DC Chris Shula's safety skullduggery is Step 1 to a revitalized Rams secondary

Shula's safeties are a renewed strength to the Rams defense

When the Rams promoted positional coach Chris Shula to become the Rams Defensive Coordinator, there was a bit of a mystery as to what he wanted to make his primary focus of the defense. Shula's NFL genetics are about as elite as you can hope for, as he is the grandson of NFL legendary HC Don Shula, the only NFL head coach to lead a team, in this case the Miami Dolphins, to a perfect season.

While Shula's future will likely lead to a head coaching job, his immediate focus was adding teeth and fangs to the Rams defense. Over the course of two seasons, the Rams parted ways with OLB Leonard Floyd, run stuffing DLs A'Shawn Robinson and Greg Gaines, All-Pros DT Aaron Donald, LB Bobby Wagner, and DB Jalen Ramsey. So the primary focus for the 2024 defense was to reestablish a formidable pass rush and lock down the back end of the secondary with talented safeties.

He managed to get the safeties upgraded with a keen eye for talented pass coverage but with a unique spin of skullduggery. In essence, he directed the Rams' front office to emphasize pass coverage, but with the ability to create turnovers. The Rams' secondary retained formerly drafted safety Quentin Lake, while adding at least three new safeties to the mix:

• Kamren Curl | Year 5 | 16 starts | 79 tackles | 55.6% comp | 9 PD | 0 Int
• Kamren Kinchen | Rookie | 4 starts | 57 tackles | 73.2% comp | 6 PD | 4 Int | 1 TD
• Quentin Lake | Year 3 | 16 starts | 111 tackles | 65.1% comp | 5 PD | 0 Int
• Jaylen McCollough | Rookie | 1 start | 43 tackles | 64.0 % comp | 4 PD | 4 Int | 1 TD

In 2024, the Rams' secondary boasted safeties Quentin Lake, Kamren Curl, Kamren Kinchens, and Jaylen McCollough. The unit was so talented that the season-long absence of veteran safety John Johnson III did not have an adverse impact. Perhaps more importantly, the Rams' secondary became an offensive weapon for the team. Not only did the Rams defense record a rare safety, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown, but both rookie safeties Kamren Kinchens and Jaylen McCollough added pick-sixes respectively.

Two safeties suiting up for just 849 defensive snaps accounted for eight interceptions in 2024. That is phenomenally effective. Now, what can the Rams Defensive Coordinator do for an encore?