5 LA Rams players you won’t see in horns in 2023

Player II: Cornerback

The LA Rams roster lost both Darious Williams and Donte Deayon from their 2021 secondary. As a result, the team traded a fifth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for former Rams and veteran defensive back Troy Hill. At the time, the hope was that hill could reprise his role on the Rams roster as a solid counterweight to Jalen Ramsey, and help to sustain the Rams’ secondary as a strength for this team.

But, that never really happened.

I’m not suggesting that Troy Hill was a significant factor in the Rams’ secondary struggles in 2022. I’m not. But at the same time, I did anticipate Hill’s presence to be a more stabilizing factor in the Rams’ ability to defend the pass.

Over the Hill?

Troy Hill played in, and started, 12 of the LA Rams’ 17 games. As a result, he saw action in 704 defensive snaps. But just like David Long Jr., the LA Rams opted for a nearly prevent-defense type of coverage, which allowed opposing quarterbacks to find soft areas in the Rams’ zone coverage and literally pick the Rams apart. Hill’s Pro Football Focus grade on the Rams’ defense in 2020 was an impressive 74.2. But the same player in 2022 earned a much less impressive grade of 65.4. Not horrific, but certainly not as impressive as expected.

Furthermore, Hill allowed 40 of 56 passes targeting his receiver to find the mark, resulting in a completion rate of 71.4 percent. That is his worst completion rate allowed on the LA Rams roster and is only better than his 73.8 percent completion rate allowed in his sole season with the Cleveland Browns.

It all adds up to not being likely to return to the Rams roster in 2023. But the top player who is unlikely to be back?