|
LOS ANGELES -- Over the past eight years, no defensive lineman played more snaps than Ndamukong Suh, who recently joined the Los Angeles Rams for his age-31 season. From 2010 to 2017, Suh registered 6,773 snaps, 354 more than runner-up Calais Campbell during that stretch. Suh hasn't necessarily slowed down in recent years, either. His 2,666 snaps over the past three seasons rank third among defensive linemen, trailing only Cameron Jordan and Khalil Mack. The Rams are mindful of that, but they're still uncertain about how cautious they will be. "I think that stuff will all sort itself out," Rams coach Sean McVay said at the start of the offseason program last week. "I think what that says, as much as anything, is the durability and the way that he takes care of himself." Since being drafted second overall by the Detroit Lions in 2010, Suh has played in every game except the two he was suspended for in 2011. With the Miami Dolphins last year, he played in more than 90 percent of his team's defensive snaps in four of Miami's 16 games. He absorbed more than 80 percent of the defensive snaps in all but three of those weeks. The Rams like to rotate their pass-rushers a little more than that. Aaron Donald at times took on a heavy workload, similar to Suh's. But the Rams' most often used defensive lineman played less than 80 percent of the team's snaps six times and topped 90 percent in only two games. Suh is uncommonly durable for an interior lineman who absorbs so much punishment. But the Rams boast a unique amount of depth at his position. Donald might be the game's most dominant defensive player, while Michael Brockers was an underrated interior lineman before moving outside to 5-technique last season. To keep guys fresh on base sets, the Rams could use two of Donald, Suh and Brockers and easily bring in either Ethan Westbrooks or Dominique Easley, the latter one of the game's more effective defensive ends when healthy. Still, McVay referenced Suh's track record and work ethic while stating that he would be "well equipped" to continue to handle a high workload if needed. "Those are things that I think we'll figure out as we get further into it," McVay said, "but everything that you've heard about him with the people that have been around him, you see how conscientious he is, how disciplined he is with his offseason program -- taking care of his body, eating right. Those are things that we've seen in this short amount of time already."
|
