Dolphins kick Rams where it hurts by poaching a promising cornerback from PS

The Los Angeles Rams are down two defensive backs right now. The team has been forced to place both cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon (broken collar bone) and defensive back Quentin Lake (elbow) on injured reserve. Typically, the team would compensate for those absences by promoting a player (or two or three) from the practice squad.

One of the most promising cornerbacks on the practice squad was A.J. Green. He had appeared in three games this season, solely in a special teams role. But his 6-foot-2, 199-pound frame made him an ideal backup for LA's secondary.

Unfortunately, the Miami Dolphins love him as well and signed him off the practice squad to fill the vacant roster spot for injured cornerback Juju Brents, who was sent to injured reserve.

That further complicates the challenges of filling multiple roster holes. After all, this team is now down two starting defensive backs, both of whom are on injured reserve now. A flurry of signings to fill vacancies is fine, but it will take time getting the new additions up to speed to contribute.

And therein lies the rub.

Dolphins kicked Rams when they're down 2 DBs

The 4-7 Miami Dolphins are not playing for the NFL playoffs. They've lost their general manager already, and many view head coach Mike McDaniel as a lame duck who will be fired at season's end. So it's particularly painful to lose a promising defensive back to the Dolphins at a time when LA's secondary is experiencing its own upheaval.

The team had added two defensive backs to the practice squad, but they will need time to acclimate to the new defense. The team does have former Tennessee Titans cornerback Roger McCreary to deploy as a slot cornerback in Week 12.

Green was not quite 53-man roster-ready, yet. But he was a physically formidable defensive back whose size and experience made him ideally suited to back up a number of defensive and special team roles. With his loss, Los Angeles must go through a painful trial-and-error process to find a suitable replacement.

That won't be easy mid-season. But it is a task that must be accomplished, quickly.

As always, thanks for reading.