Saints player already says what Chargers fans used to say about Brandon Staley

The LA Chargers went from having one of the worst defenses in the sport under Brandon Staley to having the No. 1 scoring defense under Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter. The Chargers' turnaround could not have happened quicker, and now, Staley is looking for a career turnaround himself.

After one season as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, Staley reunited with former Chargers offensive coordinator in the Big Easy. Moore, now the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, hired his former head coach to be the team's defensive coordinator.

Despite the concerning track record with the Chargers and the fact that the Saints were already a bottom-tier defense last year, those in the building are already drinking the proverbial Staley Kool-Aid (not McKinstry).

Saints' 2023 first-round pick Bryan Bresee, who is coming off a promising sophomore season after a slow rookie year, has high expectations for Staley and what he can do for the Saints' defense.

"(Bresee) sees Staley as someone who understands how to put his best players in a position to succeed," Luke Johnson of NOLA.com writes. "While it has been difficult to get a true gauge on what that means this summer because neither the offensive nor defensive lines have played live practice snaps, Bresee can see how Staley’s play calls are difficult for opposing offenses to contend with."

Saints are falling for the same Brandon Staley trap the Chargers did

Staley putting his players in the best position to succeed is a foreign concept for Chargers fans. In fact, one of the biggest complaints about Staley during his tenure in Los Angeles was his inability to cater to his player's strengths as a defensive coordinator.

There were far too many examples of Staley's complex defense trying to fit square pegs into round holes. As a result, even the most talented players on the Chargers' roster, such as Derwin James, saw regression under Staley.

The complex nature of Staley's defense seems like a great thing when it's being sold for its ability to confuse opposing quarterbacks. In reality, unless the perfect pieces are already in place, it creates a defense where the house of cards quickly starts to cave in.

Bresee is already buying into the complex nature of Staley's defense and how it may make the team better.

“It’s just so many different variables than what you’re used to," Bresee said. “There will be different opportunities for me to line up in different places. That just kind of comes with the scheme.”

More likely than not, those variables will not be a good thing. Just ask Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley, who did not hesitate to bury Staley's defense before ever even playing a game under Minter last season.

And let's not forget, Henley had a massive breakout season in 2025 after being an afterthought in his rookie season. It's clear that Minter's approach worked, and as Chargers fans know all too well, Staley's approach did not.

But hey, maybe the Saints have the perfect pieces in place to replicate Staley's 2020 Los Angeles Rams defense, which included prime Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. If New Orleans doesn't get that in 2025 then fans better be ready for disappointment.