The Los Angeles Rams made some interesting roster moves this week, including keeping defensive back Josh Wallace over some other secondary players.
Wallace went undrafted out of Michigan in 2024 but ended up having a solid rookie season for the Rams. He was active for all 17 games, played in seven and started three. Wallace finished with 10 combined tackles and two defended passes.
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Those aren’t big numbers, but Rams head coach Sean McVay kept Wallace on the roster spot because of his positional versatility. Wallace played cornerback, slot cornerback, safety and special teams for L.A. in the preseason. McVay even compared him to Rams do-it-all defensive back Quentin Lake.
“He’s all of the above. That’s part of what makes him valuable,” McVay said. “You saw him play safety in the preseason. He’s a guy that’s going to be in three of our four phases on special teams. One of those guys that just came in mature beyond his years as a rookie last year. He came from obviously a great program, was a guy that transferred up and I just love what he’s about and he provides a ton of value because of how smart he is. The game makes sense to him. He’s really valuable as that ninth DB spot for us where it’s unique because Quentin Lake plays some different positions, not exclusive to safety so to be able to have somebody like him is really cool to be able to fill out that room.”
McVay likes his movable chess pieces, and Wallace fits that young mold as a six-foot, 189-pound 25-year-old who could fill Lake’s shoes if the veteran were to get hurt. Also, Lake is in the final year of his deal. So it makes sense for the Rams to try and mentor a young potential replacement if the team decides not to extend Lake this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Sean McVay explains why Rams kept this unheralded defensive player