Brockers is comfortable at DE, but will move to NT if need be...

Michael Brockers is comfortable at DE but will move to NT if need be

Cameron DaSilva

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Ndamukong Suh is almost certain to sign elsewhere this offseason with the Rams being very short spending money. His inevitable departure will create a void at nose tackle, one the team isn’t exactly equipped to fill right now.

Michael Brockers played nose tackle early on after Wade Phillips took over in 2017, but he was quickly moved to defensive end and has remained there ever since. He’s a more natural fit at defensive end and has enjoyed playing there, but the Rams might be looking to make a change.

Les Snead said at the combine that they’d be willing to move him to nose tackle depending on who they select in the draft. Brockers would be OK with that, but he’d prefer to stay at defensive end.

“I’ve kind of gotten comfortable playing defensive end. I like playing that position, but if it happens that if I have to play nose, I’ll do that too,” Brockers said at his press conference Monday. “I told them whatever I can do for this team, I’ll do it, so I think that’s the most important thing.”

Brockers is the ultimate team player and has been for just about his entire career. He’s the longest-tenured position player on the roster and will do whatever the coaches ask him to, as long as it helps better the team.

He was asked about Suh’s eventual departure and how the Rams will fill that void, mentioning second-year pro Sebastian Joseph-Day as a potential contributor at nose tackle.

“You’re kind of missing a great talent that he was – that he still is. But we have a lot of guys in the background that are kind of waiting their turn,” Brockers added. “Sebastian was a good deal for me that I was looking at to kind of fill that role, somebody smart that can come in and know the game. I wasn’t really worried about it. If it comes and I have to move to nose and they bring somebody in to play end, that’s what happens. Not really focused on it. I think we have enough guys in our room to kind of fill that position.”

If the Rams draft someone like Notre Dame’s Jerry Tillery later this month, it would almost certainly lead to Brockers becoming the nose tackle again. If they select Dexter Lawrence, Khalen Saunders or a number of nose tackles, Brockers would be able to stay at defensive end with the rookie starting inside.

He’s probably rooting for the latter to happen, but either way, Brockers will do whatever’s best for the team.