Ahkello Witherspoon and Derion Kendrick got off to strong starts this season, allowing just 143 total yards in coverage through the first four games. However, both cornerbacks have had their share of struggles in recent weeks, to the point that Kendrick was demoted in Week 9 and played just three snaps.
The Rams tried to shake things up by giving Quentin Lake and Duke Shelley more opportunities with Kendrick’s role shrinking, but Shelley had a tough day with a team-high 59 yards allowed in coverage.
Sean McVay and Raheem Morris will have some additional time to prepare for the Seahawks thanks to their Week 10 bye, an offense that features talented receivers such as DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxson Smith-Njigba. With the Rams’ corners struggling, it might be time for Morris to give the rookie Tre Tomlinson some snaps.
At worst, he’ll play at the level that Kendrick did in recent weeks. At best, he’ll play the way he did in the preseason when he allowed two catches for 16 yards on seven targets with two pass breakups.
The Rams are 3-6 and after losing three straight games, their playoff hopes have quickly slipped away. A weak NFC will keep them in the hunt for a little while longer, but if Los Angeles can’t get back on track immediately after the bye, the postseason will fall out of reach in a hurry. Why not give a rookie like Tomlinson a chance to prove himself in what’s becoming another lost season?
Kendrick has already played himself out of a starting role and the Rams need an outside cornerback opposite Witherspoon. Cobie Durant was set to take over that role but he got hurt in each of the last two games.
McVay and Morris steadily gave Lake more chances in the slot and he’s become one of their most impactful defensive backs in the last few weeks. Doing the same with Tomlinson wouldn’t be a bad idea.
At this point, they don’t have much to lose, so you might as well see what you’ve got in the former Jim Thorpe Award winner. If he plays the way he did in the preseason, he could be a future starter in the secondary.
