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

It’s your move, Les

The Rams opted to sit all of their projected starters in the preseason, and for the most part, it’s a strategy that has worked. But for the marginal starters like inside linebacker Kenny Young, or defensive backs Taylor Rapp or David Long Jr., that decision eliminated the chance to see if those players could truly handle a full-time starting role.

Is the jury still deliberating? If so, the evidence is piling up. The defense is getting clobbered so far and it seems to be getting worse. This is not a team that stuffs the run but struggles against the pass. Nor is this a team that grounds opposing teams’ passing game but cannot stop the run. The Rams are really not very effective at either right now.

The alternatives for the Rams are to promote younger players. Let Terrell Burgess, Ernest Jones, Robert Rochell, and Bobby Brown III get playing time, perhaps significant playing time. It may not help today, but they will improve over the course of the season as they get experience. Right now, the Rams are going the wrong way.

It’s not the end of the world, no. But the Rams are not going anywhere with a defense that simply cannot stop the run or the pass. Two players, both of whom would be huge upgrades for the Rams defense, have been released within 24 hours. Call ’em. Bring ’em in for a tryout. See if they could be a fit for the woes plaguing the defense right now. This is not about swapping parts until the defense plays better. It’s about building a Super Bowl-winning roster.

Or… do nothing. Roll the dice that those players who are stinking up the football field at SoFi Stadium will turn it around through some miraculous epiphany. The team has pretty much bought a one-way ticket this season already. There is no returning to rebuild now. If the team truly is one or two pieces away, then it’s time to rework Stafford’s deal and make room to add another piece.

In a week’s time, it won’t matter what we think or say. Stephon Gilmore and Jaylon Smith will have signed elsewhere. Today is the day. Let’s make a move, Les.