This LA Rams sleeper could steal a key roster spot at training camp

Go west, young man. That was the battle cry of fortune seekers and gold panners who sought the precious yellow nuggets that were the symbol of riches and success. But gold was only one of the treasures locked in California. In the modern era, it's Sol Yellow and Royal Blue, and it's the color of the LA Rams football team.

But good fortune can be elusive. For rookies seeking a long and prosperous career in the NFL, there is the small matter of putting in the work necessary to get there. NFL careers can be lucrative, but they are also quite rare. So this vocation can never be about mailing it in, simply checking the boxes, or even about showing up and doing the minimum.

For any NFL rookie, getting to the promised land means having an unshakeable passion for the game in which the work outs and the opportunity to practice and train is reward enough.

Rookie ILB Omar Speights has that type of passion.

Speights is a talented workhorse in the heart of a defense

The LA Rams did not draft an inside linebacker in the 2024 NFL Draft. Despite 10 draft selections (out of 11 picks), the team had far too many quality options to choose from. And so, the team did not address the inside linebacker position until after the 2024 NFL Draft concluded. But the scouting department did get frantically busy as soon as the draft ended.

The team signed former Marshall inside linebacker Elias Neal and former LSU linebacker Omar Speights. They joined a linebacker room already boasting starter Ernest Jones IV, Christian Rozeboom, Troy Reeder, Jacob Hummel, and Olakunie Fatukasi. So the team depth at the position is not lacking options.

For undrafted rookies like Neal or Speights, even getting noticed by the coach staff is not an easy task. But Speights did put up some solid production at Oregon State, and finished off his college career by suiting up for LSU.

And he put up solid tape along the way:

While there is a matter of urgency among Rams fans in hopes of unseating some ot the less-productive veteran inside linebackers on the roster, Speights does not have to master everything instantly. In fact, he merely needs to excel on special teams, offer adequate pass coverage, shed blockers, stuff the run, diagnose plays in real time, and be in the right place at the right time.

Easy peasy, right?

Speights can be THAT guy

Well, that's what he's been doing throughout his college football career.

Described as a linebacker with a 'great feel for coverage,' and as a 'face up tackler who sees what he hits and wraps up,' Speights is the type of player who grinds it out, plays consistently, doesn't showboat, and gives his full effort on every play.

Despite the team loaded with veterans at the position, it's obvious that they have plateaued in this defensive scheme. Except for Jones, no other player has stepped up to lock down that starting role. Speights gives this defense a fresh face with a new set of skills. That could be the ticket for Speights to open the window of opportunity in 2024.

it won't happen quickly. Speights has to earn reps. And as he proves himself, he will earn snaps in preseason. If he plays well enough, he will earn a spot on the Rams roster. And then it's either special team or defensive snaps. Nothing is given. Everything will be earned. But I believe Omar Speights has enough passion to earn a spot on the Rams roster. And perhaps even more.

Thanks for reading.