Rams offseason analysis: Defensive linemen

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https://www.dailynews.com/2018/02/19/los-angeles-rams-offseason-analysis-defensive-linemen/

Los Angeles Rams offseason analysis: Defensive linemen
By RICH HAMMOND

Photo by Kyusung Gong

Dominique Easley pursued an ordinary running play along the sideline and never got up. Suddenly, early in training camp, the Rams’ situation along the defensive line looked bleak, and it took a while to improve.

Easley was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Star lineman Aaron Donald missed all of training camp, and the first regular-season game, because of a contract dispute. Eventually, the Rams got things together, and the line turned in a solid, but perhaps less than spectacular, season.

Donald dominated again and won NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors, but the Rams rushed the passer well, yet weren’t always stout against the run.

Donald’s contract remains the major issue going forward, but should the Rams make other changes? As part of an ongoing series, here’s an in-depth glance at the Rams’ situation on the defensive line:

2017 STARTERS: Aaron Donald (41 tackles, 11.0 sacks, five forced fumbles), Michael Brockers (55 tackles, 4.5 sacks), Ethan Westbrooks (23 tackles, 4.0 sacks).

RESERVES: Tanzel Smart (14 tackles), Morgan Fox (19 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble), Tyrunn Walker (22 tackles, 1.0 sack, one forced fumble), Dominique Easley (injured all season).

PENDING FREE AGENTS: Easley, Walker.

GRADING 2017

First, some clarification. Because the Rams switched to Wade Phillips’ 3-4 defense, players like Robert Quinn and Connor Barwin weren’t considered linemen, even though most of their time was spent close to the line of scrimmage.

Donald would get a grade higher than “A,” if one existed. After he returned from his holdout, it took a couple games to get back into dominant form, but he finished with 11 sacks and became the first interior lineman to win Defensive Player of the Year honors since Warren Sapp in 1999.

Brockers enjoyed something of a breakout season, as he totaled 4.5 sacks a year after he recorded zero. Brockers also had a career-high 55 tackles. Ethan Westbrooks had something of a slow start but played his way into a starting role by the end of the season.

The Rams struggled to find the correct answer in the middle, though. Brockers spent some time at nose tackle, as did Smart and Walker, but there didn’t seem to be a great fit and opponents ran for 4.7 yards per carry against the Rams, the second-highest average in the NFL. GRADE: B

ANALYZING 2018

Donald’s contract situation looms, but mostly as a locker-room situation. The Rams technically could keep Donald through the 2021 season by using franchise tags, but that would get very expensive and likely would risk the alienation of their top player and perhaps damage relationships with other players.

Donald could skip the Rams’ optional offseason program, but in any scenario, he’s unlikely to miss much of training camp (if any) because he would risk losing his (pending) free-agent status next year.

So, Donald will be there, and Brockers seems to be an excellent complement if the Rams can keep him at end on the other side. The Rams also could choose to bring back Easley, who played well in 2016.

The question is what to do in the middle. The Rams could look to the draft or free agency, or give another chance to Smart, a sixth-round draft pick last year who was given a role that was larger than expected and, not surprisingly, was inconsistent.

The Rams need stouter play at nose tackle in order to improve their run defense, but with Smart and Brockers and a possible addition, they should be able to figure it out. LEVEL OF NEED: LOW

 

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View: https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/966757232711905280

 

[Riverumbbq]

I would actually measure the 'level of need' at medium for a NT. The Rams are cluttered with reserve pass rushers, we need a solid rush defender in the line-up, whether as a starter or as a rotational player, ... preferably a new starter would be a good balance between the two skillsets, and finding the right player could easily allow us to trim the DLine depth chart by 2 current players, allowing us to fill other depth needs elsewhere. Currently, his health permitting, I've got Easley, penciled in behind Brockers, and Westbrooks penciled in behind Donald and whoever our new starting NT happens to become. There will be a real battle for those last potential job/s between Walker, Smart, Fox, & Omarius Bryant. jmo.

 

[fanotodd]

I liked what I saw from Walker (though limited) and Smart may have been inconsistent, but he showed signs to warrant some optimism. The Rams could draft somebody on the 3rd day or just pickup a second tier rotational guy off cuts/FA.

I was more concerned about LB play in the run game. OTree is a monster running down plays, but he has always had trouble shedding blockers. That's tough for any LB, but if you read fast enough, you can avoid some of it. Barron, I felt, has always been too small to handle being targeted in the run game. He's a solid player, but if a blocker is specifically coming for him on a given play...no bueno.

Then there's Littleton. A personal favorite of mine who is finally getting a chance to get on the field. I always liked the idea of him on the outside, but he was called upon to fill in for the injured Barron. His inexperience showed, but so did his size and speed. Is he the answer? I have a feeling we are gonna get the chance to see.

As for the DL in general, it wasn't as deep as it has been in the past, but that was to be expected. Depth is a concern but nothing over which to panic.

 

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View: http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Rams-Positional-Outlook-Defensive-Line/1318df13-433c-4764-b7c3-d95b7bf5c8df

Rams Positional Outlook: Defensive Line
Kristen Lago

DEFENSIVE LINE

DT | Aaron Donald *^

— Team-leading 11.0 sacks and 16 tackles for loss | League-leading 91 quarterback pressures | Five forced fumbles and one fumble recovery | AP Defensive Player of the Year

DE | Michael Brockers

— 65 total tackles | Eight tackles for loss | 4.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits

DT | Tyrunn Walker

— 25 total tackles | Two tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks | Four pass breakups | One forced fumble

DT | Ethan Westbrooks

— 28 total tackles | Seven tackles for loss | 4.0 sacks and five quarterback hits

DT | Tanzel Smart

— 18 total tackles | One quarterback hit and one pass breakup

DT | Dominique Easley

— Tore his ACL during training camp and spent the entire season on Injured Reserve

DT | Omarius Bryant

— Signed a futures contract with the Rams in January

*Pro Bowl

^All-Pro

ANY FREE AGENTS?

Easley and Walker are set to become unrestricted free agents on March 14 at the start of the new league year.

LOOK BACK, LOOK AHEAD

Entering training camp, many outside of the building believed the Rams’ starting front would be comprised of Easley, Brockers and Donald. With defensive end Robert Quinn transitioning to outside linebacker, Easley seemed like the obvious choice to complement both traditional starters.

But after tearing his ACL early in training camp, Easley was placed on the Injured Reserve list and coordinator Wade Phillips was forced to tweak his defensive line rotation.

Brockers started out the year as the club’s nose tackle, but was moved to the outside during the Rams’ Week 4 contest against the Cowboys. The LSU product took full advantage of the added space, making many standout plays throughout the season. That move allowed Brockers to showcase his pass-rushing ability, recording 4.5 sacks in 2017 after totaling zero in 2016.

Finding a replacement for Brockers in the middle, however, proved to be a bit of a struggle for the Rams. Walker and Smart both spent time at nose tackle and became key rotational pieces for the unit. Westbrooks was also a key part of the rotation at nose tackle,starting nine game for the franchise this year.

Finally, Donald once again proved why he is widely considered the best interior lineman in the NFL — recording a team leading 11.0 sacks and a league-leading 91 quarterback pressures. His phenomenal campaign earned him his fourth-consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl, third All-Pro designation, and first AP Defensive Player of the Year award.

Donald’s pending contract negotiations will remain a priority for L.A. at defensive line moving forward. But the fourth-year pro still has one more year remaining before he will officially hit free agency in 2019.