7 Los Angeles Rams players who won't be back in Horns next year

(3) - Inside linebacker Troy Reeder

After the LA Rams and veteran inside linebacker Ernest Jones had a falling out, prompting the team to trade him to the Tennessee Titans for what amounted to a six-pack of cheap beer and a bag of pretzels, That trade was even further diminished when the Titans flipped Jones to the Seattle Seahawks for an astonishing return. The Rams were left scrambling for a replacement to start.

The decision came down to experience. The Rams packaged ILBs Troy Reeder with Christian Rozeboom, if for no other reason then the fact that they had the most NFL experience. Reeder is a six-year NFL veteran, and has played five of the past six seasons for the Rams.

Reeder never heard his name called out in an NFL Draft, as he signed with the team after the 2019 NFL Draft. He is a 6-foot-3 236-pound veteran who excels on special teams and can man the heart of a defense adequately enough to allow rookies to grow into a starting role. His wingspan and size give him a solid chance of frustrating opposing quarterbacks attempting to pass over the middle of the football field. And in 2021, he managed to break up six passes in ten starts.

In six starts, Reeder only broke up one pass.

With an evolving defensive makeup, the Rams have learned the painful lesson that a strong running game can shred the defense. If the team plays Reeder, the run defense suffers even more. Reeder, like many NFL inside linebackers, plays approximately five to seven years off the line of scrimmage. But most ILBs react and step into the hole as running backs get the football. Reeder stays flat-footed, content to meet the ball carrier five to seven yards off the line of scrimmage.

In six games, Reeder had one tackle for a loss. Undrafted rookie ILB Omar Speights was a much more sure-handed tackler, and he has two tackles for a loss.

The Rams defense can project Speights as a better player in 2025. But Reeder has plateaued, and his 2024 NFL season was marginal at best. The Rams may want him back for special teams, but to be honest, I simply do not trust the coaches to start the much more effective Speights in the future if Reeder is on the roster.

Speights only started in 2024 after Reeder was injured and sent to IR.

As it now stands, the Rams will start with two ILBs on the roster with ILB Omar Speight and Elias Neal returning. Contracts for veteran ILBs Troy Reeder, Jake Hummel, and Christian Rozeboom all expired at the end of 2024. While it's possible the team simply re-signs the first veteran to ink a team-friendly deal, I will be both surprised and disappointed if that player is Reeder.

The team needs to invest in a quality teammate for Omar Speights. Troy Reeder isn't it.