The Los Angeles Rams just lost future Hall-of-Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald to retirement, leaving a rather gaping hole along the team’s front seven.
Of course, the Rams will probably never be able to actually replace Donald. He will go down as one of the greatest defensive players to ever live, so it’s not like Los Angeles can just find someone to fill his spot.
But that doesn’t mean the Rams shouldn’t at least be trying to patch things up, even if it means they will never find another Aaron Donald.
Dan Pizzuta of The 33rd Team, for example, thinks that Los Angeles should pursue former Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who is still remaining on the free-agent market.
In spite of being 37 years old, Campbell is sill productive, as he displayed in 2023 when he played in every game and registered 56 tackles, 6.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Campbell, who played his collegiate football at the University of Miami, was originally selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
He spent the first nine years of his career with the Cardinals, making a couple of Pro Bowl appearances. However, he didn’t really break out until he got to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017, when he racked up 67 tackles, 14.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown. Not only did Campbell earn a trip to the Pro Bowl as well as a First-Team All-Pro selection, but he also finished second in MVP voting that season.
Between 2017 and 2020, Campbell made four straight Pro Bowls, with the last one coming as a member of the Baltimore Ravens.
While there is no question that Campbell’s production has tailed off in recent years, he clearly can still play the game, and as a full-time starter, at that.
We’ll see if the Rams try and make a push for Campbell, or if they try and get younger by attempting to address Donald’s departure in the NFL Draft later this month.
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