The Denver Broncos are quickly constructing their coaching staff in Dove Valley, and Vic Fangio got another one of his guys in Brandon Staley.
OFFICIAL: We’ve agreed to terms with Brandon Staley as outside linebackers coach.
📰 » https://t.co/VQ5Dn7uevz pic.twitter.com/4fn8btU4Lw
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) January 15, 2019
Staley was hired by the Bears in February of 2017 and worked under Fangio’s defense for the last two seasons as the outside linebackers coach. Previous to his Chicago experience, Staley worked for 11 years at the collegiate level for a variety of teams, starting with Northern Illinois in 2006, including a stop in Tennessee in 2012 and finishing with John Carroll in 2016.
With the Bears, the outside linebackers flourished. In 2017, three different players (Leonard Floyd 4.5, Lamarr Houston 4 and Pernell McPhee 4), and that was before both Floyd and McPhee sustained season-ending injuries. Meaning, they likely would have enjoyed even more sacks if they could have stayed healthy.
2018 was even better, not just for the outside linebackers under Staley, but for the entire defense. The Bears finished No. 1 in scoring (17.7 points per game), turnovers (36) and many other categories, but they also were the third-best team in the league in terms of sacks (50).
Khalil Mack — who was named All-Pro — was a big part of that, with a team-leading 12.5 sacks. Floyd bounced back from his injury in 2017 for another 4.0-sack season and Aaron Lynch had three sacks of his own last year. While Mack was graded a 90.8 overall, all three of the team’s outside linebackers were graded at least 70 or better by Pro Football Focus.
No offense to any of them, but Von Miller and Bradley Chubb — who enjoyed 14.5 and 12 sacks, respectively — are an even more menacing duo than that trio Staley worked with last season.
In Fangio’s aggressive defense — and with so many of his former coaches around — it will be interesting to see if Miller and Chubb’s individual production can increase, as the new head coach said he wants to happen.
Speaking of former coaches: Ed Donatell is set to interview for the Broncos defensive coordinator position on Tuesday per Nicki Jhabvala. He’s coached with Fangio the last eight years and will almost certainly get the job.
Offensively, Rich Scangarello will be interviewing on Tuesday as well, for the offensive coordinator position, as Fangio’s first coaching class is coming together in a hurry.