Optical Illusion: How bad was the LA Rams defense?

Build it yourself defense

Thanks to competing needs on the offense, the Rams front office did not bolster the defense via free agency. In fact, the organization seeded the defense with developmental prospects from the 2021 Draft. But that may have been a positive development. The lack of infusing new defensive talent allowed Raheem Morris to work with the players he did have, size them up, and then determine the best position to add new talent.

The lack of veteran free agents added to the team forced Raheem Morris to make do with the existing talent on this defense. But over time, injuries began to wear away at the defense. Injuries impacted outside linebackers, defensive backs, and even knocked out the team’s starting nose tackle, Sebastian Joseph Day.

Broncos on speed dial

The team lost ILB Micah Kiser to the Denver Broncos, who was signed off the Rams practice squad. Weeks later, the team traded starting ILB Kenny Young to the Broncos for next to nothing. But that merely set the Rams up to trade for Broncos veteran OLB Von Miller.

So did OLB Von Miller make a difference by playing on the LA Rams defense? You bet he has.  He has a textbook pass rush that contains mobile quarterbacks, but he has a deceptively agile motion to get small and slice in after the quarterback almost under the blocker’s ability to hold him at bay.

It was not just Von Miller, however. A’Shawn Robinson and Greg Gaines have improved and have absorbed much of the production vacated with SJD’s injury. Rookie inside linebacker Ernest Jones has grown quickly into his role. Not only is he a capable starter, but he is exhibiting the significant potential to become a very good starter and asset for the Rams defense for the foreseeable future.