Rams OTAs could spark the roster controversy no one saw coming

When the Los Angeles Rams and former starting inside linebacker Ernest Jones IV seemed to have a mutual understanding over the framework for his upcoming contract extension, it made plenty of sense to do so. Jones was the lone player at the ILB position that the Rams have deemed worthy enough to invest draft picks into. As a result, the team appeared to have painted itself into a corner. After all, the team did not have many Plan B options on the roster behind Jones.

And yet, just before the 2024 NFL season got underway, the Rams' negotiations with Jones broke down, and he was traded away for little more than a bag of pretzels and a bottle of cola. Such is the nature of life in the NFL. In response, the team seemed to commit to veterans Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom to start. It was not an ideal scenario, but it was the best that the team could come up with.

Reeder was injured, forcing the team once more to promote a player. This time, the team tapped undrafted LSU rookie Omar Speights to start. Speights was a huge improvement, but he showed his inexperience. The Rams simply had no answer for Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley. And that became the quest for the 2025 offseason - finding upgrades to stop the run.

One year later, and questions remain

After the 2024 season concluded, the Rams' ILB room was a bit empty. Of course, the team retained undrafted rookies Omar Speight and Elias Neal. And the team retained Tony Fields II, a player added to the practice squad for depth. But starting ILB Christian Rozeboom left via free agency, as did promising Rams backup ILB Jake Hummel. So the team had both the incentive and opportunity to refill the seats at the position.

The team started slowly, signing a veteran like Omar Speights in former Falcons starting ILB Nate Landman. Landman did not exhibit complementary skills to Speights. Rather, he seemed to be the team's attempt to pit Speights against direct competition for the starting role in 2025 against a veteran who had started in the past.

Landman is no slouch, standing 6-foot-3 and tipping the scales at 235 pounds. That is considerably larger than Speights, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 228 pounds.

Rams continue to add players

The team next gave in and re-signed former ILB Troy Reeder to a one-year deal. Reeder stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 236 pounds. Does the team intend to start two larger-than-average inside linebackers in 2025?

Well, that would be a good guess, until you consider other additions made to the roster to restock the position. The team drafted Ole Miss rookie ILB Chris "Pooh" Paul, Jr. Paul was viewed as one of the top inside linebackers available in the 2025 NFL Draft, but fell because he is slightly undersized. Paul stands 6-foot-0 and weighs 222 pounds.

Is Paul simply a one-off anomaly? No. The other rookie added after the draft is uber-productive University of Buffalo rookie ILB Shaun Dolac. Dolac is also a bit undersized, standing 6-foot-1 and tipping the scales at 225 pounds.

Where is the roster controversy?

The Rams' front office had every opportunity to squelch speculation and debate in the 2025 NFL Draft, but opted to take on a different strategy. Had the team jumped right into the draft with an early pick on Day 1 or 2 by selecting a linebacker, the presumption that the rookie selected early in the draft was the starter would have ended all speculation.

On the other hand, had the team done little to nothing for the position, fans would have concluded that the team was content with Speights and turned their collective attention to who might line up next to him this season. But the front office walked a fine line in the offseason, adding numerous players who all have a logical claim at one of the two starting roles at inside linebacker, but none holding such an advantage that the competition is over before it begins.

Even Elias Neal and Tony Fields II are in the hunt for a significant role in 2025.

The Rams didn't make any effort to squelch competition. The team's actions seemed to promote the highest level of competition at the inside linebacker position by design. While the team had to be happy with the way the defense performed as a whole after promoting Omar Speights to a starter in 2024, there are no assurances that he will even see playing time this season.

OTAs are underway. Hopefully, we will have answers sooner rather than later regarding who will start and call plays on the defensive side of the football. For the Los Angeles Rams, it's vital to get off to a good start. This team has made a lot of progress on the defensive side of the football. But this team needs to realign everyone to have a chance at appearing in the NFL Playoffs once more.

As always, thanks for reading.

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