Rams’ Myles Garrett reveals why he feels more ‘freedom’ with LA

Trading in the ‘Dawg pound’ for Hollywood seems to be agreeing with one of the league’s most terrifying edge rushers. After making his blockbuster move to the West Coast, Los Angeles Rams star Myles Garrett is already noticing a refreshing shift in how he is allowed to operate on the gridiron.

As training camp continues, Garrett opened up about the defensive culture head coach Sean McVay and his staff are building via Sarah Barshop of ESPN. When asked by reporters if he feels more “freedom” during practices, the former Defensive Player of the Year emphatically agreed.

“Not being punished or critiqued for trying to make a play,” Garrett explained when describing the defensive environment. “There’s guidelines and boundaries you got to stay within in the defense, but as long as we put ourselves in the right spots, they’re all for it.”

For a guy who has spent his entire career terrorizing quarterbacks, hearing that the coaching staff is taking the leashes off is a scary thought for the rest of the NFC West. Over his storied career, Garrett has racked up numerous double-digit sack campaigns, routinely blowing past offensive tackles with an unblockable mix of raw power and elite bend.

During his peak seasons, he consistently hovers around the 14-to-16 sack mark while ranking at the very top of the league in pass-rush win rate.

Instead of over-coaching a proven veteran, the defensive staff is clearly trusting his football IQ. They know he understands the necessary boundaries of the scheme, so they are letting him pin his ears back and hunt. Forcing a generational talent to play like a robot goes against his very nature. By giving him the green light to take calculated risks, Los Angeles is maximizing his unique skill set.

The Rams desperately need that game-wrecking ability. Replacing the interior pressure previously generated by a retired legend like Aaron Donald is impossible, but unleashing an elite edge rusher to play on pure instinct is a massive step in the right direction.

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