LA Rams: Will this be Sebastian Joseph Day’s curtain call?

He exceeds expectations

There are reasons to believe that the 2021 defense may be ever so slightly different. For starters, the third new defensive coordinator in three years is a good clue. Raheem Morris will give the Rams defense a new coat of paint, and that could affect several roles. The inside linebacker and nose tackle roles are the most likely to be impacted.

With the Rams investing at inside linebacker, it’s clear that the Rams want a more forceful and impactful player in that role. That includes all three phases of defense: Run-stuffing, pass coverage and pressuring the quarterback. While there are no guarantees that the Rams rookie inside linebacker Ernest Jones will start, it will come as no surprise if he has claimed the starting role this year. And with a move active player at the linebacker role, the nose tackle role will change as well.

Sebastian Joseph Day is working feverishly to improve his pass rush, the one area that has remained a vulnerability. In fact, Pro Football Focus considers him a break-out candidate for 2021. It’s pretty clear that a young NFL player’s career trajectory shows improvement for a number of years. With his redshirted rookie season, this is likely SJD’s third active year. That’s a good year to see a huge burst out of a defensive lineman.

Whatever the expectations of fans, he has consistently exceeded the expectations of the Rams coaching staff. Aaron Donald, much like Jalen Ramsey, influences his part of the football field. The Rams defense needs players like SJD in order to be completely effective. He’s young and stout and has plenty of great football in his future. He need not pull down the quarterback 10 times to have a great season.  Will the Rams bring him back? If he has the type of year that he is capable of, and that some expect him to, he could be too expensive for the team’s budget.