One of many extra stunning strikes of the offseason made by the Los Angeles Rams was the choice to commerce away linebacker Ernest Jones.
Jones led the workforce in tackles in 2023 and at simply 25 years outdated appeared like a participant who might be a core piece of Sean McVay’s protection for years to come back.
That’s the reason it was so stunning to see Jones traded to the Tennessee Titans simply earlier than the beginning of the common season and the reasoning as to why the transfer was made stays unclear. The Titans have since traded Jones to the Seattle Seahawks and the Rams should now put together for his or her first assembly towards their former teammate.
McVay lately mentioned the Jones commerce, and even seeming to confess that the deal could not have been the precise transfer to make.
“I believe I’ve been happy with among the issues that guys have performed,” McVay mentioned. “It’d be exhausting to disclaim the manufacturing that he’s had whenever you have a look at what he’s performed at Tennessee and even simply in his first week there final week. He’s an important participant and he did plenty of good issues for us.
“I believe all the selections that we make within the second we really feel like are in the most effective curiosity. I’m not going to fake and act like each choice is correct. You strive to have the ability to be taught from it and apply it transferring ahead, however that you just’re taking part in towards a extremely well-respected participant, mentally and bodily robust. [It] looks as if he’s all the time across the soccer. I want him effectively and it’s going to be an important problem going towards him.”
Thus far this season, Jones has 59 tackles, which might be essentially the most on the Rams, together with three tackles for loss and two passes defensed. In his first recreation with the Seahawks final week, he totaled a season-high 15 tackles.
It isn’t usually that coaches or executives publicly specific remorse over a transfer or admit that they could have been flawed. McVay didn’t fairly say that he and the Rams had been flawed to commerce Jones, however his phrases do appear to counsel that this was one he would possibly prefer to have again. Regardless of the case, Jones is now on the opposite aspect and will probably be motivated to make the Rams pay.
Sean McVay praises undrafted LB Omar Speights after first begin for Rams
One of many gamers stepping up for the Rams instead of Ernest Jones was Troy Reeder. However the linebacker was positioned on injured reserve with a hamstring damage, forcing Sean McVay to show to undrafted Omar Speights for his first profession begin towards the Minnesota Vikings and the Rams coach was pleased with what he noticed.
“I assumed he did a pleasant job,” McVay mentioned. “He performed in our base package deal, and you might see he was in the precise spots. He had a few these performs the place he’s arriving violently on the level of assault. Good recognition of among the ideas that they had been doing, whether or not that be run or play motion. I used to be happy with Omar.”
