The Rams have one of the best defensive weapons in the NFL. And they’re using him in more diverse ways.
“It’s all over the place,” Verse told reporters on Tuesday regarding his deployment against the Colts in Week 4. “Usually, I’ll move from left to right. Me and [linebacker Byron Young] have a couple of plays where we will completely switch positions. We’ll be on the inside moving around and we’ll start in completely different spots from where we’re going to end up. I like that it just messes with them and gives them a small little second where they’ve got to hesitate and that one small second can be where you take advantage of them.”
Verse said he spent three weeks trying to convince the coaching staff to let him move around, including lining up over center.
“They wouldn’t do it and then I threw it out there last week and they randomly added it in and I was like, ‘All right, let’s try it,’” Verse said. “I didn’t think they were going to call it in-game but they called it and I’m like, ‘All right, bet.’ I’ve got to make this worth it. I’ve got to keep this call in. It’s something I enjoy. I like being in different positions because it’s not often that I get to go up against a center or a guard and use my speed, my power and be able to play those games from a different position. I like it.”
He’s already figuring out how to time a bullrush, based on when he believes the snap is coming based on subtle movements of the center.
Defensive coordinator Chris Shula said that the Rams moved Verse around once or twice last season. It sounds like it could become a staple of their approach on defense.
“Any time we can get those guys in spots where they can rush and use all their skill sets, we always want to do that,” Shula said, explaining the goal in simple terms: “Whatever we have to do to win that week and whatever we think is best based on matchups based how they’re protecting. We just want to put our best players in the best position to go play their best and go win the game.”
They’ve won three of four, and they’ll likely win more than a few more this year. And Verse is a big factor in that — especially if offensive lines now have to worry about where he is on every snap.
