The Los Angeles Rams placed starting cornerback Darious Williams on the short-term injured reserve listing this week, which sidelines him for a minimum of three games. Williams has been a reliable defender for LA over the course of the last two seasons, but now it is time for third-year corner David Long, Jr. and rookie Robert Rochell to step up with the veteran out of the lineup.
Long was benched after a poor Week 4 performance against the Arizona Cardinals in favor of Rochell. The big drivers for this move were the size and athleticism of Rochell - the rookie is 6’2 and considered a “freak” athlete while Long is only 5’11 and has struggled so far this season matching up against taller receivers.