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RamsFanSince69
so do the Rams play a form of strong/weak instead? That makes total sense but because I see edges as more pass rushers than coverage guys (Hoecht coverage aside), I mistakenly thought of the Rams playing left/right.
Cam you help me understand the ways the Rams do play their defenses then? E.G Rams safeties play right / left (and not strong / weak) but edges are the opposite, right?
Thx JY53
1.
Since 2020 Rams safeties have been left and right. Unde Wade and Gregg Williams they were strong and free (weak)
only exception was late in 2022 for a few games --- then one safety was on the short side and one on the wide said (boundary and field)
2, CBs ... varies, but mostly there is one CB who plays the short side (boundary) and one who plays the wide side (field cornerback)
but there are exceptions ... last year for a few games Spoon was always left and Kendrick on the right, but once Spoon proved himself
he played the boundary side. The field CB is usually going to be on the side of the nickel CB because usually, teams line up the passing strength
to the wide side --- but there are exceptions.
There were a few games with Jalen where he's following the opposing top receiver- -- if he was a big guy, did it with DK and Hopkins, among maybe a couple of others.
But, White has been the boundary CB for Bills and Williams was mostly the field CB for the Jags (and with Rams). I expect they were signed because they fit on each side.3. OLBers ... there is no one answer.
With new guys Verse and Fiske, it is *possible* that they put Verse on the right and leave him there, but Rams have not done that pre-Staley nor since.
The way it turns out is Hoecht, last year, he was on left maybe 2/3 of the time. Leonard Floyd was also mostly left, maybe 3/4 of the time ...
Dante Fowler was less, maybe 60/40 on the left.
Robert Quinn was maybe 80% right side. But why? Probably because he was the RDE in the 4-3 so he was more comfortable there -- maybe.
So --- there are different theories ---
Traditionally the better pass rusher is on the right and the better run defender on the left. But that is not always the case.
So, for OLBers? I am sorry, I cannot give a definitive answer.
Last year, Hoecht was on the boundary side more often ... and Young to the field ... but there were a lot of exceptions. It would take a good study. Verse, like Robert Quinn, maybe more comfortable on the right and couple with Fiske..
But he's also bigger and stronger than Young so that lends itself to him being on the left.
But to study it we'd need to see
1. where is the passing strength?
2, where is the TE?
3. which is the wide side of the field?
4. where do offenses pass to -- we want the better cover LBer on side they throw to, in case he has to cover some. If he rushes, does not matter
5. Who is more comfortable where. Is Young better on right? What do the numbers say.
My opinion is it varies from game to game and even from offensive package to offensive package.
With Verse being on the right in college --- all that may go out of the window, but if he's always there, and say they cannot cover--teams will pick up on that
and target him.
So, sorry such a long answer --- but it's just unknown.
