Rams Legend Aaron Donald Retires; Kobie Turner Next Man Up?
The Los Angeles Rams will be without Aaron Donald for the first time in 10 years, as the franchise legend announced his retirement on Friday.
Now that Donald has moved on, it is time for there to be a new face of the Rams' defense. Given the fact that he basically replicated the numbers from Donald's rookie year last season, defensive tackle Kobie Turner seems like a great candidate.
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The 24-year-old got to sit behind Donald this past season and learn how to play the defensive tackle position in the NFL from one of the best to ever do it. Turner was drafted with the 89th pick in the third round of this past year's NFL Draft and was one of the key contributors for the defense in his rookie season.
He tied Donald's rookie sack record with nine, and he did so while playing a lesser percentage of snaps. Turner is part of the young defensive core that the Rams have created, and he could be one of the keys to the team succeeding on that side of the ball for years to come.
It is obviously no small feat to replace a player as legendary and as impactful as Donald, but that is not what the team is trying to do. They are not trying to replace the ten-time Pro Bowler, they are trying to continue his legacy and his impact, and Turner could be the man for the job.
After all, as general manager Les Snead said, Donald is one of a kind.
“There will never be another Aaron Donald,” said Snead.
