T.J. McDonald is likely done with the Rams, but they have a guy on the roster that could replace him

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JKBOGEN

JAKE OLIVER ELLENBOGEN
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T.J. McDonald is likely done with the Rams, but they have a guy on the roster that could replace him
227364_2e974894e8c147c087109b20bb65b6ea~mv2.webp

https://www.downtownrams.com/single...ve-a-guy-on-the-roster-that-could-replace-him

According to Vincent Bonsignore of the LA Daily News the Rams are expected to lose T.J. McDonald when he hits the open market and will have a new starting safety next season to go alongside Maurice Alexander.
Now, many believe the Rams will look to replace him in free agency or even the draft but I think ultimately the Rams may have a replacement for McDonald already on the roster. Brian Randolph is a former fan favorite at Tennessee and played both safety positions. The Rams signed him as an undrafted free agent and he was starting to gain a reputation as a violent hard hitting and hard nosed player in camp. On Hard Knocks players and coaches often reffered Randolph to that of a Rhino by simply calling him Rhino.


Randolph unfortunately had everything he worked so hard for taken a way for a year as he ended up tearing his ACL in his first NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys in preseason. The Rams weren't worried though about giving up on him. Former head coach Jeff Fisher made it known in the press conference that this was a loss and that he will be placed on injured reserve to come back and compete next season. I believe that Randolph is the ultimate sleeper this off-season. He has a new coaching staff, he's coming off an ACL tear and he never played in a regular season game. It's what Randolph possesses and shows on tape that has me believing he's going to have a future in this league.

Randolph has good size at 6-feet and he weighs almost 200 pounds. He benched 31 reps at his pro day so that shows how much core strength he has (which can easily be see on his tape). He ran a high 4.4 forty yard dash which shows up on time as well in the sense he could play as a center field safety. He showed off a solid vertical jump of 33 inches as well. Randolph is one of those players I don't know why a team didn't draft. He showed extreme leadership qualities, energy, range, tackling ability, burst, closing speed, long speed, strength and play making ability that includes how well he tracks the ball. The more I go back and watch tape I just can't understand why no one talked about him at all coming out of the draft.

Just watch his highlights below and decide for yourself. I know an ACL tear is a hard thing to come back from but this guy looks like he could be exactly what the Rams needed at safety last year.


So it seems to me as though there are pre-conceived notions on Randolph and the one team that decided to give him a chance was the Los Angeles Rams. They ended up having some serious talent in their undrafted free agent class and Randolph should be no exception to that list. He clearly had a freak injury that set him back because in college he started 53 games breaking a school record. With the new coaching staff in place expect Brian Randolph to get a fair shake in possibly filling in the safety void left by McDonald. In my personal opinion this guy is special and if given the opportunity the Rams have a diamond in the rough. Remember the name Brian Randolph.
 
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TheDYVKX

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Hm, maybe. Tough to count on an UDFA coming off an ACL tear. They'll have to address it first, and maybe he beats out whoever we bring in as competition.
 

A55VA6

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Brian Randolph was one of those guys that I thought could make the team last year and contribute during the season but ended up getting hurt. He's a good player, so I wouldn't count him out.
 

JackDRams

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Didn't he go undrafted because of numerous numb skull penalties in college? He cared more about killing people then playing smart? I could be confusing him with someone else. But that's what I remember because of that one clip where he levelled a defenseless Pharoh Cooper.
 

JKBOGEN

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Didn't he go undrafted because of numerous numb skull penalties in college? He cared more about killing people then playing smart? I could be confusing him with someone else. But that's what I remember because of that one clip where he levelled a defenseless Pharoh Cooper.
That was a bang bang play and wasn't helmet to helmet.
 

JKBOGEN

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Hm, maybe. Tough to count on an UDFA coming off an ACL tear. They'll have to address it first, and maybe he beats out whoever we bring in as competition.
I agree but I think if he stayed healthy, he would have outplayed McDonald and inserted himself into the lineup.
 

JKBOGEN

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Brian Randolph was one of those guys that I thought could make the team last year and contribute during the season but ended up getting hurt. He's a good player, so I wouldn't count him out.
Agreed! Same here I felt like he was just about to do things it sucked when he got hurt on some meaningless special teams play.
 

bwdenverram

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I can't argue for or against someone that's barely seen the field. That said, many said if JJ walked it wasn't that big of a deal.
Well, it was..

I would underestimate the value TJ brings. Not everyone brings the wood like he does. Just my opinion but he has been one of the more consistent players in the secondary, IMO.
 

JKBOGEN

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I can't argue for or against someone that's barely seen the field. That said, many said if JJ walked it wasn't that big of a deal.
Well, it was..

I would underestimate the value TJ brings. Not everyone brings the wood like he does. Just my opinion but he has been one of the more consistent players in the secondary, IMO.
He lays the wood but can't cover a college dorm mattress with a king size blanket...He just cant cover. He lets us down in the red zone. How else do you think tight ends dominate in the red zone against us.
 

BonifayRam

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Some other Strong Safeties under 2017 Ram contract besides Mo Alexander & Brian Randolph are Jerome Couplin, Marqui Christian (a rookie 5th rd pick Eagles) & Brandon Shippen.

Plus you never know where Gregg Williams last yrs starting OSLB'ers Lamarcus Joyner & Mark Barron may end up, both have earned All American awards playing strong safety for FSU & Bama in college. Sure looks like a loaded & cramped position IMO. TJ Mc Donad & his 2017 game suspensions will not be missed.

Free/Deep safety positional meeting room would be near empty during OTA's
 
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TheDYVKX

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I agree but I think if he stayed healthy, he would have outplayed McDonald and inserted himself into the lineup.

Maybe but with a new staff he's going to have to prove himself all over again. By that time we'll have brought in a starter so it won't be easy for him especially coming off an ACL.

Good thinking though
 

bwdenverram

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He lays the wood but can't cover a college dorm mattress with a king size blanket...He just cant cover. He lets us down in the red zone. How else do you think tight ends dominate in the red zone against us.

I can't say it was ALWAYS him. The scheme we ran with blitzes sometimes left people in bad spots.
Looks like we will probably find out though anyway if he leaves.
 

Merlin

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I see Randolph as a guy who will be hard pressed to win a roster spot, let alone get significant playing time.
 

OldSchool

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Loved Randolph coming out of college he was a very good Safety. First thing he's gotta do though is stay healthy then he has to convince the new coaches with his performance that he can be counted on. If he isn't healthy in OTA's he's gone.
 

JKBOGEN

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Loved Randolph coming out of college he was a very good Safety. First thing he's gotta do though is stay healthy then he has to convince the new coaches with his performance that he can be counted on. If he isn't healthy in OTA's he's gone.
I agree with that. He's healthy. I asked him and he told he is doing well at the moment. Excited to be back and wearing his new number 37 this year for the LA Rams.
 

JKBOGEN

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Maybe but with a new staff he's going to have to prove himself all over again. By that time we'll have brought in a starter so it won't be easy for him especially coming off an ACL.

Good thinking though
I think this coaching staff will give him a chance. I believe they will be good for guys like him.
 

JKBOGEN

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Some other Strong Safeties under 2017 Ram contract besides Mo Alexander & Brian Randolph are Jerome Couplin, Marqui Christian (a rookie 5th rd pick Eagles) & Brandon Shippen.

Plus you never know where Gregg Williams last yrs starting OSLB'ers Lamarcus Joyner & Mark Barron may end up, both have earned All American awards playing strong safety for FSU & Bama in college. Sure looks like a loaded & cramped position IMO. TJ Mc Donad & his 2017 game suspensions will not be missed.

Free/Deep safety positional meeting room would be near empty during OTA's
Well Randolph can be interchangeable with Mo. He hits harder than everyone besides maybe Mo. Christian is a limited in the box safety which I like having for depth. Shippen and Couplin don't do what Randolph does. I mean the only one I worry about if I'm randle is a draft pick or free agent. No one on the roster at the moment is far and away better than Randolph besides Mo.
 

JKBOGEN

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I can't say it was ALWAYS him. The scheme we ran with blitzes sometimes left people in bad spots.
Looks like we will probably find out though anyway if he leaves.
McDonald should give a hometown discount after how bad he played and his off-the-field incident. The Rams gave him a chance. Oh well he's gone time to move on.
 

jap

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I wanna see how Brian Randolph does this pre-season. When it comes to light-'em-up safeties, the Horns have had two within the past 20 years that really stood out - Toby Wright and Aeneas Williams. Talk about having a Sheriff in the secondary!, these guys were literally capable of ending careers!!! For the Horns D to be complete, we could really use thumpers at all three levels.