Marqui Christian was waived by the Arizona Cardinals as a rookie in 2016 before taking a single snap with the team. It was a somewhat surprising decision considering Christian was drafted in the fifth round, and the brief time it took for him to be scooped up by the Rams says a lot about how Los Angeles viewed him four years ago.
Christian has seen his role grow each year with the Rams, going from special teamer in 2016 to playing 34% of the defensive snaps in each of the last two seasons. Set to be a free agent in March, Christian is an interesting case for the Rams, who are set at safety with Taylor Rapp and John Johnson.
Should Los Angeles retain the versatile safety by re-signing him, or are there better options to be had out there?
- 2019 stats: 36 tackles (1 for a loss), 2 passes defensed, 56.5% completion rate allowed, 8 missed tackles (18.2%)
- PFF grade: 58.7 overall
Analysis
Christian isn’t a traditional safety in the fact that he mostly either lines up in the box as a hybrid linebacker in dime packages or matches up one-on-one with tight ends. He rarely plays the deep middle or half, which is perfectly fine.
But with the role he plays, being a sure tackler is essential. Unfortunately, Christian was not one last season. He missed eight tackles on only 44 attempts, a rate of 18.2%. That was tied for the 28th-highest rate in the NFL last season, which is alarming.
In 2018, Christian only missed four tackles on 40 attempts, so he regressed in that area this past season. In coverage, though, he improved. He only allowed 13 completions on 23 targets (56.5%) for a measly 143 yards. He was in coverage on three touchdown passes, though, and didn’t have an interception; his passer rating allowed was 114.7.
Christian is a good athlete and has great speed for the safety position, but his technique could use work, particularly in open-field tackling. If he can improve that aspect of his game, he’ll become even more valuable for whichever team he plays for next.
Positional need: Low
The Rams don’t need a starting safety, having Rapp and Johnson already on the roster. That significantly reduces Los Angeles’ need at the position, but it could use depth at that spot. Right now, the backup safeties are Nick Scott and Jake Gervase, who barely contributed on defense last season.
Starting one of those players in the even that an injury occurs to Rapp or Johnson would be a disaster, which is why Christian brings value. He’s experienced and capable of playing strong safety for the Rams.
Prediction: Signs two-year, $2.5 million contract with Rams
Christian has carved out a role as the Rams’ third safety, which admittedly may not be enough for him at this point in his career. With almost no chance of becoming a starter (barring injury), Christian might be seeking a larger role with more playing time.
Unless he gets a much bigger offer elsewhere, Christian should be back with the Rams on a reasonable contract worth around $1-1.5 million per year.
