Former LA Rams DB Marcus Peters fined for spitting on Brown’s Landry

In a heated AFC North contest, former LA Rams DB Marcus Peters appears to spit on Brown’s WR Jarvis Landry

The LA Rams traded away defensive back Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens in 2019. At the time, he was not an ideal fit in the Rams hybrid coverage scheme of part man coverage and part zone coverage. In return, the Rams received a fifth-round draft pick and inside linebacker Kenny Young, which many judged to be too little value. Since that trade, the Ravens seemed to be an ideal fit for Peters, and the post-trade grades reflected that with a consensus A+ for the Ravens and a C or less for the Rams.

Since that time, the Rams have not mourned the loss of Peters. Instead, the Rams moved to acquire defensive back Jalen Ramsey, a much better fit for their style of defense. It also freed up a spot in the starting lineup for defensive back Darious Williams, a player waived by the Ravens in 2018, but quickly added to the LA Rams roster. In fact, when adding Williams to the boot received from the Ravens for Peters, the Rams appear to come out ahead.

Volatile nature

Still, in weighing the various factors, there is one element that nobody mentioned. Marcus Peters is a volatile player who has struggled to play within the rule of the NFL. He was drafted in round one of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, and had been very productive. But he was a very controversial player as well. He was caught on video cursing out fans, and hurled an officials flag into the stands.  Of course, the Rams were unable to get the best out of Peters, and traded him to the Ravens.

The Ravens did get a huge boost to their defense with his arrival. But he remains a volatile player, and his temper remains a seething tempest, waiting to be triggered.  That trigger seemed to occur in the recent Baltimore Ravens game against the Cleveland Browns. During that game, Peters appears to spit on Cleveland Brown wide receiver Jarvis Landry during the game. Whether intentional or not, the act was not wise.

Fined and more

Of course, even spitting in the direction of another player is at least a sign of huge disrespect. And while his head coach John Harbaugh defended his player, the history of Peters has proven that he is capable of virtually any senseless act on the football field.  That track record of confrontation and volatility has come back to bite Marcus Peters.

So while the post-trade grades will remain unchanged, it becomes more and more obvious that the Rams dodged a bullet by parting ways with him in 2019. Even at his best, antics like this are a huge distraction for a team fighting for a playoff berth. At worst, it’s a disciplinary issue that will continue to resurface before he wears out his welcome with the Ravens and is traded off to another NFL team willing to attempt salvaging his career.

I wish defensive back Marcus Peters well. But it seems that he is his own worst enemy. That makes him a risk-not-worth-taking for the Rams defense which is built upon the teamwork and selfless play. Marcus Peters is definitely a talented NFL defensive back. But he is simply too unpredictable to be of any use to the LA Rams any longer.