Tre’Davious White already inspiring remodeled Rams secondary but when will he play?
Cornerback Tre’Davious White did not need much convincing that the Rams were the right team to sign with last spring.
Former Buffalo Bills teammates Von Miller, Taylor Rapp and Leonard Floyd and former Louisiana State teammate Odell Beckham Jr. sung the praises of Rams coach Sean McVay.
But White, a seven-year veteran recovering from Achilles surgery, still needed to speak with the Rams medical staff and McVay personally.
So when he visited the Rams and sat down with McVay in March, he anticipated a short meet-and-greet conversation.
“We look up — and it’s three hours later,” White said, laughing. “That just threw off my whole schedule for the whole visit.
“But it was worth it, man. It’s the time that we had together that just gave me all the clarity I needed that this was the place that would be best for me.”
Rams’ starting linemen Jonah Jackson, Alaric Jackson and Rob Havenstein were not on the practice field Thursday because of injuries.
White, 29, signed a one-year contract that includes $3.25 million in guarantees, according to Overthecap.com. The value increases to $8.5 million if White plays 60% of the defensive snaps, and could max out at $10 million.
White said in April that former Rams running back Cam Akers’ successful return from Achilles surgery influenced his decision to join the Rams. So did the fact that Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the Rams’ team physician who performed Akers’ surgery, had also done White’s surgery after he was injured while playing for the Bills last October.
White and the Rams agreed that he should take all the time necessary before easing into full workouts.
He worked mainly with trainers on the sideline during organized-team activities. But during training camp, White has been a near full participant.
“I want to push the gas pedal to see where I’m at,” White said after a practice at Loyola Marymount. “If it’s not where I need it to be, I can go back to the drawing board and go back to building myself back up.”
White, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is one of several new players in a remodeled secondary.
Cornerback Darious Williams, who helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI before playing two seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars, will start opposite White. Williams is nursing a hamstring injury but is expected to be ready for the Sept. 8 opener at Detroit.
The Rams also recently signed cornerback Jerry Jacobs to replace Derion Kendrick, a rotational player who suffered a season-ending knee injury during the first training camp workout.
Third-year pro Cobie Durant, second-year pro Tre Tomlinson and undrafted free agents Josh Wallace and Charles Woods are other cornerbacks in a secondary that also includes new safety Kamren Curl, veterans Quentin Lake, John Johnson III and Russ Yeast, rookie Kamren Kinchens and second-year pro Jason Taylor II.
White has intercepted 18 passes, including a career-best six in 2019 when he was voted All-Pro.
New Rams tight end Colby Parkinson used to train with Tyler Higbee, who lured the SoCal product home with stories about the wonders of playing for Sean McVay.
The favorable recommendations White received from former Rams players who played for the Bills were exceeded only by the glowing reports the players gave the Rams about White.
“The NFL is a small fraternity,” new defensive coordinator Chris Shula said, “and when all of those people say those things about him, usually that’s the way it turns out, and it has.”
Said McVay: “This is a guy that’s passionate about a lot of the things we’re passionate about. … He had a lot of options, a lot of teams that saw what we did — and he’s getting more and more comfortable.”
The sage White made an impact from the moment he arrived, defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant said.
“If Tre’Davious White never took one snap for this organization, he’s already improved the L.A. Rams because of his attention to detail, his professionalism, his work ethic, his practice habits and the empathy he has for his teammates,” Pleasant said. “It’s not only his communication when he plays — it’s how hard he works.”
Durant wasted no time seeking the benefit of White’s counsel.
In position-group meetings during offseason workouts, Durant sat in the seat in front of White. Durant constantly leaned back to ask White what he saw on film, and how he would handle different situations.
The Rams kicking woes led to the drafting of Stanford phenom Joshua Karty, whose introduction to the NFL comes with a new kickoff rule.
“Just certain little things to add to my bag to apply on the field,” Durant said. “And it’s been working.”
Receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua said they are benefiting from Williams’ and White’s experience and feedback.
White’s intelligence, and his ability to recognize alignments and motions before the snap makes him a tough matchup, Nacua said.
“I know my strengths and they don’t really work against him because he’s thinking [about] the mental game before I ever get to be a physical player with him,” Nacua said. “So, it’s been super fun because now I get to work on some of the different tools that me and Coop are working on.”
White said he would continue to push himself to play at full speed, whenever that might be.
“Just to be out here practicing is a blessing for me,” he said. “Just to stretch with the team is a blessing for me. So it’s been great.
“I’ve got a ways to go, for sure, but so far, so good.”
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