Who the Rams Should Target in Free Agency
The Los Angeles Rams have gotten a jump on the NFL Free Agency period with the signings of OLB Dante Fowler and S Eric Weddle, satisfying two major needs on their defense.
But with free agency officially set to begin on Wednesday afternoon, the Rams still hold several needs that they need to address.
Defensive Tackle
LA made a splash last season by signing Ndamukong Suh to a $14 million deal, giving them a dominant run-stopper alongside Aaron Donald. However, $14 million is well below the amount of money that Suh could be getting on the open market. The Rams likely won't have the cap-space to offer Suh the long-term contract he desires.
Should the 5-time Pro Bowler choose to sign the contract he deserves, the Rams may be left with a hole on the defensive line between Donald and Michael Brockers.
Running Back
If you were to tell any Rams fan during the 2018 regular season that the role of backup-RB would become that of utmost importance over the next few months, they would have looked at you like you were crazy.
However, with Todd Gurley's mysterious knee injury that plagued him throughout the most important games of the season, C.J. Anderson became one of the most important pieces in Sean McVay's ground and pound offense.
Unfortunately, both Anderson and fellow backup Malcolm Brown are set to hit free agency this year.
The Rams have an interesting decision to make. They can likely re-sign either Brown or Anderson, but not both. They also have John Kelly on the roster, but he holds the least amount of experience of all their options, though he is the cheapest.
Backup Quarterback
Jared Goff has proven to be a capable quarterback, and he has shown plenty of flashes of greatness throughout this recent Rams run of dominance.
Still, it is downright irresponsible to go into a season without a viable safety valve at the QB position, and that is how things currently stand in Los Angeles.
Sean Mannion is currently set to be a free agent, and Brandon Allen is unproven and inexperienced. Look for LA to try and fill out their QB room this off-season, be it through the late rounds of the NFL Draft or by signing a name like Davis Webb in free agency.
Offensive Guard
The Rams have some decent depth on the right-side of the line, with Austin Blythe and Jamil Demby holding it down. However, Rodger Saffold is a free agent and LA may not be able to lure him back for another year.
Should Saffold re-sign with the Rams, then LA returns a formidable offensive line that has proven more than capable of opening up running lanes for Gurley and the Crew.
