of revamping the Rams’ defense to a four-man line, pressure unit. Under Fisher and Ryan, the Eagles had one of the most feared defensive lines in football. The Rams played a 3-4 under Shurmur.

“He’s (Robinson) talked about the changes he wants to make and the direction he wants to head towards, and obviously towards an aggressive-nature defense,” Fisher said Friday. “He’s indicated to me that he understands that it’ll take time, they need some players and they’re going to go out and get some players. It’s quite an opportunity to come in and take that challenge.

“I’m going to go back to Philadelphia; there’s an offer there too. If there is an offer here, the decision comes down to, well, do you stay in Philadelphia and take the defense, the people, intact? It’s a veteran group, it’s a smart group.

“As opposed to coming to a new place, starting over, putting in a new system, things like that. I want to be associated in either case with a great defensive team.”

The Eagles’ front office has said that it will match whatever offer Fisher receives from the Rams or anybody else, but they probably won’t be able to match the combination of the chance to work in Southern California and the opportunity to establish his own defensive personality.

Fisher seems particularly intrigued by the Rams’ potential as a running team. In Philadelphia, the Eagles never were able to maintain a consistent running game, which caused Fisher’s defense to spend more time on the field than he wanted.

“A key to being part of a great defensive unit has a lot to do with the ability to run the football on offense,” Fisher said. “There’s a new commitment to get back to the running game here.

“They are adamant about running the football and becoming a more aggressive team. I think that lends itself to playing better defense.”

Robinson said he is committed to doing whatever Fisher thinks is necessary to get the Rams to play aggressive defense. Two years ago, Robinson asked Fisher to advise him on how to implement aspects of Ryan’s “46” defense, but Ryan refused to allow it.

“You hire a guy to come in and do what he can do,” Robinson said. “You really cripple somebody if you ask them to come in and adapt to other things. If Jeff were to come here, we would use that system.

“We would go with the philosophy of it and then make the personnel fit. We wouldn’t try to say, well, we’ve only got three linemen. . . . We’ll go with what that is and build the group to fit. Same as they did when they went to Philadelphia.

“Attacking is something I want to do. I want to come after the other guy more than we have. If you wait around for the personnel to be right, you wait forever.”

Robinson said the Rams would use their No. 1 pick in this year’s draft on either a cornerback or a defensive lineman.

“Corners and linemen, they’re the elite in that defense,” Robinson said.

If Fisher is hired, he is likely to bring one or two of his assistants with the Eagles. Defensive backs coach Tom Bettis, defensive line coach Dale Haupt and linebackers-strength coach Ronnie Jones are possibilities, but Robinson may be interested in San Diego Charger defensive line coach Gunther Cunningham to coach the linebackers.

Ryan, Fisher’s football mentor, said he is sure Fisher is the right man for the Ram job.

“It’s too good an opportunity for Jeff to pass up: going back home, his college coach, all that,” Ryan said. “He’s a smart young guy, and the Rams really need him. You bet it makes sense.”

Ram Notes

The Rams lost a coin flip this week with the Denver Broncos for the No. 4 pick in the first round of this year’s college draft. That means the Rams will draft fifth overall, and will alternate picking order with the three other teams that finished 5-11 through the final 11 rounds. . . . The Rams’ highly regarded quarterback coach Dick Coury recently rejected an offer to coach the Orlando entry in the World League of American Football. Coury tentatively accepted the job, then reconsidered and decided to stay with the Rams.