The LA Rams may have allowed another late-blooming defensive end to get away

When the LA Rams were unable, or unwilling, to extend former defensive end Jonah Williams, I feared that the team may have allowed a late-blooming defensive end to get away. And based on some reports from the Minnesota Vikings training camp, it appears that may be the case. What do I mean? Well, check out this glowing report from Sports Illustrated's Will Ragatz about Jonah Williams' performance with the Vikings so far:

"Jonah Williams is a name to know on the defensive line. He played over 600 snaps for the Rams last year and has stood out in a positive way for the Vikings during camp. Today, Williams beat Blake Brandel with a spin move in 1-on-1 drills and then had a nice run stop in 11-on-11 action."

Will Ragatz

While it is still much too early to be anointing anyone with Pro Bowl honors, the truth is that we are not surprised in the least by Williams' rapidly rising stock in training camp this season. Much like defensive end Morgan Fox before him, Williams is a late-bloomer who is not only quite capable of stuffing the run, but he will likely have a very impressive season getting after the quarterback this season too.

A bit like this:

Williams is going to get his share of tackles this season, and is already putting the NFL on notice that he means business. Of course, he has a superb foundation and understanding of his role, complete with an entire arsenal of pass rush moves, thanks to having been a solid defensive lineman coached up by former Rams DL Coach Eric Henderson.

For Rams fans, the question is, can the team get better production out of this year's defensive ends? That group will like include Braden Fiske, Anthony Goodlaw, and or Desjuan Johnson. I think that the team will get solid production out of the position this year. While Goodlaw is a rookie who may need time to ramp up, both Fiske and Johnson have been quite impressive in training camp, and Fiske has been turning heads as he lines up at multiple positions for the Rams defensive front.

Comparison is a surefire way to flirt with disappointment. The Rams went a different direction, and that afforded Jonah Williams to sign with the Vikings.

Let's hope that the team does not regret not fighting harder to re-sign Williams.

Thanks for reading.