LA Rams: Keyshawn Johnson ‘I don’t know that the Rams are there yet.’

(Photo by Robert B. Stanton/NFLPhotoLibrary)
(Photo by Robert B. Stanton/NFLPhotoLibrary)
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LA Rams News Keyshawn Johnson
(ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP Photo/Jeff KOWALSKY (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP) (Photo credit should read JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

10 new faces on Rams defense?

That foundation of past trends is important in the framework of the present.  What that does is create a reason why an outlandish claim would be made. A former NFL receiver who never played on any NFC West team offers an expert opinion. So the presumption of NFC West expertise is based on what exactly?

Jake Ellenbogen was absolutely justified in calling out this nonsense.  So what transpired exactly? It begins at the 0:30 mark, with an innocent question posed of ‘Who wins the NFC West?’ The crew weighs in with some rather tepid support of the LA Rams. But oh no, not Keyshawn Johnson.

The reason cited by Keyshawn Johnson? His response begins at the 0:50 mark, and it goes like this:

"“I think a lot of people are missing the mark on this one. It’s a totally new defense except Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. 10 other new players basically will be on that defense for the most part. An entirely new secondary, and mind you, new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. It’s not like Raheem Morris is all of a sudden Wade Phillips? I mean, when you think about it. I don’t know that the Rams are there yet. Then when you think about everything that they gave up to give Matthew Stafford an opportunity to go to what people say is the best team he has ever been on. Seattle ain’t going nowhere. All Seattle did was get better.”-Keyshawn Johnson"

That was Keyshawn Johnson’s rationale for plunging the LA Rams to third place. But before we address that concern, let’s correct the statements here. The LA Rams lost John Johnson III, Troy Hill, Samson Ebukam, and Morgan Fox from the defense to free agency. Two were starters, two were rotational players. The Rams traded starter Michael Brockers.

So the Rams return OLB Leonard Floyd, OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, OLB Terrell Lewis, OLB Justin Hollins, DL A’Shawn Robinson, DL Sebastian Joseph Day, DL Greg Gaines, LB Micah Kiser, LB Travin Howard, LB Troy Reeder, LB Kenny Young, DB Darious Williams, DB David Long Jr., DB Jordan Fuller, DB Terrell Burgess, DB Taylor Rapp, and a host of other players on defense besides Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey.

Over the span of 90 days, Johnson has gone from “I love it” to the place where the Rams have suddenly regressed, and then claiming that it is because the Rams defense, which returns more starter than lost, is entirely new? Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  The bad taste in my mouth is not what he believes, but the reasons given for that view.  Nothing was remotely accurate in that reasoning. So I’m right there beside Jake Ellenbogen, tossing a bullshit flag.

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