Rams Roster: Fast 40+ LA Rams roster roundup S Rashaad Torrence (#15)

As soon as the LA Rams ended the 2022 NFL season, the questions about their veteran safeties Taylor Rapp and Nick Scott began to surface. How would the Rams fill the huge void at the back of the defense? Would the Rams break tradition and extend one of their veteran safeties to ensure continuity in the secondary? Well, we know what happened next.

A quick summary

The LA Rams roster is flooded with young and talented defensive backs. So much so that the Rams front office signed veteran DB Ahkello Witherspoon to graft another verteran presence into the Rams secondary. But the team needs competent NFL players. Is Rashad Torrence II one of the DBs that can make the grade for the LA Rams this season?

What I don't like about this signing

The LA Rams know that they will need to exert some edge, some advantage this season to have a fighting chance at thwarting opposing quarterbacks and receivers. Without savvy seasoned veterans, the Rams will need high athleticism and physicality to deny completions.

But in raw athleticism, Rashad Torrence II is not a player who scores very highly.

Not every player on an NFL team needs to excel at track and field, which is what athleticism comes down to. But it certainly helps, and doubly aids the chances of an NFL rookie of making an NFL roster.

What I like about this signing

There is no such thing as a sure thing in the NFL. But on the flip side, there is always the chance that if a player works hard and does that little bit extra, he will succeed. That #DAWG mindset appears to be second nature to Rashad Torrence II.

Torrence was a hard worker who continued to exert himself to perform to the best of his ability. While not fast in the conventional sense, Torrence is quick. Combined with a superior ability to recognize routes and get a quick jump off the snap, Torrence is the type of player who seems to be involved in making a play far more often than he should.

What I love about this signing

I was a bit frustrated with the Rams safety play in the past. Well, after the Rams allowed John Johnson III to sign elsewhere. The reason for that is the fact that Rams safeties appeared to be less and less capacble of pass defense. Whether beaten by a head fake, out of position, or simply playing too far off the line of scrimmage, the Rams seemed to be content with fielding big hitters who were less skilled at close coverage.

That could change is Rashad Torrence II takes the field for the Rams.

While just 193 pounds for 6-foot-0, Torrence is simply a solid offseason workout in the weight room away of the 10 or so pound necessary of making him a viable NFL punishing defensive back.

What are his chances of making the roster?

Perhaps better than I had originally anticipated. Jordan Fuller proved that a slower safety can flourish in the NFL with anticipation, quickness, and a high football IQ. While we will need to see how Torrence handles the fierce competition at the Rams training camp, I believe that he could earn a roster spot if he excels on special teams. If not, then he still has better than even odds of landing a slot on the Rams practice squad.