7 LA Rams players happy to help Donald carry the load

Defender 5: DE Fox

When the LA Rams re-signed defensive end Morgan Fox for the 2020 NFL season, the team most assuredly was looking to add some depth to the roster who could make the opposing quarterback uncomfortable. What the team got in his place is a ferocious pass rusher who has a never-ending pursuit of the opposing quarterback.

Fox is a mini-wrecking ball. While he is not in Aaron Donald’s league, he has made a significant jump from rotational pass rusher to significant threat off the end. He’s tripled his quarterback sack production in 2020, while only having a modest increase in playing time. That is due to a stronger physique, better disciplined, and tighter corners and angles to get to the pocket more quickly.

Worth watching in the playoffs

Fox added a quarterback sack and two tackles against the Seattle Seahawks in the round one matchup. That was critical, because Donald was injured in that game, and Fox was one player who saw an uptick in defensive snaps as a result. In fact, Fox has been playing so well this season that he was featured in a recent unsung heroes article.

Fox has plenty of capacity to add more playing time to afford Donald the chance to limit his defensive snaps against the Packers. And that swap should not have a devastating impact for the dozen or less additional snaps Donald may need to spend on the sidelines. Fox is slated to be an unrestricted free agent in 2021, so any showcasing of his talents would only add to his next NFL contract, and could trigger a compensatory pick for the Rams in the 2022 NFL Draft.