Turf Show Times
Can the Rams get by with the current players in the secondary?
When it comes to the Los Angeles Rams defense in 2025, there is one glaring weakness. After heading into the offseason with a need at the cornerback position, the Rams opted not to address it and move forward with the same group as last year.
While there’s still a chance the Rams trade for Jalen Ramsey, they also seem content with who they have on the roster. It’s not something that the team has ruled out, but as head coach Sean McVay has said, he feels good about where they are at when it comes to the cornerback position.
Whether or not that feeling is right or wrong is beside the point and something that the Rams will find out shortly once the season begins. For this version of the Rams defense, it is worth wondering how important a good secondary group is to the overall success. As Albert Breer recently said,
“I do think this is also a larger philosophical thing for the Rams, with much of their recent focus on building up the offensive skill spots and defensive front—areas they believe are truly impactful on wins and losses. I heard someone say that in today’s NFL, corners are more speed bumps than stop signs, and I think that might be how L.A. has come to view the position. Or at least that’s how it looks.”
Again, whether or not that philosophy is correct isn’t necessarily the point here, but it does go against how general manager Les Snead has typically built the roster. Early in Snead’s tenure, his philosophy leaned towards building the roster from the outside and in. There was more of a focus on having two solid cornerbacks on defense and paired with solid edge rushers on the outside of the defensive line. In his first draft, Snead added cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson and Janoris Jenkins. That was after adding a premier left tackle in free agency in Jake Long as well as cornerback Cortland Finnegan.
Offensively, Snead drafted wide receivers Brian Quick and Tavon Austin in back to back drafts. The following year, Snead dialed in on a high-upside tackle in Greg Robinson, and that same philosophy was carried into the first few years when Sean McVay took over as head coach.
The idea here seems to be that the Rams secondary and overall defense can be carried by the defensive front and pass rush. That’s a lot of pressure on one particular unit, but it’s the route that the Rams have opted to take with their young defense. It’s similar to how the Rams made sacrifices at other places knowing that Aaron Donald could lift those around him. The ‘Aaron Donald effect” was a real thing.
Still, in a passing league, it seems odd to make a sacrifice at a position meant to stop opposing wide receivers. Last season, the top eight teams in pass defense EPA per play made the postseason....
