Ex-Patriots DB Gilmore could be key boost to LA Rams defense

Ramsey recruited Gilmore

So what, the Rams have All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey you say? Well, Ramsey cannot be everywhere, and NFL quarterbacks have learned simply to throw it to where Ramsey ain’t. The result? The Rams are suddenly the 25th-ranked pass defense in the NFL. That is just one year removed from fielding the best pass defense in the NFL.  Holy free fall, Batman!

There are logical reasons to link Gilmore to the LA Rams, and not just out of a desperate grasping at straws. Or perhaps more like a person drowning will flail and grasp at anything that floats. No, there are better reasons than that.

First and foremost, the Rams just traded with the New England Patriots for running back Sony Michel. Michel was a former teammate of Gilmore, and they are no doubt already communicating about what it’s like to play for the Rams. Since Gilmore would be an immediate boost to the Rams besieged secondary, Michel has plenty of motivation to serve as a recruiter for the team, at this point and try to sell LA as the right team for Gilmore to play for.

That is not unlike the off-season efforts of Rams All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey, who actively recruited Stephon Gilmore to the Rams while Gilmore was still under contract with the Patriots.  Who can forget that social media firestorm that hit after that happened?

Jalen knew.

The Rams knew too. They knew that they would have some challenges in 2021. After all, this is the team’s third new defensive coordinator in three years, and the Rams lost two of their secondary starters in the off-season when the Cleveland Browns signed both safety John Johnson III and cornerback Troy Hill.