Rams gave up on this veteran NT too soon and they might regret it

When the Los Angeles Rams pivoted from the 2024 season to the 2025 season, they had to make quick decisions about who to extend and who to let walk away into the 2025 NFL Free Agency market. One veteran whose rookie contract had expired was nose tackle Bobby Brown III. Brown pleaded for a larger role on the defensive side of the ball. But those pleas landed on deaf ears, and Brown signed with the Carolina Panthers.

Bobby Brown III may have wanted to wield a more diverse role on the Rams defensive front, but he was the tried and true run stuffer of the group. Despite standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 332 pounds, he was slow to develop. He suffered minor injuries in his first two seasons, but those detours were just enough to force the team to develop a rotation without him.

In four seasons on the Rams roster, he only played 971 defensive snaps, which is fewer than Quentin Lake played in 2024 alone.

But Brown was Steady Freddie when it came to stuffing the run. In 2024, he made 44 tackles, four tackles for a loss, deflected a pass, and only missed one tackle.

Did Rams gave up on this veteran NT too soon?

Brown did not want to seek a role on a new NFL team. He simply wanted a larger role on the Rams defense. You could interpret the pleas for a larger role to mean that he wanted a larger offer than the Rams were willing to make to re-sign him. Regardless of how the negotiations to extend Bobby Brown III took place, they failed. As a result, the player and team parted ways after four seasons.

Now, Bobby Brown III had reunited with former teammate, DT A'Shawn Robinson, has reported put on nearly 10 pounds of added muscle, and is turning heads and dropping jaws in the Carolina Panthers training camp:

Bobby Brown III was one of the defensive linemen who was approved by former Rams DL Coach Eric Henderson. Coach Henny has a shrewd eye for talent, and whenever he shared his insights with me regarding defensive line rookie prospects or free agents, he was quick to point out whether a player took off plays that went the other direction.

I loved reading or hearing Coach Henny break down a player.

Being drafted by the Rams during Coach Henny's tenure is akin to a household appliance getting the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. In short, you know that player is willing to grind, and will give you everything he's got on every play. That is the foundation of #DAWGWORK

How much Rams history do you know?

Reuniting with A'Shawn Robinson

While some NFL teams may have signed Bobby Brown III to the roster and hoped for the best, the Carolina Panthers took it one step further, reuniting him with his former Rams mentor, A'Shawn Robinson. The Rams seemed to have discovered that a key element of success for an NFL player is to establish kinship with other players on the roster quickly.

Are the Panthers trying to replicate that discovery on their own roster? The truth is that both Bobby Brown III and A'Shawn Robinson are ideally suited for stuffing the run, as both players are passionate, confident, and prideful work horses on the line of scrimmage.

I think it's an inspired effort to generate stronger defensive efforts by reuniting former teammates. After all, the Carolina Panthers were hands down the worst rushing defense in the NFL in 2024. How bad were they? Their average of 179.8 rushing yards per game was more than twice the amount of rushing yards allowed by the Baltimore Ravens, the NFL's best rushing defense, at 80.1 yards per game. And with an average of 5.2 yards per carry, the Panthers' defense allowed offenses to move the chains by simply running twice for a first down.

So, adding veteran defensive linemen Bobby Brown III (PFF rush defense grade 67.6) with former run stuffer A'Shawn Robinson (PFF rush defense grade 54.1) could be a pivotal moment in resurrecting a heartier run defense for 2025.

Ironically, the Rams are also trying to improve their run defense, but allowed one of the defense's best run stuffers to get away. Will they regret it?

Don't get me wrong. I love what veteran NT Poona Ford brings to the Rams' defense. And I'm optimistic that rookie DL Ty Hamilton will contribute sooner than later in the trenches this season. But for a defense that was shredded by Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley twice, I would love to have had the opportunity to line up Poona Ford next to Bobby Brown III to stop him.

Brown may have been limited, but he was a passionate workaholic who appears to have leveled up for the 2025 NFL season. As always, thanks for reading.

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