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Regardless of his position, Rams need a healthy Robert Quinn
Alden Gonzalez/ESPN Staff Writer
Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
LOS ANGELES -- One of the early impressions of new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is that he likes to keep things simple, which isn't surprising if you get to know him a bit. He wants his guys to play fast, to play with confidence, so the instructions are relatively straightforward, a refreshing development for a
Los Angeles Rams defense that will convert from a 4-3 to a 3-4.
The biggest transition, it seems, will be made by
Robert Quinn, the veteran defensive end who is now officially an outside linebacker.
His instructions, per Quinn himself: "Just go out and make plays. That's what they say. From day one, that's what they told me. So, I just wipe my hands and put a smile on my face. It's time to get back to work."
Quinn will in essence be the weakside linebacker, but, as rookie coach Sean McVay said, "He's a rush player. He'll play a similar role to what
DeMarcus Ware did in Denver for Wade the last couple of years. He's going to be an elite rusher in this league for years, and that's what we're hoping to do with him moving forward."
The Rams just need Quinn to stay healthy.
The 14th overall pick out of North Carolina in 2011, Quinn racked up 40 sacks from 2012 to '14, making it onto a couple of Pro Bowl rosters and being named first-team All-Pro. But the 26-year-old has been limited to 15 starts over the last two years. Back surgery forced him to miss the second half of the 2015 season. In 2016, he nursed a shoulder injury from Weeks 5 to 6.
In the middle of November, he was admitted to a hospital for what was initially feared to be a seizure but that Quinn eventually chalked up to dehydration. He played in the next two games, then missed the final five with what the team listed as a concussion.
Quinn, speaking from the start of veteran minicamp on April 25, said he's "feeling great" now.
"Of course, I hate missing a year," Quinn added. "It’s been a rough couple of years for me. With the new coaching staff, I just kind of took a step back, took a deep breath. It’s like waking up every day. As long as you can wake up with a smile, you come to work with a positive energy, you just continue to work."
Quinn has always played out of a three-point stance, though he said there were moments last year when he wore a neck roll that caused him to rush the quarterback from an upright position. He may need a big year.
The dead money on Quinn's extension will soon drop significantly, from $8,072,326 in 2017 to $955,354 in 2018. The Rams also selected a couple of outside linebackers in this year's draft --
Samson Ebukam in the fourth round,
Ejuan Price in the seventh.
If Quinn doesn't prove to be a fit in Phillips' system, the Rams could simply let him go the following offseason. But they're a much better unit when he's on the field and healthy.
"He’s a game-changer," Rams inside linebacker
Alec Ogletree said. "When he’s on the field, you have to account for him."
