How Rams offseason gamble is already paying off in training camp

The Los Angeles Rams defense is by no means a finished product. The team is only entering the second season under Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula, so there are still matters that need to be addressed in terms of putting the right player into the right role. While the defense continued to improve rapidly last season, more work remains.

Some of the work rests on the front office having greater insight and specifications as to who flourishes in the Shula-inspired defense. But what is even more important is the comfort and fulfillment of existing players who are returning to a familiar defense.

The Rams front office has multiple opportunities to add revered defensive backs to a suspect secondary, and didn't. While you could argue that the team was outbid for Jalen Ramsey or lost out on Jaire Alexander, the team typically gets its guy if it sets its mind to it.

NFL analyst Steve Wyche enlightened NFL fans about the strategy of the Rams defense. The team simply gave half-hearted efforts to add talent because, as Wyche stated, the Rams: "Like the guys they have."

Are the Rams foolish or stingy? Not in the least. This is a secondary that stepped up with huge efforts in the NFL Playoffs. The Rams secondary allowed a net passing gain of just 114 yards per game. All the while, the Rams' solid pass rush claimed 16 quarterback sacks against two of the more formidable offensive lines in those two playoff games.

Rams bet on resurging returning defensive backs

The Rams may not wow casual NFL fans with their secondary depth chart, but this team is wise to bet on returning players who are already familiar with the new defense, rather than shopping for stars to add to the group.

For openers, the team is familiar with what DC Chris Shula expects from his defense, and how to pull the levers and flip the switches to make it run smoothly this year. The returning players also have that all-important continuity factor, something that eluded the secondary for most of 2024.

Secondly, the team has finally come to grips with one of last season's biggest challenges. Both additions to the secondary, CBs Ahkello Witherspoon and Emmanuel Forbes, are full participants in their first Rams training camp. And the benefits of including them are so obvious, as they are already staking claims to significant roles in 2025 in the Rams secondary.

Thirdly, it comes down to iron sharpening iron. The Rams' addition of veteran wide receiver Davante Adams, the rise of Puka Nacua, and the threats posed by WRs Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington have combined to test the Rams' secondary, as well as those of an NFL team's wide receivers.

Through it all, there is the resonating confidence of the team's general manager and head coach among the players. They can focus on what is in front of them on the practice field because they know that their coach has their backs.

Did someone ask the defensive backs to deliver?

Which allows them to deliver, like this:

The Rams are confident in their cornerbacks and safeties because it required nearly all of the 2024 season before injuries subsided and the same players began to show up on the football field in consecutive football games.

When that happened in 2024, the magic began to happen on the defensive side of the football. It was a sign of things to come, and made the powers-that-be confident that there was plenty more where that came from.

It's just the start of training camp, and the Rams' secondary is giving off good vibes and athletic plays worthy of a highlight reel. The Rams were criticized for not adding talent to their secondary in the offseason, but NFL analysts overlooked the fact that the team did acquire both Witherspoon and Forbes mid-season in 2024. And now that they are fully participating in training camp, they are much less of a gamble, and more like a jackpot payout.

As always, thanks for reading.

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