LA Rams News: 2020 or bust for 5 defenders

DT Gaines

Greg Gaines is a powerful 6-foot-1 312-pound defensive tackle for the LA Rams. He arrived at the team with a great deal of hoopla and hype. Although he is just entering his second season, it’s quite obvious that the bar was simply set too high for the young man. Is it too soon to draw a line in the sand for Gaines in 2020?  Not really. His Pro Football Focus grade from 2019 was an impressive 74.4. Unfortunately, that was based on too few plays.

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When the LA Rams selected Greg Gaines, the hype machine applauded the move as a tremendous find by the Rams in landing a potential replacement for outgoing defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh. But that never truly happened.  In his first season, the LA Rams defensive front consisted of Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, and Sebastian Joseph Day. Despite the limited options for defensive rotations, Gaines only saw the field in ten games and for just 17 percent of the defensive snaps.  What’s worse, his pedestrian speed limited him to just 11 snaps on special teams play.  For a fourth-rounder, that’s not going to cut it.

Fish or cut …Gaines?

With so much anticipation of what Gaines might do, the reality is that Gaines didn’t do enough to validate those hopes.  Was it the player not earning playing time? Or was it a matter of not enough opportunities for a promising young player? We may never know the answer, but it’s a glaring challenge for 2020.  Gaines must step up and perform this year. With the defense emphasizing multiple role players, can Gaines find his niche?

Surprisingly, yes. It won’t be handed over to him, but there are plenty of minutes to be earned in 2020. New defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s defense depends heavily upon strength at the line of scrimmage (defensive linemen), speed and agility in the second tier (linebackers), and extreme versatility in the defensive backfield. Gaines has plenty of power. This year, he simply needs to get snaps and make plays. If not, the Rams have too many talented young players waiting for their chance.