The Rams don’t have an immediate need here, but being proactive could prove to be very wise.
During the 2018 offseason, Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead aggressively reshaped the secondary for defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Fans saw the contentious situation with CB Trumaine Johnson finally conclude and FS Lamarcus Joyer get slapped with the franchise tag. In addition to that, the Rams utilized the trade market to acquire CBs Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters from the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively.
Why then, are we discussing another revamp of the secondary? It comes down to sustainability. The Rams have been extremely aggressive with trades in recent years in order to force their Super Bowl window open, and that bill has come due.
Joyner isn’t likely to be retained due to his drop in productivity and inevitably exorbitant price tag while Talib and Peters will both be unrestricted free agents next year.
Personally, I think the Rams have one of the best trios of CBs in the NFL right now, but we’re looking past 2019 here. If the Rams decide to kick this can down the road and address it in 2020, they could be left with Nickell Robey-Coleman as their top CB.
The Rams could surprise the NFL and decide to move on from Talib and/or Peters over the course of the next few weeks, but that’s unlikely. The more plausible scenario is that the Rams add depth and hope that whoever they add develops into a starter in 2020.
Given these needs along with the Rams precarious cap situation, free agency isn’t a likely solution unless a veteran is willing to take a big discount to play in LA. With a five picks in rounds 3-5, I would be surprised if one or more of those wasn’t used on a high upside DB prospect.
If there is one thing we’ve learned about Snead, it’s that he’s not afraid to find creative solutions for roster problems. I’m intrigued to see what he comes up with.
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