Did team do enough to reinforce linebacker ranks?
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ramblinfan.com]
The LA Rams had two many places to spend too few NFL Draft picks this year, not enough quality picks, and simply too few picks overall to make a difference at some positions of need. In the end, the LA Rams ran out of picks before addressing their interior linebacker needs. So where does that leave the team?
Right now, the Rams 90 man roster lists eight different player options for the two inside linebacker positions. They are UDFA LB Daniel Bituli, LB Travin Howard, rookie LB Clay Johnston, LB Micah Kiser, UDFA LB Bryan London II, LB Troy Reeder, UDFA LB Christian Rozeboom, and LB Kenny Young.
The group is not very experienced. In fact, no single linebacker has more than three years of experience in the NFL. Both Micah Kiser and Kenny Young are the senior linebackers, both at three years of experience. Young had starting experience while a member of the Baltimore Ravens, while Kiser was slated to be a starter for the LA Rams in 2019, but an injury derailed him for the entire season. If I had to bet on who would be the starters, Kiser and Young would be the early favorites. Unfortunately, neither has taken a single starting snap for the Rams at ILB.
The Rams’ next group of linebackers are Troy Reeder and Travin Howard, both of whom are entering their second year of NFL experience. Surprisingly, Reeder has the most defensive snaps for the Rams, seeing 298 defensive plays in eight starts for the team in 2019. He put up 58 tackles while showing a flash or two of pass coverage ability as well. Howard has the second-most defensive snaps for the Rams, seeing action on 102 snaps in spot action over 16 games.
Finally, the remaining four Rams linebackers are incoming rookies. They are linebackers Daniel Bituli, Clay Johnston, Bryan London II, and Christian Rozeboom. With the Rams carrying just four ILBs on the roster last season, these rookies certainly have a battle on their hands. But should any of them play exceptionally well on special teams, they could slide into a roster spot.
Gone from the linebacker room this year of course are Cory Littleton and Bryce Hager. The Rams have temporarily filled their spots with the return from the injured reserve status of Micah Kiser, and the mid-season trade with the Baltimore Ravens for Kenny Young.
Of all the positions on the Rams defense, I believe that the interior linebacker position is completely an eight-player race at this point. The players are young, raw and talented, but will need to step up significantly for the Rams this season. Of course, they will be mentored by a good linebacker’s coach in Joe Barry, It was Barry who oversaw the Rams promotion of then third-year player Cory Littleton from just four starts in 2017, to the starting inside linebacking role in 2018. Littleton responded by jumping from 36 tackles to 125 tackles in 2018.
Now the Rams are banking on a similar story from the ranks of inexperienced linebackers. Will the Rams find a Littleton from among the ranks? Have they already found him in Troy Reeder? Or is he among the newcomers to the roster this season? This is perhaps the most up-in-the-air roster battles on the team right now.
