Welcome Chris Long the newest Ram
April 26th, 2008 | by Kevin Morris |
The Rams made it official Chris Long is the newest Ram.
What he brings: Long doesn’t have elite size or as much upside as the aforementioned Gholston, but, he’s a tough run defend and a relentless pass-rusher, who has good but not great speed. He also does an excellent job of using his hands to control blockers. He’s capable of stepping in and making an immediate impact because he’s so fundamentally sound, as you would expect from the son of Hall of Famer Howie Long.
How he fits: Even though there was some debate over Long and LSU DT Glenn Dorsey, Long makes a lot of sense. He allows the Rams to keep last year’s first-rounder, Adam Carriker, on the inside. Long is a versatile pass-rusher who defensive coordinator Jim Haslett can use in his schemes as a DE or DT in sub packages. The Rams will be able to pressure four and drop seven on the backend, while incorporating a lot of zone-blitz pressures. With Long pressuring from the right side teams won’t be able to set protection schemes towards LDE Leonard Little, and Long’s presence also allows speedy DE James Hall to get on the field as a defensive tackle, which gives them four effective rushers in sub.
Tags: Chris Long, draft, Rams
