6, er 5 LA Rams players on the bubble after the draft

On the bubble: Player 3

The LA Rams needed to focus on the roster depth and future of the team’s secondary, and the Rams clearly did so. By adding nine new rookies, plus trading for veteran cornerback Troy Hill, the Rams’ secondary roster is now bursting at the seams. So where does that leave DB Terrell Burgess, a player who has had limited success in getting defensive snaps?

Burgess was drafted along the lines of a hybrid CB/S, a defensive back who could play centerfield as well as slide up into man coverages. His ability to fill multiple roles for the defense was the stuff that defensive coordinator Brandon Staley built his defensive philosophy upon, and the results were downright impressive.

But the 5-foot-11, 202-pound defensive back who seemed to be on the cusp of a significant role in the LA Rams defense before suffering a devastating ankle injury in 2020, seems to struggle for playing time. In two seasons, Terrell Burgess has played 139 defensive snaps and 438 special-team snaps. Despite the fact that he started two playoff games in the NFL Playoffs last year, the true heroics happened at the hands of Eric Weddle, Nick Scott, or David Long Jr.

I like Burgess, and I have patiently waited for him to wrest a starting role from Taylor Rapp. That hasn’t happened yet and does not appear to be anywhere near the works this year. The saying “Jack of all trades, master of none” seems to apply to Burgess now. He can do everything in the secondary well enough. But in doing so, he is not the best at anything. Now, in competing with 10 new players, does he have a chance for a larger role?  I fear the opposite, and would not be shocked if he finds himself named on a future waiver wire.