Brandon Staley is entering unfamiliar territory as a defensive coordinator for the first time in his career. He’s also walking into the best division in the NFL with some of the toughest offenses to stop.
The new Rams defensive coordinator isn’t afraid of game planning for Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, or for keeping Russell Wilson contained, or trying to keep Kyler Murray at bay. Staley welcomes the challenge of facing the Rams’ rivals six times a year.
“As a competitor, that’s what you’re looking for. You’re looking to play the top competition. It doesn’t matter who it is,” Staley told J.B. Long. “When I was in Chicago, we were in the NFC North with Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers. And so that was a tremendous challenge. And the division I just came from, you had Pat Mahomes and Philip Rivers and Derek Carr. That’s what the NFL is. It’s a credit to all the coaches and personnel people in this division that have made it what it is, but the Rams are pretty good, too. So we’re excited about the challenge and certainly looking forward to getting to know these teams even better.”
"As a competitor, that's what you're looking for."
DC Brandon Staley sits down with @JB_Long to talk competition in the NFC West, collaborating with McVay + more. pic.twitter.com/fJAKvxJOiW
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) February 12, 2020
Fortunately for Staley, he’s coming into a situation with two of the best defenders in the NFL. He’ll have Aaron Donald at his disposal up front, having him wreaking havoc as a pass rusher on the interior. In the secondary, Jalen Ramsey gives Staley options in coverage, which we saw last season after the Pro Bowl cornerback was acquired by the Rams.
Not many teams boast the two-player talent that the Rams have with Donald and Ramsey, which greatly benefits Staley as he prepares for his first season as a defensive coordinator.