After missing the postseason and finishing with an unimpressive 9-7 record, the Los Angeles Rams have some work to do in order to get back to the playoffs in 2020. That won’t be easy with the defending NFC champion 49ers, the always-tough Seahawks and the resurgent Cardinals in their division, though.
Not to mention, they have several key players hitting free agency and a few holes to fill on the roster. Dante Fowler Jr., Cory Littleton and Andrew Whitworth are the Rams’ top free agents, and if all three leave, Los Angeles will be left with three starters to replace. Add in pending free agents Michael Brockers and Austin Blythe and that’s five starters who could be gone.
Heading into the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine and eventually free agency, the Rams have three primary needs. Pro Football Focus identified those, led by the offensive line. PFF says the team’s top priority has to be finding “offensive linemen that can get the Rams’ line back to its 2018 form.”
The Rams’ offensive line was one of the better units in the league in 2018, and their offense flourished behind it as a result. That all fell apart this past season, with injuries and personnel changes taking a toll on the group. They finished the season 31st in PFF’s offensive line rankings, and now, the most consistent player from the line — Andrew Whitworth — is set to be a free agent at 38 years old. There isn’t a position on the line that the Rams can’t look to improve on in 2020.
In addition to the offensive line, PFF named edge defender and linebacker as the Rams’ next-biggest needs this offseason, highlighting the team’s pending free agents that will dictate what the front office does this offseason. If Fowler leaves, the Rams still have Clay Matthews, Samson Ebukam and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo under contract, but none possess the potential that Fowler does.
They should also look to add some new pieces defensively. Edge defender becomes an area of need with the impending free agency of Dante Fowler Jr., but even if the Rams retain him, they can look to improve the other starting edge slot over Clay Matthews (54.2 overall grade in 2019) and Samson Ebukam (66.7). At linebacker, the Rams should make every effort to re-sign Cory Littleton. Since 2018, his coverage grade of 90.1 trails only Lavonte David and Luke Kuechly among linebackers with 1,000 or more defensive snaps.
Considering how often the Rams have made blockbuster trades in recent years, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if they make a deal or two this offseason. There’s sure to be a lot of change coming in the next few months, both in free agency and the draft.