The Los Angeles Rams secondary took a massive hit when they decided to trade Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins.
For months, it was rumored that Ramsey would be moved in order for the Rams to reset their cap, and with him off the roster, the team will be leaning on its young defensive backs to fill the void.
Without Ramsey, Sean McVay and Raheem Morris will be looking at Cobie Durant to step up and assume more of a leadership role on the defense. Durant showed flashes in his rookie season, though injuries slowed him down and prevented him from really making an impact.
Heading into his second season, Durant discussed his personal goals and what he’ll be looking to improve on, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“Be consistent, be a better tackler, be more vocal,” Durant said Tuesday. “Especially being at the star position, just being more vocal.”
Ramsey spent most of his time playing the ‘Star’ in 2022, but Durant seems to understand what is expected of the role and how it trickles down to the rest of the defense:
“If it’s star-right, star-left, going ahead and saying that early on and letting everybody else know where I’m lining up at, because it kind of runs through me,” Durant said.
The young cornerback added that he’s confident he’s ready for the responsibility and is looking forward to proving he can handle it:
“At the end of the day I’m ready for it, I’m ready to take on that challenge, to just go out there and play fast, play smart and be a playmaker,” Durant said.
Although he’s on the smaller side at 5’11”, Durant possess a certain toughness and nose for the ball that’s required to be effective in the ‘Star.’ Durant had three interceptions last season and led the NFL in interception returns yards with 151, encouraging numbers that the coaching staff hope he can build upon.
Sean McVay has seen tremendous strides from Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick
Starting roles for the secondary are up for grabs after Los Angeles allowed several of its rotation players to walk in free agency. However, the early feeling is that Derion Kendrick and Durant can be penciled in as two of the starters.
Both Durant and Kendrick were thrust into minimal roles last year due to injuries, and it looks like they’ve managed to stand out so far in the offseason as McVay noted he’s seen tremendous strides from them.
