Turf Show Times
Adding injury to insult after the Rams gut-wrenching 26-23 loss to the San Francisco 49ers last Thursday, L.A. announced that starting linebacker Omar Speights suffered a high ankle sprain and has already been designated as doubtful to play against the Baltimore Ravens. Is it finally time to see undrafted rookie Shaun Dolac on Sunday?
Speights joined the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2024. He was a four-year college starter, three at Oregon State and his final season at LSU. Although not blessed with elite physical or athletic gifts, he was known for his instincts, hustle, and good tackling. Particularly strong coming downhill in run fits/support.
As a rookie, he was active in all 19 games, For the first half of season, he was limited to mostly special teams work, but in Week 9 he took over as a starter foe the injured Troy Reeder. Speights would go on to start the final 10 regular-season games and both playoff tilts. His stat line totaled 78 tackles, three for loss, one sack, and two passes defended over 504 snaps. This season, he had defended his role as a starter and played in all five games. His role was the same as last year, primarily an early down run-stopper. He tallied 24 tackles in 221 snaps.
Depending on the severity, a high ankle sprain can take as much as a month to heal. The Rams have multiple players that could step in. Although there are two long shots, rookie edge Josaiah Stewart, who had some LB work in college and special teamer, Elias Neal, the realistic replacements are currently on the roster. Veteran Troy Reeder and rookie Shaun Dolac.
Reeder is in his sixth L.A. season, signed as an undrafted free agent out of Delaware. and has tallied 37 regular season and five playoff starts. He’s logged 341 tackles, 12 for loss, five sacks, and 10 passes defended. He contributed 13 starts down the stretch of the Rams run to the Super Bowl. In last week’s 49er loss, Reeder was in for two plays, on one of which he was beaten for a touchdown pass.
Dolac was also signed as an undrafted free agent, out of Buffalo in 2025. He’s yet to have a defensive snap as a rookie, but has logged 80 special teams reps with 10 tackles to his credit. His draft report was that of an athletic, instinctual, high-motor player. He was highly productive and could cover in pass defense as well as plugging the run game. Not physically dominant, he was highly productive just the same. Began his college career as a walk-on and left as an All-American.
While most fans would readily pick Dolac over Reeder, the Rams past form is to insert the veteran. Nate Landman is firmly installed as the primary linebacker and wearing the green dot as captain and defensive play caller, so the LB#2 role calls for about 50 percent of...
