The Los Angeles Rams picked a perfect time to have a glaring need at inside linebacker. The Seattle Seahawks released Bobby Wagner, the Arizona Cardinals released Jordan Hicks, and the Las Vegas Raiders parted ways with Cory Littleton.
The Rams elected not to tender Troy Reeder, meaning that he’ll be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins. With Reeder likely gone, Los Angeles should do everything they can to ensure Ernest Jones has a formidable running mate in 2022.
While Littleton isn’t in the same tier as Wagner, bringing him back to Los Angeles would be a wise move for the Rams.
Littleton spent four years with the Rams before signing with the Raiders in free agency back in 2020. The athletic linebacker would work his way up from being a special teams contributor to begin his career, to a starting inside linebacker that tallied 125-plus tackles and two-plus interceptions in 2018 and 2019.
During his time with the Raiders, Littleton struggled to have the same success he had with the Rams. In his two-year stint with Las Vegas, Littleton accrued a total of 180 tackles and zero interceptions.
Despite his woes with the Raiders, Littleton is still only 28 years old. And above all, for a team like the Rams that relies on compensatory picks to give them more draft capital, signing Littleton wouldn’t affect the formula due to him being released.
If I were the Rams, I’d attempt to sign Wagner or Hicks to shore up my inside linebacker spot. But if Wagner or Hicks are out of Los Angeles’ price range, or if they are interested in signing elsewhere, then Littleton is worth taking a chance on (again) for next season.