LA Rams D may be stronger than 2021’s after signing Bobby Wagner

Revisiting the 2021 season history

The LA Rams boasted a pretty solid outside linebacker tandem at the beginning of the 2021 NFL season in Leonard Floyd and Justin Hollins. While not perfect, it was declared adequate at the team because the team had just significantly upgraded the offense with the addition of veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The defense lost six key players before the 2021 NFL season began, three of whom were starters. Troy Hill and John Johnson III signed on with the Cleveland Browns, and the Rams traded veteran Michael Brockers to the Detroit Lions. The defense also lost rotational players Morgan Fox, Samson Ebukam, and Derek Rivers as well. That meant that the 2021 Rams defense was as concerning then as it is today.

Rams roster depth

Well, even more so, because the team was fine enough on the defensive line. The roster was thick but the talent was thin at inside linebacker. The secondary was a bit depleted but expected to hold its own. And the pass rush from the outside was adequate, but not when the season began.  The Rams started 2021 without Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, who started the first three weeks of the 2021 NFL season on IR. As soon as he returned to the active roster, the team lost OLB Justin Hollins for nine weeks through Week 13.

When the team did add veteran outside linebacker Von Miller, it was not to add an All-Pro to take over for a disappointing player. He was needed simply to fill a roster rotation that was crumbling over the lack of depth. And he needed time to get up to speed for the Rams. He was inactive with an ankle injury in Weeks 8 and 9, and would not record his first quarterback sack with the LA Rams until Week 15. Once he found his range, he would pile up numbers on a regular basis. In fact, he would only fail to get to the quarterback once, in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.