LA Rams DC Staley new to play calling

LA Rams new DC Staley is new to defensive play-calling

When the LA Rams hired new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, they likely had many reasons for doing so. For starters, he comes from the Vic Fangio defensive coaching tree.  Of all defensive coaches in the NFL today, Fangio has one of the best reputations for thwarting opposing offenses. And, of course, that is exactly the type of defense Rams’ head coach Sean McVay hopes to build with the Rams.

Secondly, the LA Rams faced 2020 with a significant transition in the ranks of their linebackers.  Two of the team’s star defensive performers, ILB Cory Littleton and OLB Dante Fowler Jr., had expiring contracts and huge price tags. Bringing in a linebackers coach to help the Rams transition to new players was simply prudent. And it paid off handsomely, as the Rams were able to use that insider’s information to sign up outside linebacker Leonard Floyd.

Team building

And then, there was simply the matter of surrounding head coach Sean McVay with a cast of coaches who would fit his collaborative style of oversight. That same-age fraternal group of like-minds, similar style team-building which lays the foundation for long-term success.

Finally, the team clearly sought someone who could work with the superstars of the game. After all, the Rams have two of the NFL’s finest in All-Pro DT Aaron Donald and All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey.  Staley had the great fortune of coaching two other household names on defense- Denver’s Von Miller and Chicago’s Khalil Mack.

But the Rams did not get the total-package in a new defensive coordinator. While Brandon Staley did follow Fangio from the Chicago Bears to the Denver Broncos as his outside linebackers, he has only been in the NFL coaching circuit for three years. So the LA Rams did get quite a bit of promise in their new defensive coordinator but failed to get one key factor.  Staley has zero background in calling defensive plays.

Of course, any challenge can be overcome with planning. And you can bet that planning is taking place right now. After all, if pilots can learn how to pilot planes with flight simulators, and the military can train artillery and tank operators with simulators, it seems as though the Rams IT folks can whip up a game simulation to give Staley plenty of practice in calling defensive plays.

But it does add a new wrinkle to a Rams defense where experience runs very shallow in the linebacking room. The interior linebacker usually directs the defensive plays, and with little experience there as well as calling the plays from the sidelines, it’s worth monitoring. The 2020 defense is banking on confusion to succeed.  Here’s hoping the only confusion comes from the offensive side of the ball.