Training Camp News: Rams’ Overhauled Defense Ready for Spotlight

As the NFL season gets closer, training camp is the next big milestone on the calendar before the preseason and then real game action.

And while there’s no shortage of training camp headlines and news to follow around the league, one of the most interesting situations is undoubtedly in Los Angeles with the Rams.

There’s no question the Rams should be viewed as the Super Bowl favorite entering the season. Teams like the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks and others certainly have a great shot and are legitimate contenders, but the Los Angeles Rams are the best team in football at this juncture.

And that’s primarily due to the fact that they made a huge splash by acquiring Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns this offseason.

Garrett is one of the most dominant defensive players in the entire league, and adding someone of his caliber completely changed the ceiling of this roster. The Rams were already talented enough to contend before the move, but acquiring Garrett gave them the type of game-changing presence who can take over games and make life easier for everyone else on the defense.

Since then, former Rams superstar Aaron Donald has been back in the building working out, creating speculation that he could potentially come out of retirement and return to play alongside Garrett.

Donald hasn’t committed to making a comeback, and there’s no guarantee it ultimately happens. But the fact that it’s even being discussed adds another layer of intrigue to the Rams as training camp begins.

The idea of Garrett and Donald lining up on the same defensive front would be terrifying for opposing offenses.

But even without Donald, this is already a dynamic defense and a unit loaded with talent. It looks completely different after an aggressive offseason in which Los Angeles added star power at nearly every level.

The overhaul initially started in the secondary when the Rams traded for Trent McDuffie, one of the best cornerbacks in the league, and then signed his former Kansas City Chiefs teammate Jaylen Watson in free agency.

Those two moves gave Los Angeles an excellent top two at cornerback and immediately addressed the secondary. McDuffie is capable of matching up against some of the best receivers in football, while Watson provides size, physicality and familiarity playing alongside him.

Then, of course, the Rams acquired Garrett, and that changed the entire ceiling of the defense.

When factoring in all the talent that was already in place at linebacker, along the defensive line and within the safety group, defensive coordinator Chris Shula now has a tremendous amount of talent and versatility to work with.

He can be aggressive with pressure packages and trust the secondary to hold up in coverage. He can also play off, rush four and allow Garrett and the rest of the defensive front to create pressure without needing additional help.

That type of flexibility is what could make this defense so difficult to prepare for.

And when you combine that unit with Sean McVay at the helm and Matthew Stafford leading the offense, this is an incredibly talented Rams team from top to bottom.

The offense should once again be among the league’s best, which means the defense doesn’t have to carry the entire burden. But if this new-look unit reaches its potential, Los Angeles could be the most complete team in football.

As training camp unfolds, the defense will have to learn how to play together and build chemistry. There will be plenty of opportunity to see what Garrett looks like in a Rams uniform for the first real time and how Shula plans to deploy all of his new pieces.

And then there’s the lingering Aaron Donald scenario.

Is he actually going to sign with the Rams and come out of retirement, or is the recent speculation simply the result of him being back around the organization?

That question will remain one of the biggest storylines to follow in the coming weeks.

Los Angeles isn’t only the best team in the NFL entering training camp. With Garrett leading an overhauled defense and Donald’s possible return still hanging over the franchise, the Rams are also the league’s most interesting team.