Ed "Pi Double i" HendersonWorldWide Rams The Los Angeles Rams added Chucky Williams, the hard-hitting safety from the Louisville Cardinals. The team seems never to stop looking for talent and increasingly brings added depth to the defensive backfield. They are producing another defensive back that was a three-year starter at the safety position. Recording 252 career tackles (150 solos),13 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 9.0 interceptions,15 pass deflections, 5.0 recovered fumbles and forced 7.0 fumbles for his career. Williams is the one player that you lived to see every game initiating hard crushing hits on running backs. However, last season Williams would meet his fate as he attempted to tackle freshman sensation AJ Dillon of Boston College. However, the freshman had another alternative, as he threw the safety off him and continued to an impressive 75-yard touchdown run. (Watch Video) AJ Dillon Throws Off Chucky WilliamsAt 6'0", Williams can play both the free and strong safety positions, and his size and toughness enable him to assist in run support around the line of scrimmage. He also posses the ball skills to play deep and can accelerate for the deep passes to make plays. Has excellent skills in play recognition with the run or with play-action passes and rarely gets caught out of position.
However, when it comes to the area of tackling with big hitters there come exposure of flaws. Can be inconsistent as a tackler because of trying to separate the player's jersey from their bodies. He will at times take bad angles or routes to the ball, but those are issues that can quickly be improved. The early projection will be that Williams will be the better fit at strong safety and play with a special-teams mentality. Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips can enjoy that style from Williams, as he had former special team ace as a Denver Bronco and Rams of a Kavon Webster. Williams has the athletic ability to compete to make the 53-man roster and the fact that he concentrates as a special teams specialist opportunity will heighten further. The Rams are as well deep at the safety position too, Williams will have a lot to gain the further attention of his defensive coaches. However, the one thing that special teams coach John "Bones" Fassel will enjoy is the tenacity and willingness Williams can bring running down the field and laying out returners. There will be a couple of familiar faces inside the Rams locker room that Williams will know, as starting right guard Jamon Brown, and sixth-round draft selection from the 2018 NFL Draft defensive end Trevon Young are former Cardinals as well. However, Williams and Young both were starters together on defense while at Louisville.
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Ed "Pi Double i" HendersonWorldWide Rams The Los Angeles Rams added former Oklahoma State defensive back Ramon Richards to their roster. Named as a Big-12 Honorable Mentioned as a defensive back, he brings experience as a three-year starter.
Richards played in a total of 45 games, where he registered 183 tackles (10.5 for loss), ten interceptions (returned two for touchdowns), 23 pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. Growing up in the home state of Wade Phillips, the Rams defensive coordinator the second-year coach knows his Texas talent. Richards converted to safety his senior season; his versatility contributes added depth and flexibility to Ram's defensive backfield. With Richards joining the Rams, the teams are getting a good football player who can play all over the field but has imperfections in his game. The downfall to his talent, he's a smaller player with sub-par speed. However, he does demonstrate quickness to the ball, read offenses effectively, and diagnosis routes of the receivers. Despite his small stature, he's a fierce hitter who closes into the ball with the ability to lunge and quickly deflects passes. With a high football IQ, he can play opposite of the slot receivers and make solid plays with solid skills. Ten career interceptions and with two returned for touchdowns, displays his play-making abilities. The Rams defensive rosters are deep with defensive back talent, this past offseason, the Rams added veteran and pro-bowl corners Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters. Also to include, the Rams added veteran defensive Sam Shields, resigned Troy Hill and Nikel Robey-Coleman. Richards also will have to battle against another former Oklahoma State Cowboy and second-year player Kevin Peterson. Peterson is widely known for his excellent play last season when injuries loomed the Rams defensive backfield. In the Rams 2016 final home game, Peterson picked off San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo twice in the game. Despite a meaningful game where 90 percent of Rams starters didn't play, but the 49ers moved the ball down the field effectively. Over the past few seasons, the success of undrafted defensive backs earning spots on the Rams final 53-man roster have raised. Richards has the talent but will have to fight hard to impress defensive back coach Aubrey Pleasant and Ejiro Evero. Last season, Hatfield, Isaiah Johnson, and Kevin Peterson all made the Rams team, with Peterson and Hatfield both making the final 53-man roster. Johnson was cut but signed to the practice squad, and later called up to the team active roster after former starter Kavon Webster lost for the season with a ruptured Achilles injury. Shall Richards performs well with pre-season play, and he has the opportunity to continue to the legacy of undrafted defensive backs making the active roster. If he's not so fortunate of making the 53-man roster, he will be a great candidate for the practice squad. Ed “Pi Double i” HendersonWorldWide Rams This past weekend, Los Angeles Rams held tryouts at their rookie minicamp at Cal-State Lutheran University. The Rams signed six UDFA's (undrafted free agents), to comprise their 90-man roster, and besides, they released third-year linebacker, Carlos Thompson.
Amongst the players trying out, were the Holley twins, Nick and Nate Holley, who played at Kent State University. Nate Holley, who played safety, had some legal issues, where he once charged with kidnapping. He was able to put that issue behind him and became one of the nations best safeties. However, Nate didn't win out a spot for to the Roster. However, his twin Nick Holley, the fifth-year senior quarterback/running back/receiver did. The very talented Nick, played several positions while at Kent St, settling down at quarterback his last two season. He played as a receiver his freshman year but switched to running back in spring practices of 2014, where he played the season at both the running back and quarterback positions. Holley also was used as a punt returner too that season. Holley suffered broken back that ended his 2015 season just three games into the season. The NCAA granted him a medical hardship, giving him an extra year of eligibility. The 2016 season, Holley was named MAC Player of the Week after scorching through University of Buffalo's defense. A defense that anchored all-American linebacker Khalil Hodge, he had 24 carries for 234 yards and rushed for four touchdowns. He had a run of 67 yards against Buffalo at running back which confused the Buffalo's defense. Holley led the team with 920 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns and completed 72 passes for 868 yards and four touchdowns that 2016 season. His red-shirt senior season ended precisely like his sophomore year, season-ending injury with a torn ACL. Holley was able to bounce back after his missed season in 2015, however, had three career season-ending injuries. Holley is a solid athlete who’ll more than likely convert to a running back or receiver at the next level but who truly needs to polish up his game. He has to ability to make a defender miss, hurdles over players, and have deceptive speed. Compared to former Kent State Golden Flash quarterback and current New England Patriots receiver, Julian Edelman, the two are very familiar in size. Many have called Holley the 2.0 version of Edelman with the 4.40 speed, and shiftiness on the field. Holley was the first Golden Flash player since 1973 to win back- to- back MAC Offensive Player of the Week. While it wasn’t a historic season, Holley certainly did enough to concrete himself in the history books of Kent State. Providing that Holley can remain healthy during the pre-season, he will be a project that will develop into a good NFL receiver. There is an upside to him because of his versatility, and with hard work, he can crack the Rams 53-man roster. Head Coach Sean McVay, have found a solid gem and has continued to see the talent that fits great into the Rams offense. A natural weapon that teams have slept on, but Jared Goff can use a little-plugged receiver such as Holley, as Tom Brady have in Edelman. Many expected that Tavon Austin could have been a good weapon, but never had the chance and was traded to the Dallas Cowboys during the 2018 NFL Draft. Ed "Pi Double i" HendersonWorldWide Rams Tegray Scales arguably is the one UDFA that has a high chance of making the Rams 53-man roster. No doubt that he will arrive at camp with the most significant chip on his shoulder as he went undrafted from the 2018 NFL Draft. He immediately signed with the Los Angeles Rams after the conclusion of the NFL Draft a team who brought him in for a top 30 visit.
Teams perhaps overlooked Scales because of his size, something that he faced from recruitment out of high school. He was not recruited heavily because he was an undersized linebacker. He changed those thoughts by becoming the Ohio Associated Press Co-Defensive Player of the Year. His outstanding year led him to record 102 tackles, 13 sacks, and two interceptions. Scales named All-Big Ten as a senior has led the Hoosiers with 89 total tackles (12.5 tackles for loss), six sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He played 48 games starting 26 and recorded 218 solo tackles, eight interceptions, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, nine quarterback hurries and eight pass breakups and one touchdown. Scales is a very disciplined linebacker that has good read and reaction skills, instinctive and can play downhill. Consistent to around the football and take right angles in pursuit and can adjust on the fly quickly. He above average cover skills making him dependable as a three-down linebacker. However, the knock on Scales, against the run he tends to hesitate, which allows the lineman to engage him at the second level. He seems not to keep his leverage in the gaps consistently playing off one side of the blocker rather than taking him head-on. On film review, his 4.77 40 time appears to show. However, you see the lateral quickness to his game and the suddenness in his lower half when he’s locked in. He doesn't get faked out with play-action, misdirection or trick plays, one part of his game that I impressive coaches. He studies plenty of game film to explain his disciplined, and ability to locate the ball, and close ground quickly. Scales will probably find his knack on special teams where he'll contribute right away. He’s not one you’re going to have to worry about when it comes to putting in the work in the film room and the weight room either. Even though he won't make the starting lineup at linebacker, he'll be a project that can start in the next couple of years. |
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