With the blockbuster trade for quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Los Angeles Rams are going all in these next couple of seasons. The roster is primed to compete now with their top-tier defense led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. They managed to upset Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks in the postseason before being bounced by the Green Bay Packers. One can argue that if Donald were fully healthy in that game the final score would have at least been different.
The Rams have the disadvantage of playing in arguably the toughest division in football. Russell Wilson and the potent passing offense make the Seattle Seahawks a dangerous team. The Arizona Cardinals have a young, promising quarterback in Kyler Murray and a well-rounded roster that just added J.J. Watt. When the San Francisco 49ers are healthy they are contenders, because of their elite defense and creative offense.
Los Angeles is expected to be $34,766,331 over the salary cap, so they can't exactly make a splash in free agency. With these said, below are two targets Los Angeles is better off not signing.
Corey Linsley, C
The Rams had one of the best offensive lines in football and the continuity of the unit played a key part in this. The line did a great job in protecting Jared Goff, but if you had to nitpick the unit look no further than now free agent Austin Blythe.
He played well last season, but inconsistently the year prior. Blythe has been healthy for most of his career, but with 33-year old Matthew Stafford playing under center it would not be a good idea to roll the dice on the offensive lineman closest to the quarterback, especially with the pass rushers in the stacked NFC West.
So, why should the team avoid Linsley? In reality, there is nothing wrong with him. Quite the opposite actually, as he is the best center in this free agent class and one of the best offensive linemen available. Almost every team would want to have a player like him in the trenches.
Linsley is extremely reliable, especially in pass protection, and relatively durable. Linsley is no slouch in running plays either, where he is much better than Blythe.
The only concern is his price tag. He will most likely have to be signed to a three-year pact that pays him more than $10,000,000 per year. Even if Los Angeles made some serious roster cuts, it would be difficult to accommodate that type of contract for what is possibly the least glamorous position on offense.
An alternative to Linsley is Alex Mack. Mack was once one of the best centers in the league, but at 35-years old he is in the twilight of his career. Nevertheless, he is a great fit in head coach Sean McVay's zone-blocking scheme. The Rams can sign Mack for half the price of Linsley and still get solid production at the spot. Further, Mack might agree to a one-year deal with a dark horse contender, which gives the team salary cap flexibility in the future.
Aldon Smith, EDGE
Pass rusher Leonard Floyd is a free agent and due to the aforementioned cap issues, the Rams will most likely let him walk in free agency. Pass rusher is a premium position and elite players at this position cost an arm and a leg. Unless the team is confident they have an in-house option to replace Floyd, they would have to dive in the free agent market. The Rams also do not have that many draft picks as a result of their win-now mentality.
Smith was once one of the biggest names in the NFL. He had a fantastic 2012 season where he was virtually unblockable and finished with a ridiculous 19.5 sacks. However, due to a plethora of off-field issues, he was out of the league in 2016. Somehow he was able to return to the league and played in 16 games as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, where he had a total of five sacks and two passes defended. If he plays for the Rams, he'll have to adjust playing to a 3-4 defense.
Smith projects as a low-risk signing, as he probably does not have that many suitors. However, the upside still does not match the risk, especially for a team with a small Super Bowl window. What happens if he has another off-field issue?
A high-risk, high-reward option would be Haason Reddick. He ended the regular season with 12.5 sacks after he was moved to outside linebacker by the Cardinals. As a bonus, he might be useful in the film room when preparing against Arizona. The danger here is that his 2020 season was a fluke.
Either way, the Rams will be busy as they look to compete for an NFC West crown.
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