Rams fans furious after brutal roster cuts keep controversial LB around

Troy Reeder is back.
Dallas Cowboys Los Angeles Rams Joint Practice Troy Reeder
Dallas Cowboys Los Angeles Rams Joint Practice Troy Reeder | Ric Tapia/GettyImages

When the Los Angeles Rams signed veteran free agent Nate Landman, drafted Chris "Pooh" Paul Jr., and signed undrafted free agent Shaun Dolac to the roster, fans celebrated. For the first time in a long time, the team seemed to finally view the inside linebacker position as a role that needed attention. Likewise, for the first time, the team appeared poised to move on from veteran Troy Reeder

The heart of the defense had endured a rough go of it throughout the 2024 NFL season. Under the first year of defensive coordinator Chris Shula, the group needed time to acclimate to the objectives and how to optimize the overall strategy. Complicating matters further was the last-minute trade of veteran Ernest Jones to the Tennessee Titans for next to nothing. That chain of events compelled the team to match Reeder with Christian Rozeboom.

They had little success. Neither player was particularly gifted at stuffing the run, nor particularly versed in covering passes. The result was good players putting up All-Pro performances, and a team that opened the season with a record of 1-4. It was not until Reeder fell to injury in Week 7 that the defense seemed to rally.

Troy Reeder has already proven he's not the LB answer for Rams

After replacing the injured veteran in Week 8, Omar Speights led the team to an 8-3 run that carried them into the NFL Playoffs. He also helped the defense ratchet down points surrendered to just 20.2 points per game, a significant improvement over the earlier games and losses.

Speights, a UDFA himself, was learning on the job as much as he was leading the defense. After all, he’d been buried on the depth chart, playing behind Ernest Jones, who was traded, and Reeder, who landed on IR. His ability to stuff the run and take command of the defense, however, was undeniable.

Speights remains with the team and is likely one of the starting linebackers. Nate Landman is the other starter and will handle defensive play calls while wearing the green dot. The team also managed to keep undrafted rookie Shaun Dolac. However, in the difficult process of retaining veteran Reeder, they were forced to part ways with fan favorite Paul Jr. Predictably, fans aren’t thrilled with how it turned out.

This isn’t the end of the 2025 NFL season — it’s just the beginning. Fans who have cheered for the team know the roster will change multiple times along the way. But the decision to keep veteran Troy Reeder over rookie Paul Jr. hasn’t been well-received so far and likely won’t sit well all year. As always, thanks so much for reading.

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