I am with Pennsylvania on his endorsements of Leonard Floyd (9th Overall Pick in 2016 Draft outa Georgia) and A'Shawn Robinson (46th Overall Pick in the 2016 Draft outa Alabama)…..these guys came outa College very highly touted. Some draftnik publications had Robinson going in the First Round!
Provided Michael Brockers ankle heals 100%, our DL line-up looks strong with DE Brockers, Robinson at NT and AD at DT....and backed-up by mah-man DE Morgan Fox, NT Sebastien Joseph-Day and DT Marquise Copeland (DT Tanzel Smart was cut recently)…..OR....with Greg Gaines as NT and Joseph-Day moving to DT backing up Donald.
Anyway you slice it, our 2020 DLine looks pretty formidable.
Our Defensive Backfield is also solid with CBs star Jalen Ramsey and solid vet Troy Hill, with JJIII and Taylor Rapp as our safeties. We have great safety backups in rookie Terrell Burgess ex Utah rated in Top 100 by most 2020 Draftniks, and Jordan Fuller a 2-year Team Captain FS outa the Ohio State University. Also Nick Bones'Pet Scott and Jake Gervase are back from our 2019 active roster. Slot corner could be filled by either CB backups Deonte Deayon, Darious Williams, or David Long....or the rookie Burgess.!
….and let's not forget the Va Tech Supplemental Draft Pick that Snead purloined offa the Redskins, Adonis Alexander the 6'3" CB......nor possible 2020 UDFA FS/CB sleeper from Florida State Levonta Taylor, who is RB Cam Akers' Seminole team mate! So regarding Los Ramos 2020 Defensive Backfield....can you say "DEEP"!!???
Regarding our OLBs.....Clay Mathews could never hold the edge, and last time I checked spotrac Free Agents List, Mathews was still unemployed....so not much loss there. With Dante Fowler we get a nice 3rd Round Compensatory Pick in 2021, and the guy got most of his 2019 sacks total in only 3 games. In the other 13 games, Fowler was no Isaiah Butch Robertson okay!!!
So....not the end of the world losing Mathews and Fowler IMHO.
OLB replacements? The aforementioned Leonard Floyd who helped anchor the #4 Bears D in PPG allowed.....plus Obo, Ebukam, Justin Lawler (back from 2019 IR), Jachai Polite, and maybe the steal of the 2020 NFL Draft, Alabama OLB Terrell Lewis are all available to fill in for the departed Mathews and Fowler. Natchez Patrick is listed as an OLB.....but he played ILB at Georgia......so the Rams have options with Patrick.
Segue into ILB......2020 Rams ILBs Cory Littleton and Bryce Hager are gone, but the original guy pencilled-in to start next to Littleton in 2019 was Micah Kiser, who is back after being IR'd last year with a torn pectoral. That only leaves ONE SPOT at ILB vacant on our D...….and we have the following to chose from:
Natrez Patrick UDFA ILB ex Georgia, but OLB too
Travin Howard (a poorman's Mark Barron?)
Clay Johnston (rookie stud outa Baylor)
Kenny Young (Rams liked him at UCLA in 2018, so they got him from Ravens)
Troy Reeder (UDFA tossed into 2019 fire, hoping he's better in 2020)
Daniel Bituli (2020 UDFA Tennessee ILB 6'3" 252 lbs)
Christian Rozeboom (2020 UDFA South Dakota St. 6'3" 230 lbs)
Assuming Micah Kizer has one ILB spot locked up, that leaves us 7 other guys to pick from to fill Littleton's old spot. My guess is Kenny Young emerges as that guy......with my dark horses as Travin Howard or Natrez Patrick.
Lots yutes and upside, plus I think Staley has a definite plan in Rams 2020 D for his old Chicago Bear charge Leonard Floyd......as well as for A'Shawn Robinson, who probably couldn't wait to get outa Detroit and head off for a new start!!
Lots to be excited about eh!!!