The Los Angeles Rams will need to be selective with their choices in free agency this year, having limited cap space with which to work. They have important free agents of their own with Andrew Whitworth, Cory Littleton, Dante Fowler Jr. and Michael Brockers all hitting the market.
The Rams would love to keep all four, but that’s not exactly possible. So, they’ll have to decide who’s most important to re-sign, and who can be replaced with a cheaper player to help balance the salary cap.
Pro Football Focus predicted landing spots for Whitworth and Littleton, who were ranked among the 50 best free agents of 2020. Fowler somehow didn’t earn a spot in the top 50, so his new team wasn’t predicted, nor was Brockers’ or any other Rams free agents.
PFF doesn’t see Whitworth or Littleton leaving L.A., both signing extensions to stay with the Rams. Littleton, ranked 16th on the list, was given a projected contract value of $12 million per year over four years with $30 million guaranteed. Compared to the deals signed by other linebackers in the last year, that would be a bargain for the Rams.
16. LB CORY LITTLETON– LOS ANGELES RAMS
Projected contract: 4 years, $12 million per year ($30 million guaranteed)
Cory Littleton has turned into one of the league’s best off-ball linebackers in coverage the past couple of seasons, producing a two-year coverage grade that ranks as the third best — behind only Lavonte Davis and Luke Kuechly. Littleton could very well sign elsewhere given the departure of Wade Phillips and the limited cap space ($14.7 million). That doesn’t entirely mean that new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley can’t use Littleton in the same role, but the lack of assets is more so the problem. It would probably be in the Rams’ best interest to move on from Littleton since he was just the 12tth most valuable player on the team, but for now, it looks like a return is most probable.
As for Whitworth (46th), his salary is projected to be almost as much as Littleton’s for one season, but his deal would only be for 2020.
46. T ANDREW WHITWORTH– LOS ANGELES RAMS
Projected contract: 1 year, $11 million ($10 million guaranteed)
The 38-year-old Andrew Whitworth has said he is returning for one more season and is eyeing a one-year deal with the Rams, who are in dire need of offensive line help across the board. Yes, he’s getting up there in age, and it showed some in 2019, but he was still one of the 10 best pass-blocking tackles in the NFL last year in PFF grade. The Rams are going to have to start building up this line with young talent sooner rather than later, but Whitworth provides a solid short-term solution.
Whitworth is an important part of the offensive line, being the best blocker Los Angeles has. However, paying him the same salary he made on his last three-year contract would be somewhat surprising for the Rams.
They’d probably be more comfortable getting him at around $9 million per year, which would be more of a team-friendly deal for the cap-strapped Rams.
Though Fowler isn’t on this list, it’s presumed that the Rams would be forced to let him go in this scenario. He’s likely seeking more than $16 million per year, which if re-signed by the Rams, would put these three players on the books for $39 million in 2020 alone.