Los Angeles Rams rookie linebackers Chris Paul Jr. and Shaun Dolac earned big honors in the preseason when coaches designated them as the “green dot” defenders to call plays and line players up correctly.
Paul had the honor in the team’s Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys, while Dolac held the mantle in the Week 2 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Both enjoyed their experiences and felt they learned a lot from this extra opportunity.
“It’s been great being able to be the guy in the middle of defense, relaying the call,” Dolac told theRams.com. “That’s a big responsibility that we have, and it gets guys lined up, and it’s our job and our responsibility to make sure that everybody has a call, knows the call, and they’re doing the right job that they have.”
With Paul, the Rams held the Cowboys to six first-half points before he was subbed out for backups. Dolac, meanwhile, led the defensive unit that forced the Chargers to settle for a field goal on a long opening drive.
“It means a lot for coach to have a lot of trust in us, in order for us to trust us to have the green dot,” Paul said. “Like Shaun said, getting guys lined up, getting everybody on the same page, it’s a lot of responsibility. But I feel like with Coach Shula and [insider linebackers] Coach ‘G-Money’ [Gregg Williams] they’ve been doing a great job with us in helping us get comfortable within the scheme so we are able to wear the green dot.”
Paul, a fifth-round pick out of Ole Miss, is likely making the Rams’ 53-man roster and could push for an early role alongside expected starters Omar Speights and Nate Landman, with Troy Reeder also around.
Dolac is in a more tenuous situation, though. He went undrafted out of Buffalo and his roster spot is anything but secure. The Rams have had a lot of success with undrafted players in the past — including Speights and starting left tackle Alaric Jackson — so perhaps Dolac has done enough in the preseason to warrant an extended look on the regular-season roster.
Whatever happens with both players, this experience is great preparation for however their respective careers unfold in the NFL.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rookie LBs happy for the opportunity to lead the defense during preseason
Reporting by Tyler Greenawalt, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
