LA Rams fans find lots to love about free agents Floyd and Robinson

LA Rams’ new additions of OLB Floyd and DL Robinson may be unfamiliar faces, but both bring a lot to love about their fit on 2020 defense.

The LA Rams will run the same 3-4 defensive scheme they’ve run for some time. But if you haven’t noticed by now, there will be many new faces.  Of course, All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald will still anchor the front seven. And the 2020 defensive backs will be one of the best pass defense foursomes in the NFL.  But the LA Rams have parted ways with all four starting linebackers from 2019 so far.

So why the wholesale changes?  In a word, the Rams face NFC West opponents who emphasize a running offense. In fact, all three NFC West opponents ranked in the top 10 rushing offenses in the NFL. And if you toss in the opponents who truly had their way with the LA Rams defense in 2019, the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys, you soon see where the Rams Achilles Heel was in last year.  The Rams could not stop the run.  New defensive coordinator Brandon Staley will try to change that.

The resounding theme in just two additions for the LA Rams defense is to get younger and to bolster the run defense. Plain and simple. And it’s the right goal for this team.

The Vic Fangio defense is designed to confuse offenses by “showing” one defense, but “playing” another defense. That defense needs three components: incredibly strong defensive linemen who can handle double teams at the line of scrimmage, defensive backs who can cover in both man and zone, and swarming linebackers who can get to the ball carrier and deliver a “boom” when they do. So how do we fit the Rams players into this new scheme?