3 pending free agents from Rams the Chargers should try to add in free agency

Listing three players from the Super Bowl LVI champions that the Chargers could target in free agency.

It’s official. The Rams are Super Bowl LVI champions.

While many worldwide were gathering around to watch the contest for entertainment purposes, teams across the league were using this as a part of their evaluation process for the offseason.

With that, the Rams have a handful of soon-to-be free agents that could draw the attention of Chargers’ Brandon Staley, who happens to be familiar with, given he was their defensive coordinator before taking over as head coach.

Let’s look at some of the players who the Bolts can target.

CB Darious Williams

The Chargers not only will be looking to fill the void left by Chris Harris Jr., who is set to be a free agent, but they are also in need of more cornerback talent altogether. At 5-foot-9, Williams doesn’t boast ideal height, but he plays much bigger than his measurements with phenomenal instincts and physicality. Under Staley in 2020, Williams had a breakout season, logging 14 passes defensed and four interceptions. Further, he allowed a 54% completion rate and was named Second-Team All-Pro.

DT Sebastian Joseph-Day

When Staley oversaw the Rams’ top-ranked defense, Joseph-Day had a career-high 33 run stops, two passes defended, and a forced fumble. He was on his way to surpassing those in 2021, but an unfortunate torn pectoral sustained in Week 7 kept him out. Still, winning with speed, power and violent hands, Joseph-Day can win one-on-one matchups and eat-up blockers to let his fellow teammates roam freely that the Chargers could greatly benefit from.

EDGE Von Miller

The Chargers could be in the market for a pass rusher opposite Joey Bosa, especially if they choose to move from Uchenna Nwosu. While Staley did not coach Miller when he was with the Rams, they know each other very well from their time together with the Broncos in 2019. The 33-year old Miller may not be the perennial first-team All-Pro that he was in his prime, but he can still impact the game at a high level with his athletic profile, variety of ways to win as a pass rusher, and discipline as a run defender. This season, Miller posted 9.5 sacks, and he tied for the most in the playoffs (4).

4 Rams ranked among NFL’s top 101 free agents for 2021

The Rams had four players make Touchdown Wire’s top 101 free agents of 2021.

Just as it did last offseason, free agency is likely to hit the Rams hard this year with a number of key players set to hit the market. Nine players who started at least two games last season will become free agents – eight of which are unrestricted free agents – which just goes to show how many losses the Rams could suffer.

The biggest names are undoubtedly John Johnson and Leonard Floyd, but Troy Hill, Gerald Everett, Josh Reynolds and Austin Blythe shouldn’t be overlooked as key free agents. Darious Williams will be a restricted free agent and should be back, but if a team covets him, they could make him an offer that Los Angeles can’t afford to match.

Touchdown Wire ranked the top 101 unrestricted free agents of the 2021 offseason, and four Rams made the list. Three were in the top third of the list, including two players in the top 25.

PFF predicts where Rams’ top free agents could land in 2021

Will the Rams really be able to keep two of their top three free agents next year?

For as many important free agents as the Rams had this offseason, there will be just as many guys hitting the market next year, too. Among them are John Johnson, Gerald Everett, Leonard Floyd, Troy Hill and Austin Blythe.

With limited cap space and a potentially shrinking salary cap, the Rams will have some trouble retaining all their top free agents. Pro Football Focus ranked the 50 best free agents of the 2021 offseason and three Rams made the list – though Floyd and Blythe weren’t among them.

With each player, PFF predicted where he could land and for how much. Shockingly, the site believes the Rams could retain two of the following three: Johnson, Everett and Hill.

Here are PFF’s predicted contracts for all three, along with their landing spots.

No. 27: John Johnson III

Prediction: Rams sign Johnson for four years, $50M ($12.5M APY): $24M total guaranteed, $15.5M fully guaranteed at signing.

No. 43: Troy Hill

Prediction: Rams sign Hill for two years, $10.5 million ($5.25M APY): $7.25 million total guaranteed, $5.25 million fully guaranteed at signing.

No. 46: Gerald Everett

Prediction: Bengals sign Everett for three years, $15 million ($5M APY).

In all honesty, the Rams can get by without signing any of these three players, and they may opt to go that route. Not to diminish the impact they have on the team, but the Rams already have potential replacements lined up to take over in their place.

At safety, Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp and Terrell Burgess are all under contract through at least 2022. At tight end, Tyler Higbee is signed long-term and Brycen Hopkins was drafted in the fourth round. At cornerback, Darious Williams should be back as a restricted free agent opposite Jalen Ramsey, and David Long Jr. should be asked to step up at some point as a former third-rounder.

Johnson is going to be the most expensive of the three, which also makes him the likeliest to leave. The Rams didn’t sign him to an extension when they gave deals to Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Ramsey, which is telling. He’s probably going to sign a huge contract elsewhere and go on to thrive as an all-around safety.

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Rams’ undrafted free agent class ranked 8th in NFL

The Rams came away with a strong class of undrafted free agents.

The Los Angeles Rams were busy on the second and third days of the draft, making nine total picks between Rounds 2 and 7. Their work didn’t end there, though. After the final pick of the seventh round, the Rams got busy signing players who didn’t get selected.

They took a different approach this year in order to expand their reach on the undrafted free agent market, allowing position coaches and scouts to help sign players with the front office giving each group an allotment of money to spend.

The results were strong on paper with the Rams signing several players who could wind up making the 53-man roster, or at the very least, the practice squad. According to Thor Nystrom of Rotoworld, the Rams’ undrafted free agent class ranked eighth in the NFL.

The Rams lacked for early capital in the draft itself — they did not select a player until Cam Akers at 2.52 — but temporarily freed from the handicaps of their own making in the UDFA Dollar Store, GM Les Snead and HC Sean McVay went on a shopping spree. The Rams brought in five prospects in my top-350, with Weber State EDGE Jonah Williams headlining the group at No. 309.

Beyond Williams, after mystifyingly ignoring a problematic offensive line situation in the draft outside of seventh-round interior flier Tremayne Anchrum, the Rams brought in further competition via ASU’s Cohl Cabral, a smart and lengthy pivot, as well as Syracuse WR Trishton Jackson, who will cook you in a straight line if you’re not careful. The Rams only have John Wolford behind Jared Goff, making the signings of QBs Josh Love and Bryce Perkins, two of the class’ best undrafted signal-callers, intriguing. Good chance one of them makes the opening roster.

The Rams have signed 22 undrafted free agents up to this point, led by recognizable names such as Jonah Williams, Bryce Perkins, Levonta Taylor and Josh Love. Cohl Cabral also has a chance to make the team on the offensive line, while Easop Winston and Trishton Jackson offer intriguing skill sets to a receiver room that’s currently lacking some depth beyond the top four players.

Love and Perkins are two players everyone should watch especially close, though. As Nystrom points out, John Wolford is the only other quarterback behind Jared Goff at the moment. Perkins isn’t a pure pocket passer, but a true dual-threat with excellent running ability. Love has a big enough arm and put up solid numbers at San Jose State, and was someone many people thought would be drafted.

Unless the Rams sign a veteran free agent such as Cam Newton, their backup quarterback won’t have much experience – whether that’s Wolford, or one of the undrafted rookies.

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9 XFL players the Rams should consider signing

These nine players could be fits with the Rams after playing this past season in the XFL.

After a promising start to the season, the XFL has been forced to cancel its 2020 campaign due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. It lasted just five games, but that was likely enough to earn a bunch of players new opportunities in the NFL.

The XFL is allowing its players to sign with NFL teams starting Monday, and the Rams should keep their minds open. They could use help on the offensive and defensive lines, as well as at safety and linebacker.

There are a number of intriguing options available and the Rams should consider these nine, in particular.

S Kenny Robinson, St. Louis BattleHawks

Robinson is in a unique situation because he still has draft eligibility and could be selected next month. The Rams should have him on their radar as a ballhawk on the backend, especially after watching Marqui Christian leave for the Jets. Robinson could be a third safety for the Rams, giving them a true free safety on the roster. He had two interceptions in the XFL this season to go along with seven in two years at West Virginia.

CB Jamar Summers, New York Guardians

Summers had nearly identical stats to Smith’s, making 16 tackles with one interception and two passes defensed. He went undrafted in 2018 and signed with the Steelers, but he never made the 53-man roster. He bounced around with the Dolphins and Lions last offseason before being cut in August. The Rams are deep at cornerback, but Nickell Robey-Coleman is gone so adding some help couldn’t hurt.

QB Luis Perez, New York Guardians

Perez signed with the Rams after going undrafted in 2018, but he couldn’t stick around on the practice squad. He finally got the chance to start in the XFL before the season was halted, throwing three touchdown passes with one interception and 418 yards. He has the potential to be an NFL quarterback, and after shining in the AAF and XFL, perhaps he’ll get another chance. The Rams currently only have John Wolford as Jared Goff’s backup.

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5 players the Rams could sign to extensions this offseason

The Rams have to be looking ahead to the 2021 offseason.

The Los Angeles Rams have their hands full with the five starters who are set to become free agents, but building a roster in the NFL doesn’t consist of narrowly looking toward the upcoming season. It involves a wider scope that includes looking ahead to future years with the salary cap in mind.

That being said, the Rams could potentially sign a player or two to extensions one year before they become free agents – something they like to do and have done with Rob Havenstein, Tyler Higbee, Todd Gurley and Jared Goff in recent years.

“You have to take it in process, but strategically we’ve always enjoyed checking that box for not only us, but for the player so that we all know, OK, we’re here together and we’re working toward the same goals for a long time,” Snead said at the combine of extending players early.

Here are five players the Rams could consider extending this offseason rather than waiting.

WR Cooper Kupp

The Rams already have two wideouts under contract for the next few years with Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks. However, Kupp will be a free agent after the 2020 season and continues to get better each and every year.

If the Rams want to potentially save some money, they can sign him to an extension this offseason before he puts up great numbers again in 2020. If he does that, and with the salary cap always increasing, his price tag is only going to grow. Kupp’s eventual contract could replace that of Cooks’ if the Rams move on at some point, too.

This isn’t to say the Rams should sign him to a new deal now, but it’s certainly something that’s on the table.

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11 cut candidates the Rams could be interested in this offseason

Which players could interest the Rams if cut by their current teams?

The Los Angeles Rams have been hard at work preparing for not only free agency and the NFL draft, but also examining which players could be cut by other teams this offseason. It’s an important part of roster-building because there are quality players cut by teams each and every year for financial reasons.

Some have already been determined, such as Nigel Bradham, Paul Richardson, Josh Norman and Vernon Hargraves, but we’re looking at 11 other players who could be cut this offseason that would potentially interest the Rams.

They’re grouped by position, beginning with inside linebackers.

LB Avery Williamson

Williamson missed the entire 2019 season with a torn ACL and could now be out in New York. It was a freak injury, as he played all but one game in his career prior to that point. Coming from a 3-4 defense, he’d slide in seamlessly at inside linebacker if Cory Littleton were to leave. He’s certainly someone the Rams should call immediately if he’s cut by the Jets.

LB Dont’a Hightower

Bill Belichick has always been one to move on from a player a year early rather than a year late, and Hightower could be the latest example of that. He’ll be 30 in March and is on the decline of his career, but he’d still be the Rams’ best linebacker if Littleton doesn’t return. His versatility as a pass rusher provides added value, too. The Rams got a good taste of his ability in Super Bowl LIII and he’s coming off a season with 71 tackles and 5.5 sacks.

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7 free-agent offensive linemen Rams should consider signing

There are options available if the Rams want to sign a free agent to bolster the offensive line.

The Los Angeles Rams have taken a few big hits to their offensive line recently, losing Brian Allen for the season and Rob Havenstein for at least one week, but possibly more. There will be a lot of shuffling up front, which already began on Sunday.

As it stands right now, Austin Blythe will move from guard to center, while Austin Corbett will likely take over at left guard. David Edwards should remain at right guard with Bobby Evans taking over for Havenstein. No matter how it shakes out, the Rams are in trouble.

Sean McVay said the Rams will look at free agents this week, so here are seven potential options for Los Angeles.

C John Sullivan

A familiar face for the Rams, Sullivan should at least be in consideration. The team moved on from him this offseason by declining his 2019 option, which was an understandable move after he struggled last season.

However, his veteran leadership would at least bring some stability to the line, and he’s obviously familiar with the blocking scheme.

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