LA Rams: 5 players who must prove durability this year

DL

If the LA Rams veteran defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson has the season that he is capable of, the defense will be solid. Um, solid as in has a strong chance to repeat as the top defense in the NFL. While he may not have gotten off on the right foot, the LA Rams were able to restructure Robinson’s contract in 2020 so that the team was satisfied with the terms, and Robinson was set to play for the Rams for years.

Los Angeles Rams

As a sign of good faith, the LA Rams were able to get Robinson some rotational work in 2020. Nothing like he was used to, but he did manage to get on the field for 111 defensive snaps. While less than OLB Terrell Lewis, it was a very positive step for the team. In those limited snaps, he discovered what it was like to play on this team, with these players, and even managed to score 12 tackles and one QB hit. If you were lucky enough to watch him play, you were able to see the offensive line hit a brick wall when they try to move him off his spot. I love seeing that from a defensive player.

As a reciprocating sign of good faith, A’Shawn Robinson is becoming a lean mean fighting machine. He’s slimming down from a playing weight of 330-pounds down to a more versatile 310-pound form.  That should not hurt the power or strength of his play but will add a bit of speed and burst to his moves, giving him a solid role at all three defensive line positions.

His ability to stalemate the Green Bay Packers offensive line was a true reason for optimism this year. With a full training camp and the experience from playing in 2020, he can be expected to make significant progress with the LA Rams defensive front. The problem? His only 16 game season was 2017.

The Rams could roll other players into a larger share of the rotation for a game or two, but the team will need A’Shawn Robinson’s physicality and brutality on the line of scrimmage to defeat some teams. And it’s clear that Aaron Donald, as good as he is, cannot handle that job solo any longer. A’Shawn Robinson has everything necessary to help out in that area, and if he can stay healthy, will deliver a career-high year for the Rams.