Among the key players to leave the Los Angeles Rams this offseason was Troy Hill, who became a critical part of the defense last season after he transitioned to the slot. He showcased his versatility by moving from outside corner to the inside, scoring three defensive touchdowns and putting together the best year of his career.
That helped him land a two-year, $9 million contract with the Browns, as he heads back home to Ohio. The Rams didn’t let him leave without at least attempting to re-sign him, though.
On the “All Eyez on Cleveland” podcast, Hill told hold Brad Ward that his decision came down to the Rams and Browns. He couldn’t pass up the chance to return to his home state, teaming up with John Johnson in the secondary.
“It was Cleveland and L.A., coming back to L.A.,” he said. “But I felt it was just time for me to come back home and be around the family because all of my family’s out in Ohio. Once I got that opportunity and the Browns offered, it was like, ‘OK, it’s a bigger purpose for me to be out there in Ohio and be closer to my family.’ It’s been a while. I’ve been out in L.A. for about 14 years – or just on the West Coast. I was just excited to have the opportunity to come back home and when that happened, it was like, ‘OK, say no more.’”
Hill had an up-and-down career with the Rams before finally breaking out in 2020. He had three interceptions, 10 passes defensed, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and 77 tackles, all of which were career-highs.
Jalen Ramsey said after the season that if not for Hill’s versatility, he wouldn’t have had a career year himself. Hill’s ability to play inside and outside allowed Ramsey to also line up in both spots, depending on the Rams’ opponent.
Hill feels moving to the slot made him more valuable and showed teams in free agency that he’s more than just a boundary corner.
“I think so. I think it showed I can be versatile, and I’m a versatile player,” he said. “You can’t just label me as a corner. You can put me anywhere on the field and I feel I can do it now. That was my first time playing in the slot in my whole career. I played one game against Kansas City a couple years ago but I never played slot in my career and I had success. I’m still learning the position, I feel like I ain’t reached my full potential yet.”
The Rams have David Long Jr. on the roster as a possible replacement for Hill, as well as Terrell Burgess. But they could also look to the draft because Hill won’t be an easy player to replace on defense, so it’ll require a great deal of content to fill his void.
