Critics doubting Clay Matthews in 2019 will only benefit Rams on defense

The Los Angeles Rams hope the addition of Clay Matthews helps fill a need at linebacker on defense for the 2019 season.

Football fans can say whatever they want about Clay Matthews at this stage in his career, but keep in mind the Los Angeles Rams never would have brought the veteran linebacker on board if they didn’t believe he could still make an impact for the 2019 season on defense.

Once Matthews realized his time with the Green Bay Packers after 10 seasons was nearing an end, he seemed pretty determined to do whatever it takes to end up with the Rams, and that’s exactly what happened after the two sides agreed to a two-year deal this month.

Similar to last offseason, linebacker was one of the areas Los Angeles was looking to improve on once again this time around, and while it was great to see the team lock Dante Fowler Jr. up for at least one more season, they still needed help at the position.

Between his Super Bowl winning experience along with the six trips to the Pro Bowl, Matthews still has plenty to bring to the table on defense, even if he’s going to be 33 by the start of next season.

Numbers wise, Matthews may not be posting similar statistics from earlier in his career when he recorded double-digit sacks four times in six years, but also this isn’t entirely his fault since Green Bay as a team hasn’t always been the strongest unit on defense over the last couple of years.

Now that he’s going to have a fresh start on a team that is expected to be a strong Super Bowl contender once again in the Rams, Matthews will hopefully use any doubt thrown in his direction as motivation to prove in 2019 he still has plenty of gas left in the old tank.

Assuming this turns out to be the case with Matthews, Los Angeles will benefit the most since it will only put their defense in better position to continue being a top unit in the NFL.

Plus, Matthews may not be on the same level from a few years ago when he was considered one of the top linebackers in the league, but his veteran experience alone could help make a serious impact for some of the younger players, which the Rams will love even more.