Former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman criticized the Los Angeles Rams for mismanaging their defensive strategy involving recently acquired cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Sherman, speaking to ESPN, used a metaphor comparing the players to expensive sports cars (Corvettes) being underutilized, suggesting that the Rams are not using them effectively by adopting a different defensive system from what they were accustomed to in Kansas City. He argues that deploying these cornerbacks in roles inconsistent with their previous experience wastes their talents and the team’s significant investment in them.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Richard Sherman criticized the Los Angeles Rams for misusing cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, comparing it to using a Corvette car to drive for Uber instead of racing. Both players were originally trained under Steve Spagnuolo's system in Kansas City, which included unpredictable coverage schemes like Cover 1 man, Cover 2 zone, and blitzes. However, Sherman noted that the Rams' current defensive coordinator, Chris Shula, employs a more static approach with a heavy emphasis on Cover 3 and fewer blitzes. This change may strip away the conditions that made McDuffie and Watson valuable players under Spagnuolo's scheme in Kansas City.
Written for “Rams Offseason Failures” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
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No political leaning scored for article 12148 · logged 2026-09-15
The Rams bought two cornerback Corvettes from Kansas City.
asserted
Rams → buy → City
Richard Sherman believes they are using them to drive for Uber.
asserted
they → believe → Uber
“You don’t use a Corvette to Uber,” Sherman told ESPN host Kevin Clark.
asserted
Sherman → use → Clark
“You get in a Corvette, you’re racing.”
asserted
you → get → Corvette
Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson were two of the centerpieces of the Rams’ star-studded defensive makeover after beginning their careers in Steve Spagnuolo’s Kansas City defense.
asserted
McDuffie → stud → defense
Sherman believes Los Angeles has stripped away the conditions that made both cornerbacks so valuable.
asserted
cornerbacks → believe → conditions
“The corners you’ve got are great corners — great corners — but they have played in Spags’ system their entire careers, and you don’t run Spags’ defense,” Sherman said.
asserted
Sherman → get → defense
Spagnuolo incorporated McDuffie and Watson into an unpredictable blend of Cover 1 man, Cover 2 zone and disguised pressure packages, with occasional Cover 0 blitzes adding another aggressive element.
asserted
blitzes → incorporate → element
Kansas City changed the picture before and after the snap, allowing its corners to challenge receivers while the pass rush disrupted route timing.
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rush → change → timing
Under defensive coordinator Chris Shula, the Rams have leaned more heavily on Cover 3, mixing in Cover 2 and Cover 6 while attempting to generate pressure through four-man rushes, stunts and simulated looks rather than frequent blitzes.
asserted
Rams → lean → rushes
During their 27-7 season-opening loss to the 49ers, they tilted even further toward Cover 3 and Cover 4, virtually abandoning Cover 2 while also dialing back their man coverage, blitzes and defensive-line movement.
asserted
they → open → coverage
Sherman believes that approach ignored a proven blueprint against Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
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approach → believe → offense
“There’s already a plan,” Sherman said.
asserted
Sherman → ’ → ?
“There’s already a formula for how to use these guys effectively against condensed sets and all the crazy runs Kyle uses.”
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Kyle → ’ → sets
Spagnuolo has repeatedly found answers for Shanahan on the Super Bowl stage.
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Spagnuolo → find → stage
McDuffie and Watson were part of the most recent example, helping Kansas City defeat San Francisco in Super Bowl LVIII.
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City → help → LVIII
Los Angeles instead frequently positioned its corners off the line and asked them to read developing routes from deeper alignments.
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Angeles → position → alignments
Sherman argued that those responsibilities give offenses room to direct posts and crossing routes away from them.
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responsibilities → argue → them
“When you don’t play to a player’s strengths — when you don’t use him the way he has been used and thrived — then you’re wasting him,” Sherman said.
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Sherman → play → him
That criticism carries additional weight because of the Rams’ investment.
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criticism → carry → investment
They surrendered significant draft capital for McDuffie before giving him a massive extension, while Watson was another prominent addition to their expensive defensive rebuild.
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Watson → surrender → rebuild
“You paid him and brought him somewhere else,” Sherman said.
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Sherman → pay → him
“Now play him the way he has played so he can have the success you brought him there to have.”
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you → play → him
One game does not establish how the Rams will deploy their secondary all season.
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Rams → establish → secondary
Their diminished pass rush also mattered, particularly with Myles Garrett now sidelined.
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Garrett → matter → ?
But Sherman’s warning applies beyond one coverage call.
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warning → apply → call
Los Angeles paid for Corvette-level talent.
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Angeles → pay → talent
Now it must decide whether to let that talent race.
asserted
talent → decide → ?
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