Early injuries paves way for 5 Rams to make a statement at training camp

With every new season, there is good news and bad news. The good news is abundant for the Rams this season, as we only scratched the surface with 5 thrilling developments in training camp so far. But you have to take the good with the bad, and so far, the Rams' secondary is getting raked over the coals with an early epidemic of injuries.

Having already lost DB Derion Kendrick to an ACL injury that has shut down his 2024 NFL season, the team suffered another injury setback on Day 2 of training camp on the last play of the day when projected starting cornerback Darious Williams pulled up limping on the last play of the day

Reports after the fact seemed to point to Williams injuring his hamstring:

While hamstring injuries are not uncommon, the timing of the injury to a key contributor to this team's secondary this early was not a positive development whatsoever. And as the impact of the news sank in to new DC Chris Shula, it became quite clear that this is an alarming development for the Rams new Defensive Coordinator.

But let's pause, take a deep breath, and consider the overall facts. While the team will certainly need to address the absence of Derion Kendrick this season, Kendrick was projected to be a rotational competitor in the Rams secondary. He was never expected to land a starting role this season (despite some reports to the contrary).

While the extent of Darious Williams' injury is not yet determined, if the initial reports of a hamstring injury prove to be true, the team has plenty of time to allow DWill to heal up fully and still suit up for Week 1 to face the Detroit Lions.

In the meantime, the Rams must move on through training camp to ensure that the entire roster is ready to handle the workload however it may be dolled out.

V: Rams giving young ex-Lions free agent a shot

Rams rumors heated up instantly over the likelihood of the team shopping in the NFL Free Agency market to reinforce the suddenly depleted roster at cornerback. As we offered our five options, the team had plans of its own and opted to sign former Detroit Lions CB Jerry Jacobs. Jacobs was a Restricted Free Agent whom the Lions opted not to extend a Qualifying Tender Offer to retain.

He clearly comes with familiarity with DB Coach Aubrey Pleasants system, has plenty of work and starts, and is available at the right price. But he is not a sure-fire addition. Let me explain.

Why he could move into a major role in secondary

If you look over Jerry Jacobs's 2023 season performance on a game-by-game review, you will find that Jacobs put up some very impressive games early in 2023. In fact, in the first six games of the season, he put up 31 tackles, three interceptions, broke up five passes, and had one tackle for a loss. But he was an episodic player and was destined for IR for the last four games of the season with a thigh/knee injury.

While great games do not a great season make, the Rams must be confident that Jacobs' backslide in 2023 was due to nagging injuries. The fact that he was inactive against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7 and the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16. Despite the injury, he was never designated to IR. That has to be factored into his struggles late in the season.

Why he may miss the mark of major role in secondary

Jerry Jacobs is arriving late to a new team. While he is familiar with DB Coach Aubrey Pleasant, the truth is that he struggled for the Lions in 2023. How badly? Well, that depends on when and where you look:

However else you want to be skeptical or not over his 2023 numbers, one thing stands out rather ominously. Jacobs is responsible for surrendering six touchdowns in 2023. In previous seasons, he had never allowed more than one TD. That's a huge uh-oh, and likely one of the reasons why the Lions did not extend him.

Conclusion

If you are satisfied with a camp body cornerback, then Jerry Jacobs is far better than you many have expected. If you were looking for the team to sign a veteran DB who could put up Pro Bowl numbers, then you are definitely disappointed. Jerry Jacobs has the type of flash of roster brilliance that could warrant not on a spot on this team's 53-man roster, but secure a rotational role in 2024.

But the team will need to see concrete evidence that he deserves that role. And that is what training camp is ultimately about, after all.

IV: Returning veteran could seize the day to secure playing time

Rams second-year veteran Tre Tomlinson was an underestimated rookie selection in 2023. But the defensive back struggled as so many rookies do to convert potential into on-field production. and the result was a sub-par season for the young cornerback. He never seemed to feel at home in the secondary, despite the positive draft profiles and optimism that seemed to go nowhere for the young competitor. That could change in 2024.

The window of opportunity is wide open, and Tomlinson is one of the few veterans who has the talent to step up.

Best of all, he is ideally positioned as a returning veteran to step up right now for the team and in the eyes of coaches.

Why he could move into a major role in secondary

While standing 5-foot-9, and weighing 177 pounds, Tre Tomlinson has the chance to learn a great deal from veteran Darious Williams, an elite NFL cornerback who continues to excel despite giving away a height advantage to nearly every wide receiver he face. And while Tomlinson was a rookie, who put up a very promising performance in 2023 preseason games. In three games and in a rotational role, he allowed just two completions on seven targets.

He even recorded six tackles.

Tomlinson has a year's worth of NFL experience, both positive and negative, fueling his offseaon workouts and preparation for a new season. Few rookies become complacent after getting a taste of how competitive the NFL level of play becomes. Tomlinson will show up far more prepared in 2024.

Why he may miss the mark of major role in secondary

There is training camp competition. Then there is preseason competition. Then there is NFL gameday competition. Finally, ther is NFL postseason competition. As of right now, Tomlinson has to prove up to the challenge of NFL gameday competition, something he was unable to do in 2023. But even if he scales that wall, the team needs him to be at the NFL postseason competition level.

Can he get there this season?

It's definitely a stretch goal from what we saw in 2023. He allowed five of six targets to find their mark, one for a touchdowns. He was only on the football field for 45 defensive snaps, which is a very light workload during a season in which the secondary did get dinged up quite frequently

Conclusion

The opportunity is there for Tre Tomlinson to step up. With Derion Kendrick out for the season, and Darious Williams unable to compete for the time being in training camp, Tre Tomlinson will get plenty of reps and looks. While nobody wants to see injuries, when they happen, doors to larger roles swing open. Tre Tomlinson simply has to prove that he is able not only to walk through the door, but prove he deserves to be entrusted with a larger role in doing so.

III: A way-under-the-radar 'other' Wolverine rookie DB worth tracking

While the LA Rams may not have drafted any true cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, that is not to say that the position was not addressed. Michigan Wolverines cornerback Josh Wallace is a rookie defensive back who stands 6-foot-0, weighs 189 pounds, and has plenty of gameday footage that gives plenty of reasons to believe that he can make his mark in the NFL.

So why did he fall out of the draft?

Wallace was an effective defensive back who simply fell into bad habits that won't work in the NFL. He faced some of the best college receivers, which forced him to make plays against superior college talent. Along the way, he became a bit too grabby, and some draft profiles question his ability to shadow swift receivers on deep routes.

While raw in technique, he makes and sustains a true football presence in the secondary. And he does so by making sound plays:

Why he could move into a major role in secondary

Nobody expects rookies to arrive in some version of plug-and-play, and the LA Rams coaching staff are too too good to fall into that trap. What they need is a passionate football player who is passionate about the game, willing to be coached, eager to put in the work, and shows progress. Josh Wallace checks all of those boxes.

But what make Wallace so intriguing right now for the Rams is the fact that he is an ideal size and mindset to excel in the NFL. While he is raw, he can be coached into the right techique. What cannot be coached is size and mindset, and he comes with both already installed.

Why he may miss the mark of major role in secondary

While he did play a season at Michigan, he played four seasons with Massachusetts, When he pivoted to Michigan, he did show a bit of regression against more formidable opponents. He dropped in the number of tackles, pass break ups, and failed to generate a singing interception for the the Wolverines.

Wallace checks all of the boxes as a player who can do the job. But can he fast track that potential to present-day production? It may be now or not for a long time.

Conclusion

Despite the perception that he ran a bit on the raw side, it's clear that rookie CB Josh Wallace has impressed the coaching staff by being named by HC Sean McVay early in training camp as a prospect who could step up into a significant role in 2024. If getting noticed by the coaching staff is half of the battle, then Josh Wallace is halfway there.

II: SMU Mustangs rookie DB could be surprise solution

Another rookie cornerback whose stock could surge in the current Rams training camp scenario is former SMU Mustangs rookie cornerback Charles Woods. Woods is a player who put in two years with the West Virginia Mountaineers before transfering to SMU for one season of collegiate football. Now he is trying to earn a spot on the LA Rams roster. And he may do exactly that.

Standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 185 pounds, Woods is a solid size for an NFL defensive back, and he has a very versatile range of experience at playing both at the cornerback and at the safety positions.

Why he could move into a major role in secondary

While not a true ball-hawking defensive back, Woods does know how to sniff out the football and put himself into the correct position to break up pass plays. The fact that he broke up 11 passes in just 14 games in 2023 alone proves that he has the great instincts at reading the play and knowing where to be when the football arrives.

While described as a cornerback whose pass coverage skills are more effective in man than zone coverage, he is adept at both. And his speed, balance, footwork, and positioning does give him a solid presence in man and press coverage, he possesses the agility and speed to both shadow receivers or break to the football. He even is a physically challenging type of defensive back, jamming the receiver at the line of scrimmage and effectively throwing off the timing of the play.

Why he may miss the mark of major role in secondary

Because he has the skills to shadow receivers with his speed and agility, and the fact that he has a limited amount of collegiate experience, he is less adept as occupying a spot in zone coverage and diagnosing the offensive play as it unfolds in front of him. He wants to defend a player, not space, sometimes making the wrong reads and failing to take the correct receiver in zone coverage.

Conclusion

Woods has plenty to like about him, and the fact that he has a knack for busting up passing plays is something that the coaches have to love about the guy. But will his lack of zone coverage proficiency hinder him? He can get a meaningful role and a roster spot if he can prove capable of putting up solid pass coverage in either zone or man. But that is a tough task.

I: This Cougars CB Is ready to pounce on the opportunity

Washington State Cam Lampkin is not a household name. But he may soon be. He is the other Cougars defender who joined the Rams roster with outside linebacker Brennan Jackson, and his collegiate experience brings some intriguing qualities to the secondary. Standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 176 pounds, Lampkin is one of those under-the-radar players who nobody really notices even being on the roster until he starts making great plays.

And then, suddenly everyone is talking about him.

Lampkin, as seems to be the case for many rookies in 2024, played three seasons for Utah State before transferring to compete with Washington State for his final two seasons of college football. While he seemed to regress a bit in his first season with Washington State in 2022, he rebounded nicely in 2023 as he adjusted to defending some of the NCAA's top quarterbacks and receivers.

Why he could move into a major role in secondary

While not heavily scouted, Lampkin is one of the hidden gems who competed successfully against college football's stiffest competition. While he is not a ball-hawking cornerback, he is amazingly effective at denying completions. In fact, as a member of the Washington State Cougars secondary, he held opposing receivers to less than a 50 percent completion rate.

And that includes facing USC QB Caleb Williams, Washington QB Michael Penix, and Oregon QB Bo Nix. That background cannot be replicated by many defensive backs who are competing for a roster spot.

I was so impressed by Lampkin that I already featured him in his own article long before injuries broke out and impacted the secondary. With the new opportunities, Cam Lampkin is set up to show up in a big way for this team.

Why he may miss the mark of major role in secondary

Despite 34 tackles and eigh pass breakups in 2023, Lampkin is still a rookie defensive back trying to make a positive impression on the coaching staff, get plenty of reps, and ultimately earn a roster spot and playing time. While I am high on the young rookie, there is not a lot of news from training camp so far about Cam Lampkin.

Lampkin, like other rookies on this list, may simply not be grounded enough with his role and responsibility with this defense to make a major push to move up the depth chart. And perhaps he is not truly ready to do so, yet.

Conclusion

Cam Lampkin is the fierce tough-as-nails competitor who oftentimes surprises fans by stepping into the spotlight at a time like this and shocking everyone. Unfortunately, this could be a bit too early for the young rookie to make a move. I believe that Cam Lampkin will impress, but this may be a bit too early in training camp to set such lofty expectations.

Where does that leave the secondary?

As injuries began to mount at cornerback, we made our suggestions of five free agents who could be signed to reinforce this Rams roster. The team opted to sign a former Lions cornerback who flashes the entire range of possibilities. Now we have illustrated five options on the roster currently who could take advantage of this situation and climb the team's depth chart.

Keep in mind that while the frequency of injuries are alarming, Darious Williams is expected to be ready to play in Week 1. Only Derion Kendrick's season is lost.

The Rams secondary, and defense, is still in very good shape. Younger and less experienced defensive backs will simply get more reps in training camp as a result.

As always, thanks for reading.