What the Rams are getting with new OLB Derek Rivers
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theramswire.usatoday.com]
Cameron DaSilva
The Rams have cycled through a lot of players at outside linebacker this season, playing a number of different guys opposite Leonard Floyd on the weakside. That group is about to get even deeper after the team claimed Derek Rivers off waivers from the Patriots.
Rivers is a former third-round pick out of Youngstown State who has battled injuries throughout his career, missing two full seasons in 2017 and 2019. He played eight games for the Patriots this year and had 1.5 sacks, but he simply didn’t have much of a role for New England.
Now in L.A., Rivers will have a chance to contribute in a pass-rush rotation that includes Samson Ebukam, Justin Hollins, Terrell Lewis and Jachai Polite – as well as Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, who’s been designated to return from IR.
Brandon Staley and Les Snead shed some light on Rivers as a player, breaking down what he brings to the team and the thought process behind bringing him in.
“We just feel like he provides depth, insurance,” Staley said. “He has a lot of the traits that we look for at that position. Certainly comes from an outstanding program over there. He’s a guy that myself, (OLBs coach) Chris Shula, (DL coach) Eric Henderson, (LBs coach) Joe Barry, we had all evaluated him coming out. I know that Les and his group liked him as well. Then Sean (McVay) has respect for him and going back to that draft process back when Derek came out. We felt like as a team that this guy would provide us depth at that position, outside pass rusher, and valuable special teams play as well. Deepen in our special teams, getting a bigger body guy that can run for special teams. Once he’s active, we’ll see what he can do.”
Snead, who’s in charge of personnel moves and the roster-building in L.A., says Rivers fits the mold of what the Rams want in their edge rushers. He’s 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, so he brings a similar body type to the table as Hollins, Lewis and Floyd, who are all 6-foot-5, too.
Snead says the Rams weren’t necessarily searching for pass-rush help, but when the chance to claim Rivers came about, the team couldn’t pass up that opportunity.
“He has been playing in a similar scheme in New England,” Snead said on the Coach McVay Show. “Body type that we like. Tall, long, heavy-handed, strong at the point. Can do some power rushing and game rushing. And what we really wanted to do was solidify a position down the stretch that’s very important. That’s the OLB position and with us only having three ILBs and Mr. Hollins being able to be a backup ILB and OLB, having some of the injuries we’ve had there – we plan to get Obo back soon, T-Lewis has been up and down with some injuries. Just wanted to solidify that position and an opportunity came along. Wasn’t like we were searching, but a lot of times, when an opportunity presents itself, we have to analyze that opportunity is worth exploring for us or not.”
McVay said Thursday that he doesn’t expect Rivers to play on Sunday against the 49ers after arriving and joining the team on Saturday, much like the way Matt Gay did last week. He’s not necessarily needed right now, with Hollins and Ebukam holding down one outside linebacker spot, so the Rams will take their time.
“This will be something that we’ll get him in here, he was somebody that our coaching staff on defense really like some of the skillsets that he possesses, and we’ll see how it goes,” McVay said.
