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The NFL is an extremely fast-paced league and teams cannot afford to wait for a player to fully develop. The player must catch on quickly, or he is simply sent home. This dose of reality applies to all but especially to that of St. Louis Rams linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong.
Armstrong entered the league after being dismissed from the Miami Hurricanes’ football program. The once highly touted safety prospect not only did not finish his junior season but was banned for his senior season too. Armstrong at one point was considered to be a top prospect in the NFL Draft, but he signed as an undrafted free agent last season with the Rams. Character issues, not playing football for a year and recording disappointing Pro Day numbers such as running the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds certainly did him no favors.
General manager Les Snead and the coaching staff still saw potential in Armstrong. He is built more like a linebacker, standing at 6’3” and weighing in at 227 pounds. Armstrong doesn’t have the speed to be a safety in the NFL, but does have the hard-hitting ability to make an impact at the linebacker position. He is a relentless player, who can still pursue the opposition. He will attempt to use those tools to try and beat veteran LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar for the starting position. It won’t be easy since Armstrong is still raw at linebacker, and Dunbar is rejoining defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, a coach that helped Dunbar reach his true potential.
The position is for the taking, but Armstrong must improve in several key areas. First: Armstrong must limit the amount of penalties that are called on him. Nothing upsets a coach more than receiving a flag, especially when it extends the drive. He is new to the position, and the inexperience clearly shows when he is forced to commit a penalty. Secondly: Armstrong must fully wrap-up on tackles. One-armed tackles generally do not cut it in the NFL, and hard hits will only take a player so far.
Armstrong has the physical ability to become a starting linebacker in the NFL, but he must be willing to learn the ins and outs of the position and must wrap up on his tackles. The only thing standing in the way of Armstrong becoming a starter is Armstrong himself.
2013: Armstrong didn’t have too many chances to compete on the defensive side of the ball last season. However, he did make an impact on special teams, which is one of the reasons the Rams have high hopes for him. He finished with 13 tackles and had one fumble recovery.
Source: NFL.com, Pro-sports-reference.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
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The NFL is an extremely fast-paced league and teams cannot afford to wait for a player to fully develop. The player must catch on quickly, or he is simply sent home. This dose of reality applies to all but especially to that of St. Louis Rams linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong.
Armstrong entered the league after being dismissed from the Miami Hurricanes’ football program. The once highly touted safety prospect not only did not finish his junior season but was banned for his senior season too. Armstrong at one point was considered to be a top prospect in the NFL Draft, but he signed as an undrafted free agent last season with the Rams. Character issues, not playing football for a year and recording disappointing Pro Day numbers such as running the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds certainly did him no favors.
General manager Les Snead and the coaching staff still saw potential in Armstrong. He is built more like a linebacker, standing at 6’3” and weighing in at 227 pounds. Armstrong doesn’t have the speed to be a safety in the NFL, but does have the hard-hitting ability to make an impact at the linebacker position. He is a relentless player, who can still pursue the opposition. He will attempt to use those tools to try and beat veteran LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar for the starting position. It won’t be easy since Armstrong is still raw at linebacker, and Dunbar is rejoining defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, a coach that helped Dunbar reach his true potential.
The position is for the taking, but Armstrong must improve in several key areas. First: Armstrong must limit the amount of penalties that are called on him. Nothing upsets a coach more than receiving a flag, especially when it extends the drive. He is new to the position, and the inexperience clearly shows when he is forced to commit a penalty. Secondly: Armstrong must fully wrap-up on tackles. One-armed tackles generally do not cut it in the NFL, and hard hits will only take a player so far.
Armstrong has the physical ability to become a starting linebacker in the NFL, but he must be willing to learn the ins and outs of the position and must wrap up on his tackles. The only thing standing in the way of Armstrong becoming a starter is Armstrong himself.
2013: Armstrong didn’t have too many chances to compete on the defensive side of the ball last season. However, he did make an impact on special teams, which is one of the reasons the Rams have high hopes for him. He finished with 13 tackles and had one fumble recovery.
Source: NFL.com, Pro-sports-reference.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
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