LA Rams LB competition heating up at training camp after all

Howard ready to answer the bell

A curious fact about Travin Howard is that he has the second most starting experience at inside linebacker for the Rams (teammate Kenny Young had started for the Baltimore Ravens).  Before anyone runs with that statistic, it was just one start. Unlike Reeder, who looked the part but struggle to produce at the position, Howard was the opposite.

Howard stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 219-pounds. While that is rather smallish for an inside linebacker, Howard was undaunted in filling in the role in his lone start.  In fact, he thrived at it. While he only saw action in nine percent of the defensive snaps, he was solid in both run and pass defense. He defended three passes, and opposing quarterbacks only completed 60 percent of their passes against him.

Well rounded

Pro Football Focus noticed, as his 2019 grade was a solid 60.7. While that was such a small statistical population, it’s still a solid foundation for an even better season this year. And for the Rams’ interest in going with sub-packages and keeping offenses guess, Howard certainly introduces that “flying all over the field” element to the Rams defense.

Howard is the lightest linebacker on the roster. Yes, he flies around all over the field. Yes, he can deliver a Boom when he gets up a head of steam before the tackle.  But the wear and tear of 16 games make take too much of a toll on him over the course of the season.  To remain on the field, he will need to be paired up with a bigger “enforcer” type of linebacker. That brings us to our next linebacker, Kenny Young.