A fellow member who posted above me asked who was our new PS LB'er
Randall Johnson....
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/profiles/randell-johnson?id=2549915
http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/9705/randell-johnson
UDFA rookie LB'er
Nic Grigsby had a real good pre season from what I saw. I was under the impression he looked better in pre season than Josh Forrest who just turned out like a very good future starting SSLB'er for this team. Grigsby is a dinky Lb'er & sure does not look like a replacement for our lost SSLB'er but Gregg Williams is not normal :alien: he has a midget starting there now who is 5-8 & 184 pounds.
The new resigning of CB
Steve Williams is nothing but an example of a late season
"Stop Gap" player for the remaining of the season. Truth is Steve is a poor covering corner who gets beat like a drum each & every time he is tested. Its scary that the Rams had to dig him back up. He was cut twice this season by the Chargers & they have more serious issues ongoing @ corner than the Rams do.
UDFA rookie
Mike Jordan has finally moved up from the PS where he has lurked all this season. I like what I saw in pre season from Jordan he looked like a deep/free safety to me due to speed limitations (4.65 in the 40 :eek: ) but does not fit the Gregg Williams safety profile to get any considerations here at that post. Jordan might have a future here as a Ram in 2017 as the 5th Corner on the roster....might but being absent of any deep speed into a Ram CB cadre that already lacks deep speed should make Jordan an early release in 2017 pre season.
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2016/profiles/mike-jordan?id=2556196
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article72034112.html
Now onto
Troy Hill who was a excellent find late last season & for awhile this season for this Ram team but as normal for Hill the wheels came off. History has a way of repeating itself with people who have life issues in putting several back to back good decision together followed by one big bad one. TH has the look of issues with life decisions not football decisions.
TH has a good future ahead of him in the NFL if he was able to manage to take control of himself before he flushes himself down the crapper to end his positive prospective NFL profession. Sad to post most of these younger not fully grown in brains end up in the septic. Now the Ram Org. has placed TH over the toilet bowl here by replacing him back on the PS in hopes TH will muster something deep down in himself to save his carrier that's dangling over the swirling bowl. Talent & ability wise I have seen enough of this young corner to already rate Troy Hill as our 2nd best outside corner even at this young age over such known other corners as Lamarcus Joyner & the slower EJ Gaines. Hill is not a speedster with a 40 time around 4.52 to 4.55 in the 40 but was the Rams fastest outside CB & that's not saying much.
Bottom Line: The Rams Corner Cadre:
Trumaine Johnson
Steve Williams
EJ Gaines
Lamarcus Joyner
Mike Jordan
....IMO has the future look of a mess early next year with possibility of our best CB Trumaine Johnson signing elsewhere like Jenkins did in 2016 free Agency. Johnson is going to cost over 14 million a yr from this point out. But tall large lanky corners are hard to find. (Johnson best 40 coming out of college was 4.61 sec.) Our current starting SSLB'er & 3rd outside corner Lamarcus Joyner is still trying to develop a few coverage skills to go with his great
run defensive talents. LJ did run the fastest 40 of all Ram corners when he came out of college being timed consistently @ 4.55 sec in the 40. But that's not saying very much.
The Rams other starting corner EJ Gaines frantically trying to recover the very average speed (4.59 in the 40 coming out of college) he did have before the injury so he might be able to stay with a few outside WR's a few steps further before he looses sight of them. EJ status currently looks grim as the entire NFL has discovered & is fully aware that EJ has lost what little deep speed & some quickness when he was a rookie. EJ can still be decent @ times in coverage but is trending to be a liability as the season wears on. EJ best post in 2017 IMO would be as the Nickle corner or a 4th outside relief corner nothing more.