5 LA Rams coaches who may not be back in 2022

DawgWork at its finest

There is such a joy of life and passion within Rams Defensive Line Coach Eric Henderson that he can turn the grueling thankless job of training to become the best NFL defensive lineman possible into a near cult among his players. How can Coach Henny continue to churn out one of the best defensive line units in the NFL? He gets the most out of each and every one of his players.

Sure, you can point to the fact that he has All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald among that unit. But then you’d have missed the point that former sixth-round selection from the 2018 NFL Draft, DL Sebastian Joseph Day, had been so solid before his injury? You’d be blind to the fact that his teammate, DL Greg Gaines, who arrived on the team in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, is one of the hottest young stars in the NFL right now?

You’d even be completely ignorant of the fact that the LA Rams’ current 53 man roster boasts two of six defensive linemen who never heard their names called in the NFL Draft whatsoever.  And you may be taken by complete surprise to learn that another Rams practice squad defensive lineman was undrafted as well.

Always coaching. Always promoting. Always passionate.

Coach Henny is a strategic advantage for the LA Rams

Coach Henny is not just a positional coach. He is a key strategic advantage that the LA Rams have over other teams because he can coach up players from the ranks of the undrafted into NFL starters, and perhaps even future NFL stars. But he is not just some taskmaster drill sergeant. He has such a passion for his role that he literally infects everyone and anyone around him.

Now, how well is the three-man defensive line front performing this year, after losing their starting nose tackle for the season? Sportsnaut.com has the unit as the eighth-best defensive line in the NFL and rising. Coach Henderson is a perennial Top-10 defensive line in the NFL, oftentimes among the Top-3.

There is so much to love about Henderson, that this article could be 3000 words simply on what he brings to the team. But the purest form of compliment that I can bestow upon this man is the fact is that he pours out his all to everyone. He challenges the stars and the rookies equally. It is this fact that has made him the coach of choice for Aaron Donald.

The Dawg secret is out of the bag

Will he or won’t he remain with the LA Rams? It’s clear that defensive line coach Eric Henderson is one of the most accomplished and respected position coaches in the NFL. But it’s that reputation that makes him an ideal target for other NFL/NCAA football programs seeking to infuse excellence quickly. Let’s not bullshit on this one. Coach Henderson is excellent, and excellent is always a great option for any coaching staff.

The University of Florida is one such football program currently rumored to be in hot pursuit of Eric Henderson, who was hired on with the LA Rams in February 2019.  Will he be lured away? The growth of any coach is the willingness to take on larger roles and new challenges. Even if the Gators are unsuccessful at pulling away Henderson, other coaching opportunities will soon follow.

Coach Eric Henderson truly is one the best positional coaches in football circles today. Even as he loves the work he is doing with the LA Rams, we cannot be so naive as to believe that other opportunities won’t come his way in the off-season. We would love to see Coach Henderson remain with the LA Rams for many years to come. But, just as other positional coaches have discovered, sometimes promotions only happen with a suitcase in hand.