Rams Signing Puts $4 Million Defender on Hot Seat, Analyst Says

The Los Angeles Rams ended up having a, somewhat, aggressive free agent signing season during the month of June — adding two Super Bowl winning wide receivers (Tyler Johnson and Demarcus Robinson) and, on Thursday, June 29, a veteran cornerback in Ahkello Witherspoon who played in the big game in the 2019 season.

But the addition of Witherspoon points to one young $4 million Rams defender suddenly being placed on the hot seat, as Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire on USA Today wrote on Friday, June 30.

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Could Witherspoon Push Out Young CB?

Though not considered a household name in the league, the addition of Witherspoon bolsters a needed area for the Rams’ defense — experience at cornerback. Witherspoon, who won the NFC title with the San Francisco 49ers, brings a veteran presence and height to the CB room with 2023 training camp a month away. He was last seen with the Pittsburgh Steelers the past two season.

While the 28-year-old Witherspoon is capable of being a new veteran voice inside the “Rams House” post Jalen Ramsey, DaSilva believes his presence has officially dialed up the hot seat on 2021 fourth round selection Robert Rochell.

“It’s probably no coincidence that the Rams signed a bigger cornerback with the same measurables as Rochell. They didn’t go out and sign a smaller corner who can play the slot. They wanted an outside presence to work alongside [Decobie] Durant and [Derion] Kendrick,” DaSilva said. “Rochell is on the hot seat as a result of this move, a sign of the team’s lack of confidence in him as a starter.”

Rochell, who came to the Rams from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) ranks at Central Arkansas, is still on his rookie deal of four years for $4,170,928 that makes him a free agent in 2025. He’s set to earn $940,000 in his 2023 base salary per Spotrac.

However, he already had begun to lose ground on earning defensive snaps — as the aforementioned 2022 rookies Durant and Kendrick wound up earning starts over the towering 6-foot-2 Rochell.

“That was evident last season when Rochell rode the bench through all of the Rams’ cornerback injuries. He played just 26 defensive snaps despite being healthy enough to play all 17 games,” DaSilva wrote.

Furthermore, Rochell has only started in a total of five games since his arrival to the league…and all five came his rookie year during the Rams’ run to Super Bowl 56.

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Witherspoon Could Soon be Involved in Very Heated CB Battle Come July 29

Once the Rams reconvene for training camp at UC Irvine in front of their fans on July 29, there will be a number of key position battles fans and media will be locked in on.

Now, the CB room is gearing to have the veteran Witherspoon and the versatile Rochell as one new battle to watch at Crawford Field.

“The battle between Witherspoon and Rochell will certainly be one to watch during training camp and throughout the preseason because the loser of that competition will be left on the bench,” DaSilva wrote.

And in the case of Rochell, losing ground to Witherspoon could mean losing his opportunity to continue on with the Rams. Or, Rochell perhaps can stay on board as he vies for the “star” position Ramsey bequeaths — which is reserved for the Rams’ most athletic defender and often allowed Ramsey to play closer to the line of scrimmage. Given Rochell’s past as a safety, he could push for that role.

But now, a CB with 40 career NFL starts and one Super Bowl taste is on board for newer competition.

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