What Sorensen, Staley bring to 49ers after reported hires

Nick Sorensen and Brandon Staley were the first to interview with coach Kyle Shanahan for the 49ers' defensive coordinator job. Clearly, Shanahan was duly impressed. He ended up hiring both of them. Sorensen, 45, reportedly will step into the role of defensive coordinator. The position became open when Shanahan fired Steve Wilks three days after the 49ers' Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chefs. Sorensen, who played 10 seasons in the NFL as a safety, will work closely with Staley, the former Los Angeles Chargers coach. Staley, 41, reportedly joins the 49ers' staff as assistant head coach. With Sorensen on staff, the 49ers' takeaways soared over the past two seasons. He was tasked with coming up with ways to emphasize generating turnovers. That is an area in which the 49ers have excelled. Over the past two seasons, San Francisco has collected 42 interceptions while surrendering just 40 touchdown passes. Staley met with Shanahan and 49ers general manager John Lynch and had an impressive interview. Shanahan and Lynch first spent time with Staley in August of 2021, when the 49ers and Chargers met in Costa Mesa for a couple of days of joint practices leading up to their...