To say it’s been a wildly successful offseason for the Los Angeles Rams probably wouldn’t be accurate. They cut Todd Gurley, traded Brandin Cooks, lost Cory Littleton and Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency and watched Eric Weddle retire.
Of course, some of those losses are bigger than others, but the Rams’ roster looks very different than it did at the end of the 2019 season.
It was never expected to be an offseason filled with acquisitions and high-profile signings. The Rams have had limited cap space all spring, hindering their ability to go out and add free agents. Their lack of a first-round pick made the draft more difficult, too.
The end result? The fifth-worst offseason of any team in the NFL, according to Bill Barnwell of ESPN.
Barnwell acknowledged that the Rams were smart to shed the contracts of Gurley and Cooks, while also commending them for re-signing Michael Brockers and adding A’Shawn Robinson. However, he also knocked Los Angeles for not addressing its two biggest needs on the offensive line and at inside linebacker.
As for what the Rams could’ve done better, Barnwell points to the missed window to sign Jalen Ramsey long-term after the trade was made last year. His price tag is only going to go up after Byron Jones set the bar higher in free agency, which will cost the Rams the way it did the Texans with Laremy Tunsil.
Barnwell also would’ve liked to see the Rams use a second-round pick on an offensive lineman.
The Rams didn’t have a first-round pick in April, and they won’t have one in next year’s draft, either. With that in mind, they badly needed to use one of their second-round picks this year on helping their offensive line. The organization was spoiled by what happened in 2017 and 2018, when the line stayed remarkably healthy and free-agent imports such as Whitworth and John Sullivan played at a high level. The line was a mess last season, and Jared Goff just isn’t good enough to overcome heavy pressure. He posted a league-worst passer rating of 34.5 under pressure. Even if second-round pick Cam Akers turns into a superstar, the Rams should have waited to target a running back.
Barnwell’s criticism is fair, and the Rams’ reluctance to bolster their offensive line could backfire in a big way. The same can be said about their linebacker corps, which could have Micah Kiser and Travin Howard starting in Week 1.
The Rams won’t be able to make many more moves this offseason with how little cap space they have, so most of their work seems to be done in 2020.