LOS ANGELES — Rams outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart's main focus in the offseason was developing his role. For him, that role could materialize in a multitude of ways as his main focus is to become as versatile as possible and let the rest come to fruition.
Stewart spent the offseason going between Dallas and Los Angeles to work with different trainers, and especially different pass rushers who spent their time in Dallas. For Stewart, knowing his role as a versatile outside linebacker, working on assorted techniques and building on his past experiences was the main focus heading into Year 2 in the NFL.
"When I started playing football in high school, I didn't know anything, so I learned everything by the book, very strict," Stewart told therams.com. "When I got to Michigan, coverage got introduced to me heavily, and that's kind of where I kind of took pride in it, just being able to cover and do different things in our base fronts. Getting into league, I know having a role and playing it well is important, so being able to do a lot of different things and being available can get you more snaps on the field."
During Rams Training Camp at LMU, the second practice block was dedicated to putting on the pads for the first time this offseason and running through defensive sets. Veteran defensive end Myles Garrett didn't practice for that four-day period, which allowed Stewart to gain even more valuable reps with the first-team defense instead of playing backup to Garrett and outside linebacker Byron Young.
That second training camp block with Garrett out served as a great time for Stewart to display all of his growth thus far.
"He's been showing up. I said to him, ever since we got the pads on, he decides to make a bunch of plays," defensive coordinator Chris Shula said on Aug. 5. "He's physical on the edge. I think he's an every-down player where he can go in on the run game and play on a tight end and gap-and-a-half to the ball, and also he's obviously a great pass rusher, a guy that can drop in coverage. So he's a guy that really can do it all and do it all at a high level. But he's just one of those guys that's a great football player. He has a great feel for angles, for space."
Stewart is building a reputation as an "every-down player" for the Rams that can both pass rush and cover, emphasized by his accomplishments as a rookie and his performance at training camp. He had 22 tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss, two passes defended and one forced fumble in his rookie season.
Head coach Sean McVay also noted a similar observation to Shula about how Stewart was showing up in training camp, stating that they "felt their presence" in reference Stewart and tight end Terrance Ferguson going into their second-year and getting more comfortable in the Rams' system.
"From his rookie year to now, just seeing the type of player he is, he wants to be better and just develop new moves," Young said on July 27. "I be picking his brain too. He's a really smart guy, and he got a really good get-off too, really good trigger, and (is a) really good pass rusher."
What Stewart's appreciated about the Rams' locker room is how everyone shares experiences with everyone, no matter their age or years in the league. Working with Garrett so far, Stewart is taking notes on how to become an even better pass rusher by having the best in the business there to teach him.
"That's part of why I love our group so much, we all learn from each other," Stewart said. "Nobody's bigger than anybody. We all can take things from one another. Myles learns from us, we learn from him, and vice versa across the whole room. On every play, you can tell that Myles has been training at it for years, and it has just become natural for him. So just seeing that in his pad levels and how he goes about pass rushing and his approach, nobody can compare."
Working behind All-Pro level pass rushers, Stewart is doing all that he can to learn from them and become as versatile a player to be put in different situations depending on Shula and the Rams' defensive needs. Personal goals for Stewart simply mean doing whatever he can to help the team succeed by putting himself in a place to be on the field.
"Just continuing to dominate my role, whatever that may be," Stewart said when asked about his goals for the upcoming season. "Continue learning, I feel like I have a long ways to go, but as long as I keep doing what I got to do, other coaches and teammates trusting me to continue growing, the sky's the limit."
