7 LA Rams players happy to help Donald carry the load

Defender 2: DL Brockers

The bond between Aaron Donald and teammate defensive lineman Michael Brockers cannot be overstated. They are good friends and teammates. So good, in fact, that Donald lobbied hard for the Rams to re-sign Brockers to the team. Brockers was a key veteran for the Rams defense since Donald arrived, so there were plenty of valid reasons why the Rams had interest in bringing him back.

It was Brockers himself who has been quoted about the team’s mindset: “We don’t play for ourselves – we play for one another.” That is exactly why Brockers would be honored to take on the added weight and responsibility for this friend and teammate. Brockers has been with the Rams since he was drafted in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-5 305-pound defensive lineman is huge in the run game, but has an uncanny knack of quietly piling up a healthy number of quarterback sacks in any given season. He is a perfect compliment to Aaron’s chaos at the line of scrimmage.

Brockers bring passion and a veteran presence

So what incentives do the Rams have for having Brockers pick up additional snaps shed by Donald? Brockers, like many players on the Rams defensive line, is playing at or nearly at his career best. Most noticeably, he has become a more active factor in the Rams pass rush, chalking up five quarterback sacks this season.

Brockers has seen less wear and tear this season as the Rams have significantly reduced his snap count from the pace he was playing in the three previous seasons. In doing so, the Rams have banked a little bit in Brockers’ reserve tank, and may need to draw upon that reserve if his friend and teammate Aaron Donald needs to limit his playing time to ensure he recovers quickly.