LOS ANGELES — When the Rams signed defensive tackle Poona Ford to a three-year contract this offseason, it was to fill a clear need the team had on run defense. Between all the pass rushers on the roster, the Rams needed someone who could absorb double teams and allow linebackers to make plays on the ground.
But there was also a simmering belief in the organization that there was something more to unlock in Ford as a pass rusher, and that’s something Ford has been working on in his first training camp with the Rams.
It’s not so much looking for unique opportunities for Ford in the pass rush, or even adding new moves to his arsenal. It’s been more about focusing on his natural strength.
“They just told me I should use more of my power,” Ford said. “Like, I have a lot of power and [defensive coordinator Chris Shula is] just telling me he doesn’t think I use it as much as I should and that’s what I’ve been trying to work on, just use a lot of power and keep building off of that.”
Ford is a unique build for a defensive tackle. He is just under 6-foot tall, but has the wingspan of a 6-foot-8 individual. The combination of stout height, length and his 310-pound frame is atypical for his position.
It’s led former players like Jason Kelce to talk about what a difficult matchup Ford was during their careers, something that right guard Kevin Dotson has noticed through OTAs and the first two weeks of training camp.
“It’s just him being able to touch you first but at the same time having weight behind the punch,” Dotson said. “So him being already 6-foot, he’s under your pads, he has leverage, his arms are long, he has weight, so everything is going in his favor. … It doesn’t let you get into his body.”
That advantage has been felt for two weeks. Teammates have raved about Ford’s presence in the middle of the defense, from fellow tackle Kobie Turner saying you could see the newcomer’s worth after the first padded practice to safety Quentin Lake observing what impact Ford’s presence could have on unleashing the defense as a whole.
“Poona is just a force to be reckoned with in the trenches,” Lake said. “That was one of the areas of emphasis from last year that we wanted to focus on this year: How can we do better against the run? … Because as you guys know, we have a great pass rush. Anybody can see that, but how can we stop those early downs so that we have more opportunities to rush the passer? Bringing in guys like that helps us do that a lot.”
Ford understands that’s his primary role, but the Rams also believe in his attributes like his twitch and ability to use leverage to his advantage in the pass rush.
“I’ve just been trying to apply that out here and it’s been working so far so I’m going to keep working on it and keep getting better at it,” Ford said.
Stafford watch
Quarterback Matthew Stafford will not participate in the team’s jog through on Monday, instead doing a separate workout during the same time period.
Stafford has missed all of training camp with back soreness that he began experiencing during the offseason. Head coach Sean McVay has deemed the quarterback as week-to-week with no clear return schedule. And Monday’s workout will be limited to light-stress activities.
“It’s static throwing, it’s some of the unloaded running on the treadmill, sometimes it might even be walking,” McVay said Sunday. “He’s able to do a little bit of lighter cardio and able to do some good core work. But it’s more just functional strength surrounding the area while making sure that you don’t do anything to set yourself back based on the trajectory that he’s doing.”