LA Rams: Speedy Rookie DB Robert Rochell slowed by injury

The LA Rams training camp has not even gotten to football pads and full physical contact yet, but the young additions to the team have been fighting the winged injury bird already. So far, rookie WR Tutu Atwell has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been assigned to the team’s COVID-19/ reserve list. Rookie WR/TE Jacob Harris had a minor procedure to his core muscles and will be sidelined for the next several weeks.

We learned that LA Rams rookie defensive lineman Bobby Brown III suffered a minor thumb injury, and will be out for approximately one week’s time.  The good news is that for Atwell, Harris, and Brown, all are expected to be available to play in at least one if not more preseason games. But their injuries still come at a critical time as the team is racing against time to make roster decisions.

And of course, we already are aware of running back Cam Akers’ season-ending injury. While the Rams have enough rushers to sort through in the hopes of finding a solid committee to run the ball this year, it’s definitely now down to a Plan B option. So far, injuries are hammering the LA Rams roster.

But there is another rookie who has gotten a ton of praise from his veteran counterparts, and that is rookie Robert Rochell. An athletically gifted player, he is raising some eyebrows as he is showing that he is more than a track star. He is 100 percent NFL defensive back and is working very hard to deliver on all of that talent. So far, he had been doing exactly that.

Showing up in a big way

One of the key requirements for Central Arkansas defensive back Robert Rochell was to prove to the LA Rams coaching staff that he may have emerged from a small school football program, but he is every bit large enough in terms of skillsets and mindset for this NFL opportunity.

Los Angeles Rams

He had everything that NFL teams sought in a defensive back, with the exception of a pedigree. That “SEC-approved” stamp of big-time NCAA football competition that so many NFL teams leaned into throughout the 2021 NFL Draft. Conversely, the LA Rams seek football talent from any school, from any sized college football program.  Robert Rochell’s NFL Draft Profile described a young man of nearly limitless potential who was just a shy bit raw in technique.

The LA Rams have found him to be a bit more polished than all that. In fact, the rookie prospect who arrived at the LA Rams Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and Training Camp so far has been every bit the talented and prepared young man that the Rams hoped he might be. There is no part of the NFL that is too large, too important, too much spotlight for this young man.

He is human, yes. He makes an occasional mental mistake, absolutely. But he gets back up, dusts himself off, and gets set for the next play. Oh, yes. He makes superb plays too, for those who have already begun to doubt his ability to succeed in the NFL.

Well, what’s the point of this article? Yeah, you are already looking for the other shoe to drop, aren’t you?  You see, Bobby Brown was not the only rookie injured.  Once more, the unthinkable happened for a fourth time to rookies this year. Robert Rochell injured his wrist and will undergo surgery as well.

Freak accident to freakishly athletic defensive back

The news out of training camp about Robert Rochell was a steady stream of ever glowing reports. Veteran teammates loved his potential. Position coaches loved his early production. But that damned injury bird just pecked another Rams rookie.

A wrist injury is not the end of the world for a cornerback. Depending on the severity of the injury, and the type of cast used to immobilize the site, Rochell could be returning in time for the last preseason game. But nothing is known with any certainty just yet. LA Rams head coach Sean McVay talked to reporters at the end of the day about Rochell’s injury:

"“With Rochell, it was kind of a freak little accident, he was going in to punch the ball, he’s going to have wrist surgery on Monday. Same thing (with) Bobby Brown, he got his UCL in his thumb, he’ll have a quick little fix.” – Sean McVay in post drills press conference (see video on the next slide)"

Injuring the wrist as McVay described it could be less severe than other forms of wrist injuries. Punching at a football is a far different version of injury than falling to the bottom of a pile and having it bent in an awkward way. We’ll need to await the official diagnosis, but this one does not sound too troubling.

Post practice presser

The LA Rams are by no means in desperate straits right now, but the rate of rookies injuries has to be alarming to somebody. Training camp is all about getting deep looks at the rookies, the guys who are fresh and new to the system. How do they handle themselves? How do they rebound after a mental mistake?

McVay is clearly impressed with what he is seeing so far.

The LA Rams secondary is not battered by Robert Rochell’s upcoming absence. The team has Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, and a returning David Long Jr. who is the odds-on favorite to earn the third cornerback role.  Robert Rochell figured to have an outside chance at a significant role for the team with a light’s out training camp. While he was certainly very impressive, his timetable for returning to the team is unknown.

In all likelihood, Rochell’s injury has derailed any serious chance at a starting role, and he will now need to work very hard to remain firmly entrenched in the team’s secondary rotation.

The team will have a chance to take a look at Dont’e Deayon, Brontae Harris, Dayan Lake, and Kareem Orr as the team awaits Rochell’s return.

While all of these injuries stacking up so early in training camp may be of significant concern to fans, the good news is that with the exception of Cam Akers, no absence from any player is anticipated to be extensive. That should translate into the group reforming before the season opener. While that may impact how the depth chart is initially constructed, the players all appear to be on a short absence so far.