Despite having no proven starters at inside linebacker, the Los Angeles Rams decided to all but ignore the position in both free agency and the draft this offseason. They felt confident leaning on their young players, namely Micah Kiser, Travin Howard, Kenny Young and Troy Reeder.
Unfortunately, Howard was lost for the season after he tore his meniscus in practice, leaving three candidates to start in the two available spots. It’s arguably the weakest position group anywhere in the NFL, and was made even worse by Howard’s injury.
Yet, the Rams still plan to stand pat, showing confidence in the players they currently have. But that doesn’t mean they won’t be monitoring the waiver wire this weekend for players cut by other teams.
“No, we feel comfortable,” McVay told reporters Thursday when asked if the Rams will search for outside help at linebacker. “Those guys have done a nice job. The big thing for us is, you always are looking at if there’s any potential guys that do come available based on teams releasing them. So, it’s something that you feel good about the guys in house, but we’re always monitoring. If there’s a way that we feel like we can upgrade our roster, we’ll always pursue those options.”
There are always quality players released when final cuts are made, but there’s no certainty a starting-caliber player will become available. And if that player is subject to waivers, it’ll be hard for the Rams to grab him due to their lower position in the waiver order.
There are options available now that the Rams could sign, including Nigel Bradham, Marquel Lee and Darron Lee, but the fact that Los Angeles has passed on them for weeks indicates the team won’t sign them before Week 1.
With linebacker talent lacking, expect the Rams to use a lot of nickel and dime packages to get their young defensive backs on the field.
