Rams need ‘group effort’ to replace Darious Williams

THOUSAND OAKS — It’s different week and different alteration successful the Rams’ antiaircraft secondary.

When information John Johnson and cornerback Troy Hill near arsenic escaped agents successful the offseason, they were replaced by information Jordan Fuller and cornerback David Long. Then Long struggled successful the archetypal fewer games, and helium was replaced by cornerback Robert Rochell. Now cornerback Darious Williams is wounded – and this clip the solution isn’t truthful simple.

“You perceive the cliché astir coaches saying ‘next antheral up.’ This is much similar adjacent men up,” antiaircraft coordinator Raheem Morris said Thursday arsenic the Rams (4-1) prepared to play the New York Giants (1-4) successful East Rutherford, N.J., connected Sunday.

Williams wounded an ankle precocious successful the Rams’ 26-17 triumph implicit the Seattle Seahawks past week and went connected injured reserve, knocking past season’s squad interceptions person retired of enactment for astatine slightest 3 weeks.

Williams’ worth has been compounded by his quality to play extracurricular oregon wrong cornerback, which helped to escaped two-time All-Pro country Jalen Ramsey to play a uniquely versatile role.

“You’ve got to person versatility with Jalen,” Morris said. “Darious was a large portion of america having the quality to bash those things.”

Morris indicated replacing Williams volition instrumentality immoderate operation of Rochell, the rookie who had an up-and-down nighttime successful Seattle successful his archetypal NFL start; Long, who got backmost connected the tract lone aft Williams was hurt; and antiaircraft backmost Terrell Burgess, a 2020 third-round draught prime who has been constricted to peculiar teams.

Presumably, the Rams volition telephone up a antiaircraft backmost from the signifier squad, apt Dont’e Deayon.

This isn’t needfully an casual week to beryllium missing Williams, who had a game-clinching interception successful the Rams’ 17-9 triumph implicit the Giants past twelvemonth astatine SoFi Stadium.

Although the Giants are past successful their part and missing moving backmost Saquon Barkley (ankle) and wide receiver Kenny Golladay (knee), they person moved the shot done the air. Quarterback Daniel Jones (concussion) was backmost astatine signifier Thursday. Rookie wide receiver Kadarius Toney caught 10 passes for 189 yards successful a nonaccomplishment to the Dallas Cowboys past Sunday.

Morris sees Williams’ wounded arsenic an accidental for Burgess to marque his people and Long to bounce backmost from his benching.

“There’s been nary secret. We’ve got title aspirations,” Morris said. “These guys person got to play that way.”

Williams and Ramsey are some allowing 5.5 yards per walk thrown to receivers they’re covering, overmuch amended than the league mean of 7.6. As a team, the Rams are allowing 7.5 yards per pass, 16th successful the 32-team NFL, aft giving up 6.2 past season, champion successful the league.

Ramsey said losing his cornerback spouse is damaging but he’s assured successful the replacement(s).

“It’s going to beryllium a radical effort, for sure,” Ramsey said. “We’ll spot connected Sunday however it shakes out.”

MORRIS ON GRUDEN

Morris, similar Rams manager Sean McVay, started his NFL coaching vocation moving for Jon Gruden with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Morris echoed McVay’s comments a time earlier by saying Thursday he’s “sad” astir Gruden’s fall, but Morris added a beardown condemnation of Gruden’s bigoted connection successful emails.

“The things that were said and the things that were hurtful to radical were evidently not acceptable successful immoderate setting, fto unsocial an NFL setting,” said Morris, who is Black.

Morris, who was an adjunct connected Gruden’s Bucs unit betwixt 2002 and 2008 and succeeded Gruden arsenic caput manager successful 2009, praised the NFL for efforts connected inclusion.

“But this connection (conveyed by the emails) and these things that person travel up amusement that there’s mode much enactment to beryllium done erstwhile you speech astir inclusion, erstwhile you speech astir radical being delicate to different people’s feelings and each those sorts of things,” Morris said, saying helium meant “in our country, not conscionable successful NFL football.”

Speaking astir Gruden, who resigned arsenic Las Vegas Raiders manager connected Monday, Morris said radical who cognize him person “got to find a mode to bring him back.”

“For us, it would person to beryllium him searching retired immoderate of the radical that helium has to speech to, to hunt for that benignant of forgiveness,” Morris said.

NOTES

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald returned to signifier arsenic a “limited” subordinate Thursday, according to the Rams’ wounded report, aft banging knees with different subordinate successful the Seahawks game. … Kicker Matt Gay (ankle) and moving backmost Jake Funk (hamstring) were constricted successful signifier again. … Ramsey planned to spell to the Kings’ play opener with Rams teammates Thursday nighttime astatine Staples Center aft attending some of the Dodgers’ location playoff games against the San Francisco Giants. With fans allowed back, Ramsey said, “I’m like, ‘Let’s unrecorded a small bit.’”