Tag: tre tomlinson

Should the Rams make a change at CB with Derion Kendrick struggling?

Derion Kendrick had his worst game of the season on Sunday, leading many fans to call for a change at cornerback

For the most part, it’s been an up-and-down season for Derion Kendrick at cornerback. The second-year defender has been a starter for all but one game in 2023, and while he’s had some excellent performances and made big plays, he’s also made too many mistakes in coverage.

His worst performance of the season came on Sunday against Washington when he allowed seven receptions on eight targets for a total of 153 yards and two touchdowns. He also committed a pass interference penalty in the end zone that helped set up the Commanders’ last touchdown.

Penalties and big plays have plagued Kendrick all season, often being the blemishes on what might’ve been solid outings. He’s been called for 11 penalties and has given up receptions that went for 38 yards, 39 yards, 42 yards and 48 yards.

His 566 yards allowed in coverage are the 17th-most among all cornerbacks this season, landing him a 59.9 overall grade this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

After Sunday’s performance where he allowed two long plays and committed a pass interference penalty, several Rams fans were calling for him to be benched – and understandably so. Sean McVay was asked about whether changes will be made in the secondary amid Kendrick’s struggles but he was non-committal on shaking things up.

“We’re just in the early parts of getting ready,” he said Monday. “You kind of accelerate your postgame process. I thought our defense played really well. There were those two drives that could make it feel a lot different than what it was. There were a lot of good things. We had some communication things on their first touchdown we got to do a better job of. And then you just mentioned it, (Commanders WR) Terry McLaurin is a baller and there were some isolation situations where sometimes it’s not going to go down for you and he ended up making some good plays. What I think we need to be able to learn from, and I want ‘DK’ to be able to learn from and not exclusive to him, us overall, is okay on the first touchdown, how do we make sure with a tool that we play that better so we don’t leave the corner route open? When we get them in a fourth down and seven, how can we make sure that we’re not giving ourselves a chance to foul and give them a fresh set of downs playing with the good techniques?”

It sounds like the Rams will probably stick with Kendrick as a starting cornerback again this week when the Saints come to town. McVay still wants to see him improve, particularly in the mental aspect of the game.

“Some of the things that we can control above the neck and being smarter situationally, those are the things that we want to improve upon,” McVay continued. “He’s shown that he can respond to that, but I think there’s a tendency, and I felt this way too, that oh man, it felt a lot different than what the totality of the game was because it was that most recent exposure in regards to when  (Jacoby) Brissett comes in and manufactures two scoring drives and the way that it went down. And it seemed like ‘DK’ was in the middle of that action, but he’ll learn from it. He’s a mentally tough guy and we’ll figure out what we think is the best way to try to defend a really good team that’s playing at a high clip on Thursday.”

If the Rams wanted to make a change at cornerback, there aren’t many options available. Duke Shelley is on injured reserve and Tre Tomlinson has a thigh injury, so he may not be healthy enough to play on Thursday night.

It’s possible the Rams could go with a starting lineup of Ahkello Witherspoon, Cobie Durant and Quentin Lake, along with Jordan Fuller and John Johnson III, but there’s been no indication that a change like that will be made.

It might be time to shake things up, though, because the playoffs are approaching and Kendrick hasn’t always been reliable in big moments.

Should the Rams give Tre Tomlinson a shot at CB after the bye week?

The Rams’ cornerbacks are struggling right now and it might be time to give the rookie Tre Tomlinson a chance

Ahkello Witherspoon and Derion Kendrick got off to strong starts this season, allowing just 143 total yards in coverage through the first four games. However, both cornerbacks have had their share of struggles in recent weeks, to the point that Kendrick was demoted in Week 9 and played just three snaps.

The Rams tried to shake things up by giving Quentin Lake and Duke Shelley more opportunities with Kendrick’s role shrinking, but Shelley had a tough day with a team-high 59 yards allowed in coverage.

Sean McVay and Raheem Morris will have some additional time to prepare for the Seahawks thanks to their Week 10 bye, an offense that features talented receivers such as DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxson Smith-Njigba. With the Rams’ corners struggling, it might be time for Morris to give the rookie Tre Tomlinson some snaps.

At worst, he’ll play at the level that Kendrick did in recent weeks. At best, he’ll play the way he did in the preseason when he allowed two catches for 16 yards on seven targets with two pass breakups.

The Rams are 3-6 and after losing three straight games, their playoff hopes have quickly slipped away. A weak NFC will keep them in the hunt for a little while longer, but if Los Angeles can’t get back on track immediately after the bye, the postseason will fall out of reach in a hurry. Why not give a rookie like Tomlinson a chance to prove himself in what’s becoming another lost season?

Kendrick has already played himself out of a starting role and the Rams need an outside cornerback opposite Witherspoon. Cobie Durant was set to take over that role but he got hurt in each of the last two games.

McVay and Morris steadily gave Lake more chances in the slot and he’s become one of their most impactful defensive backs in the last few weeks. Doing the same with Tomlinson wouldn’t be a bad idea.

At this point, they don’t have much to lose, so you might as well see what you’ve got in the former Jim Thorpe Award winner. If he plays the way he did in the preseason, he could be a future starter in the secondary.

Is it time for the Rams to change things up at cornerback?

Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick have both had some rough patches this season. Should the Rams consider switching things up a little?

The Los Angeles Rams came into this season with high expectations for both Derion Kendrick and Cobie Durant. Following the departures of Jalen Ramsey, David Long Jr. and Troy Hill, Kendrick and Durant were thrust into much larger roles as starters.

Unfortunately, it’s been mostly a mixed bad for the Rams’ two young corners. Kendrick has had some really positive moments and has allowed just 10 catches on 22 targets, but he’s also committed five penalties, which are the second-most by any cornerback in the NFL this season. And if you saw those penalties, you know they were costly. Three of them were defensive pass interference, two were horse collar tackles and one was a facemask, so we’re not talking about illegal contact or defensive holding for 5 yards.

As for Durant, he’s been much less consistent. He has a PFF grade of just 39.7 this season and has allowed 200 yards in coverage (15 receptions, 22 targets). Durant does have two pass breakups, but he’s also been called for two fouls, though neither of them went for very many yards: one pass interference and one holding.

Kendrick had a particularly tough time on Sunday against A.J. Brown, who caught two passes for 48 yards and two first downs against the Rams corner. Durant missed two tackles on crucial third-down plays, as well, allowing the Eagles to move the chains at inopportune times for the Rams.

On Monday, Sean McVay was asked for his evaluation of Kendrick and Durant thus far. He didn’t sound overly positive or encouraged, seeing plenty of room for them to learn and grow.

“I think a lot of learning. I thought DK, I thought the third-down-and-2 where they threw out the bubble screen and the possession before where he knocked that back. If they gain a yard right there, they’re running their patented sneak, which is a very difficult play to stop. So I thought that was a key and critical stop to force them to a field goal when they ended up going up 10-7. And then there are just some opportunities for learning. I think we can make sure that in that third down and one that they ended up hitting the explosive to A.J. Brown, you say, ‘OK, maybe we want to play it a little bit different technique wise.’ He wasn’t trying to horse collar him when he brought him down. He was just trying to bring him down by any means necessary and then there’s certain things, whether it be where we can help out with or the techniques and fundamentals when there’s seven seconds left in the half. Even though they had a timeout, you know the ball is probably got to go to the end zone and we just got to be smart and we got to be able to help him out. But he’s a resilient guy. I think he’s learned a lot. I think he’s done a lot of really good things and like anything else, you better have a short memory as a DB. He is mentally tough, and I think a lot of the same applies to Cobie Durant.”

By no means did McVay call out Kendrick or Durant, but he didn’t give them a ringing endorsement, either. Might it be time for the Rams to switch things up a little bit at cornerback and give some other guys opportunities.

The first player that comes to mind is Duke Shelley, who broke up a pass in the end zone during the second half on Sunday after Ahkello Witherspoon left due to cramping. The Rams signed Shelley just before the season began and have barely utilized him thus far, but he’s someone who can play in the slot or outside, having done both for the Vikings and Bears the last two years.

“I think there’s a good opportunity for guys to be able to earn some more snaps,” McVay said. “I’ve been pleased with those guys that have played a lot of snaps but been really pleased with Duke. I thought he did a nice job. He came in just a few weeks ago. I like the presence that he’s made on special teams. He’s a competitor. He’s played a lot of football. The game makes sense to him. He’s kind of one of us, if you will, in terms of just the way that he competes, the way that he goes about his business. And I was really pleased with the way that he played in those nine snaps, as you mentioned. And so, yeah, I think guys get what they earn. Exactly what the game plan looks like against Arizona, I’d be better equipped.”

Tre Tomlinson is another cornerback who fans have been clamoring to see after his standout preseason performance. He’s undersized like Shelley, but he showed in the preseason that he can hold up outside and cover bigger receivers.

I’m not saying the Rams should bench Kendrick entirely or give Durant no snaps moving forward, but it might be worth seeing what Shelley can do to help improve the coverage on the back end. Right now, they’re almost exclusively playing just three cornerbacks: Witherspoon, Durant and Kendrick. No other corner has played more than nine snaps this season.

You want your best players on the field and Witherspoon is one of them, but Kendrick and Durant have been a tad inconsistent.

Tre Tomlinson fined $4,444 for tackling Marvin Mims by his facemask

The NFL fined Rams CB Tre Tomlinson $4,444 for tackling Broncos WR Marvin Mims by his facemask in Week 3 of preseason.

Tre Tomlinson’s brutal foul against Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims last week proved to be costly — both on and off the field.

The Los Angeles Rams cornerback was ejected and the Rams received a personal foul penalty after Tomlinson tackled Mims by his facemask at the one-yard line. (Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin scored one play later.)

One week after the ejection, Tomlinson has now been fined $4,444 for unnecessary roughness, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Fortunately, Mims was not injured on the play. He finished the game with two catches for 51 yards and one rush for three yards. Mims is now poised to serve as Denver’s third-string wide receiver this year behind Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton.

Tomlinson was picked by the Rams in the sixth round of the NFL draft earlier this year. He made L.A.’s 53-man roster is and projected to serve as a backup outside cornerback this season.

The Broncos defeated the Rams 41-0 in their preseason finale.

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Rams CB Tre Tomlinson fined $4,444 for facemask penalty vs. Broncos

Tre Tomlinson was ejected from last week’s game against the preseason for a violent facemask tackle and now he’s been fined for it

Tee Tomlinson had already locked up a roster spot before the Rams’ preseason finale against the Broncos last week, but his final exhibition game was cut short during Denver’s first drive.

Tomlinson tackled Marvin Mims Jr. by his facemask on the opening drive and was subsequently ejected. It was a dangerous way to tackle the receiver to the ground, though thankfully Mims wasn’t injured on the play.

In addition to being ejected, Tomlinson also got a letter in the mail from the league. He was fined $4,444 for the tackle, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Tomlinson got his first taste of an NFL fine and hopefully it’ll be the last time he has to pay one.

Rams rookie Tre Tomlinson ejected for dangerous facemask tackle vs. Broncos

Rams rookie CB Tre Tomlinson was ejected on the Broncos’ first drive of the game for a dangerous tackle, grabbing the WR by his facemask.

Rams sixth-round rookie Tre Tomlinson has likely already earned a spot on the 53-man roster, but his final audition on Saturday night was cut short. During the Broncos’ first drive against the Rams, Tomlinson was called for a facemask penalty along the goal line, which prevented fellow rookie Marvin Mims Jr. from scoring.

Tomlinson dragged the receiver down by his facemask, a dangerous play that could’ve resulted in a serious injury. After discussing the play, the officials decided to eject Tomlinson for his clear infraction. It happened just 5 minutes and 19 seconds into the game.

Take a look at the play below.

Tomlinson has been praised for his competitiveness and aggression in the secondary despite being an undersized corner, but that was a dangerous way to bring the ball carrier to the ground and unsurprisingly resulted in his ejection.

Sean McVay wasn’t happy with the decision by the officiating crew, and this is unlikely to affect Tomlinson’s roster status, but it wasn’t the way he wanted to close out his preseason.

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6 Rams to watch in preseason finale vs. Broncos

The Rams will take on the Broncos this Saturday to finish their preseason schedule and we have 6 players to watch in the matchup.

The Los Angeles Rams are set to conclude their preseason schedule versus the Denver Broncos on Saturday. This is the last chance for players to get live-action reps in hopes of carving out a roster spot for the Rams ahead of the 2023 season.

The Rams are 0-2 in their first two preseason contests, losing to the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders. Even though wins don’t matter in the preseason, Sean McVay will want to see improvements across the board on Saturday.

With the Rams set to face the Broncos on the road in the third week of the preseason, here are six players to keep an eye on.

Tre Tomlinson has looked like a draft steal for the Rams this preseason

Tre Tomlinson fell in the draft because of his size but that hasn’t been an issue this preseason. He looks like a steal as a 6th-rounder.

Tre Tomlinson’s college resume was as good as any defensive back’s in the 2023 NFL draft. He won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top DB last year, he was a three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, he was a 2022 first-team All-American and tied for fourth in the FBS with 15 pass breakups last season.

You might be wondering why he fell all the way to the sixth round, which is where the Rams scooped him up. The primary reason? He’s small.

At 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, he’s far from the biggest cornerback. But he plays much bigger than his listed size and that’s been on display through two preseason games so far. He looks like he might be the Rams’ next draft steal in the secondary, shining in coverage and as a tackler in his first two games.

His coverage numbers are particularly good. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s only allowed two receptions for a total of 16 yards on seven targets this preseason. He’s also broken up two passes in coverage and has given up a passer rating of 39.6 when targeted.

It’s only the preseason but those are some fantastic stats in his first two NFL games.

What’s especially impressive is the fact that he’s holding up on the outside and not just playing the slot – which is where you might expect a 5-foot-9 cornerback to line up. On this play against the Raiders, he stays in the receiver’s pocket and plays the ball perfectly to prevent a completion.

His awareness on this snap against the Chargers (and his former TCU teammate, Quentin Johnston) was excellent. It was third-and-12 and Tomlinson knew exactly where he was on the field, playing the route to the sticks and breaking on the pass and knocking it away from the receiver for an incompletion.

Later on in that same game, Tomlinson got another rep against Johnston on the outside. It was a go route to the 6-foot-4 receiver, who had 7 inches on the smaller cornerback. Tomlinson played it well, flipping his hips and running stride for stride with Johnston down the right sideline to force a difficult catch. The pass fell incomplete thanks to Tomlinson’s tight coverage.

Tomlinson’s coverage grade of 83.0 this preseason ranks 11th among all cornerbacks who have played at least 20% of the coverage snaps thus far. His two pass breakups are also tied for the third-most at the position.

The Rams know Cobie Durant and Ahkello Witherspoon will be two of their starting cornerbacks this season, but Tomlinson is making a strong case to be the third – especially considering he can play outside and allow Durant to remain in the slot, which is his best position.

Tomlinson is on his way to beating out Derion Kendrick and Robert Rochell at cornerback. There’s still one week of the preseason left, but it’s hard not to be impressed by the rookie out of TCU.

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Watch: Tre Tomlinson mic’d up during preseason game vs. Chargers

Rams rookie Tre Tomlinson was mic’d up against the Chargers and showed why he’s such a great competitor

Tre Tomlinson made his preseason debut on Saturday night against the Chargers and he made a great impression on the coaching staff. He played well at SoFi Stadium, showing the NFL stage wasn’t too big for the undersized cornerback.

Tomlinson made two tackles, had a pass breakup and also prevented a couple of completions down the right sideline, putting his coverage skills on display against bigger receivers on the outside.

The Rams had Tomlinson mic’d up for the game, which made for an entertaining video. Sean McVay often talks about his passion and competitiveness, and it’s easy to see why in the clips below.

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