Rams to Hire Broncos' OLBs Coach Brandon Staley as Defensive Coordinator: Report

Brandon Staley joined the Denver Broncos coaching staff almost a year ago, following Vic Fangio from the Windy City to the Mile High City. With the 2019 season in the books, Staley now has three years of experience as an NFL Outside Linebackers Coach.

Although the Broncos didn't have tremendous statistical production from Von Miller and the outside linebackers, Staley is still considered a rising star in the coaching world. The year before, the young coach helped Fangio elevate the Chicago Bears defense to No. 1 ranking in multiple categories, including sacks.

And now the Broncos must bid Staley adieu. According to Ian Rapoport, the Los Angeles Rams are hiring Staley to be their defensive coordinator.

The #Rams are hiring Brandon Staley, formerly the #Broncos outside linebackers coach, as their new defensive coordinator, source said. A surprise hire and the first branch of the Vic Fangio defensive tree.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 11, 2020

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Indeed, Staley owes his NFL career to Fangio and it will be interesting to see whether he'll be able to make his mentor proud as the Rams' replacement for Wade Phillips, who was unceremoniously fired just a few days ago.

Staley is now a 15-year coaching veteran who will inherit a Rams defense that ostensibly has the talent to compete. Meanwhile, the Broncos will have a coaching hire to make.

During his end-of-season presser alongside GM John Elway, Fangio said that he didn't foresee any changes to his coaching staff in 2020, barring an outside team hiring one of his assistants away. Some media-ites scoffed at the notion that any NFL team would want to hire a coach who in any way presided over a 7-9 finish.

But those people underestimated the respect Fangio has around the league. It's also worth mentioning that Fangio could have blocked Staley from interviewing and getting the Rams job. It happens in the NFL at times, zealous head coaches stopping the upward mobility of an assistant coach.

The Cincinnati Bengals blocked Vance Joseph from taking the Broncos' defensive coordinator job back in 2015. Kyle Shanahan initially blocked the Broncos from interviewing Niners QBs Coach Rich Scangarello a year ago.

Not Fangio. And that's cool.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.