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4 players who may follow Chargers HC Brandon Staley in free agency

gavino borquez
·3 min read

The Chargers hired Brandon Staley to be the new man in charge.

In just one season as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, he was the engineer of the top defense in the NFL. He was respected by the handful that he coached, and some of those players may want to follow him.

With that being said, here are four soon-to-be free agents that Staley could potentially bring with him.

OLB Leonard Floyd

A former No. 9 overall pick of the Bears, Floyd was close to being labeled as a “bust” but Staley was the one who rejuvenated his career. Floyd is coming off his best year as a pro after totaling career-highs in sacks (12.5), tackles (55) and quarterback hits (19). He had a career-best 52 total pressures. Floyd also had 31 defensive stops and has been a consistently solid run defender over his career. With Melvin Ingram slated to be a free agent, he would give the Chargers another much-needed pass-rush presence alongside Joey Bosa.

CB Troy Hill

When you’re in the same secondary as Jalen Ramsey, you will likely have your work cut out for you, as opposing quarterbacks will look your way plenty. Hill did a fine job in that role, coming up in a big way. He finished tied for second on the team with three interceptions and scored three of the Rams’ defensive touchdowns on the year. Hill also had 10 passes defensed. Based on how Staley runs his system, he will likely load up on defensive backs and Hill is one that he would love to reunite with.

S John Johnson

After suffering an injury in 2019 that limited him to just six games, Johnson bounced back this past season, being the only player to play every defensive snap. Johnson logged 105 combined tackles and an interception. In addition, he only allowed a 4.9 yards per target. Versatility is everything and Johnson is a smart, adept in pass coverage and run defense, who’s capable of playing both safety positions, cornerback and linebacker.

DL Morgan Fox

The addition of Staley led to Fox’s breakout season in 2020. Fox came into the season with only 4.5 sacks and six tackles for loss in a three-season span. But he topped those this past season, finishing with six sacks and eight tackles for loss. The Chargers have promising defensive linemen in Linval Joseph, Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery, but Fox could be a huge depth piece up front.