Rams DC Brandon Staley- Media Availability

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Rams Defensive Coordinator Brandon Staley – Media Availability – August 15, 2020

[www.therams.com]

(On how it feels to be able to get out on the field)
“You feel like a real coach when you get in the meeting room. You guys can probably hear that I kind of sound like a real coach now. Being able to get on the grass with our players, being in a meeting with them live and in person, certainly makes you feel alive and we’re really excited to get going.”

(On position battles at inside linebacker, outside linebacker, and cornerback)
“Outside rusher, you really have Leonard Floyd – who we're just really excited to have him – and he is going to be leading that group. Then Samson (Ebukam) has played a lot of football here and played a lot of winning football here. He is a guy that I followed throughout his career as a young player to now. We are excited for him to be able to take a step forward and really get a chance to show what he can do. And then you’ve got really a bunch of young players that are looking to prove themselves in the NFL. I’m talking about ‘Obo’ (Ogbonnia Okoronkwo), I am talking about Terrell Lewis, Natrez Patrick, Justin Lawler, all those guys, Jachai Polite. There is a group of young players that are looking to establish themselves in the NFL. So, a lot of competition at that position. (Outside Linebackers Coach) Chris Shula is one of the best coaches I know coaching them, so that process is going to be all the way up until the game and probably throughout the season. You will see a lot of competition at that position and just sorting through who is going to play what role and all that good stuff.

“At inside linebacker, I really can say the same thing. There is a group of guys there that have not played a lot of football in the NFL. I think that we are optimistic about who they are as competitors, who they are as people. I am talking about ‘T-Howard’ (Travin Howard), Micah Kiser, Kenny Young, Troy Reeder. Then we’ve got a bunch of young guys kind of duking it out that we really like where they’re at and how they’re competing. So, those guys it’s really going to be fierce competition. But I like the makeup of all those guys. They are really good students of the game, awesome in the meeting room. (Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers) Joe Barry, who has really taken on a lot of linebacker projects the last couple years. When you talk about (former Rams L Mark Barron, (former Rams L Cory Littleton and the players they became through Joe’s tutelage, we will be relying on him heavily to get those guys capable of playing winning football.

“Then in the secondary, we are really deep there. It is a healthy situation where you have a lot of options that we feel good about. Guys that can play starting-caliber football either outside or inside at star. So those guys you know Jalen (Ramsey), Darious Williams, Troy Hill, David Long (Jr.), Adonis Alexander. We’ve got some young guys that you guys don’t know about who are duking it out that have done a really nice job in the meetings and are looking to prove themselves out there on the grass. Certainly, like you said, a lot of competition at all three of those spots.”

(On if these practices need to be more competitive this year due to a lack of preseason games and how they go about creating that competition)
“I think that is what (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) has done throughout his first three years here. I think every day out on the practice fields with the Rams is a gameday. That is certainly the way we treat it. We treat the walk-thrus like games, too. We treat meetings like games. I know a lot of people talk about it, I think that we live it. This is my first experience here with Sean and I know that when we get on that practice field today, it won’t be like the first time our guys are competing. You are absolutely right, we’re going to have to get as many live looks at these guys against top competition. What we’re fortunate, is if we need to evaluate a secondary player, well guess what, they have to defend (WR) Cooper Kupp, (WR) Robert Woods, (WR Josh) Reynolds, (WR) Van (Jefferson), all these guys, (TE Tyler) Higbee. You get a live look at them defending some of the premier players in the NFL. You are talking about two tackles outside in Rob (Havenstein) and big Andrew (Whitworth) who are as good as it gets. And you’re facing a quarterback that is as good a quarterback as there is in the NFL. I’m talking about throwing the ball and then we’ve got a bunch of runners that are really good. We are going to get to evaluate players, that is not going to be an issue for us, in my opinion. That practice field will be a great training ground for evaluation. Sean does a tremendous job putting together practice plans where we will be able to get that done.”

(On the thought that the lack of preseason games will put rookies at a disadvantage)
“No. I have heard that, and I can certainly understand that position that people take. I certainly don’t take that position at all. We will have plenty of time to evaluate these players. This process is exactly how it happens in college football. Exactly how it happens, you don’t have preseason games to evaluate your players. You have practice to evaluate your players. So, I don’t agree with that position, me personally. I think that we will be able to get these guys ready to play if they are good enough. And that is just how the NFL, or any other level. If they are good enough then those guys will emerge. They will express themselves and we will get them ready to play. We’ve got a tremendous coaching staff on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game. It is our responsibility to put them through as many experiences as we can before we play in that first game. I know that if a young player is capable of playing, then he will.”

(On his style of coaching and collaborating with the coaching staff)
“I think your teaching progression is something that is so important, as a coach and as a teacher. I told you guys I’m a son of a teacher and a coach. My wife’s an educator. And I think your teaching progression really matters. How you present things to your players is really important. I think it starts with your language, actually how you say things and what you say. So, grouping things into concepts where your players aren’t memorizing things. They’re building off concepts and you have a language that everybody can speak where it sounds and it’s expressed the same way. I think that’s really vital, that when they talk to different coaches, that they hear it the same way. I think it really starts there with your language.

“When it comes to actually teaching someone a technique or teaching someone something schematically, they have to see it first and then they have to feel it. They have to live it. That was one of the challenging things about the spring time is that I think that we could bring the life, you know, actually what was going to be happening, but until a player actually feels what that is, it’ll never come to life. I think that’s what’s been the exciting thing about the last couple of days is being able to get out on the field and feel it and live it. I think that us putting them through as many of those experiences as possible is of the upmost importance and that’s why we take practice so seriously so that every single time we’re on the field, they feel like they’re one step closer to being ready to play. I think that that’s something we take a lot of pride in is that after the day is done, we know that we’re one step closer to being better.”

(On his mindset to approaching the decision to move forward coaching this season considering the pandemic and him being a cancer survivor)
“There’s so many stories all over the country of people like myself – players, coaches. I’ve seen things with officials. I think everybody’s got a specific case. I think a lot it, as we’ve learned that this virus, is that your age bracket is very significant into this virus, and then certainly, how recent you may have gone through whatever trial that you went through. I’m fortunate that I’ve been past it for going on 12 years now. So, I feel confident in where I’m at that I’ve been a clean bill of health. I’m still a young man, relatively speaking. You respect everybody’s position – player, coach, executive.

“You know people around the country are faced with a lot of these difficult decisions and I think certainly what this virus is showing is that you can’t just make a one-statement fits all. Every position, every person is going to have a different circumstance and you have to respect that position. I feel great about where I’m at health-wise. I think all of us that have been through something like have the upmost respect for people that are going through something like that. My father right now is going through prostate cancer, and you know the level of care that they need in order to be successful. You know how respectful other people need to be in order for them to get through what they’re going through. That’s something through this pandemic, is that we’re all a team in this. Hopefully, through us doing things the right way as an organization, people can see an example of how we all should be.”

(On if he and his wife went back and forth at all about him coaching this season because of his past battle with cancer)
“Yeah, you know it’s crazy to even think it happened to me. You just brought it up there, sometimes I just forget there that it even happened. But no, we didn’t give any consideration to that. We’re excited to be here. I feel healthy and feel very fortunate to be here.”

(On the evolution of his relationship with DL Aaron Donald and how he can get Donald to play to his fullest potential)
“Well, I really love coaching Aaron Donald. I know that everybody would say that, but I really enjoy being around him now in person. I think with relationships, they take time to build. They’re certainly tough to create over the computer, or though FaceTime or a phone call. I think we did the very best job we could, he and myself, of always staying connected in the offseason touching base when he was in Pittsburgh or if he was here in L.A. A phone call here-and-there or facetime here-and-there. I was able to see his son, he was able to see my boys on a FaceTime call. But then being person, it’s certainly different dynamic. Any time you’re with a player of his caliber, you’re just trying to establish things one day at a time. One moment at a time. The way you do that is by being as good as you can be at your job. I think that’s one thing that I’ve come to fully appreciate in the brief time I’ve been with him in person, is how much pride he has in his performance. The type of competitor that he is. The type of leadership that he displays all the time just because of the example that he sets. I think I’ll probably learn a lot more from him than he will from me. But, I think me being with some of those other guys that I’ve been able to be with, the (Broncos L Von Miller’s, the (Broncos DE) Bradley Chubb’s, the (Bears L Khalil Mack’s, you learn that relationships take time. But at the same time, if you keep proving yourself every day, doing the best you can do, they grow quickly. They grow quickly. That’s what we’ve tried to do with him, show him how exactly we want to use him. Here’s the exact the reasons why – showing him on film, showing him out there on the grass. That’s how you connect with him because it’s never going to be more important to anybody than it is for Aaron Donald. This guy has the highest standards that you can possibly imagine. It’s going to be fun to partner up with him with in practice here.”

(On whether it will take a few games to see how Donald can be used)
“I don’t think so. I think Aaron Donald will make all the schemes work well. For us, I think what I’ve tried to do with all the players, but definitely him in particular, is being able to express himself within the defense. He’s got a style of play that he’s certainly created that is one of the best of all time. What we want to do, is we want for him to be himself. And at the same time, there’s some things in our defense, maybe something that we want him to do within our defense, but it’s us collaborating so that he can play fast and free like he’s capable of. I think that’s been the great thing is, being able to have that back and forth, that connection, that collaboration to create the Aaron Donald of 2020. Like I said before, he makes a lot of things work for you.”

(On one or two things he learned from Broncos Head Coach Vic Fangio that he still carries with him)
"Vic means a lot to me. I certainly wouldn't be here without him. A couple of the things that stand out to me is, he's got a work ethic that really stands out in a professional football building. I never was with a guy in my previous three years in the NFL that worked harder than Vic. I think he sets a really high standard for his work ethic, for his preparation in his attention to detail, I kind of group that all in the same thing. Everybody knows that Vic Fangio was working, and I think that that's something that stood out to me. I really think that his agility, being able to stand the test of time in the NFL over the course of 30 years, over 20 as a defensive coordinator and now as a head coach, how much he's evolved and how much the game has changed and him being able to change with it and stay ahead of it. I think that that's allowed him to be one of the best defensive coaches in the history of the game, so very fortunate to have worked with him, very fortunate to know him."

(On getting the chance to work with CB Jalen Ramsey on the field)
"I just echo the same thing I said about Aaron. Just being with him in person, you get a much better sense of what he's comfortable with, what he likes, what maybe you can activate with him. He's a very, very bright
football player and I think that's something that people do not talk enough about him. They talk about his physical gifts, which are obvious, but they don't talk enough about his mind, the way he thinks, and I think that we're really lucky to have him that way. I see him as the quarterback back there in the secondary, a guy that can help solve a lot of problems. He and John Johnson, to me, a lot of people talk about Jalen, rightfully so, and I think this guy's going to play incredible football for us, incredible football. But, he and John Johnson, you can't ask for two better guys back there quarterbacking your secondary. I mean, this John Johnson guy is fantastic. He's fantastic. I've been through with two All-Pro safeties the last three years, two other safeties, and (Denver Broncos S) Justin Simmons and (Chicago Bears S) Eddy Jackson and Adrian Amerson, (Broncos S) Kareem Jackson, that's four safeties that are as good as you're going to get and John Johnson is this guy that, he's fantastic. So, those guys working together, we're going to be able to solve a lot of problems together and make and create a lot of plays with those guys quarterbacking our secondary."

(On his experience with coaching Chicago Bears OLB Khalil Mack and Denver Broncos OLB Von Miller and how that will help coaching the Rams OLB position)
"Well, I think that you realize, as great as both of those guys are, Hall of Fame rushers, they're both different and I think that you realize that they're different. Khalil's game and Von's game, they're different players and they're different personalities, so I think you get a sense of, you can't treat everybody the same. Everybody's got their own way and it's your responsibility as a coach, to tap into that way to get the most out of them. I think coaching the outside rushers, you know, (OL Leonard Floyd's game is going to be different than (OL Samson (Ebukam)'s. Samson's game is going to be different than whomever, Obo. Those guys are all different rushers and so what you can do is you can say, 'Hey, here's a part of this guy’s game that I think will work for you, and here's a part of this guy’s game that I think will work for you,' and I think that you just tap into those sameness and likeness as it applies, but certainly with those guys, and an Aaron Donald, a Jalen Ramsey, (Denver Broncos OL Bradley Chubb, all these great players that we've had in the past, (Chicago Bears C Kyle Fuller, (Chicago Bears DT) Akeim Hicks, all these great players, what they all have in common, is that they have their own style of play and you've got to tap into that. I think as a coach, there's nothing more important than getting to know your guys, so that they can become the best they can be."

(On how you can see the outside rushers ability to help Donald get to the Q
"Well, it starts with their ability to dominate the edge of the run game. You can't rush the passer if teams can run the football. You have to multiply your chances to rush. What our day is, is to create as many opportunities to rush the passer because we're playing really good against the run, really well against the run where we have to lead because we have a tremendous offense here, a tremendous kicking game, but I think we've got to create opportunities so that they can rush and I think we've got to create all the little things that go into rushing the passer and knowing the distance, time and score, situation, there's so many little things that you can take advantage of to get a head start as a pass rusher. As a pass rusher, the biggest key to your success is your stance and your take off, and a lot of that is knowing if it's a run or a pass before the ball's even snapped so you can get into your rush quickly so we're still in the process of working through that with all these guys, really teaching them the game so that they can know it as well as they can know it. We are fortunate that we have great examples of Aaron Donald, guys that take a lot of pride, (DL) Michael Brockers, all these guys that play a lot of football that we can use as great examples that really study the game."