It’s always good when a starter returns from injury but that can sometimes come with difficult decisions, too. That’s going to be the case for the Los Angeles Rams with Darious Williams making his way back from IR as early as this week.
Williams practiced for the first time on Wednesday and has been designated to return already. The Rams will need to activate him before he can take the field on Sunday, but that seems like a good possibility.
If Williams does return to face the Packers this weekend, the Rams will need to figure out a way to fit him into the secondary – a secondary that’s been struggling without him in the first four games of the season.
They have a few different options to consider, none of which is simple.
Bench Tre’Davious White
The first option is to bench the cornerback who’s been playing the poorest this season: Tre’Davious White. He may have all the accolades as a former All-Pro and Pro Bowler, but his play has hurt the Rams’ pass defense. Whether it’s giving up big plays to Jameson Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. in coverage or committing costly penalties that extend drives, White has not played well thus far.
According to Aaron Schatz, White has the worst coverage DVOA of any cornerback this season.
Also coming out strong: Devon Witherspoon, D.J. Reed, Marshon Lattimore, Rasul Douglas, Jaylon Johnson.
Surprisingly not coming out strong so far: Sauce Gardner, Jaycee Horn, Carlton Davis
Worst coverage DVOA: Tre’Davious White
— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@ASchatzNFL) October 2, 2024
The problem with benching him is he’s a high-profile defender who may not be playing well, but he could potentially turn it around as he gets further and further removed from the torn Achilles he suffered last year.
White and Williams are both at their best as outside cornerbacks and there are only two of those spots available each snap. Perhaps a more limited role for White could do him some good.
Bench Cobie Durant
A second option is benching the other starter on the outside, Cobie Durant. He actually has the lowest coverage grade on the team, per Pro Football Focus, but he’s allowed just 82 yards to White’s 151 on three fewer targets. He also hasn’t allowed a touchdown or committed a penalty yet, while White has given up four scores and committed five penalties (one declined).
Like Williams, Durant is slightly undersized for an outside cornerback, which could create some mismatches for offenses with bigger receivers. Therefore, starting both of them may not be the best approach. But Durant’s speed is also beneficial when the Rams are facing faster receivers who can stretch the field vertically.
Durant may not be playing particularly well right now but he has traits that make him valuable.
Move Durant into the slot and Quentin Lake to safety
If the Rams want to get a little bit more creative, there’s a third option that involves making changes at two positions. They could choose to start Williams at outside cornerback, move Durant into the slot and push Lake back to safety where he would replace the struggling rookie Kamren Kinchens.
This could solve two problems for the Rams. It’ll take Durant off the island of being on the boundary, and it’ll also relieve Kinchens of the heavy workload he may not be fully prepared for as a third-round rookie.
It also presents some hurdles. Right now, Lake has been the Rams’ best defender in the secondary. Per PFF, he’s played 120 of his 258 snaps in the slot, with another 60 snaps as a deep safety and 67 in the box. He can line up anywhere in the secondary and also play dime linebacker, making him a chess piece for Shula to deploy.
While he may be needed at safety, moving him further away from the ball could lead to a regression when it comes to stopping the run – something that’s already been a big problem for the Rams.
It’s a difficult choice no matter what the Rams decide to do, but getting a good player back is always a positive for any team. Hopefully Williams can help turn around a secondary that’s been struggling so far this season.
