The Los Angeles Rams made a lot of moves this offseason to improve their team, but there is one position where they are really inexperienced: linebacker. After the departures of Alec Ogletree, Connor Barwin, and Robert Mathis, Cory Littleton, Samson Ebukam, and Matt Longacre are expected to be the starting linebackers this year. Those three only have a combined eight starts between them.

But despite their relative inexperience, Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips liked what he saw this offseason from the group and has high hopes for what they can provide this season.

“We’ve got some good looking players,” Phillips said, via Kristen Lago of the team website. “We’re not set there like we are in some other positions as we are with cornerbacks and safeties, but we’ve got some good players up front. So, we have a lot of strength, we just need some guys to come through, and it looks like they have the ability to.”

The rest of the defense is filled with a lot of veterans, but how the linebackers perform this year will ultimately decide how well the defense can play. Just because they don't have a ton of experience, doesn't mean they are short of talent, and they have a chance to grow into a really good linebacking corps, and that is going to be key this year.

“I think when you just really look at it from a big picture standpoint on the defensive side of the ball, Cory Littleton playing that MIKE linebacker spot has done a great job,” head coach Sean McVay said.

These guys are going to be thrown into the fire early, the big question is how they will respond.