LA Rams: 5 step plan for a perfect offseason

Step III:  Bolster secondary

The LA Rams entered the 2022 offseason with a rather lengthy shopping list for places to address their roster. But perhaps the most critical position to address was the secondary. While so many believe the Rams’ pass rush was the most impacted position with free agency attrition, the fact is that the team lost more quarterback sacks through the loss of ILB Kenny Young (2), ILB Troy Reeder (2), and OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (2), as the team did with the loss of OLB Von Miller (5).

I’m willing to bet that nobody is fretting over the depleted pass rush of Young, Reeder, or Obo, or did I get that wrong?

A more critical need for this team in my opinion is the LA Rams secondary. This is a unit that not only has lost the services of starting DB Darious Williams but also key contributor DB Donte Deayon. And the unit overall had been a bit less impressive than the previous season. So it was not only a unit that suffered from losing talented players but also a unit that is regressing on top of that.

Rams get a thrill by trading for Troy Hill

Perhaps one of the greatest needs for the secondary is the need to find an affordable but competent starting cornerback. The Rams managed to do that, trading a future late-round draft pick for the right to re-acquire defensive back Troy Hill. While we had already discussed some of the benefits of the trade, let’s highlight some of the bigger reasons why this was both a necessary and beneficial move for the team.

Beyond All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey, the LA Rams secondary was young. Very young. No other player in the Rams’ defensive backfield boasts more than three years of NFL experience. Only DB Nick Scott is older than 24 years of age. With Troy Hill, the Rams add a 30-year-old veteran of seven NFL seasons, a seasoned and savvy starter who had played five years on the LA Rams defense.

He may not keep his starting cornerback role all season, and in many ways, I hope he doesn’t. He simply provides a safe harbor for the younger defensive backs to play behind on the depth chart until their performance exceeds their own. But while he may not excite fans, he is outstanding in zone coverage, a defensive strategy that is highly favored by Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.

The LA Rams are bursting with young and talented defensive backs. But until they are ready to take on roles on the LA Rams defense, Troy Hill makes one helluva stopgap measure.