THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The toughest part about Alec Ogletree's transition to middle linebacker?
"Knowing each and every position; knowing the ins and outs of the whole defense," Ogletree said of transitioning to the crucial, demanding position for the Los Angeles Rams this season. "My position, they count on you to know everything."
Ogletree likes to call it the "Mike," a common moniker for middle linebackers, like "Sam" for strongside linebackers and "Will" for weakside linebackers. Ogletree is transitioning to "Mike" after spending most of his NFL time at the "Will." And he might have to do so without a key cog in the unit, with strongside linebacker Akeem Ayers, who started 11 games last season, surprisingly among those cut in the Rams' quest to pare the roster to an NFL-mandated 53 players on Saturday.