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Eric Williams
NFC West Writer
How do you replace a future Hall of Famer?
With defensive tackle Aaron Donald announcing his retirement last week, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay has been mulling that question. McVay and Rams general manager Les Snead knew Donald’s retirement was in the works. He had strongly contemplated retirement after the team’s Super Bowl win in 2022, but he gave the organization two more seasons before walking off into the sunset with one year left on his three-year, $95 million deal.
Donald’s retirement will include a gold jacket in five years when he’s eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For now, the Rams face the arduous task of replacing the lost production from perhaps the most talented defensive tackle ever to play the game.
One player will not fill that enormous void. But fortunately for the Rams, the cupboard isn’t bare. Last year, DT Kobie Turner finished with nine sacks and was a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. Fellow rookie Byron Young had eight sacks. Edge rusher Michael Hoecht continues to ascend, finishing with six sacks in his second season as a starter. And nose tackle Bobby Brown III took another step in his development into potentially becoming a full-time starter in 2024.
The Rams have 11 picks in this year’s draft and will continue to add talent up front defensively. Someone like Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II could make sense with the Rams picking at No. 19 overall, which will be L.A.’s first pick in the first round since 2016.
New defensive coordinator Chris Shula, who replaces Raheem Morris, now the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, is tasked with creating a scheme that takes advantage of this young group’s skill set. Shula served as linebackers coach and pass rush coordinator last season. He’s been with the Rams since 2017 and played college football with McVay at Miami of Ohio, so the two are close.
Shula, who served as an assistant…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/rams-must-take-out-of-box-approach-to-replacing-legendary-dt-aaron-donald
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Publish date : 2024-03-19 17:56:52
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