2019 Los Angeles Rams roster preview: EDGE Morgan Fox back on the field, back on the line

In the excitement of a Super Bowl campaign, it was easy to forget that Los Angeles Rams EDGE Morgan Fox missed all of last year with an ACL injury. It was a loss he suffered just as organized team activities were beginning. The Rams planned to place Fox in the outside linebacker position and use him as a stand-up rusher, which I would’ve liked to see. However, that plan never came to pass.

Now, he’s back on the line where I feel he will be better suited.

Roster Battle

As it stands now, there are two true defensive ends in Fox and John Franklin-Myers the latter of whom showed his merit in the first half of the season and the postseason as a depth player. Franklin-Myers also recorded a sack during a pivotal time in the Super Bowl.

DL Michael Brockers will likely be starting in the DE spot come opening day. If Fox’s rehab remains on schedule, he will likely rotate at the other defensive-end spot. Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips’ defensive line is fluid, and no one guy is tied down to one spot.

Expectations

Fox played more than a quarter of the snaps in 2017 and recorded 2.5 sacks and 19 tackles through 16 regular season games, and four tackles in the postseason loss to Atlanta. That’s a decent amount of production in that amount of time. Returning to that base would be a solid season for a guy returning from an ACL tear.

Chances of making the roster (8/10)

The biggest questions surrounding Fox will be 1) Can his repaired ACL handle an increased workload and 2) Is he capable of handling that workload?