In the Los Angeles Rams' season debut against the San Francisco 49ers, one of the shocking developments was the usage of cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. Despite rotating Forbes in during training camp and joint practices, Forbes did not see a single defensive snap last Thursday.
That would be surprising enough, except Kam Curl's injury pressed Jaylen McCollough into even more usage, which prompted Josh Wallace to come off the bench for seven snaps. The Rams' choice to go with Wallace over Forbes feels like Forbes is getting the Darious Williams treatment, and that Los Angeles is keeping him for depth.
What happened? Sure, Forbes isn't the most consistent and can get beat with a double move, but he was the team's best outside corner last season,
went toe-to-toe with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and when he wasn't on the field, the Rams were at their worst.
With McCollough having to play more snaps, you'd expect Trent McDuffie to move inside, with Forbes coming into the game. Instead, Wallace was used, leading to a major question for Week 2.
If Forbes is staying on the sidelines, how will the Rams manage to defend against a New York Giants offense that can cause even worse problems than what the 49ers presented in Melbourne? On paper, Malik Nabers is already set to be a handful, with Isaiah Likely emerging as the NFL's next playmaking tight end.
In the opener, the Rams' secondary was exposed, and it seemed that McDuffie was the only defensive back who came to play. It's an unfair statement, as the players were ready, but McDuffie was the only player who didn't seem to be on the back foot.
Say what you want about Forbes, and there's a lot to say, but if he can help free up McDuffie's usage, perhaps McDuffie could be the glue that gets Quentin Lake back to his usual form. If not, perhaps it's time to trade Forbes. Teams were going after Terrion Arnold, despite the fact that he was never going to be available to start the season due to his legal situation. Forbes has value and the Rams could use some future picks.
Regardless, after what we saw last week, the lack of Forbes and the massive influx of questions regarding the secondary is a red flag that's a bit too bright for a contender. Perhaps a game on home soil might be the remedy to these issues. Maybe a lineup change could help, as well.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Emmanuel Forbes Jr.'s lack of snaps raises questions about Rams secondary
