Among all the looming questions surrounding the Los Angeles Rams defense going into the 2019 NFL season, the biggest ones have been centered around the linebacker position.
It is no secret that the primary goal for the Rams this time of year has been to make it to the regular season as healthy as possible. Unfortunately, it appears their linebacker group got a bit thinner with Justin Lawler dealing with a foot injury.
The former seventh-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft was making his case as a backup on defense, however, he must first deal with a bit of a setback.
According to ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry, head Sean McVay confirmed that Lawler had surgery to repair his ailing foot:
Rams LB Justin Lawler will have foot surgery today, per Sean McVay. Lawler was a seventh round pick out of SMU in 2018.
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) August 6, 2019
There has not been any timetable set for Lawler’s potential return. Regardless, his absence deprives the Rams of some much-needed depth at an already thin linebacker position.
Lawler had made his bones as a solid contributor on special teams during his rookie season. He played in all 16 games, including half of the Rams’ snaps on special teams to rack up six tackles.
His surgery only raises further questions about the state of the team’s linebacker corps and their depth behind Clay Matthews and Dante Fowler Jr. on the outside moving forward. The 24-year-old was competing for the backup spot behind Matthews, however, it appears Los Angeles will now have to dig a bit deeper to ensure that it is not a point of weakness once the regular season rolls around.
Lawler’s injury will likely open things up for Trevon Young to take over the snaps he had initially been sharing. Given McVay’s plans to keep his starters out of the preseason, Young should have ample opportunities to prove himself in the upcoming preseason games.
The recent news has also brought the absence of Ogbonnia Okoronkwo to the forefront of the concerns at linebacker. Although there had been plenty of hype surrounding his return after a broken foot ended his rookie season, it seems he suffered a bit of a setback that has caused him to miss training camp for an undisclosed reason.
The depth at linebacker will continue to be a concern until more details on the injuries to both Lawler and Okoronkwo are revealed. For now, McVay has every reason to continue with the cautious approach he has taken during preseason since his arrival.
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