LA Rams News: DC search may reportedly end with hire of Raheem Morris

In LA Rams News today, a rapid series of events over the search for a new defensive coordinator had new updates every few seconds, much like the ticker tape of the New York Stock Exchange. Of course, the reason the LA Rams were searching at all was due to the one-hit-wonder of defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who parlayed a one-year stint as the rookie defensive coordinator role with the LA Rams into a head coaching gig with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Due to the defense’s sudden rise to the top of the NFL rankings, many expected the Rams to focus solely upon internal candidates. After all, why not try to recapture the magic of this defensive success next season?

But there were reasons to pause a moment on that. Yes, it was just one season. Yes, Staley’s defense played very well all year. But when the Rams defense was truly pitted against a top-ranked offense, it wilted. It wilted against the Buffalo Bill early in the season. It needed a miracle interception to shut down the Tampa Bay offense at mid-season. And it never seemed to have much traction whatsoever in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs against the Green Bay Packers.

The LA Rams defense under Staley excelled at the defensive line, edge rushing, and secondary. But it almost dared teams to attack the middle of the defense due to a lack of depth and quality at the inside linebacking position. It was a simple strategy, one that was exploited by the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets.  So the defection of Staley affords the Rams to refocus the image of the defense once more.  Can it improve? That’s why they focused upon an external candidate, Raheem Morris, so quickly.