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On Sunday ESPN's Lindsey Thiry would report that the Los Angeles Chargers have agreed to terms with Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. Staley is coming off a year where he led the Los Angeles Rams to be the best defense in the NFL. In just one season with the Rams, Brandon Staley led them to a season where they ranked at the top in the NFL in efficiency, yards allowed, and points allowed per game.
With the offensive side of the football figured out, the Chargers hired a defensive minded coach to get the defense back on track. Chargers have the potential to be in the same position as the Rams in 2021. Los Angeles Chargers will welcome back safety Derwin James and defensive lineman Joey Bosa.
Lets take a look at how Brandon Staley handles his first NFL Draft and NFL Free Agency in his first year as the Chargers head coach.
Task One: Keep Justin Herbert healthy
Los Angeles Chargers have on priority and it is the most important. Keep Justin Herbert healthy and off his back on Sundays. Herbert has shown that he is the franchise quarterback and the face of their franchise.
Staley will have to fill their needs on the offensive line before thinking about any other position. As of right now the Los Angeles Chargers are in need of an offensive tackle and an interior offensive lineman. With their first pick they will most likely take the best available lineman which could be interior offensive lineman Wyatt Davis out of Ohio State.
The 2021 NFL Draft is full of offensive tackles and Brandon Staley and the Chargers can get a talented starting offensive tackle in the second round. Staley has one job in the NFL Draft and that is to get the right pieces up front to make sure Herbert stays healthy in the 2021 NFL Season.
Task Two: Get key pieces in Free Agency
Los Angeles Chargers have about $29 million in cap space heading into the 2021 NFL off-season according to overthecap.com. This gives them room to add key pieces to both offense and defense. Now the question becomes as to who do they add?
Brandon Staley being a defensive minded coach and with Rams cornerback Troy Hill being a free agent we could see Hill follow Staley to the Chargers. There are also great wide receivers that will be free agents in 2021. Allen Robinson II, Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones II and Will Fuller V to name a few that the Chargers could target.
As long as Staley adds key pieces to both sides of the football he will have a successful first year as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams.
Final Task: Los Angeles Chargers compete for the 2021 NFL Playoffs
Like every other team in the AFC West, Los Angeles Chargers are chasing Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. This is one thing that Brandon Staley cannot do in year one as the head coach of the Chargers. His main goal would be to compete for the playoffs.
If Staley can just get the Los Angeles Chargers in a NFL Wild Card Playoff game it would be a successful first year. He definitely has the talent to do it, now its time to execute it. The prediction for the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2021 NFL Season is 10-6 playing a road playoff game.
