Los Angeles Rams free agency 2018: Top 5 targets....

Los Angeles Rams free agency 2018: Top 5 targets
[fansided.com]

The Los Angeles Rams were the toast of the town last season in the NFL and will be looking to add some free agents in 2018 to take the next step.

Not many NFL zealots could have predicted how the 2017 season would go as well as it did for the Los Angles Rams. They went 11-5 and could have hit an even dozen wins had they not rested starters in the final game of the season. They had the NFC West wrapped up and couldn’t move their seeding, so Coach Sean McVay opted for health. They would up losing thier first playoff game to the Atlanta Falcons, but there is no shame to be had in Los Angeles. They went through an incredible turnaround in 2017. Now the goal must be to continue to set the bar higher in 2018.

The Rams have already shown a willingness to be aggressive this offseason as they made a stunning trade for Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters. This addressed one of their biggest needs before the new league year even started. If there’s a defensive coordinator who can get the best out of Peters, it’s got to be Wade Phillips. Having defensive lineman Aaron Donald up front and a ball hawk like Peters in the back is a formidable combo. It’s also a good time to mention that McVay turned the Rams offense into a juggernaut.

They finished first in the league in total points last year and are so young at quarterback, running back, tight end and even receiver that improvement isn’t out of the question. Having said all of these good things, that doesn’t mean that the Rams can’t improve. They have a decent amount of cap space, even with an extension for Donald. As in roughly $30 million in space, even if Donald comes in around $20 million per season. These five players should be on their radar to bring in and take the leap to contend for a Super Bowl this year.


5. Offensive skill depth
One area the Rams do need to address may seem odd considering they just led the NFL in points, but they should be on the lookout for a couple key spots on their offense. The first in wide receiver because as of this writing, they may not retain Sammy Watkins. His presence in the offense was much more than the raw numbers show and Los Angeles would take a step back without Watkins. If they keep him, receiver is set along with Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp.

If Watkins heads out of town, one player that the Rams could look at is Allen Robinson. Although he’s coming off a torn ACL, Robinson is an immensely talented receiver and it would be fun to see him with a great young offensive mind like McVay. Jared Goff is coming off a breakout campaign and the Rams must continue to nurture him and give him as many weapons as possible. While Woods and Kupp were excellent in their roles, it might be too much to ask them to be true number one threats.

Another spot on the offense the Rams need quality depth is running back. With the obvious statement of Todd Gurley is one of the NFL’s best players, he touched the ball 343 times. That’s a big workload for a back, especially when he touched the ball 321 times the previous season. If Gurley were to get injured, the Rams have Malcolm Brown and Lance Dunbar as the primary backups. Neither player screams that they could carry a full workload and it wouldn’t be the worst idea to snap up a cheap running back as an insurance policy.

Perhaps Jeremy Hill or ageless wonder Frank Gore could be a fit? Both backs would want to be starters but that’s not likely for either player at this point. Being a backup on a high powered offense could be the route to go. Sure, they wouldn’t get much work as long as Gurley is healthy. However, if he gets hurt, the backup really could shine in the Rams offense.

4. Andrew Norwell
You know what makes life really easy on an offense to put points up on the board? Having a dominant offensive line that can pass block to give a quarterback time to read the defense and pick it apart and move the line of scrimmage forward on running plays. Andrew Norwell may not be a dire necessity but he would give the Rams another high end guard to go along with Rodger Saffold. Andrew Whitworth is the left tackle and even though he’s not getting younger, Norwell would take the Rams offensive line to new heights.

According to Pro Football Focus, the lowest graded lineman if the Rams added Norwell would be center John Sullivan but he’s still grading out above a 70. Norwell would solidify the interior line, which would serve two purposes. First, it would create even more running room for Gurley. It’s not like he needs a ton so imagine what this type of improvement would do for the running game.

Secondly, it makes it that much harder to bring pressure up the middle on Goff. Most quarterbacks are more comfortable stepping up into the pocket in the face of pressure. It’s also a big plus that Norwell is under 27 years old. Right tackle Rod Havenstein and current guard Jamon Brown are the only lineman under 29 as of this moment. The only reason a player like Norwell is low is because the Rams offense was so good last season. Still, complacency could be a killer. General manager Les Snead would put that fear to rest quickly if he makes a major move to improve the offense.

3. Kyle Fuller
The Rams may have brought in Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters already, but their secondary is still one of(if not the) biggest areas of concern this off-season. As of right now, safety Lamarcus Joyner and corners Trumaine Johnson and Nickell Robey-Coleman are all unrestricted free agents. There has been plenty of noise that the Rams would franchise tag Joyner, but Johnson is almost sure to walk away. He’s played under the tag the pas two seasons and will be looking for a big money deal. It’s entirely possible Kyle Fuller could come in at a cheaper price than Johnson.

Fuller picked a great time to have arguably the best season of his career. He enters free agency having put to rest any concerns about an knee injury suffered in 2016. He may not be a ball hawk but he’s a physical corner who on paper is a great fit to go along with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. It also doesn’t hurt to have Peters on the other side, who is best known for creating turnovers…and not exactly being a tackling machine. The yin and yang of both players would form a great combo.

The NFC West already features quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jimmy Garoppolo in Seattle and San Francisco respectively. The Arizona Cardinals are on the hunt but have the ability to find a good one. One way to stay ahead in the division is to have a pair of excellent corners on the outside. Fuller would be a dynamic number two option.

2. Eric Reid, Safety
Even if the Rams decide to franchise tag Lamarcus Joyner, they do need a partner in crime to put on the back end of the defense. Joyner is a very good safety and Los Angeles would do well to find a way to keep him. Eric Reid would not only help the Rams move forward, but it would hurt a division rival in the process. Reid has played his entire career in San Francisco to this point. His free agency case will be very interesting to see play out.

Reid was one of the prominent players to take a knee during the National Anthem alongside ex-teammate Colin Kaepernick. There most likely are teams that have already crossed him off the list due to his kneeling. Some just don’t want to have to deal with the extra attention that comes with it. Reid believes his stance may wind up costing him this off-season, via CBS Sports-

“I wouldn’t use the word concerned,” Reid said. “I would say I understand that’s a possibility. And I’m completely fine with it. The things that I’ve done, I stand by, and I’ve done that for my own personal beliefs. Like I said, I’m fine with whatever outcome happens because of that.”

Putting aside the possibility that some teams may not want to speak with him, his play on the field is more than enough to warrant a job. Reid actually rotated into the linebacker spot this past season but did not fare all that well. There’s no reason to put him as a linebacker if his skill set is only as a safety. With the tutelage of Wade Phillips, Reid could almost turn into a poor man’s version of Malcolm Jenkins from the Philadelphia Eagles.

The duo of Reid and Joyner alongside of Marcus Peters would be a great foundation to any secondary. Los Angeles finished right about the middle of the pack last year in pass yards given up per game. It would be a great call to make sure that figure doesn’t go backwards in 2018.

1. Muhammad Wilkerson, Defensive Line
The absolute biggest need for the Rams is the ability to get pressure on the quarterback. Not only did the Rams finish in the lower third of the league in sacks with 28. All-Pro Aaron Donald had 11, which is incredible from an interior lineman. The Rams just dealt Robert Quinn, who had 8.5 sacks this past season. That means outside of two players, the rest of the Los Angeles defense only tallied 8.5 sacks through a full season. That just isn’t good enough and it must be a priority. One way to attack this weakness is to take a calculated gamble on ex-New York Jet Muhammad Wilkerson.

Still only 28 years old, Wilkerson has two double-digit sack seasons on his resume. He would normally be a coveted free agent but he does carry his share of baggage with him. He basically “worked” his way out of New York because he couldn’t be bothered to show up on time for meetings and loafed his way through his contract. Big money won’t be on the table for Wilkerson this off-season and he’s going to be motivated to get another deal. The culture in LA is night and day different than the one in New York. Playing for a winning team makes a lot of difference to most players.

The Rams obviously don’t mind taking a risk if the talent is there as evidenced by the Marcus Peters trade. It’s important not to bring too many disruptive elements into a locker room. However, if the Rams can pull the best out of Wilkerson, an incentive laden deal could pay off in spades. Any player that can get pressure is naturally going to be even better lined up next to Donald. Sacks are paramount to the Rams and Wilkerson fits the bill.

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Best,
Laram