All signs point to trouble for this Rams veteran heading into camp

The Los Angeles Rams need better production from the inside linebacker position. And to the Rams fans, that may have been the team's top priority throughout the 2025 offseason. While the Rams may not have treated the problem in the manner fans expected, there is no denying the fact that the front office attacked the inside linebacker challenge in multiple ways.

The challenge in 2024 was not simply a matter of overestimation gone wrong. The Rams were interested in waiting to see what starting veteran inside linebacker Ernest Jones IV would do in DC Chris Shula's scheme before extending him. When the contract negotiations broke down, so did Jones, necessitating his trade just before training camp. The team rifled through veterans Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom, but an injury to Reeder forced the team to promote undrafted rookie Omar Speights.

The backstory has changed dramatically for the Rams in 2025. Veteran Nate Landman is a huge upgrade at inside linebacker, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 235 pounds. And unlike last season, the Rams thoughtfully and deliberately added rookies Pooh Paul Jr. and Shaun Dolac, both of whom are versatile pass-coverage linebacker specialists, who surrender nothing in terms of run defense.

This is the new Chris Shula defense, and this is the Rams' new defensive coordinator's specifications. So why do all signs point to trouble for a Rams veteran inside linebacker heading into camp? Troy Reeder is simply an insurance policy.

Why all signs point to trouble for ILB Troy Reeder heading into camp

The Rams were more than willing to part ways with ILB Christian Rozeboom and Jake Hummel, even though Rozeboom had his best NFL season in 2024. The reason is that new DC Chris Shula inherited them from the previous regime, and they were the only options he had at his disposal. But if you consider how the roster has transformed, you begin to see how the Rams inside linebacker roles are meant to be deployed in 2025.

Run-stuffing play-caller

The Rams wasted no time in seeking a veteran run stuffer for the defense, and Nate Landman is already staking his claim on the role. Landman is a veteran who has starting experience, is familiar with Raheem Morris's defensive scheme (many of those strategies are still deployed in Shula's defense), and he is a powerful thumper in the middle.

He is an ideal Jedi Knight for Omar Speights' padawan role. And with a natural depth of Landman as starter to Speights as backup, the Rams have covered their biggest ILB needs.

A velcro pass defender

Perhaps the greater stride is taken with the Rams' other inside linebacker role. While Christian Rozeboom had the best season of his career, he was a liability in coverage when it mattered most.. While Troy Reeder did not play throughout the season, he was similar to Rozeboom in terms of what he brought to a football field. Enter rookies Pooh Paul Jr. and Shaun Dolac, two hard-hitting linebackers who can play the run as well as cover the pass.

The fact is that both Paul Jr. and Dolac check in as big LB/S hybrids. Paul Jr. stands 6-foot-0 and weighs 222 pounds, while Dolac stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 225 pounds. Both excel in coverage, both have the versatility to be deployed anywhere on the football field, and both have the audacity to shed blockers and avoid getting pancaked.

Both Rozeboom and Reeder were pancaked multiple times in 2024.

The Rams may not have addressed the inside linebacker position the way fans wanted, but the team did sign a free agent, draft a rookie prospect, and sign a collegiate free agent of high regard after the draft concluded. Small changes? Perhaps. But each move was planned to make a huge impact on the defense this season.

Veteran Troy Reeder is the control. His presence on the Rams roster as training camp opens ensures that the defense will do no worse than what he offered last season. But all signs point to trouble for this Rams veteran heading into camp. If the Rams made wise choices, Reeder is unlikely to be on the 53-man Rams roster in Week 1.

As always, thanks for reading.

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