For months it’s looked as though the Rams, due to the dead cap constraints, were going to roll with a very young secondary. That seemed dicey especially given that part of their dead cap stems from them unceremoniously trading future hall of famer Jalen Ramsey earlier this year.
The Rams needed some veterans somewhere on the roster and today they have found a quality vet that can elevate the secondary and take pressure off their young corners in former Steeler, Niner, and Seahawk, Ahkello Witherspoon.
Ahkello Witherspoon Past Stops
Ahkello Witherspoon has had a solid career with 152 total tackles, 35 pass deflections, 8 picks, and one touchdown. On one hand, he’s got much more experience than Cobie Durant, Robert Rochell, and Derion Kendrick. He’s also much more capable than David Long Jr, BUT that’s also not saying much as on the other hand he’s got some red flags. There are reasons that he was released in May and was VERY much available.
Witherspoon’s stats look great when looking at the raw numbers but there’s a reason this is his fourth team in five seasons. He’s been oft-injured and missed seven games just last season. When he’s on the field he’s prone to getting burnt and if fans got anxious watching Jalen Ramsey in coverage last season, Witherspoon might cause full-on cardiac arrest.
Per PFF, last season he allowed 22 catches on 29 targets (again he missed seven games), and was graded 45.4 which isn’t great. The general vibe amongst Steelers fans is that they’d drive him to the airport given that Bane is no longer around to create a SPLOSION at Heinz Field (sadly now Acrisure Stadium). So, for the Rams, this news is a mixed bag.
In 2020 and 2021, PFF gave him overall grades of 80.2, and 75.9, respectively.
He’s certainly got potential to bring knowledge to the secondary and Raheem Morris isn’t likely to use him in the STAR role since he won’t presumably be with the team for a long time. Hopefully, this signing works out but for now, the Rams need to hope at 28 years old, he’s ready to turn it around.