[ramsman34]

https://www.therams.com/news/rams-agree ... -back-2024

Good to have him back. Makes the deep patrol even better and, err, deeper.

[/zn/]

https://www.therams.com/news/rams-agree ... -back-2024

Good to have him back. Makes the deep patrol even better and, err, deeper.

Part of this year's formula.

Veteran secondary. (Counting veteran in a relative way as 3 or more years in the league...though I highlighted the veteran FAs w/ 5 or more years): Curl, Durant, Lake, White, Williams, Yeast, Johnson.

Young front 7, including Fiske, Turner, Young, and Verse.

Aggression and multiple different sets/formations up front.

Match zone and disguised coverages in the back, all heady veteran stuff. 

[snackdaddy]

Good move. The secondary as a whole had too many blown coverages that led to wide open receivers and easy touchdowns or big plays. More experience can reduce that.

[ramsman34]

Part of this year's formula.

Veteran secondary. (Counting veteran in a relative way as 3 or more years in the league...though I highlighted the veteran FAs w/ 5 or more years): Curl, Durant, Lake, White, Williams, Yeast, Johnson.

Young front 7, including Fiske, Turner, Young, and Verse.

Aggression and multiple different sets/formations up front.

Match zone and disguised coverages in the back, all heady veteran stuff.

The ability to disguise coverages behind a multiple look front should definitely not be overlooked. It may take some time but, this defense could be outstanding. Can they stop the run?? That is the big question for me.

[Dare]

This is an indication of that they were not comfortable with their SCB option if they moved Lake to safety. Now they can play him at SCB with Curl and JJ behind him. It also provides the Rams with injury insurance behind Curl if that is a concern.

Boundary CBS: White & Williams
SCB: Lake
Safeties: Curl & Johnson

That is a very good secondary allowing Shula to play aggressively. People make a lot about the blown coverages last year. But it's not only who Morris played (slow Kendricks) but his penchant to play exceedingly soft coverages. Morris believed in playing his defense waiting for the offense to make a mistake instead of forcing those mistakes with pressure. Ramsey wanted out because he got tired of playing those soft coverages.

Shula now has the front 6 to play aggressively and the 5 secondary to match that style. With this secondary QBs need to be spot on with their passes or risk incompletions or turnovers. This will be a totally different defense the NFL will face this year. QBs will face quick pressure and tighter coverages this year. With the LBs that Shula will have I think running against this front will be more difficult.

They have the personnel to be a top 10 defensive unit this year. With their offense playing behind an outstanding OL this indeed is a Super Bowl contending team this year.

[Rams1PlateSince1976]

Jerry Gray, Gary Green, Johnny Johnson the 1st and Nolan Cromwell was a fantastic secondary

[actionjack]

This is an indication of that they were not comfortable with their SCB option if they moved Lake to safety. Now they can play him at SCB with Curl and JJ behind him. It also provides the Rams with injury insurance behind Curl if that is a concern.

Boundary CBS: White & Williams
SCB: Lake
Safeties: Curl & Johnson

That is a very good secondary allowing Shula to play aggressively. People make a lot about the blown coverages last year. But it's not only who Morris played (slow Kendricks) but his penchant to play exceedingly soft coverages. Morris believed in playing his defense waiting for the offense to make a mistake instead of forcing those mistakes with pressure. Ramsey wanted out because he got tired of playing those soft coverages.

Shula now has the front 6 to play aggressively and the 5 secondary to match that style. With this secondary QBs need to be spot on with their passes or risk incompletions or turnovers. This will be a totally different defense the NFL will face this year. QBs will face quick pressure and tighter coverages this year. With the LBs that Shula will have I think running against this front will be more difficult.

They have the personnel to be a top 10 defensive unit this year. With their offense playing behind an outstanding OL this indeed is a Super Bowl contending team this year.

Rams will still play shell coverage that is the tenant of the Fangio system, dont give up the big play. Ramsey didnt want out, in fact quite the opposite. The Rams just didnt want to pay him.

[ramsman34]

I think we will see a lot of 3 safety looks with one (I too say Lake) in the Star role. We will see how it all shakes out in camp but this secondary looks to have a lot of position flexibility.

[BobCarl]

I think we will see a lot of 3 safety looks.

I was hoping to see a good amount of cover_zero and blitz the house

[Dare]

Actionjack: Rams will still play shell coverage that is the tenant of the Fangio system, dont give up the big play.

I beg to differ. When healthy White is one of the best man coverage CBs in the NFL. Williams also plays best in a man coverage scheme. Durant is also best in a man coverage scheme. This is why I think Shula will probably play zone match or man coverages quite a bit. It doesn't preclude the safeties from playing a shell. Also, I find it interesting they re-signed Johnson who played safety for Phillips and Staley.

The other thing people overlook is that coming out of college White was one of the best SCBs in his draft. So if Durant emerges in TC they could move White to SCB and Lake back to safety. The way the Rams gave Morris the "bum rush" out the door all but pleading with teams to hire him as a HC would tend to make me think they want a defensive change not more of the same. Why stay with schemes that had the defense playing in the bottom half of the NFL? Playing man and zone match coverages they were ranked consistently in the top half of the NFL.

Yeah it's great they will get a 3rd round pick for Morris, but if they really wanted him to stay they wouldn't have gone out of their way to get him hired away. IMO had no one hired Morris he would have been "promoted to Consultant".

Granted I'm just reading tea leaves but IMO they say a schematic defensive change is coming.