Bobby Wagner: ‘It’s been fun’ watching younger guys step up on defense
The Los Angeles Rams have endured an endless number of injuries this season, allowing some of the younger players to get more opportunities. On the defensive side of the ball, Bobby Wagner revealed that it’s been exciting to see some of the young guys get more snaps amid all of the injuries along the defensive line.
“They’re just stepping up. They’ve got some big shoes to fill. Obviously one of them is a shoe you can’t fill (in DT Aaron Donald), but they’re coming in, they’re making plays, they’re doing what they’re supposed to do, having energy, they’re playing in the back field and playing fast,” Wagner said. “That’s really all you can ask for. You don’t want to go out there and think and overthink, because the game is not complicated at the end of the day. You find the person that has that, whatever color the ball is brown, whatever you want to look at. They’re going out there, they’re making plays, they’re knowing and understanding the defense. As they progress and as they play, they’re understanding what the teams are trying to do to them from different schemes and different run scheme perspectives. It’s been fun.”
With Aaron Donald sidelined with an ankle injury and A’Shawn Robinson on season-ending injured reserve, guys like Michael Hoecht and Bobby Brown have gotten more snaps on defense. Jonah Williams has also gotten more reps at defensive end in recent weeks.
In his three starts, Hoecht has accrued 13 combined tackles, two sacks, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. Meanwhile, Brown saw a season-high 63% of the defensive snaps in Week 15 versus the Green Bay Packers.
Considering all of the injuries the Rams have had and the fact that they are no longer in playoff contention, the team will have an opportunity to get a good look at some of the young players ahead of the 2023 season. While there have been some ups and downs, Wagner has enjoyed seeing the growth of the inexperienced players in recent weeks.
