Aaron Donald has split time between Los Angeles and Pittsburgh this offseason, as he does every year. He still trains daily and puts in more work than probably any other NFL player, but he doesn’t attend every practice and session the Rams hold before training camp.
However, while he’s been in Pittsburgh, he’s heard good things about Rams rookie Paris Ford, who L.A. signed as an undrafted free agent this year. Donald is willing to help the young safety any way he can, whether it’s on the field or with the playbook, hoping he makes the 53-man roster.
“I’ve been hearing a lot of good things. I wasn’t there, but I’ve been hearing a lot of good things as far as how he’s been doing,” Donald said of Ford, via John McGonigal of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “But once you put some pads on, he’s got to do a lot more and make a name for himself. But anything I can do to help him, I’m there. He just has to come up and talk to me. If it’s the playbook or something else I can do, I’m for sure going to be there to help him. I hope he makes the team. And I know at the end of the day the type of football player he is. He can help us.”
Ford has the ability to play both safety and corner, putting together a strong career at Pitt. He racked up 136 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and six interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. He also broke up 10 passes and forced three fumbles, with nine of those PBUs coming in 2019.
The Rams could use depth in the secondary following the departures of Troy Hill and John Johnson, and although it’s unlikely Ford will play a major role as a rookie if he makes the team, he could be active on game days if injuries occur to other players.
Having Donald in his corner as a mentor certainly helps, but as Aaron said: It will come down to training camp when the pads go on. That will be Ford’s real opportunity to step up and showcase his abilities to the coaching staff.
