For the second consecutive year, the Los Angeles Rams have made a late-season move to bolster their cornerback room, trading for Roger McCreary of the Tennessee Titans. McCreary, 25 years old, was a Round 2 selection (#35) in the 2002 draft. L.A. made a similar move last December, adding Emmanuel Forbes, another early round draftee (RD 1 #16 in 2023) that had fallen out of favor with his original team.
It was a move that wasn’t particularly surprising. The landing rumors surrounding McCreary were flying fast and furious as the drumbeat of trade buzz had become a roar. And not just as the NFL trade deadline loomed, his name had been bandied about long before. At the same time there were numerous reports from media insiders that the Rams were calling around the NFL, in the market for cornerback help. Other than L.A., the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers were amongst his suitors.
McCreary is a welcome addition to unit that had suddenly become thin. The Rams are scrambling to deal with recently released news that Darious Williams may miss time with a banged up shoulder, this after previously losing Ahkello Witherspoon to a broken collarbone. Cobie Durant and Emmanuel Forbes are the only remaining corners that have extended play time. Josh Wallace has recorded 32 defensive snaps bouncing between corner and safety and Tre Brown, signed in mid-September, has only worked on special teams.
What are the Rams getting?
Prototypical size at a shade under 6’ and 190 lb., with a pedestrian 4.50 forty and 1.59 ten yard split. Although not a standout in size or overall athleticism, McCreary has a confident, physical edge to his game. Came out of college with a reputation for sticky press/man coverage against top competition in the SEC. Stellar upper body strength allowed him to jam receivers and his loose hips fluidly flipping open to turn and mirror routes. Mainly an outside corner who was often put on an island, there is plenty of film doing work out of the slot and dropping into zone.
Many respected draft pundits thought McCreary’s NFL home would be as a nickel/slot. Banking on his willingness to step up in run support, his strength would allow him to stay attached to tight ends tight ends and his coverage chops could stand up underneath. The pundits thought his short arms (28 7/8”) and just adequate athleticism might create problems on bigger, faster, longer NFL wideouts. His pro career thus far, appears to be following his college draft profile.
Pro film shows a well-rounded game by McCreary. Although he can be exploited when tasked against opposing WR#1, he can still be sticky in man and matchup coverage, showing good recovery skills and hand/eye coordination to swipe balls away. In zone, he reads the quarterback’s eyes well and instinctively follows the ball. Strikes me as a Rams-guy, smart, effort based, and versatile. He’s hard-nosed too, but I don’t want miscast him as a thumper. He’s a good wrap-up tackler who has proven production. When called on to blitz, he steadies before impact and doesn’t go zooming past
Why?
On the Rams side, the thinness of the room is self-explanatory. A still young, but with good experience, competitor that fills a need at a very good price. But if McCreary is such a solid player then why were the Titans shopping him so hard? Are they selling the Rams a lemon?
He’s just likely the odd man out in a total rebuild. The Titans are trying to recover some draft assets on the players that actually have some value on the market, while many others can be jettisoned in the offseason. Another possibility is that the General Manager that drafted him is long gone and so is his original defensive coordinator. Of course, it just might be money. McCreary is a free agent after this season and lower-end starting grade nickel cornerbacks can command $7 mil+ per season. The Titans probably figure they can replace him cheaper through the draft or free agency.
While McCreary’s is not considered a “high impact” player and it remains to be seen if his addition will affect the Rams outside coverage, it is certainly a depth upgrade, particularly in passing situations. The Rams are regularly using five and six secondary players and sitting in some type of zone 80 precent of the time, making McCreary’s ability to not only play zone, but also throw in some nose-to-nose press quite interesting. That ability to stunt wide outs could be a welcome twist in certain blitz defense sets. In the end, that physical edge and his willingness to tackle may provide the biggest return on investment.
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