Do They Really Need an Edge?

[oldnotdead]

Maybe not.

Wide 9: Floyd
3T: Gaines
1T: Robinson
5T: Donald / Lewis

LBs Wagner, Jones, and Hollins.

They have played AD outside on many snaps in his career. He has the quickness and strength to play anywhere on the DL including edge. Gaines gets good penetration inside. Robinson isn't a pass rusher, but they won't go anywhere if it's a draw. Now add in the wildcard called Wagner. If the offense over commits anywhere on the DL, you give Wagner the option to blitz. With Robinson and Jones, Morris has the interior gaps covered should it be a run.

That is a formidable base front 7 to run or pass against. With AD outside it's going to be really tough to double him. Everyone on the front 4 is stout at the POA against the run. They have power and speed on the edges. The LBs are solid in coverage. This front 7 will allow Morris to really mix his coverages up on the back end. Hollins would be the rotational LB in the nickel.

They probably already have one of the best edges in the NFL in Donald. We have seen how good Gaines can be when they turn him loose. I'm not so sure anymore that they really need an edge. Lewis will allow Morris to continue to shift AD back inside, but what if they simply roll with Gaines, Robinson/Brown inside, and Floyd and Donald on the edges?

I think it's time for Lewis to be the player they expected when they drafted him. Lewis needs to do more than flash. He played 48% of the snaps and had 3 sacks, 7 pressures, and 4 hurries. But his role with Von playing ahead of him was more of a blitzing LB. It's time for Lewis to show he can be that every-down edge. But until he does AD is as good of an edge option as the Rams could want.

 

[PARAM]

Do they really need an edge? No. If they can get one cheap, grab him. If they can draft a guy to develop, draft him. But do they absolutely need an edge? No.

Losing Von Miller has made many Ram fan think, they have to replace him. He was a "plus". An extra added piece for our defense. You don't have to replace an extra added piece or a plus.

Would they have won the SB without him? The easy answer is "no". But is it the truth? No way to tell.

 

[OldSchool]

Simple answer is yes it's obvious we do when you lose Von and don't have anybody to step into his role. Can we get by with out one? Maybe.

Also throw into account the Rams under Sneads tendency to draft a year ahead of need. Lewis hasn't proven he can stay on the field since being drafted and Hollins is a free agent next year when Lewis will be going into the 3rd year of his 4 year rookie contract. I'd wager the Rams draft at least one if not two edges and try to add potentially add a vet most likely the vet at the trade deadline at the latest. A team chasing back to back Lombardi's doesn't go into a season depending on Hollins and Lewis.

 

[Loyal]

Simple answer is yes it's obvious we do when you lose Von and don't have anybody to step into his role. Can we get by with out one? Maybe.

Also throw into account the Rams under Sneads tendency to draft a year ahead of need. Lewis hasn't proven he can stay on the field since being drafted and Hollins is a free agent next year when Lewis will be going into the 3rd year of his 4 year rookie contract. I'd wager the Rams draft at least one if not two edges and try to add potentially add a vet most likely the vet at the trade deadline at the latest. A team chasing back to back Lombardi's doesn't go into a season depending on Hollins and Lewis.

OldSchool is a Von 'truther!"

 

[OldSchool]

OldSchool is a Von 'truther!"

 

[MachS]

 

[Memento]

Yes, they do, and if the mock draft in ROD is correct, I can think of one option with our comp pick: Nic Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma. He's undersized (240 lbs.), but he's extremely athletic, able to act as a QB spy, and he's incredibly instinctive.

 

[Riverumbbq]

The way I'm looking at it, only a quality veteran free agent, whether by trade or as a post draft CAP Casualty, is likely to give us the results garnered when we tapped Von Miller. Lightning very rarely strikes twice in the same manner, although having someone who can learn our system fairly quickly and step in for an injured player would be good to have around. Losing two OLB'ers in Von Miller & Okoronkwo in free agency has me expecting two replacements, one a vet and the other a developmental player who is likely to compete with last years late 7'th round draft pick, Chris Garrett. It's not a position I'm as concerned about as some others around here, we'll be fine imo. As mentioned earlier, the Rams managed a 7-2 record prior to Von Miller becoming a factor last year.

 

[PhillyRam]

Yes, they do, and if the mock draft in ROD is correct, I can think of one option with our comp pick: Nic Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma. He's undersized (240 lbs.), but he's extremely athletic, able to act as a QB spy, and he's incredibly instinctive.

Would likely have to move up 15 or more spots to get him. I like him as well.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

This years class is full of projects at edge rusher. So they won't be able to find anyone with veteran instinct ready to play like Von via the draft. Its rare to find a young player that is good at playing the run, rushing the QB, and playing screens. The only way they do that is with a veteran.

 

[oldnotdead]

Which is why of all the vets which might be acquired is Hunter. He's only 27 so they can give him a full contract. He would be a worthy successor to Von. But other than that they aren't going to pick up a plug n play edge in the mid rounds. I can see them offering Hollins in a trade with the Vikings. They get a vet pass rusher with a low cap of less than $1M.

Other than something like that I think they will roll with who they have.

 

[PARAM]

We must realize, though there seems to always be a surprise acquisition from these guys (Suh, Floyd, Miller, OBJ, Robinson, Wagner) it doesn't happen everytime. They're not magicians. Many Ram fans expect a vet edge replacement and that just might not happen. Maybe Wagner is the vet replacement for Miller, albeit at another position. Sure, Hunter or Clowney or Ingram or any big name would be great but do we really NEED that and should we EXPECT it? I think they've done damn well replacing some of our losses. Better than most defending champs do.

Noteboom for Whit
Robinson for Woods
Wagner for Miller

hopefully OBJ for OBJ

Corbett? Mundt? SJD? DWill? Maybe not the big losses we perceive them to be. In house, the draft or post draft free agents might fill those slots. Do we really need an Edge? We have Floyd, Garrett, Hollins and TLew. None are a in the twilight of their Superbowl Championship career and will serve as inspiration to AD, Floyd and the rest, but so what? They don't "need" that anymore.

But I guess it never hurts to dream big.

 

[CGI_Ram]

There are a lot of creative solutions along our DL. @oldnotdead yes, with Gaines and Robinson, we can use Donald more outside-ish. See what the existing young guys add too.

We probably add 2 in the draft, maybe more counting UDFA.

As the season gets going, we will look at teams that are falling back and their 2023 Free Agents. That’s how we got Von and why Beckham became available. So if there is some cap jam… lets save some for that market too. We might need to patch something up.

The Rams understand team building is a long game to play. We are building up until the end of the trade window.

 

[PARAM]

The Rams understand team building is a long game to play. We are building up until the end of the trade window.

Ding. Ding. Ding. But in our world of instant gratification, we want everything....now. Von Miller didn't make us a Superbowl team. We were already that. He made Dinald more vocal and that may have meant more to our success than VM's play. NEWSFLASH. We're still a Superbowl team. Today.

 

[So Ram]

Ding. Ding. Ding. But in our world of instant gratification, we want everything....now. Von Miller didn't make us a Superbowl team. We were already that. He made Dinald more vocal and that may have meant more to our success than VM's play. NEWSFLASH. We're still a Superbowl team. Today.

I would not shirt change what Von Miller did as a Ram. His play was at the ULTIMATE.
Now if your talking Eric Weedle & what he meant to The Rams,I’d say just about as much.Nick Scott really showed confidence & trusted the play calls allowing him to play more Free.
The Rams have the same Edge guys as last season. It was the inexperience & health that held those players back.
I expect Big Time improvement from Hollins,Garrett, & T. Lewis. Adding another young player will also be in the cards.Lawler & OBo both were ascending players who knew the defense.Those players were hurt as well.
Hollins In Training Camp was the Best of the group. I expect him to play at a high level with Floyd.

 

[FrantikRam]

Most teams won't even have a combo as good as AD and Floyd.

We do not need another.

And remember that Hollins was playing well prior to getting injured last year. It makes sense to draft one to help replace Obo, but at this point I doubt we will see a replacement for Von.

I also think adding Wagner can unlock some of Hollins versatility - he can cover a little, so we can get pretty creative out of a classic 3-4 look. Jones was such a phenomenal blitzer and Wagner is good at it too

 

[tempests]

Von Miller didn't make us a Superbowl team. We were already that. He made Dinald more vocal and that may have meant more to our success than VM's play.

I don't know. November was pretty rough. I wasn't even sure the Rams would win their division, let alone go anywhere in the playoffs.

Our pass rush, strong run defense and being lights out on 3rd down helped carry us through the playoffs, especially when the offense was struggling. And Von Miller was a major contributor to all those areas. 14 TFLs and nine sacks in his last eight games with us, including the playoffs. IMO we haven't had such a disruptive presence, and positive impactor off the edge since Robert Quinn (2013-2014).

We're probably not replacing him but Miller gave us a championship level defensive front, and he particularly tormented Tampa Bay and Cincinnati in the playoffs. I'm good with the Rams adding pass rushers, to get through the NFL's postseason tournament and the potential top offenses and QBs they might face.

 

[bubbaramfan]

ROD members will shift their angst from LB Reeder to DE Hollins, Lewis and Garrett this coming season.

Ram shift their weakest position from LB to edge.

Gotta leave folks something to bitch about.

 

[ottoman89]

ROD members will shift their angst from LB Reeder to DE Hollins, Lewis and Garrett this coming season.

Ram shift their weakest position from LB to edge.

Gotta leave folks something to bitch about.

Hollins is a real solid, rotational piece to me. You can do worse than him, but also better. Reminds me of Morgan Fox, perhaps a lesser Morgan Fox.

Lewis has shown he can play and make plays, BUT, his health is what worries me the most. If he didn't have health issues, he probably would've been drafted in R1.

Garrett is a small school project, he certainly made a great impression during preseason, but he's a project at this point.

I just don't feel like there starting material.

 

[BonifayRam]

Yes & yes. No idea just what DC Morris has in mind for his 2022 defense now that he has a decade-long all-pro play-making 43 D MLB'er in his hands.

DC Morris's professional coaching resume experience has been far more 43 D than 34 D. Last season Morris leaned heavily on his EDGE defenders to make the winning plays for him.

The 2022 defensive roster is filled in with outstanding blend of talent in the interior DL & ILB units.

The edges are where the big concerns with emaciated talent (outside of Floyd) are in the front seven.