As the St. Louis Rams get set to travel down to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers, they have to come to grips with the loss of yet another starter, in defensive end Chris Long. Now with the loss of three key players, Long, Sam Bradford, and Trumaine Johnson, the Rams could definitely use a boost to their roster.
Enters the idea of star thievery.
How amazing would it be to add to your roster one player from your opponents team without facing the consequence of the opposition returning the favor?
The Bucs certainly have some talent that would upgrade a lot of teams. From Vincent Jackson, to Gerald McCoy, to Doug Martin - hell even Dashon Goldson - no one can deny their talent level. But if you are going to reach for the stars, you should always try to grab the brightest one in the sky. In this particular case; Lavonte David....
David was an option in the 2012 NFL draft. One that the Rams were rumored to be very high on. Before coming off the board at pick number 58, the Rams had three - count them, 1, 2, THREE - opportunities to draft David. It seems they were holding out hope that he would make it to pick 65.
The Rams have a very solid starting linebacker core in James Laurinaitis, Alec Ogletree, and Jo-Lonn Dunbar. But Lavonte David is arguably the best outside linebacker in the NFL. To be able to insert him into the starting lineup would allow the Rams lineback-ing core to rival that much hyped defensive line as the best in the league. David brings a lot of speed, athleticism, and play making ability to the game.
TKL | Sack | PBU | Int | FF | FR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
139 | 2.0 |
5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
145 | 7.0 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
284 | 9.0 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
As you can see from his production over the course of his first two seasons in the NFL, there's not much that he can't do. In fact, he does it all.
The Rams will have their hands full with knowing where No. 54 is at all times. He makes game changing plays on a regular basis, and he can be a terror in both the run and pass game. If the Rams want to have any success moving the ball this week, they will have to develop an effective game plan that will limit his defensive impact.