LA Rams LB competition heating up at training camp after all

Kiser is back from IR

From the moment training camp starter, the primary starting linebacker’s job was Micah Kiser’s to lose.  Is that fair? Kiser certainly has put in his dues. He was selected by the LA Rams in the 2018 NFL Draft in the fifth round at pick 147. At the time, the Rams had enough linebackers for the active 53-man roster.  So he was signed to the team’s practice squad.

That all changed in 2019 when the team needed a linebacker to pair up with starting ILB Cory Littleton.  At the close of training camp, that job appeared to fall upon Micah Kiser. But an injury in the last preseason game ended his season and his hopes for starting for the Rams defense in 2019.

That injury not only changed his 2019 trajectory but may impact his 2020 chances as well. Here is an interview conducted by therams.com’s J.B. Long where he talks about his injury.

Clean slate

New defensive coordinator Brandon Staley loves versatility. Does Kiser offer enough? He’s certainly stout enough. At 6-foot-0 and 244 pounds, he is big enough to lay a thumping tackle to any running back trying to run past him to daylight. But he has to build a case for pass defense, a case that is hard to compile in training camps and drills.

Kiser is all business at training camp. He is not taking the opportunity lightly.  The challenge that he faces is attempting to prove he has the best mastery of a defense that is still rolling out.  While he may be that guy, he has never been that guy before. That would not pose a problem if the Rams had a solid veteran to pair him with. But the team is starting from scratch. Still, he was intended to be last year’s starter, and he’s solid against the run.