Wednesday marked the official return to practice for Jaire Alexander, albeit in a limited fashion. He participated in individual drills, his first on-field action since injuring his shoulder in Week 4. His return should be a boon for a pass defense that has been top 10 in passing DVOA, QB rating allowed, and interceptions. The question that Joe Barry will face, however, is how best to deploy Alexander when he makes his return to game action.
A lot was made with Barry’s hire about the importance of the “star” position, aka the nickel back. This was popularized with the way the Rams were able to utilize the skill-set of Jalen Ramsey in the same defensive scheme.