Bringing in Bobby Wagner gives Rams’ defense slightly altered look – NFL Nation

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — On the Los Angeles Rams‘ Tremendous Bowl parade in February, All-Professional defensive sort out Aaron Donald stood on the podium to echo coach Sean McVay’s “run it again” chant.

“We constructed a superteam,” Donald stated on the parade. “We’re gonna deliver a superteam again! Why not run it again?”

And whereas the Rams made positive they stored their core group of gamers below contract for the foreseeable future by transforming Donald’s contract and signing quarterback Matthew Stafford and large receiver Cooper Kupp to contract extensions, the protection will look a bit completely different than in Tremendous Bowl LVI.

Los Angeles hoped it may deliver again exterior linebacker Von Miller, but it surely could not compete with the six-year, $120 million contract he acquired from the Buffalo Bills. As an alternative of on the lookout for one other pass-rusher, the Rams appeared so as to add high quality in a special linebacker place with future Corridor of Fame inside linebacker Bobby Wagner.

Whereas Wagner and Miller are clearly not straight swaps by way of place or ability set — Miller is a pass-rusher with 115.5 sacks, and Wagner is a tackling machine who has averaged 138.3 per season in his 10-year profession, together with a career-high 170 final season with the Seattle Seahawks — the Rams as soon as once more added a championship-winning veteran who will deliver management to a roster that misplaced a number of key gamers to retirement or free company since that Tremendous Bowl victory.

Rookie Ernest Jones performed an enormous half at center linebacker for the Rams en path to the championship, so it did appear to be an odd match for Wagner in Los Angeles. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris stated Wagner, who ought to begin alongside Jones, continues to be “a kind of guys that may play each single down.” Morris stated the Rams are engaged on what including Wagner means for the protection, however that “all these issues will play themselves out as you get into the season and also you begin sport planning.”

“He is definitely a man that may go on the market all three downs and play each single snap of the season, and it would not shock me one bit if he was in a position to do this,” Morris stated.

McVay stated he observed that Wagner appeared “actually comfy” through the spring set up of the Rams’ protection, saying, “It is nonetheless soccer on the finish of the day, and he is acquired such a seamless approach of with the ability to construct these relationships and he is such a likable man.”

“He is actually a pleasure to speak to, to speak the protection to,” Morris stated. “Inform him the whys, the whats, the wheres, the hows. After which to get some enter from him additionally. He does an incredible job. He is been on this league for a very long time and has been an incredible presence on command and management, so I be taught stuff from him day by day as effectively. So I am actually enthusiastic about working with him.”

Throughout minicamp, Kupp talked about how “daunting” the protection is, one thing he stated will make him higher as a result of he goes up towards the unit day by day in apply. The protection has an elite participant on each stage: Donald, Wagner and cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

“Whenever you speak about who I consider are three guys which can be both locked themselves as Corridor of Famers or on monitor to take action,” Kupp stated. “And that is an unimaginable factor to have on every stage of that protection and the management that they’ve. … It is a daunting factor. I am glad it is simply apply after which we get to go towards it and apply towards it, and it’ll make issues a bit bit simpler for us.”

The Rams ranked fourth in Soccer Outsiders’ Defensive DVOA final season — third towards the cross and tenth towards the run. There may be little room for enchancment. With Wagner, although, the very best is perhaps but to come back for the Los Angeles protection.

“Whenever you’ve acquired that form of expertise all throughout the board on all ranges,” Kupp added, “and you have to embrace Flo [outside linebacker Leonard Floyd] in that blend and a few of the different guys which have performed loads of soccer for us. It is simply actually enjoyable to be round. It is actually enjoyable to get the grasp and the understanding on how we need to do issues and the way we transfer ahead each single day. In order that’s extraordinarily enjoyable to be round.”