LA Rams News: 2020 or bust for 5 defenders
By Bret Stuter
DE Fox
Defensive end Morgan Fox almost did not make this list, because the Rams had already parted ways by failing to tender a qualifying offer to him earlier in the year. And therein lies the urgency for his future with the LA Rams. He is playing with house money right now. In other words, he is benefitting from a mulligan.
Defensive end Morgan Fox was almost not re-signed to the team, despite promising signs of becoming a solid contributor for the team. While he is a four-year veteran, he lost the entire 2018 season due to an ACL injury. But he did manage to return to the field in 2019 and even started three games for the team at defensive end. Despite starting, the season only generated 32 percent of the Rams’ overall defensive snaps. While that’s still pretty good action for a rotational player, the numbers are not enough to warrant bringing him back next year without a step forward in production.
Crazy like a Fox
It’s difficult not to appreciate Morgan Fox’s play. If a play is made on the defense and I find myself asking “that was impressive, I wonder who did that?”, the answer if commonly defensive end Morgan Fox. In two seasons for the Rams (2017 and 2019), he’s played 687 snaps, generated 4.5 quarterback sacks, made 37 tackles, accounted for six quarterback hits, five tackles for a loss, and one safety. But that was not enough to ensure he was re-signed.
The Rams need to find contributors to the pass rush in 2020. That is a role that Fox must fill this year. Even upping his sack total to five or six this year would be enough to warrant bringing him back. Right now, the list of quarterback sack specialists on this team is short and rather inexperienced. Defensive lineman Aaron Donald will need help getting to the quarterback. That’s Morgan Fox’s signal that he needs to go crazy at sacking the QB this year. Otherwise, he may not be back in 2021.