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The Los Angeles Rams let go of MLB James Laurinaitis this offseason. Laurinaitis had been the Rams’ man in the middle since 2009, and left the team as their all-time leader in tackles. Most experts would think the Rams would be in poor shape after releasing him and not signing a replacement, but the Rams linebacking corps may actually be in a better place than last year.
The returning Alec Ogletree is expected to replace Laurinaitis. Ogletree has started at outside linebacker since being drafted in 2013, showcasing plenty of talent and ability when healthy. He’s got the athleticism and skill to be successful at any of the linebacker positions. He played inside linebacker at Georgia, so he should have no problem sliding into the position this season. He’s at a much better place in his career right now than Laurinaitis was at the end of 2015.
On the outside, the Rams have Akeem Ayers and Mark Barron. Ayers appeared in all 16 games for the Rams last season, starting in 11. He’s a reliably solid player on the outside. Barron was the surprise of the defense last season. He was the seventh overall pick by Tampa Bay in the 2012 NFL Draft and struggled to play the safety position at the NFL level. The Bucs traded him to the Rams in 2014, and Barron didn’t improve much playing safety. But when Ogletree got injured in 2015, Barron was shifted to outside linebacker and ran away with the job. He led the team in tackles and played well enough to earn himself a nice 5-year, $45 million contract.
With Barron, Ogletree, and Ayers, the Rams have a solid starting group of linebackers, but the group is severely lacking depth. The rest of the group has a career total of six tackles. Bryce Hager and Cameron Lynch return from last season while everyone else is an undrafted rookie, with the exception of sixth round pick Josh Forrest. The former Kentucky linebacker was solid during his time with the Wildcats and may earn some minutes spelling the starters.
Outside of the starting three, this depth chart is wide open for the undrafted rookies to make a name for themselves and not only earn a spot on the team, but actual minutes during the season. This group has a solid front line, but they have paper thin depth.
Steve Rebeiro is a staff writer for Rams Talk and an undergraduate student at Marquette University. For more of his opinions, follow him on Twitter here.
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The Los Angeles Rams let go of MLB James Laurinaitis this offseason. Laurinaitis had been the Rams’ man in the middle since 2009, and left the team as their all-time leader in tackles. Most experts would think the Rams would be in poor shape after releasing him and not signing a replacement, but the Rams linebacking corps may actually be in a better place than last year.
The returning Alec Ogletree is expected to replace Laurinaitis. Ogletree has started at outside linebacker since being drafted in 2013, showcasing plenty of talent and ability when healthy. He’s got the athleticism and skill to be successful at any of the linebacker positions. He played inside linebacker at Georgia, so he should have no problem sliding into the position this season. He’s at a much better place in his career right now than Laurinaitis was at the end of 2015.
On the outside, the Rams have Akeem Ayers and Mark Barron. Ayers appeared in all 16 games for the Rams last season, starting in 11. He’s a reliably solid player on the outside. Barron was the surprise of the defense last season. He was the seventh overall pick by Tampa Bay in the 2012 NFL Draft and struggled to play the safety position at the NFL level. The Bucs traded him to the Rams in 2014, and Barron didn’t improve much playing safety. But when Ogletree got injured in 2015, Barron was shifted to outside linebacker and ran away with the job. He led the team in tackles and played well enough to earn himself a nice 5-year, $45 million contract.
With Barron, Ogletree, and Ayers, the Rams have a solid starting group of linebackers, but the group is severely lacking depth. The rest of the group has a career total of six tackles. Bryce Hager and Cameron Lynch return from last season while everyone else is an undrafted rookie, with the exception of sixth round pick Josh Forrest. The former Kentucky linebacker was solid during his time with the Wildcats and may earn some minutes spelling the starters.
Outside of the starting three, this depth chart is wide open for the undrafted rookies to make a name for themselves and not only earn a spot on the team, but actual minutes during the season. This group has a solid front line, but they have paper thin depth.
Steve Rebeiro is a staff writer for Rams Talk and an undergraduate student at Marquette University. For more of his opinions, follow him on Twitter here.
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