Canal Street Chronicles
A decision might be coming soon.
With Kellen Moore hired as head coach, the New Orleans Saints need to get their defensive coordinator correct. Moore’s focus will be mainly on the offense and play calling, so the defensive coordinator must do his job on that side of the ball. The Saints are one step closer to that decision and are set to interview for Chargers HC Brandon Staley and Eagles DB coach Christian Parker, per Albert Breer.
It makes sense that Brandon Staley is the favorite for the Saints DC job. Staley coached the Super Bowl-winning Rams defense in 2021 and was hired to become the Chargers HC in 2022, where Kellen Moore was the OC. Being a former playcaller will give Staley the advantage in this decision, and it may make him the safer option, but his failure with the Chargers is still a worry. With Staley, the main question around him is if his decline in defense with the Chargers was because of him becoming the head coach or not. Similar to what happened with Dennis Allen in New Orleans. Another positive to hiring Staley is his head coaching opportunities, which will probably be slim in the foreseeable future.
The Eagles had a dynamic DB room that made game-winning plays throughout the year. There was a real youth movement this season, with their two top cornerbacks drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. Christian Parker, the Eagles DB coach/passing game coordinator, spearheaded this group, which became one of the best in the NFL. Parker has not called plays before, which will be the main worry with him, but he is only 33. He has been coaching since 2013 and has already coached on three NFL teams: The Packers, Broncos, and Eagles. As I mentioned, the lack of playcalling experience is an issue, but Parker can develop as a playcaller if the Saints are going with the youth option. He has that leadership that Staley may be lacking, so hiring Christian Parker would make sense if the Saints want to also go with that route.
