The biggest hole for the Los Angeles Rams heading into the summer is at line backer . Ernest Jones is poised for another big season after becoming one of the best blitzing line backers in the NFL. That said, there is still a huge hole behind them with Christian Rosenbloom and Jake Himmel providing depth at that spot.
At this point, it’s pretty clear that the Rams don’t see much value in the line backer position when it comes to their defence. Signing Bobby Wagner was more about capitalizing on an opportunity than a change in philosophy. That was proven this offseason when, despite a clear need at line backer, the Rams opted not to draft one with their 10 selections.
Having said that, fans and analysts have not and will not stop talking about changes at this position. The latest example of this comes from ESPN’s Aaron Schatz, who suggested one final offseason move for every team in the NFL. For the Rams, Schatz suggested free agent linebacker Kwon Alexander. Schatz said,
“The Rams don’t use their other off-ball linebacker very much, but they could certainly use a veteran upgrade over Christian Rozeboom. The 30-year-old Alexander played quite well for the Steelers last season , particularly in pass coverage. The Rams could also take a chance on getting Shaquille Leonard back to his previous level of play if they want a cheaper gamble with a low floor and high ceiling.”
Rozeboom hasn’t necessarily played badly for the Rams, but this is still clearly a position they can improve on the defensive side of the ball. Rozeboom is fine in small doses and on special teams, but he shouldn’t be relied upon as the second linebacker behind Jones. For example, Rozeboom played 30 or more snaps in every game in the first nine weeks of the season last year. That dropped to three times in the final eight games of the season including the finale against the San Francisco 49ers which was actually a preseason contest.
Pro Football Focus isn’t just gospel, but it can provide a visual of this gap. From Weeks 1-9, Rozeboom ranked last among 58 linebackers who played at least 300 snaps. From Weeks 11-17, he ranked 18th among linebackers who played at least 150 snaps, including an 80.4 grade in coverage, when excluding the game he played against the 49ers in Week 18.
Rozeboom can be a rotational piece, but he shouldn’t be the defense’s No. 2 linebacker. While Kwon Alexander will be 30 years old in the season, he’ll perform well in coverage in 2023. Among linebackers who played at least 175 coverage snaps last year, he ranked 17th and his 63.3 percent reception percentage was the second-best.
While a player like Alexander or Justin Simmons would be nice to have, it’s unlikely the Rams would make such a move. Last season, the Rams were active during this period, adding Ahkello Witherspoon and Demarcus Robinson. However, McVay said last week,
“Maybe a little bit different than last year’s approach. What we will do is we will look at where we are right now? Recognizing that there are still some limitations with regard to the evaluation process, but what resources do we have to be able to put together the most competitive team in camp? And so, maybe not to that extent, but that’s not to say there won’t be anything that could come up. I would certainly never say that because if we feel that within our disciplined approach we want to be able to do that. If we can improve the football team, we will do that.”
It seems like the Rams are happy with the players they have on their roster. Of course, never say never, but adding anyone doesn’t seem likely at this point. If the right situation or player comes along, maybe things could change. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case at this point.
In terms of the line backer position, if the Rams don’t make a move, they’ll hope Rosenbloom can continue his strong performance in the second half of the season, albeit in a smaller role.
