Posts in category: Los Angeles Rams

Getty

Davante Adams maintains control of the catch while Jalen Ramsey tries to jar it loose on December 8, 2022 in Inglewood.

Face it: The Los Angeles Rams need someone on the uber athletic side to fill the spot Jalen Ramsey bequeaths.

The market for his replacement via free agency has begun to evaporate — as names like Stephon Gilmore was part of a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Cowboys while Darius Slay pivoted back to the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles.

But the Rams can turn to another champion to fill this spot — a multiple champion at that. And as we continue the Replacing Jalen Ramsey series, the newest name to surface is Kelee Ringo from back-to-back National Champion Georgia.

Ringo Called ‘Uber-Athletic’ Fit for Rams by Draft Analyst

The month of March now has the Rams being projected to take a cornerback now that the smoke has cleared on the Ramsey to Miami deal. Already, The Draft Network listed the electric and speedy D.J. Turner out of Michigan as one possibility inside the “Rams House.”

Now, Ryan Fowler of TDN wrote on Wednesday, March 15 that he sees the first round talent Ringo falling out of day one and landing to the No. 37 spot to the Rams.

“The Rams are building from the ground up, and after losing Jalen Ramsey, slotting in an uber-athletic talent like Kelee Ringo could see him become a shutdown perimeter defender if all comes to fruition,” Fowler wrote.

Ringo is already familiar with SoFi Stadium: His last college football game as a Georgia Bulldog was the 65-7 trouncing of Texas Christian for the national title — with Ringo snatching one tackle in the dominating display by UGA.

Adding Ringo would additionally bring the Southeastern Conference star back to the west region. Ringo is originally from Tacoma, Washington but emerged as a top 10 national recruit by recruiting services (No. 7 national recruit by Rivals and No. 4 overall by 247Sports) while starring at Saguaro High in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Breakdown: Ringo Has Size/Speed Element Needed for the ‘Star’

Is the two-time national champ Ringo the closest thing to Ramsey for this year’s draft class? In scrutinizing the size and speed elements he possesses, he’s perfect for the “star.”

That was the spot where Ramsey lined up in a multitude of areas — from the perimeter, to the slot corner to safety all depending on what matchup the Rams were trying to take away. And Ramsey emerged as a multiple Pro Bowler manning that role in the exotic defense Raheem Morris employed.

Already, his transition from back pedal to turning the hips then breaking on the ball are in the smooth category. But he’s shown he has hops as well for the football, then becomes a pick six threat:

But here’s where Ringo can really win over defenses including the Rams: His never quit attitude on display in the shootout win over Ohio State in the College Football Playoffs. He goes from blitzing cornerback to sprinting 30 yards down the field to force this fumble:

He’s already been labeled the most physical cornerback for this class — with his mixture of ball-hawking skills, physicality and proving he can wreck plays as a blitzer.

Draft expert Lance Zierlein of nfl.com is one high on Ringo, writing he possesses “elite size and speed” for an outside cornerback who additionally can fight through blocks and hit like a safety.

A key for Ringo will be to improve his patience at CB, as he tends to have early hip decisions before a receiver busts a release. He tends to show “heavy feet” on releases and there’s the belief he could be in line for a different position in the league.

But he’s prime for the “star,” since it’s a position reserved for the most athletically gifted defender on the Rams — a title Ramsey held. If Ringo falls to the Rams in day two, the two-time national champ becomes the one to lure in.

Getty

Jalen Ramsey talks to the Miami media on March 16, 2023.

Does Jalen Ramsey feel like he’s a better player than when he first came to the Los Angeles Rams? Even as an already established Pro Bowler?

Ramsey addressed the Miami media on Thursday, March 16 for the first time since his trade to the Dolphins was finalized on the official start of the NFL’s new calendar year (Wednesday). But he reflected back on his time inside the “Rams House,” and revealed that he left learning even more from being around what he called “Hall of Fame” caliber players.

“Being around Hall of Fame players: Aaron Donald, Von Miller, Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford…The list can go on,” he began. “I don’t want to leave nobody out, but all those guys. Learning a lot of valuable things from them, learning how our team dynamic was, learning how everyone had their own passion, everybody had their love, but we were all doing it as one.”

Ramsey Revealed if There Was Tensions During 2022 Season

Last season ended up being one of the worst win-loss record campaigns for Ramsey — and his first 5-win season since 2018, which was ironically during his final full season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Rams went from standing on top of the NFL pedestal as Super Bowl champs to taking the drastic fall to 5-12, which became the worst one-ear collapse for a defending champion. But as the losses piled, was there any animosity and finger pointed that Ramsey saw during practices and inside the locker room?

“Everyone was unified, we always had each other’s back,” Ramsey shared. “It was really like a family. It was good times, it was bad times, it was fights, it was love. It was all that.”

---

Ramsey Reacts to New Head Coach & Returning to Florida

Ramsey is going from one offensive whiz in Super Bowl champion Sean McVay to a former rival assistant of McVay in Mike McDaniel — who once drew up offenses against Ramsey and the Rams defense as San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator.

McDaniel has already gotten off to a solid start to his head coaching career, having guided the Dolphins to the postseason and snapping a five-season playoff drought in the process. While Ramsey won his ring with McVay coaching him, McDaniel gave this prediction to his newest cornerback — which he shared to reporters.

“He keeps telling me that he’s gonna be the best head coach I’ve ever had,” Ramsey said of McDaniel. “He’s nudging Sean on that a little bit because Sean was great in L.A. It’s gonna be tough because Sean’s the man, but I believe him, though. And I’m gonna hold him to that.”

Ramsey is returning to the state where he became a highly-decorated college football standout at Florida State and emerged as a top five pick — ending a four-year absence from the Sunshine State. He’s already received love from the Miami Heat, who customized a new jersey for No. 5 on March 15:

Ramsey, though, admitted on Twitter he hoped one university he loved watching would’ve showed him more love on the recruiting trail…but ended up hating this rival university to FSU.

“Fun fact: what’s crazy is growing up I was a Miami Hurricane fan. I used to visit and all then they didn’t offer me so I started to hate everything Miami and went to FSU,” Ramsey shared. He ended by sharing he’s now a Dolphin fan.

Lol fun fact: what’s crazy is growing up I was a Miami Hurricane fan… I used to visit & all then they didn’t offer me so I started to hate everything Miami & went to FSU 😂

Then I was a Miami heat fan when Bron was there of course

& now I’m a Dolphin fan! 😂 LIFE!

— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) March 17, 2023

Getty

Nick Scott breaks up a pass intended for Christian Watson with Troy Hill also defending on December 19, 2022.

Two members of the Los Angeles Rams secondary were on visits out east on Thursday, March 16. Now, one of them is closing in on a new deal.

First reported by Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus, safety Nick Scott is in the process of accepting an offer from the Cincinnati Bengals.

“The Bengals and former Rams safety Nick Scott are working towards a deal following his visit. Not finalized, but progress being made, per sources,” Spielberger said. “Scott was a full-time starter in 2022 and earned a 77.0 run defense grade. Important potential addition after losing both safeties.”

Scott’s visit came on the same day fellow safety Taylor Rapp took a trip to Foxboro to visit the New England Patriots (first reported by ESPN NFL insider Field Yates).

However, per NFL insider for NBC 2 Houston Aaron Wilson, the Rams are hoping they can still retain Scott.

Scott Became Bright Spot in Disaster 2022

Barring any kind of last minute effort from L.A., the Rams are on the verge of losing one of their bright spots in a dismal 5-12 season.

Not only that, the Rams are facing losing one of their best underdog stories.

Scott had this trek: Former high school running back, seventh round draft selection at No. 243 overall, special teamer to emerging as a starter in the defensive backfield — and responding with career best numbers afterwards.

The former Penn State Nittany Lion went on to collect 86 total tackles, 56 solo stops, one tackle for a loss, five pass deflections, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. And that was done in 16 starts for the Rams as Scott managed to avoid the injury bug until the season finale — the only game when he didn’t collect any tackles.

Scott produced this kind of tackle consistency: He delivered seven games of hitting seven tackles or nine. On the coverage end, Scott held his own there — allowing below three catches and an average of just 37.56 receiving yards his side in every game per Pro Football Reference Advanced Stats. And he produced five games of surrendering 17 yards or less his way.

Rams fans, though, are likely going to remember Scott for this snatch of Tom Brady during their run to Super Bowl 56:

But he’s also an aggressive enforcer against the run, as seen here versus the Arizona Cardinals from this past season:

What Scott Could Walk Into

If the Bengals receive a signature from Scott, he’ll be one of the first replacements in their safety room — a room that lost both of their safeties Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates.

Bell was revealed to be offered a deal from the Carolina Panthers on Monday, March 13. The Panthers are yet to officially announce the signing, but the team website said Bell was reaching a deal with the team. Bell led the Bengals’ secondary with 77 tackles and finished with the second most solo tackles with 52.

Bates is considered the biggest loss for the AFC runner ups. His signing was finalized on Thursday with the Atlanta Falcons. Bates became praised across the league for his ball hawking ability — snatching 14 interceptions in his Cincy career including producing four seasons of hitting three or four aerial takeaways. Bates also ends his Bengals career with 43 pass deflections and 479 total tackles per Pro Football Reference.

Scott, who’ll be 28 in May, can help bring championship experience and a needed safety leader to Cincy.

CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Cincinnati Bengals may have found part of the solution to their needs at the safety position.

Former Los Angeles Rams safety and free agent Nick Scott might be on his way to becoming a Bengal, as first reported by Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) Brad Spielberger on Thursday evening. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirmed Spielburger’s report, adding that a source told Fowler “the Bengals are working something up.”

Recommended Bengals stories

Earlier on Thursday, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that the Bengals were planning on hosting Scott with a free-agent visit. The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue also confirmed that Scott was going to visit the Rams on top of later adding that Scott and the Bengals “were moving toward a deal.”

Scott started 16 games for the Rams in 2022, finishing the year with 86 tackles, five passes defended, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. One of the hallmarks of Scott’s play last year was his run defense. PFF graded Scott’s run defense with a 77.0 last year.

After playing just one game in three combined seasons leading up to the 2022 season, Scott took advantage of his elevated role, and it might be paying off. The former seventh-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft has gradually progressed and come a long way as he enters his fifth season in the NFL.

Scott played in the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory over the Bengals, finishing that game with two combined tackles. ESPN’s Field Yates reported that the Bengals were planning on hosting Scott’s former Rams’ teammate and fellow safety, Taylor Rapp, for a visit after Rapp visited the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Safety is a big area of need for the Bengals after losing both of their previous starting safeties, Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell, respectively, within an hour of each other on Monday afternoon. Bates and Bell leave behind 12 years of combined experience that the Bengals will have to figure out how to replace in 2023.

Mohammad Ahmad covers the Bengals for cleveland.com. You can follow him on Twitter @MohammadAhmadTV and read all his coverage at StrictlyStripes.com.

If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700 or visit 1800gambler.net for more information. 21+ and present in Ohio. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.

The Los Angeles Chargers today re-signed defensive lineman Morgan Fox.

Fox originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and has started 29-of-90 games with the Rams, Panthers and Chargers, including playoffs. In the regular season, he has totaled 141 tackles (90 solo), 18.5 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, 35 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles and four recoveries. The Fountain, Colo., native saw his two most productive seasons under Chargers Head Coach Brandon Staley, recording six sacks and nine quarterback hits in 2020 and 6.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits last season.

In four seasons (2012-15) at Colorado State University Pueblo, Fox set program records for career sacks (36), tackles (164) and tackles for loss (49.5). As a senior, he was named second-team Little All-America from The Associated Press and set the Thunderwolves’ single-season sacks record (17.0).

Getty

Jalen Ramsey and Nick Scott celebrate an interception on December 25, 2022 in Inglewood.

Jalen Ramsey is officially at work with the Miami Dolphins, posting his first message to his newest fan base on Wednesday, March 15.

His former team the Los Angeles Rams will now start to get to work on a replacement.

It won’t be easy replacing a cornerback who went to the Pro Bowler in all three full regular seasons he was with the Rams — as Ramsey was lauded for his leadership and coverage ability. But now, it’s time to look into potential replacements in this series called Replacing Jalen Ramsey.

While Darius Slay, who on Wednesday posted he may be on his way out from the Philadelphia Eagles, has already been called a veteran option, the Rams also can pivot to the NFL Draft to find their shutdown CB of the future. And the first name called a fit for the Rams post Ramsey? D.J. Turner II of Michigan, the same Turner who blazed the 40-yard dash in 4.26 seconds (official time) at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine and is climbing draft boards in the process.

Turner was Called First Rams Option Before Ramsey Trade

Back on March 8, Jaime Eisner of The Draft Network labeled the Wolverines cornerback as a strong possibility to fill for the six-time Pro Bowler.

“The Rams appear poised to move on from Jalen Ramsey, so they need to add to the CB room to replace him. DJ Turner had the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and was already a rising CB prospect before the buzz in Indianapolis,” Eisner wrote.

Now, with a CB vacancy, the chances of the Rams taking a CB at No. 36 has never looked higher than ever.

Possessing elite speed is one thing. But Turner jumped to 38’5″ in the vertical — and he leaped to that mark standing at 5-foot-11, 178-pounds. That will persuade teams to turn to him if they need a swat artist in the red zone or someone denying the deep ball.

But before Indianapolis, Turner was putting on a show with his speed and his hip fluidity while in Ann Arbor:

And along with finding a CB, the Rams will need someone to man the “star” role on the defense — reserved for someone who can line up at a multitude of spots in the secondary including safety or nickel. On the first play of this 2022 reel, Turner is seen lining up in a similar “star” role which ends with scoop and score:

The same reel additionally shines a light on Turner’s ability to squeeze a route and lower the boom with his shoulder.

How Can he Fit Inside the ‘Rams House?’

Turner is obviously lighter compared to Ramsey. And if he were to become a Ram, he wouldn’t be considered the tallest option in the DB room. But, his flair for dynamics on the field is capable of winning over his first NFL team.

“Explosive athlete combining fluidity, speed and superior technique to excel at his craft” was the first sentence written by nfl.com draft expert Lance Zierlein in his evaluation of Turner.

But one area Ramsey was highly skilled at was his ability to take on longer and more physical wideouts. Unfortunately, Turner doesn’t possess the size or physical strength to match up with those wideouts right away. There were even moments where he had to resort to a grab-and-drag tackle when defeated by a larger wideout.

Yet, with Robert Rochell having a near similar frame to Ramsey, this could be the season he gets increased action and earn Ramsey’s role in a pivotal year for the 2021 draft find. That would give the Rams the luxury of plugging Turner at the slot CB spot (Troy Hill is an unrestricted free agent there) or be involved in a battle for one of the perimeter CB spots.

Regardless, Turner’s name is fast rising on mock drafts…and would be intriguing going from “Go Blue” to the Rams’ royal blue.

Getty

Jalen Ramsey returns an interception on January 8, 2023 in what became his last game with the Rams.

The Los Angeles Rams officially sent their thanks and gratitude toward Jalen Ramsey — as his trade to the Miami Dolphins was officially announced after 4 p.m. Eastern Wednesday, March 15 as the league’s 2023 calendar year has begun.

The next mission is replacing the Super Bowl 56 winner and perennial Pro Bowler. And now, one five-time Pro Bowler with his own Super Bowl experience became available as of Wednesday morning.

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay took to Twitter to announce his official departure from the defending NFC champions — with Slay sharing on Twitter: “Nothing but love Philly!! Lets see where we heading next.”

Right away, Ram fans began to react to hoping Slay comes over to the “Rams House” with posts directed to the Rams and mentioning general manager Les Snead.

“Sign Darius slay,” one Rams fan posted directly to the Rams’ official Twitter account.

“Les Snead and @RamsNFL please sign Darius Slay if he’s available. Signed Rams fans everywhere,” another fan shared.

Michael David smith of Pro Football Focus, meanwhile, shared how right now he would rather have Slay.

“The Rams traded for Jalen Ramsey a few months before the Eagles traded for Darius Slay. Now they’re both gone. I think Ramsey is better, but I’d rather have three years of Slay for a third, a fifth and $42 million than 3.5 years of Ramsey for two firsts and $60 million,” he posted.

Lastly, one fan said that in the aftermath of the Ramsey deal, “Darius Slay on the Rams would heal some of the damage.”

Slay Still Productive Despite Age

Slay is currently 32 and now entering his 11th season in the league. Now he’s considered the top cornerback available in this free agency cycle.

Most teams tend to shy away from a defender at that age. But there are reasons why Slay can attract other teams — including the Rams if they pursue.

For starters, Slay earned his fifth Pro Bowl nod this past season. And he earned it snatching three interceptions and produced 15 games of surrendering four receptions or less his side according to Pro Football Reference Advanced Stats.

Even in the postseason, Slay still was at his best — as he only allowed four receptions or less in the three playoff games including the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. And he didn’t allow more than 30 yards his side.

But the Eagles are now getting younger at cornerback. Adding Slay would give the Rams a needed experienced veteran in a room with young talent in Decobie Durant, Derion Kendrick and Robert Rochell. But luring in Slay can additionally continue one trend in the “Rams House.”

Rams Have Had a History in Adding High-Profile CBs

A lot is still up in the air with the Rams’ “remodel” plans for the roster. But if past history suggests, the Rams are absolutely no strangers to adding high-profile and decorated cornerbacks in the era of Snead and head coach Sean McVay. Here’s a list:

Aqib Talib: The Super Bowl 50 champion rejected the San Francisco 49ers and found his way to the Rams on March 11, 2018. He came to the Rams as a five-time Pro Bowler and played his final two seasons there.

Marcus Peters: The former Chief came via trade and eventually replaced Talib. Peters was a 2016 All-Pro in K.C. He was eventually dealt in 2019 for this next decorated veteran.

Jalen Ramsey: He was a midseason trade in November 2019 before the deadline as the team departed with Peters. He leaves the Rams earning his last three Pro Bowls with the franchise and winning his first Super Bowl ring.

Again, time will tell if the Rams become aggressive in free agency as the word “remodel” gets attached to them. But if they want to keep the current trend of adding high-profile CBs, especially with Ramsey officially gone, then “Big Play Slay” has to top the list. And is already on the wish list for some Ram fans.