All seemed quiet and depressing in the first two days of the Rams free agency. They lost Dante Fowler Jr., Cory Littleton, and Michael Brockers while letting Nickell Robey-Coleman go.
The defense looked to take a major step back betting on young guys like Greg Gaines and Micah Kiser. Fear not though, as Les Snead understands that Aaron Donald needs another adult on the defensive line lest he gets quadruple teamed all next season.
As rough as it was that Brockers left for Baltimore the team found a suitable replacement in A’Shawn Robinson who left the Detroit Lions for a two-year deal worth $17 million. Robinson isn’t the kind of player that wins headlines but he’s one that could create them playing alongside Donald.
A’Shawn Robinson was drafted in 2016 and after playing two whole seasons he suffered a knee injury that cost him his 2018 season and he dealt with a shoulder injury that hampered his 2019 season. This might seem concerning but given that he’s just 25 it’s possible that he just had some bad luck and he’s about to enter his prime.
His time in Detroit was productive as he netted 120 tackles, five sacks, and three forced fumbles. That’s not bad for someone who missed one and a half seasons. The Rams needed a replacement for Brockers and he should fit in just fine on the left side of the line, but at 6’4, 320, he can certainly play zero-tech nose tackle as well. He’s a solid run stuffer which is something the Rams desperately needed but for all the skills he has in the run game, he won’t help much in the pass rush.
The Rams defensive line rotation is solid with A’Shawn Robinson, Greg Gaines, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Aaron Donald, and Morgan Fox. They still need to find some help in the pass rush on the line (did sign OLB Leonard Floyd) and whether that comes in the form of a cheap vet such as Cameron Wake or someone they pick up in the draft. That said A’Shawn Robinson gives them the run stopping defensive tackle they so sorely needed. Perhaps they overpaid a little but at 25 he could become a bargain.