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Latest roster moves bolster DL, but more Rams roster moves are pending

The latest roster moves add even more confusion to what the team has planned . . .

ByBret Stuter|
Sep 8, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Commissioner of the NFL Roger Goodell talks with Rams General Manager Les Snead before the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Sep 8, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Commissioner of the NFL Roger Goodell talks with Rams General Manager Les Snead before the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If you had to choose the most urgent areas that needed to be addressed on the LA Rams roster on the defensive side of the ball, what might you choose? My guess is that it would be a 50/50 selection of either the team's inside linebackers or the team's secondary. But I would venture to guess that you would not be rushing to fix the Rams defensive line.

Granted, there are a host of challenges on the defense. The defenders are notoriously struggling at stopping the run, at making tackles, and at pass coverage. And yes, some of those deficiencies fall to the teams defensive line. But the Rams have plenty of players on the roster who play on the defensive front.

Well, based on the latest moves from the front office, the more the merrier.

The Rams defensive line rotation has already included (plus grades per Pro Football Focus):

  • NT Kobie Turner - 218 snaps - PFF Grade 64,3
  • NT Bobby Brown - 136 snaps - PFF Grade 60.4
  • DT Braden Fiske - 177 snaps - PFF Grade 64.6
  • DT Neville Gallimore - 79 snaps - PFF Grade 54.4
  • DE Desjuan Johnson - 27 snaps - PFF Grade 74.2
  • DT Tyler Davis - 43 snaps - PFF Grade 55.1

And so, the teams is about to reinforce the ranks. Not just with one player, but with two veterans.

So what can we tell you about the latest arrivals?

DT Larrell Murchison has been returned from Injured Reserve (1st of 8 such transactions). While he has yet to compete in the regular season, he did play in the preseason. Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 285 pounds, Murchison has enough versatility to slide all over the team's defensive front. More blocker-gobbler than a pass rusher, Murchison offers enough to bolster both the run and pass defense.

DE Jonah Williams is coming off the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. Prior to that, he was a long time contributor and 2023 starter for the LA Rams. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 275 pounds, he was the successor to DE Morgan Fox, and has been a bit of a late bloomer in terms of on-field production. He fills the 53-man Rams roster, so any hopes to restore DB Darious Williams to the active roster will necessitate additional roster moves.

These were not the moves that the fans have been hoping for. And in all honesty, unless the team is converting the default defense to a 4-3 for Week 5, the spike of eight defensive linemen to a 3-4 defense seems very much like overkill.

But why not? Four running backs on a roster that runs just one rusher almost exclusively. Five wide receivers when the team plays at least three WRs per offensive snap. Three active tight ends, and six on combined rosters on a team that is almost exclusively one tight end. So eight defensive linemen on a three-man defensive front simply falls right into the pattern.

If the team plans to restore Darious Williams, at least one more roster move is needed to free up a roster spot. And then there are those players who can return during and after the BYE week.

Stay tuned, There are more moves coming. And as always, thanks for reading.

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