There are few teams better equipped to guide young cornerbacks than the Los Angeles Rams. Aqib Talib is an 11-year vet, Marcus Peters leads all active players in interceptions since he came into the NFL in 2015 and Nickell Robey-Coleman is one of the better slot corners in the game.
It’s a good mix of talent, experience and personality, particularly for a rookie like David Long. He’s set up for success right out of the gate, having the chance to learn from those three corners and not be thrust into a starting role.
He’s taking full advantage of that opportunity and will soak up everything he can from the players ahead of him on the depth chart, specifically Talib and Peters.
“Just how those guys work and their mindset about things. And just the mental aspect of being a corner,” Long said after arriving to camp Wednesday. “Not so much the physical tools – those guys have a lot of physical tools that jump off the charts and that’s why they’re household names. Just being a better corner from the neck up. Also just being able to recognize things like tendency and formations. Those guys are really smart football players, and cornerbacks are kind of like quarterbacks of the secondary.”
Long, a third-round pick and California native, has a long way to go before he supplants a veteran for a starting job. He’ll earn playing time as a rookie, to be sure, but that’ll be in the event of an injury or in sub-packages when the Rams put four corners on the field.
He’s fine with earning his stripes, so to speak, and knows he won’t be handed anything.
“That’s why we’re here at training camp. Do the best I can to contribute, show what I can do and try to get on the field,” Long said.
