The Los Angeles Rams had a resurgent 2023 season, led by their dynamic offense coming to life post-bye, but their defense ultimately doomed them in the playoffs. Their reliance on youth throughout the secondary opened up too many big plays, something the Rams countered by investing into their secondary in free agency.
One of those signings may pay off in a big way for the Rams. In their recent rankings of every NFL roster, ESPN labeled cornerback Tre'Davious White as the Rams' X-factor for this season:
"X factor for 2024: Cornerback Tre'Davious White. He's coming off an Achilles injury suffered last October (and had a torn ACL in 2021), so his status is a major question mark. But if the Rams get White back to his level of play pre-major injuries and keep him healthy, they would suddenly have a pretty nice corner duo with him and Darious Williams."
White's presence goes beyond the field, as he wants to be a veteran mentor for the young players throughout the Rams' roster. It's more than reasonable to question White's durability at this point, given his recent injury history.
However, the Rams' team doctor, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, was the one who performed White's surgery and, according to head coach Sean McVay, it's been a positive, albeit slow, process for White's recovery.
Here's hoping White stays healthy and returns to form for 2024 and beyond.