It’s been somewhat of a rough offseason for the Los Angeles Rams and their fans. The logo reveal was a flop, Cory Littleton left in free agency and fan-favorite Todd Gurley was cut before his new contract extension could even kick in.
There were some bright spots, though, like the re-signings of Andrew Whitworth and Michael Brockers, as well as the additions of A’Shawn Robinson and Leonard Floyd. Still, most fans remember the team’s losses more than they tend to focus on the additions.
Now two weeks into the new league year, we’ve taken a step back and graded each of the Rams’ most notable moves of the offseason. For the most part, we understand their decisions, but there were a few head-scratchers.
Losses
Cory Littleton
It’s hard to believe the Rams couldn’t match or exceed the offer Littleton got from the Raiders, which is essentially just a two-year, $22 million deal. The Rams found money to keep Michael Brockers, so they could’ve made space for Littleton. Losing Littleton will hurt the defense badly, especially with so few proven starters at inside linebacker currently on the roster. It’s possible Littleton preferred the fact that Nevada has no state income tax, but the Rams could’ve made him a bigger offer to keep him around.
Grade: D
Dante Fowler Jr.
Fowler was always going to be a high-priced free agent, so it’s hard to argue with the Rams’ approach here. They reportedly tried to keep him, but the Falcons came in with a three-year, $45 million offer, which he couldn’t turn down. And he gets to reunite with Dan Quinn, who coached him at Florida, which was also a factor in this division. It won’t be easy to replace Fowler’s 11.5 sacks, but it’s easy to see why the Rams didn’t want to break the bank for him.
Grade: B
Greg Zuerlein
Zuerlein helped send the Rams to the Super Bowl two seasons ago and was one of the best kickers in football for several years. His accuracy fell off in 2019, though, and the Rams clearly didn’t make him a priority in free agency. After two weeks on the market, Zuerlein left to join the Cowboys on a three-year, $7.5 million deal. There aren’t many other quality options at kicker in free agency, so the Rams could come to regret this in 2020.
Grade: C-