Rams finding defensive linemen in small places

Rams finding defensive linemen in small places

By JACK WANG / STAFF WRITER

[www.ocregister.com]

THOUSAND OAKS – Eugene Sims can’t believe the number is so low.

“Nineteen?!” said the Rams defensive lineman. “No!”

He had just been notified that he is in a club of fewer than two dozen individuals, all of whom have carved a difficult path to their current profession. On the active rosters of the 32 teams across the NFL, just 19 defensive linemen did not come out of an FBS program.

The Rams, by the way, have four of them.

“It’s probably coincidence,” General Manager Les Snead said. “But we do scout that level pretty thoroughly.”

For those who are unfamiliar, the Football Bowl Subdivision – formerly known as Division I-A – represents the biggest conferences in college football, as well smaller leagues such as Conference USA and the Mountain West. These 19 defensive linemen, however, either plied their trade in the FCS, which still entitles them to a full scholarship, Division II (partial scholarship), Division III (no scholarship), or a Canadian university.

The Rams who fall into this category are Sims and Ethan Westbrooks – who attended West Texas A&M, four years apart – as well as starting defensive end William Hayes (Winston-Salem State) and Matt Longacre (Northwest Missouri State).

Two more are on the practice squad: rookie Morgan Fox, of Colorado State-Pueblo, and Lynden Trail, a former Norfolk State defensive end who the team just signed this week.

The New York Giants have three non-FBS defensive linemen, but no other NFL team has more than two on its active roster. Thirteen teams don’t have any. Having four such players means the Rams outpace five entire divisions.

The Rams front office hasn’t necessarily unlocked some scouting secret. Sims and Hayes entered the league before the Rams hired Snead and Coach Jeff Fisher, though Hayes also played for Fisher in Tennessee. But that so many once-overlooked players have found their way onto the Rams’ defensive line is perhaps another sign of just how well the team has developed this position group.

The line’s biggest stars are Aaron Donald and Robert Quinn, former first-round picks who played on a big college stage, but finding depth in less-frequented places has paid off for the Rams. In Sunday’s 37-32 win over the Buccaneers, Westbrooks scooped up Quinn’s forced fumble and returned it for a 77-yard touchdown.

The trend hasn’t gone unnoticed either. Trail wasn’t drafted in 2015, but Sports Illustrated described him as the class’ “most intriguing mystery man.” When the 6-foot-7, 270-pound defensive end was looking for a new team, he noticed names like Westbrooks and Fox.

“A lot of the guys here are from smaller schools,” he said. “One thing I can say is, it doesn’t really matter where you come from once you get here. It’s what you do once you’re here.

“I find that they’re giving a lot of people with that small-school background opportunities here, so that attracted me here as well.”

INJURY REPORT

The Rams did not practice Thursday but, as mandated by the NFL, they released an injury report with the estimated status of dinged-up players.

Defensive tackle Dominique Easley and nickelback Lamarcus Joyner – held out of Wednesday’s practice due to illness and a broken toe, respectively – were upgraded to “limited” participation. Receiver Tavon Austin (shoulder) also fell into the same category.

Cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh) and rookie receivers Pharoh Cooper (shoulder) and Nelson Spruce (knee), who have missed all three games this season, remained at full participation.

Hayes, who injured his left ankle in Sunday’s win at Tampa Bay, has not practiced this week.