Difficult "Ram"ifications if DC Raheem Morris lands HC promotion

Morris was instrumental in winning 1st Rams SB for Los Angeles, California

The LA Rams won Super Bowl LVI, the first NFL Championship by the LA Rams franchise for the city of Los Angeles, California in the history of the franchise. While that itself was a monumental feat that deserves its own stage, the truth is that the LA Rams faced several key decision points that had the option of improving as a team, or falling back to not-good-enough.

It was the leadership of DC Raheem Morris that kept the Rams entire organization on the right track.

When the Rams entered postseason competition in 2022, the team suffered dramatic injuries to both starting safeties on the team: Both S Jordan Fuller and S Taylor Rapp were unable to suit up for the Rams for the NFL Playoffs. Any other DC would have either thrown in the towel, or tried to convert a cornerback to safety to make-do, and in the process weaken the entire Rams secondary and rotation.

Morris had other plans.

Raheem Morris confidently promoted safety Nick Scott to a starting role. That was a pretty significant gamble to take, as Morris was placing his reputation, and the fate of the LA Rams, into the hands of a young defensive back with 600 defensive snaps in three NFL seasons. Now, he would be counted on to shut down the best offenses in the NFL over a span of four, win-or-go-home, games.

Perhaps the greater miracle lie in Raheem Morris' ability to persuade former LA Rams veteran safety Eric Weddle out of his two-year retirement to rejoin the LA Rams for one final run at a Super Bowl. Now, keep in mind that Weddle had last played as the starting safety for the Rams in 2019. It was now 2022, and the Rams were about to compete in the 2022 NFL Playoffs.

The gamble paid out the ultimate jackpot. Nick Scott's vicious hits dislodged the football from two star receivers in two successive playoff games, allowing the Rams to advance. And his thump on San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel was such that it was the key to the Rams victory:

Small decisions. Huge gambles. Epic success. You can live life by playing it safely, but always wondering what might have been. Yes, some of Raheem Morris's decisions did not pay out. But as NFL fans, do you want a coach who consistently plays it safe? Do you want someone who doesn't take chances?

It may be frustrating at times, but with Raheem Morris, you will never suffer the what-if curse of never knowing what might have been if you had a team that took a chance. Players love to play hard for a coach who believes in them. And Rams DC Raheem Morris has made a career of believing in his players.

Will the Rams find someone who can replicate the Goodwill Ambassadorship that DC Raheem Morris brings to the LA Rams? I'm not sure if they can. But the Rams will likely find it necessary to do so.

The Rams coaching quality took a significant hit in the loss of Coach Eric Henderson to the USC Trojans. The Rams coaching quality will likely take another major hit as DC Raheem Morris is hired to take on a new head coaching role elsewhere. But let's give credit where credit is due. Don't hate the guy for what you think he didn't do. Appreciate the guy for what the team did under his watch.

And yet, after three seasons, some fans will still applaud if he is hired away, and not for the right reasons.

Despite what appears to be a popular opinion, Raheem Morris is a respected and astute defensive coordinator who understands football far better than many fans. He did not call defenses on game day to get social media likes. He tried to put the Rams in the best position to win and did so but tried to place Rams players into optimal situations to succeed. In the end, coaches whose focus is we, not me should be the ones who are promoted first.

And those same coaches will also be missed the most, whether or not fans realize it at the time