The Los Angeles Rams kicked off Week 9 with a relatively big trade. The Rams traded a conditional fifth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for cornerback Roger McCreary and a sixth-round pick.
L.A. had been one of the teams reportedly interested in making a move for a cornerback, which was also a position the team needed help with through the first eight weeks of the season.
The team’s current starters are Emmanuel Forbes Jr., Cobie Durant and Darious Williams. And despite signing Tre Brown, Rams head coach Sean McVay explained that he wanted to add more players to the secondary unit already dealing with an injury to Akhello Witherspoon.
“We were looking to be able to add some depth,” McVay said. “He was a guy that we respected from playingagainst him earlier this year. He has some inside-outside flex. … I’ve heard great things about the human being from people that have been around him. [Rams assistant coach] Aubrey Pleasant enjoyed coaching him at the Senior Bowl. He’ll be able to add some depth to our group and we’re excited about it.”
McCreary played 38 games for the Titans since being drafted in the second round in 2022. McCreary has three interceptions, 17 defended passes, four sacks and 253 combined tackles in 55 career games.
McVay hinted that the Rams may be dealing with another injury at the position, too, with Williams.
“Darious Williams got banged up a little bit [with a shoulder injury] and we’ll see what his status looks like for this week,” McVay said. “A part of it was more a result of some of the current circumstances of our backend and our corner position in particular.”
As for where McCreary will line up on the defense, McVay offered some insight and compared the new player’s versatility to that of Rams safety Quentin LAke.
“[McCreary] has obviously played the slot exclusively for the Titans this year. He has played a little bit of outside corner, but it was more just the competitor and what he’s about,” McVay said. “The Titans were great to work with and it just so happened that based on some of the things that are going on with us, we felt like it was a smart move. Then once we get him in here, we’ll get a feel for the best way to take advantage of his skillset and where that fits. He could play inside or outside, but feel really good about obviously what Quentin Lake does and the many hats that he wears for us. But being able to add some depth in that room was the key to be able to get Roger in here.”
It’s unclear if McCreary would be ready to play in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints, but it sounds like McVay has a plan, at least, for how the new cornerback will be utilized in Chris Shula’s defense.