The Los Angeles Rams are reportedly looking hard at Tennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray as a prime target for the trade deadline, a potential game-changer for their defense. This isn’t just a casual glance either. Gray, despite setting a franchise record just last season, has fallen totally out of favor with the Titans. Talk about an opportunity.
The Rams’ Missing Piece
Let’s be real, the Rams haven’t exactly poured a ton of emphasis or capital into their off-ball linebackers under coach Sean McVay. But this year? They’ve committed to going all-in for a Super Bowl title, and that changes everything. If you’re going all-in, you gotta cover your bases. Currently, Nate Landman is their best off-ball guy. And yeah, Landman’s a fine player, a real contributor for defensive coordinator Chris Shula. He even had a good game against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in Week 5, flashing all over the field.
But Landman’s limitations were also on full display, especially on that monster run by Bills quarterback Josh Allen in overtime. Landman was manning the middle of the field, and Allen just gashed them. He needs help, plain and simple. The Rams desperately need better depth, too, for those rare moments Landman isn’t on the field. The guy played 89% of this week’s defensive snaps, so they ask a ton of him! Bringing in someone like Gray would give Shula way more flexibility with his personnel.
From Franchise Record to Bench Warmer: What’s Up With Gray?
Here’s the wild part: Cedric Gray was *insanely* productive just a season ago. It’s genuinely surprising that a guy who set the Titans’ franchise record for tackles in a single season last year, with a whopping 164 stops, could now be on the trade block. That tackle record was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise miserable year for that Titans franchise. So what gives?
A new coaching regime in Nashville, led by coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, has completely flipped the script for Gray in 2026. This season, Gray has only played 44% of the Titans’ snaps in the four games he’s seen action. He’s also only been a starter in two of those four games, a sharp contrast to his 16 starts last year. Saleh was asked about Gray’s playing time last week, and his answer didn’t exactly make things clearer for the third-year pro. Saleh said, “As of now, Cedric does a good job in the run game and pass game. Cody [Barton] is also a very good linebacker, really good communicator. When you look at nickel defense with Cody and Anthony [Hill Jr.], it has been a good combination for us. We’ve been going more dime, so only one linebacker is on the field on third down, so that’s bringing all the snap counts down also. So there’s a combination of different things. We’re doing a lot of different things personnel-wise. We’re playing with five D-linemen on the field several times a game. So, there’s certain things that are bringing bot”
The Rams are serious about their Super Bowl run. Adding a guy like Gray, with his proven production, despite his current situation, could be exactly the swing they need to take. Will they pull the trigger before the deadline and grab a guy who could totally revitalize their defense? We’ll be watching to see if this “all-in” mentality translates to a big defensive move.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
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