After a successful 2020 season, Los Angeles Rams staff members have been poached left and right so far this offseason.
The biggest loss was defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who accepted a head coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers. He also took linebackers coach Joe Barry with him, so he will have to be replaced on the staff.
On the front office side of things, the Rams lost a longtime director of college scouting Brad Holmes, who was hired as the general manager of the Detroit Lions.
Holmes was responsible for hiring Dan Campbell to be his head coach in Detroit, and it appears Campbell is looking at the Rams’ coaching staff to fill out his own. According to Steve Wyche of NFL Network, Rams cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant has accepted a job with the Lions:
Former @RamsNFL CB Coach Aubrey Pleasant has accepted the job with the @Lions as their secondary coach/passing game coordinator. Huge get for Detroit, tough loss for the Rams
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) January 26, 2021
Pleasant spent the last four seasons on McVay’s coaching staff with the Rams after coming over with him from Washington. This represents a big loss for L.A. as everyone in the organization speaks very highly of Pleasant as a rising young coach in the NFL.
He may have been considered a candidate for the Rams’ defensive coordinator vacancy, although McVay instead went with Raheem Morris for that role. It remains to be seen, but Morris will presumably bring in some of his own coaches to help replace both Barry and Pleasant.
The offseason is still young, but hopefully Pleasant is the last Rams’ coach to be poached this offseason so the team can maintain some continuity going into the 2021 season.
