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All eyes are on Aaron Donald this offseason to see if the Los Angeles Rams legend returns to the field to play with Myles Garrett. But if that does happen, The Athletic's Nate Atkins believes third-year edge rusher Braden Fiske's playing time will take the biggest hit if Donald comes out of retirement.
While Donald's gameplay isn't a direct threat to Fiske stylistically, it's a matter of prioritization for defensive coordinator Chris Shula. Fiske is already going to lose snaps to Garrett, while interior defenders Kobie Turner and Poona Ford have established roles and Byron Young plays on the outside. Simply put, there aren't a lot of opportunities to go around even without Donald in the mix.
As a rookie in 2024, Fiske played 59% of the Rams' defensive snaps and recorded 8.5 sacks and 59 pressures. That workload dipped to 48% of snaps last season, with his production falling to three sacks despite starting 16 of 17 games.
For now, Fiske remains one of the Rams' better young interior pass rushers. But even if the Rams didn't deploy Donald as an every-down player, Fiske's snaps are the ones most likely to shrink given his status on the team and the position he plays.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Insider says this Rams player is most at risk if Aaron Donald returns
Continue reading...
While Donald's gameplay isn't a direct threat to Fiske stylistically, it's a matter of prioritization for defensive coordinator Chris Shula. Fiske is already going to lose snaps to Garrett, while interior defenders Kobie Turner and Poona Ford have established roles and Byron Young plays on the outside. Simply put, there aren't a lot of opportunities to go around even without Donald in the mix.
As a rookie in 2024, Fiske played 59% of the Rams' defensive snaps and recorded 8.5 sacks and 59 pressures. That workload dipped to 48% of snaps last season, with his production falling to three sacks despite starting 16 of 17 games.
For now, Fiske remains one of the Rams' better young interior pass rushers. But even if the Rams didn't deploy Donald as an every-down player, Fiske's snaps are the ones most likely to shrink given his status on the team and the position he plays.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Insider says this Rams player is most at risk if Aaron Donald returns
Continue reading...
