5 problems the LA Rams are already dealing with in training camp

(2) - DB Derion Kendrick is lost for the season

While he may not have been expected to win a starting role in the secondary for 2024, LA Rams veteran defensive back Derion Kendrick was poised to earn significant playing time this season, if only in a rotational role. But when he suffered a torn ACL injury, his season ended before it ever began.

Some have commented as though losing Kendrick is not a loss for this team. And if you are simply measuring opportunities for young defensive backs to get reps, to speed their experience scavenger hunt throughout training camp, and to force uncomfortable conversations and instant assessments as to who might be up to the challenge of stepping up in his wake, you could be right.

But that is pessimism in it's purest form. Players grow, learn, gain experience, and develop. Kendrick may has frustrated some fans with untimely penalties and less than elite coverage skills. But he was selected with the 203rd overall selection in Round 6 of the 2022 NFL Draft from the University of Georgia. He allowed less than two-thirds of passes thrown his way to find their mark. He even put up one interception. But we tend to focus on those back-breaking penalties and the three touchdowns that he allowed.

Kendrick was not going to start for the Rams in 2024.

That is why the team is affording a chance of redemption to young former Detroit Lions cornerback Jerry Jacobs. Like Kendrick, Jacobs has slipped at times. But how can you fault a guy for playing hurt, while not delivering optimal results when he continues to play banged up? If Kendrick, Jacobs, or any player is sub-par due to minor injuries, it's up to the coaching staff to muster alternatives to play for them.

I am saddened that Derion Kenrick will not compete in 2024. But I am optimistic that DB Jerry Jacobs will exceed expectations.