The position group we hardly spoke of this summer has arguably had the most to say about the Los Angeles Rams' 2-0 start.
The starting inside linebacker tandem of Kenny Young and Troy Reeder was locked in early and largely left to go about their business through training camp.
In the opening win versus Chicago, Young tipped an Andy Dalton pass on the Bears opening drive, resulting in a David Long Jr. interception.
Last Sunday at Indianapolis, Reeder was in the right place – thanks to the coaching staff and scout team – when Carson Wentz attempted a goal line shovel pass.
Without those two picks, the Rams may not be undefeated as they prepare to host the defending Super Bowl champions at SoFi Stadium. It's notable that Baltimore was willing to part with Young after less than two seasons; Reeder is an undrafted college free agent success story.
The commitment to their craft, along with the guidance of linebackers coach Chris Shula, plus the system of Brandon Staley and Raheem Morris, has put these Rams in a position to thrive and even outperform their counterparts.
"I've just always thought of myself as one of 53 (on the roster). I wanted to be a starter, wanted to be an every-down guy," the 27-year old Reeder said on the Rams Revealed podcast. "I really have felt that way for the last three years."
The Bears and Colts have two of the better off-ball linebackers in the game: Roquan Smith and Darius Leonard. Smith was a top-10 selection; Leonard just became the highest-compensated player at his position.
But it was Reeder who earned a career-best grade from Pro Football Focus in Week Two.
"It's cool to see, across the league, different guys that you've looked up to… guys like (Seattle linebacker) Bobby Wagner, who we play twice a year, and some of the younger guys who were either drafted in your class or a few before you like the Darius Leonards and Roquan Smith. You're all just kind of competing in that same pool now. It doesn't really matter where you were drafted or not drafted. Everybody's after the same goals."
In this episode of Rams Revealed, Reeder also discussed being a special teams contributor and the corrections the Rams hope to make before the Bucs arrive. Plus, why he grew up a fan of Matthew Stafford and even wore the No. 9 jersey in high school and college.
