Rams DC Raheem Morris: Young Players 'Got To Step Up' as Leaders
Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has been through a lot of 11-man rotations since he was hired by the team in 2021.
When Morris arrived, he was given a defensive roster with tons of talent, including All-Pros Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. The Rams were 7-1 by Oct. 31, but they signed All-Pro outside linebacker Von Miller a day later.
This All-Pro trifecta, combined with the rest of the defense, were key factors in the Rams' Super Bowl run. However, injuries, trades, and free agency destroyed Los Angeles in 2022 as they finished with a 5-12 record. Now they are left with just Donald and a large number of young unproven talent.
Donald's been the leader in the defensive room practically as long as he's been in the league, but the 32-year-old's NFL days are certainly numbered. Morris explained that he needs some of the younger players to take on the leadership role before No. 99 hangs his jersey up.
"I kind of gave those guys a spill today, had a couple of those guys stand up in the room, some of those D linemen, I say, ‘Hey, we got Aaron and who's gonna be the next guy that you guys write about?’," Morris said during Thursday's press conference.
Morris told the rest of the defense that Donald shouldn't always be the headline of Rams articles.
"I'm getting tired of you guys writing about Aaron's greatness," And so should they. They should start to talk about them and start to bring some of those names up and start to see those guys."
Morris explained to his players that they have to change the media's narrative of them on the gridiron.
"You can't tell people you're going to be that guy, but you can go out there and show us every day in practice and, hopefully, it comes to life when we start the season.”
Even though he isn't the youngest member of the defense, Morris said that offseason addition, 28-year-old cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, is already on the right track as a leader.
“Talking about a young man that came in and got hurt right away and had to get a quick surgery," Morris said. "Now he bounced back and is able to come out here and practice and be able to participate almost at a full level. I'm pretty excited. He's very smart, he's sharp, he's detailed, he's our type of guy. He looks like he wants to be a Ram and I'm excited to help him.”
As the regular season is just five weeks away, Morris is still looking for defensive players that "want to be a Ram."
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