Zach Cunningham could help fix Rams' LB woes at a very low cost
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theramswire.usatoday.com]
Cameron DaSilva
The Rams have struggled to find any sort of consistency at linebacker this season, a problem that dates back to last season. Trading Kenny Young to the Broncos didn’t help, thrusting Troy Reeder and Ernest Jones into larger roles.
Jones has played relatively well since being promoted, but Reeder has been a weak link for most of the year. It’s rare for a starting-caliber linebacker to become available this late in the season but the Rams have an opportunity to add one after Zach Cunningham was shockingly cut by the Texans on Wednesday.
Cunningham will be subject to waivers and the Rams are low in the order due to their 8-4 record, so they may not land Cunningham even if they put in a claim. But there’s no reason for them to pass on this 26-year-old linebacker. They’d be crazy not to claim him.
For a player who just signed a four-year, $58 million extension in 2020, you’d probably figure Cunningham’s cap hit would be too high for the Rams. That’s not the case because for the rest of the season, Cunningham will cost the team that claims him only $275,000. That’s a bargain, to say the least.
Furthermore, he has no guarantees in 2022, according to Field Yates of ESPN, so he can be cut at any time in the offseason without taking on any dead money. For those reasons alone, Cunningham is likely to be claimed by someone – and that team is probably going to be ahead of the Rams in the waiver order.
But given Los Angeles’ issues at linebacker, Cunningham would certainly provide some help. His best asset is stopping the run. Though his run defense grade is a career-low 64.3 this season, according to Pro Football Focus, his grade in that area ranged from 72.7-84.8 in the previous four years.
It’s his lack of instincts and ability in coverage. His 40.4 coverage grade is a career-low this season, and it’s been on the decline every year since he came into the NFL in 2017. He’s allowed 289 yards on 34 catches in coverage this season, struggling mightily in that department. In Week 11 alone, he gave up 11 catches on 14 targets, so teams know to target him in the passing game.
If the Rams somehow land Cunningham, he should be limited to a first- and second-down role, similar to how they used Reeder in Week 13. Jones can handle third-down duties in sub-packages when the Rams bring an extra safety and cornerback on the field.
Cunningham would be an upgrade over Reeder at this moment, while also providing depth in case of injury. Right now, Jones, Reeder and Rozeboom are the only inside linebackers on the active roster.
The Rams have been good against the run this season but they could get even better by swapping Reeder out for Cunningham on early downs. It’s a low-risk move that comes with some real benefit, so long as the Rams understand he’s not going to help much in coverage.
For the minimal cost it would take to add Cunningham, it’s a no-brainer for Los Angeles.
