In 2024, Tre'Davious White's play for the Los Angeles Rams has been a disappointment.
Long considered one of the better man-press cornerbacks in the NFL, White has been beaten at crucial spots on the outside against receivers elite and middle-of-the-road and simply hasn't displayed the deep speed needed to catch up if his technique isn't perfect. Factor in the return of Darious Williams and the concerted effort to make Cobie Durant into a premier talent for the Rams, and White was a healthy scratch in Week 5 and may not play for the team much anymore.
Is White cooked? Maybe yes, maybe no, but things might actually be a bit more complicated than fans might have initially expected, as, according to Sean McVay in his first press conference after the bye, White hasn't been playing at close to 100 percent.
“Oh yeah, it did. Yeah, first things first, when you talk about Tre White, what an impressive human being, A pro's pro. A guy that has continuously responded and shown the work capacity [and] the character capacity to be able to handle a lot of different situations,” McVay told reporters.
“I think you always have plans. A lot of the plans that we had relative to this team or as it relates to what you're asking about were very different from what's unfolded. That's our reality. Because we were so injury prone at that spot, defensively in particular [and] some other spots offensively, that did accelerate the amount of snaps that he was going to play. He did a great job of being ready to go and he's a competitor. Ultimately, [I] can't say enough good things about him and we're really looking at it alright, what's the best thing for the Rams? Tre White's a pro in every sense of the word. It did unfold a little bit differently as a result of those injuries to answer your question.”
Wait, could this absence from the starting lineup actually lead to some time for White to get his body right over the next few weeks and potentially play at a high level before the end of the season? Well, if the Rams can go at least a few weeks without an injury at the position, then who knows? Maybe the LSU product could surprise people down the line, assuming White isn't released or traded over the next few weeks.
Sean McVay hints at more changes for the Rams moving forward
Asked about the decision to move Williams into the starting lineup in place of White in Week 5, McVay noted that he plans to keep things the same way moving forward, with the former Jaguar on one side and Durant on the other, assuming health.
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“I do. I would say some of those things specific to different personnel groupings were specific to the Packers [and] exactly how we approached the Raiders,” McVay noted. “In terms of getting Darious [Williams] back, having some of those things with Cobie Durant at the outside corner, those guys did a nice job. We'll move forward with that.”
While Williams and Durant will likely get the initial nods in Week 7, that doesn't mean the Rams don't have some other ideas moving forward, as McVay would like to see a few more personnel changes on defense to really get Chris Shula's defense humming.
“There'll be some. I'll talk to you guys about that. There'll be some different things that we'll look at. I do think where it's available, competition brings out the best in guys,” McVay said. “[It] might be some different things you see offensively that we will explore to see guys compete and then defensively it's the same sort of thing [or] looking at ways to get guys involved. Those are definitely things that you'll see.”
Translation: the Rams are still looking for the right recipe to get their defense on track, as they clearly feel as though they have the talent in place to be better than 1-4.
