In the Rams practices I watched during minicamp and training camp, defenders were one step ahead of the offense, taking aggressive paths to the ball. Phillips notes that offenses are so complicated in the modern NFL that no defense is that simple. His goal is to provide a solid base for players to adjust to what they see. Linebacker Mark Barron said the ability to change plays on the fly is one of the biggest differences he's noticed after playing under former Rams coordinator Gregg Williams for three seasons. Multiple players expressed that communication is improved and more integral in Phillips' defense, which counts on them to exercise their freedom. Ogletree noted the defense was creating more turnovers than it had in previous offseasons.