The Los Angeles Rams came into this offseason with a handful of positions that needed addressing. They were in danger of losing their starting center, right guard, left tackle, No. 2 cornerback and top edge rusher, all of which made those positions of need.
They’ve addressed the center and guard positions, and also signed their future left tackle in Joseph Noteboom, but the loss of Von Miller leaves the Rams without a great option at outside linebacker opposite Leonard Floyd.
Currently, it would be Justin Hollins stepping in at that position, with Terrell Lewis also contributing in a rotational role. Hollins is a decent all-around edge defender, but he’s not even close to the pass rusher that Miller is.
And with Lewis, injuries are always a concern. He’s played just 19 games in two seasons and was a healthy scratch at the end of last season – an indication of the Rams’ lack of confidence in him.
With the Rams needing help at outside linebacker, Lewis could be running out of time to learn and develop. At some point, he has to deliver as a former third-round pick because so far, he’s come up short of expectations.
Cornerback is also a position of need after Darious Williams left to join the Jaguars, but the Rams still have David Long Jr. and Robert Rochell, and Dont’e Deayon could also be back as a free agent.
But at outside linebacker, it’s hard to see the Rams generating much pressure off the edge from anyone besides Floyd. That’s a problem, and we saw the impact that a great edge rusher like Miller can have on the defense.
There aren’t any players of Miller’s caliber still out there, so the Rams will have to settle for less – but that doesn’t mean they should ignore the position moving forward.
