Rams head coach Sean McVay said earlier this offseason that defensive tackle Aaron Donald was “a little upset with me” when he heard that defensive end Michael Brockers had agreed to a deal with the Ravens in free agency, but that Donald started talking to him again when that deal fell through and Brockers re-signed with the team.
Brockers’ return was a rare development for the Rams defense this offseason. Linebacker Cory Littleton, edge rusher Dante Fowler, linebacker Clay Matthews and cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman have all moved on from a defense that also saw a coordinator change with Brandon Staley replacing Wade Phillips.
“We definitely lost some big pieces to the puzzle. I think guys just need to step up and fill some big shoes,” Donald said, via Kevin Modesti of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Donald’s presence gives the Rams a centerpiece to build the rest of the unit around in the coming months and the results of that construction will do much to determine the Rams’ fate in 2020.