LB Depth Chart?

[Ram Ts]

I think it’s almost a sure thing they trade down from one of 52 or 57. Whether that means getting another 3/4th round pick or maneuvering up from one of our current 3/4th picks.

I have a feeling Baun will drop and could possibly be there at 52. Definitely some good pieces will drop to 52 - might be WR, OT, Ruiz, other or some combination. Just depends on what Snead/Mcvay want. We have our opinions but we honestly have no idea what they are thinking and whom they value more.

 

[Kevin]

Was it Baun who tested positive for a diluted sample? He is hiding something and could slip to mid or late second round.
I hope we draft a safety in the second round. After JJ and Rapp, we have Gervase and Scott and nobody else.

 

[BonifayRam]

I need to remind myself that DC Brandon Staley will be seeking OLB/ILB'ers who will be able to make his New Defense operate.

Therefore, Staley is sure to be asking Snead & McVay to concentrate on drafting LB'ers that have great versatility with skills & abilities for him to run his DISGUISED Defensive scheme he was hired to run. A defender like Isaiah Simmons is the perfect got to have, but he is a sure top 10 pick.

I do think that Staley has a few already in Howard, Young, Holland & Patrick that might work well enough.

 

[Memento]

I have high hopes for Jachai Polite and Jeff Holland, in particular. They could be fearsome pass-rushers if given a chance, to go along with Leonard Floyd, Samson Ebukam, and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.

Love Travin Howard's skillset; I think he could end up being the next Littleton, in that he's starring on teams before becoming a solid starter.

Natrez Patrick and Micah Kiser are interesting; I think both of them could establish themselves as, at least, special teams and sub-package players, maybe? Not sure if they're starters, but I like both of them.

Not as high on Kenny Young; I think he's the odd-man out. He was benched in Baltimore and here, so I don't know how much value he has in a trade. I'd try to deal him to a team like Washington, where they have serious linebacker issues, for a third day pick.
.
Reeder is someone I hope that he's not on the team next year. No offense to the guy, but he's an awful starter, and didn't flash on teams either. I couldn't understand why Wade kept trotting him out.

 

[simonblaze]

I need to remind myself that DC Brandon Staley will be seeking OLB/ILB'ers who will be able to make his New Defense operate.

Therefore, Staley is sure to be asking Snead & McVay to concentrate on drafting LB'ers that have great versatility with skills & abilities for him to run his DISGUISED Defensive scheme he was hired to run. A defender like Isaiah Simmons is the perfect got to have, but he is a sure top 10 pick.

I do think that Staley has a few already in Howard, Young, Holland & Patrick that might work well enough.

I think Josh Uche can be his Dont'a Hightower (Blitzing over guard/Edge)...

 

[BonifayRam]

I have high hopes for Jachai Polite and Jeff Holland, in particular. They could be fearsome pass-rushers if given a chance, to go along with Leonard Floyd, Samson Ebukam, and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.

Love Travin Howard's skillset; I think he could end up being the next Littleton, in that he's starring on teams before becoming a solid starter.

Natrez Patrick and Micah Kiser are interesting; I think both of them could establish themselves as, at least, special teams and sub-package players, maybe? Not sure if they're starters, but I like both of them.

Not as high on Kenny Young; I think he's the odd-man out. He was benched in Baltimore and here, so I don't know how much value he has in a trade. I'd try to deal him to a team like Washington, where they have serious linebacker issues, for a third day pick.
.
Reeder is someone I hope that he's not on the team next year. No offense to the guy, but he's an awful starter, and didn't flash on teams either. I couldn't understand why Wade kept trotting him out.

Og Okoronkwo is primarily a pass rusher & more DL'er mentality than LB'er IMO. Not so positive he will have a major role as a full time LB'er as I originally thought. But I am positive he will draw a ton of attention if he is in on passing downs. I believe he could take up the Brockers post on probable passing down & be very good @ it.

If we look back @ the later half of 2019 we will see Travin Howard playing more & more in the Littleton post. TH is one reasons the Rams let CL go without much thought. Unless the Rams draft a truly talented ILB'er like Pat Queen or Ken Murray, TH will be our starting move ILB'er this season.

Samson Ebukam will have a very big season!

My position on why we saw Troy Reeder on the field so much last season is he made the hard tackles that no other Ram LB'er could. Reader was mostly a strong side OLB'er in a 43 D in college. Remarkable that as a UDFA rookie he could come into the NFL & start so many games @ ILB'er for 34 D team just fresh from playing the SB. TR is very smart, tough & will give you what he has on the field.

When you review the TR's 2019 season you will find a much better LB'er there than you think. TR just made tackles & tackles. Most of us all recall the many times when he was forced to cover RB's & TE's on passing plays where he was beat badly....much of that was due to Wade's placing him in a very bad position in his called defense. TR had more total tackles more solo tackles & 2 forced fumbles no other Ram lb'er on this roster now came close to that.

 

[Rams43]

About our ILB and OLB situations...

On the one hand, we all see players at each position that MAY be able to step up and be quality starters.

But on the other hand, I think we all fear that they may be imposters when the real bullets start flying and by then it’s too late.

I, for one, sure hope to see drafted players at those 2 positions come Day 2.

 

[LA_Rams_#29]

Our depth chart at ILB is fucking hideous for a contender. We need talent badly. All the unicorns and rainbows we throw out about thinking this guy or that guy will magically develop into a top ILB for us aren't gonna mean a thing when these guys get into camp and there aren't enough pieces to do what Staley wants to do. He was brought in to give us varied fronts and looks vs different opponents. And right now both the ILB and OLB positions are so poorly stocked there is zero chance he'll be able to do that year one.

So for me the question is when in the draft not if they'll address it.

Also one thing that is missing from so many LB prospects nowadays is what the Rams so badly need: physicality. Some guys simply are not wired to decisively fill holes, stack blockers and try to make the play. Most in fact tend to try to run around the blockers or in the case of the coverage types like Littleton they actively avoid the contact. So what I look for in these guys is what I call "pop" or an ability to shock the lineman with arm technique without getting wired to them. That plus the mentality to fill your run fit is crucial and I guarantee you are two things that Staley has on his list of elements he wants in ILBs.

One other thing I think Staley is going to want from these guys is flexibility. An ability to move around and play different fronts/looks for a given opponent will be extremely desirable, and IMO will make guys like Baun (edge rusher who is decisive off ball but probably not on the board come 52) or Uche (edge who is comfortable in space off ball with physicality you want in this scheme) very attractive to the Rams. Hitting on a LB who can do a bit of both would be very nice for our new DC.

Lastly when I look at the ILB possibilities vs the Edge types Edge is probably going to be prioritized. Why? Because we need OLB too and the talent level options at OLB will likely trump ILB at both 52 and 57. For example even if we drop down a bit do you want to take Okwara and fill the Edge roster with a guy who can run outside technique for us on the blindside as a rookie, or take an ILB who has some holes in his game. Barring a situation where a guy like Murray drops to us, that is what we're looking at IMO. So I agree that it's most likely we see ILB addressed round 3 or 4 range.

We have a lot of guys at ILB. I mean 4 or 5 young guys with some talent. We "developed" Cory Littleton, a late round pick into close to a pro bowl guy. We may add another ILB in the draft but I'm not sure we should be adding a 6th guy to compete with the ILBs we already have if we feel like we have a group that will work for us going forward.

 

[BonifayRam]

About our ILB and OLB situations...

On the one hand, we all see players at each position that MAY be able to step up and be quality starters.

But on the other hand, I think we all fear that they may be imposters when the real bullets start flying and by then it’s too late.

I, for one, sure hope to see drafted players at those 2 positions come Day 2.

It would not be unlikely Rams43 would it?

Normally 34 D ILB'ers are not real quick to come off the draft boards. I would expect this to be true in this draft. Its normal for a few elite ILB'ers like Simmons or Queen will be gone quickly by the mid 2nd rds. But there are other very good 34 D ILB'ers can be had @ bargain priced costs in mid rounds where the Rams 2020 best draft value is located. Same can be said on RB's & OC's. Rams have to be shopping for bargains @ RB's, OC's & ILB'ers. These position should be there for Snead to snatch up on Friday evening.

We have a lot of guys at ILB. I mean 4 or 5 young guys with some talent. We "developed" Cory Littleton, a late round pick into close to a pro bowl guy. We may add another ILB in the draft but I'm not sure we should be adding a 6th guy to compete with the ILBs we already have if we feel like we have a group that will work for us going forward.

I fully agree with you. Plus the 2nd listed starter @ ILB'er is really a part-time starter too.

Rams certainly have a very young LB'er unit overall. Rams have 10 OLB/ILB'ers under contract. Seven of the ten have 1 yr or less of NFL experience. Our entire LB'ing unit average 1.5 yrs of NFL experience. Our two starting OLB'ers (Floyd/Ebukam) have 4 & 3 yrs NFL experience. Many of these Ram LB'ers have unanswered questions & have yet had the opportunity to get on the field with the starting defense. Rams have more than met the quantity requirement but do have a need for a prized ILB & OLB to upgrade these units to replace Littleton & Fowler.

 

[Merlin]

We have a lot of guys at ILB. I mean 4 or 5 young guys with some talent. We "developed" Cory Littleton, a late round pick into close to a pro bowl guy. We may add another ILB in the draft but I'm not sure we should be adding a 6th guy to compete with the ILBs we already have if we feel like we have a group that will work for us going forward.

I don't care if we have a thousand guys if their talent level and game doesn't translate to what our new DC requires. The name of the game for the GMs is to load a roster the coaches can use to win games. Rams don't have that right now at LB and it's not just ILB but OLB as well. It is the LB group as a whole across the board. Maybe a guy like Oko makes big strides and proves he can stay healthy, sure. But you can't plan for miracles you have to see a subpar group for what it is and recognize the need to improve it. Our current LB corps is mostly depth players.

We know what the Fangio scheme is, and that he uses a lot of zone with his LBs. Even his OLBs do a good share of dropping to help cover weaknesses like short area assist on the slot for example. He'll man guys up but you can see his preference with his safety positioning whether you're looking at his defenses from ten years ago or last year. Put on tape of Chicago and watch Floyd. He will drop quite a bit and is very good at undercutting slot routes to deter the QB from making the throw.

Fangio ILBs are bigger too, and more physical. He doesn't just want safety types who cover well but who halfass the run game. He wants physical guys who fill hard and you can get away with that in a 3-4 defense because they're splitting the area a MIKE covers solo. His ILBs do need to be good at drops though, and reacting instinctively.

And I'll close once again by saying Corey Littleton is one of the most overrated players in the league among fans. He has a skill set he is good at. But he is no "pro bowl guy" at ILB. No way in hell. We will see if he can be a pro bowl guy at WILL though, and I think that has a chance of happening in Vegas.

 

[Soul Surfer]

I have high hopes for Jachai Polite and Jeff Holland, in particular. They could be fearsome pass-rushers if given a chance, to go along with Leonard Floyd, Samson Ebukam, and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.

What is it that you see in Jeff Holland that four other teams didn't see before he signed with us?

 

[Kevin]

Its the position coaches responsibility to evaluate the players they have on the roster and they have been doing that leading up to the draft. We will see very soon whether the Rams dump half a dozen linebackers who have been on the team for a couple of years in favor of some college boys who might fit our defense.

 

[LA_Rams_#29]

I don't care if we have a thousand guys if their talent level and game doesn't translate to what our new DC requires. The name of the game for the GMs is to load a roster the coaches can use to win games. Rams don't have that right now at LB and it's not just ILB but OLB as well. It is the LB group as a whole across the board. Maybe a guy like Oko makes big strides and proves he can stay healthy, sure. But you can't plan for miracles you have to see a subpar group for what it is and recognize the need to improve it. Our current LB corps is mostly depth players.

Getting talented players and developing them into contributing starters isn't "hoping for a miracle". It's actually how things are supposed to work. It's a formula that has worked for us, and thus there's no reason for us to do anything different. The OLBs and ILBs we currently have on our roster are a young talented group. Outside of a couple of guys, they represent an unproven group, but it's not like aren't guys that coming into the league weren't looked at as talented prospects.

We know what the Fangio scheme is, and that he uses a lot of zone with his LBs. Even his OLBs do a good share of dropping to help cover weaknesses like short area assist on the slot for example. He'll man guys up but you can see his preference with his safety positioning whether you're looking at his defenses from ten years ago or last year. Put on tape of Chicago and watch Floyd. He will drop quite a bit and is very good at undercutting slot routes to deter the QB from making the throw.

Yes, we do know what Fangio's scheme is. So thus we can assume what Staley's scheme will be. Here's the thing though. Staley knew what group of LBs we had when he agreed to become our DC. Since he's been our DC we haven't let go of ANY of our young OLBs or ILBs. We've lost 3 in Littleton, Fowler and Mathews and we've brought in one of Staley/Fangio's former guys in Floyd. But again, we didn't cut, or trade ANY of our young LBs. That tells me that Staley, McVay, and Snead are happy with our young group. Again, Staley saw what our depth chart is currently, he signed on with us, and we haven't gotten rid of any of our young guys since. McVay and Staley did a lot of collaborating and analyzing of our roster before he was officially announced as our new DC (I remember seeing a story about that). My take would be that if Staley felt that we didn't have the pieces he could make his defense work with, concerning the LBs, we would have let some guys go, and/or signed some other guys.

Fangio ILBs are bigger too, and more physical. He doesn't just want safety types who cover well but who halfass the run game. He wants physical guys who fill hard and you can get away with that in a 3-4 defense because they're splitting the area a MIKE covers solo. His ILBs do need to be good at drops though, and reacting instinctively.

Fangio isn't our DC though. Staley knew the guys we had to build with and those guys are still on the roster today. As far as bigger ILBs, Micah Kiser and Troy Reeder are stout IlBs, and if we move Natrez Patrick back to ILB he's a bigger guy as well. Travin Howard and Kenny Young are smaller faster ILBs, but that group of 4 or 5 guys would provide Staley with some options and flexibility to make adjustments. McVay stated he wants his defense make more adjustments and be less scheme stringent than we were under Wade. Staley has a versatile group to do that.

And I'll close once again by saying Corey Littleton is one of the most overrated players in the league among fans. He has a skill set he is good at. But he is no "pro bowl guy" at ILB. No way in hell. We will see if he can be a pro bowl guy at WILL though, and I think that has a chance of happening in Vegas.

Fans may have liked Corey Littleton, but his rating in the league was based on his stats. Top 10 LB in tackles, assists, INTs and forced fumbles. PFF rating of 78.9 and he's been considered one of the underrated LBs around the league for the last 2 years. Again, I wouldn't have overpaid for him, but I'd also say that there's a reason why Snead and McVay were talking up the other ILBs even before Littleton signed with the Raiders. They are confident in the guys we have on the roster, and the moves, or lack of moves since Staley has signed on tells me he's on board with them too.

I do think we will use 1 of our 1st 4 picks on a LB, my guess would be an OLB though. I just see other spots for us where we should place a priority earlier in the draft, like OL and RB.

 

[Memento]

What is it that you see in Jeff Holland that four other teams didn't see before he signed with us?

I see a solid pass-rusher who knows how to string together numerous moves as well as set the edge versus the run.

 

[dang]

There’s no getting around it. the Rams need a run stuffing hard hitting ILB to man one if the posts. I have no idea if Kiser is that guy but I’d bring in another vet or sure fire rook to shore it up.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Getting talented players and developing them into contributing starters isn't "hoping for a miracle". It's actually how things are supposed to work.

really, is there anything else that needs to be said?

.

 

[Soul Surfer]

I see a solid pass-rusher who knows how to string together numerous moves as well as set the edge versus the run.

That would be awesome.

But you have to wonder why he was just a udfa and has been released by four other teams sometimes within days of signing with them.

Hopefully, you are correct.
Hopefully, our defensive line can provide some opportunities for him to get to the quarterback.

 

[BonifayRam]

Obo Okoronkwo ready for 2020 season: 'In the best shape of my life'

The third-year pass rusher is ready to break out.

theramswire.usatoday.com

View: https://twitter.com/OgboOkoronkwo/status/1245147116072308736


View: https://twitter.com/OgboOkoronkwo/status/1243621480174419970

 

[BonifayRam]

I think Josh Uche can be his Dont'a Hightower (Blitzing over guard/Edge)...

Yes, Josh looks like an outstanding Ram prospect to be considering. From what I have been able to find he is a 34 D defender. I would hope Josh would be there when our first 3rd rd pick is on the clock #84.

Underrated Players in the 2020 NFL Draft
View: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2887526-the-most-underrated-players-in-the-2020-nfl-draft

Josh Uche, EDGE, Michigan
Usually, teams would be all over an edge-rusher like Josh Uche. Uche has it all. A big-name school like Michigan. A great frame (6'1", 245 pounds) and athletic profile. An ability to create the kind of pressure we don't see often in today's NFL.

Despite these facts, Uche has generated little buzz. Over at TDN's rankings, he sits as the No. 70 overall prospect. Perplexingly, he lands as the ninth-ranked edge behind names like Florida's Jonathan Greenard.

It has been a strange draft process for Uche, whose biggest knock seems to be that he lacks meaningful experience, but Lance Zierlein of NFL.com grades him as a player who will start in Year 1 or 2, and ESPN's Louis Riddick pointed out how there are "so many things [Uche] can do on all three downs. Perfect skill set for today’s game. Perfect!"

Edge-rushers were always going to have a hard time standing out in a class led by Chase Young. With Uche, though, it sounds like a team that emphasizes his moldable, elite skill set and shrugs off his lack of experience will find a steal.

 

[So Ram]

I need to remind myself that DC Brandon Staley will be seeking OLB/ILB'ers who will be able to make his New Defense operate.

Therefore, Staley is sure to be asking Snead & McVay to concentrate on drafting LB'ers that have great versatility with skills & abilities for him to run his DISGUISED Defensive scheme he was hired to run. A defender like Isaiah Simmons is the perfect got to have, but he is a sure top 10 pick.

I do think that Staley has a few already in Howard, Young, Holland & Patrick that might work well enough.

Then maybe the LBer from TT ?