The Los Angeles Rams appear to be primed for another Super Bowl run, acquiring Davante Adams, Poona Ford and sealing many of the holes remaining in the roster over the offseason. There are some major questions remaining about a key position on the team though. That of course is cornerback, the Rams appear to have Ahkello Witherspoon, Darious Williams and Cobie Durant atop the depth chart heading into this season, with the possibility of Emmanuel Forbes Jr. seeing a lot more playing time this year if he continues to perform during training.
However, many Rams fans don’t seem satisfied with the CB room that the team currently has, and with former Packers All-Pro Jaire Alexander being released, and former Rams star, and Super Bowl Champion Jalen Ramsey publicly requesting a trade, will the Rams make a move to add one of these players to the team? It’s possible, but I’m not totally convinced that it is a guarantee.
For the first part of last season, the Defense, led by Chris Shula was not functioning at a playoff level. This was seen especially in Wk. 2 against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals scored 41 points over the course of the game, and there were many clear highlights (or lowlights in LA’s case) of the secondary failing to do their job. Tre’Davious White especially certainly failed to live up to the expectations that the team and fans had set for him. Towards the end of the season though, the Defense was functioning on all fronts, the defensive line especially was incredible, sacking Sam Darnold a playoff record tying nine times in the Rams 27-9 victory in the Wild Card. So that begs the question, does it make sense to attempt to change something if it is working so well right now? There’s a saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, does that apply here? Personally, I don’t think so.
The cornerback room is aging, and aging quickly. Darious Williams is 32 years old, and certainly saw a drop-off last season in performance. He only had one interception all season, and there were many blown coverage plays or moments of just poor play from him. Ahkello Witherspoon is 30 years old, and actually played quite well last season, but he is certainly not a piece to ‘build upon’ for the future. He very well could be CB1 going into this season, but he isn’t a true game changer or someone the Rams can certainly rely upon in the case of Williams going down. The last notable player in my eyes is Emmanuel Forbes Jr. After being cut last season from the Commanders, he was given a second chance in LA, and saw very little playing time until the Seattle game in Wk. 18. He got four solo tackles and an assisted tackle in the 30-25 loss. However, he definitely showed hints of potential. During OTA’s this year, he has gotten praise from HC Sean McVay multiple times. He could very well be a future star at the position for the team, but that’s yet to be proven.
So, do the Rams need a bonafide starting CB1, like Jaire Alexander or Jalen Ramsey? Not necessarily, but adding another obstacle for opposing offenses to operate around is never a bad thing. Since this year appears to be the final year of a window for the Rams to win another ring, I do think it would be a good idea to invest at the position. Personally I would prefer Jalen Ramsey over Jaire Alexander. Ramsey is a proven stud, and succeeded before in the Rams system, he also has little concerns regarding injury history or ability to adapt to succeed again in LA. Alexander, on the other hand, has a long history of injuries and I’m not quite convinced that his personality fits the rest of the team.
Long story short, if the Rams are completely serious about a Super Bowl run, adding a true, certified CB1 is a good idea, at least if the price is right.
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