As the Los Angeles Rams open up their training camp this weekend, they will be looking to perfect a number of issues on both sides of the football. However, with the level of quarterbacks and receivers that they will be lining up against in the upcoming season, nothing seems more pressing than the play of their secondary. With the key losses of cornerback Janoris Jenkins to their Week 7 opponent, the New York Giants, and free safety Rodney McLeod to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Rams will have very big shoes to fill if they want to find success in the Southland.
2016 Los Angeles Rams Secondary Projection
Cornerbacks
The Rams will bring in a diverse set of coverage specialists to Irvine, including franchise tag holder Trumaine Johnson and E.J. Gaines, who missed the 2015 season due to injury. Their depth includes talented slot defender Lamarcus Joyner as well as Marcus Roberson, both of whom saw themselves in starting spots for a few games last year. General manager Les Snead also brought in veteran Coty Sensabaugh from the Tennessee Titans, who is already familiar with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams from his days in the Music City. Rounding out the group is former New England Patriot Troy Hill, who was claimed off waivers in December, and undrafted free agents Mike Jordan and Jabriel Washington, all of whom will need to show an excess of talent in camp just to earn a roster spot in this defensively stacked lineup.
Though Janoris Jenkins was a substantial loss, the Rams have solid depth on their roster. Not only did Trumaine Johnson have a very strong year in 2015 with only two players in the league having more interceptions at the position, but he has been hard at work this off-season. He has definitely been motivated by the franchise tag honor, but also spurred on by the long-term deal that did not come along with it. Johnson still has a lot to prove in 2016 and he has a lot to work for, so expect him to dig in and rise up as a league star as well as a leader on this secondary, the entire defense, and the team itself.
On the opposite sideline, E.J. Gaines will be looking to make up for lost time after missing last season due to a Lisfranc foot injury. Gaines initially stepped up in 2014 when Johnson went down with a knee injury, and he will be asked to show the same starter talent in 2016 in the absence of Jenkins. Consistency will be key for the young cornerback, as well as a clean transition from the injury. If he can bring his coverage skills back to that elite level, he will solidify a very stingy tandem for the Rams which will not just be a nice addition, but a necessary one when matching up against receiving duos like Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz, and Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, among the many other offensive powerhouses in their path.
In the slot, Los Angeles will have Lamarcus Joyner to take up some of the responsibility that former rover safety Mark Barron will trade for his new weakside linebacker position. Joyner’s versatility gives him the ability to shut down the slot option with his tight coverage and stuff the run game with his excellent tackling ability. As if that were not enough, Joyner also has the outside coverage skill set to fill in for Johnson or Gaines, if need be.
The Rams also shine in roster depth at this position with newly acquired veteran Coty Sensabaugh and the young Marcus Roberson providing insurance. Sensabaugh looks to add some experience and veteran leadership to the corps, while also coming in to relieve the starters with the talent to cover some of the league’s best. Roberson will be looking to build on his solid season last year and begin the push for a starting spot while contributing as a trusted backup and special teams ace.
Safeties
To prevent the deep threat and play a little pseudo linebacker in Gregg Williams’ scheme, the Rams will bring in probable starting safeties T.J. McDonald and Maurice Alexander. Special teams fixtures Cody Davis and Christian Bryant will also be fighting for the coveted starting spot, who like everyone else are eager to fill the void left by Rodney McLeod and possibly a suspended McDonald. The team will also welcome undrafted free agents Rohan Gaines, Jordan Lomax, and Brian Randolph.
After a messy off-season with some legal issues, T.J. McDonald will join camp ready to pick up where he left off, while hoping to avoid a possible NFL or team-issued suspension. The former USC Trojan not only missed OTAs, but also missed the last five games of 2015, so there will be a lot of catching up to do both mentally and physically. This could provide an opening for backup strong safety and Gregg Williams’ favorite, Maurice Alexander, if he is not already named the starting free safety. Being the nasty, physical threat that he is, Alexander could be seen in many packages that featured Mark Barron last year, using him as a run stuffer and a daunting blitz threat. He has previously been criticized for his lack of coverage skills, but this year’s OTAs went a long way to prove that he has worked to overcome this weakness. To say Alexander will take the starting spot over McDonald this year may be a stretch considering McDonald’s stellar play and longer starting tenure with the team, but if the incumbent starter is served with a suspension, Alexander should do just fine in the lead role.
At free safety, the battle between Cody Davis and Christian Bryant will take place, with Alexander, of course, also right in the mix. Davis has the experience and size edge, but Bryant has been determined to get the spot after losing valuable field time due to his recurrent ankle problems. Davis has been a special teams ace for a few years now and would be a natural fit into the safety position if he can get his fundamentals down. It also may be a do or die scenario for the former Texas Tech standout, as he begins to enter true veteran status with only special teams experience under his belt. Though he just signed a two-year deal, without a strong showing of his skill set, it may be the last deal the Rams offer to him. Bryant will have a bigger hill to climb with even less experience and a streak of injuries behind him, and both will have to have a stellar camp and preseason to get playing time come week one, because right now all signs still point to the team relying heavily on Alexander and McDonald.
Overview
As it stands right now, the Rams will be looking at a starting lineup of Trumaine Johnson, E.J. Gaines, T.J. McDonald and with the support of Coach Williams, most likely Maurice Alexander. Los Angeles can also count on cornerback LaMarcus Joyner to add extra speed to the corps in the increasingly necessary nickel formations. The talent level on the outside is very high and they will have a pair of very physical deep backs once again, but the real question lies in how this outfit will work together in real game situations. A big goal in camp is going to be forming chemistry and finding the best way for the secondary to defend against offensive threats to keep the passing game to an absolute minimum.
With a young offense and a lot of untested talent on that side of the football, it will be pivotal for the secondary to find success early and consistently. Fortunately for the Rams, the defensive backs coming into camp are a strong, talented, and effective group, which will make Sundays a lot more manageable as they get ready to face off against some of the most brutal passing tandems in the league.
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