In 2022, the Los Angeles Rams learned the cost of going all-in. For years, the Rams handed out huge contracts and gave up draft picks to improve the team right away, and it paid off with a Super Bowl 56 title. However, that ended up costing them throughout a miserable 2022 season in which they finished just 5-12, the worst record by a defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history.
This offseason, Los Angeles has to figure out how to get back to competing. With an aging, injury-prone roster and very little cap space and draft capital, that task may be very difficult. If the Rams' early moves this offseason are any indication, it may be a long road back to that level.
Desperately needing cap space, the Rams shipped off star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins for a meager return. Trade rumors have also swirled about several other Rams, so this roster could look very different next season.
As it is now, though, the Rams have a massive need at cornerback after losing Ramsey. They also have major needs along both the offensive and defensive lines, and any of those positions could be their biggest need. For now, though, let's just stick to corner.
If the Rams want to get back to competing, then they need to shore up the secondary. They likely won't have enough cap space to sign the big-name corners in free agency, but the smaller fish should be fair game. Fortunately for them, there are a few players who could work well, and one of them stands out in particular.
The Rams must sign cornerback Rock Ya-Sin in free agency
First off, let's dive deeper into the Rams need at cornerback. After the Ramsey trade, their only corners under contract for next season are Robert Rochell, Cobie Durant, Deion Kendrick and Shaun Jolly. Rochell has played two NFL seasons, while the others were all rookies last season and didn't see too much action. Clearly, that cornerback room isn't cutting it in the NFL no matter where the team is in the standings.
Without many picks, free agency seems like the best option for the Rams to address this major need. If they do take this route, then Rock Ya-Sin, most recently with the Las Vegas Raiders, would be a great choice.
Statistically, Ya-Sin may not seem that special at first. He finished last season with 45 tackles, seven passes defended and no interceptions in 11 games. In his four-year career, Ya-Sin has 183 tackles, 27 passes defended and only two interceptions, with the last one coming in 2020.
However, consider that Ya-Sin is just 26 years old (27 in May) with plenty of room to grow. He also finished second on the Raiders in passes defended despite missing a third of the season, which deserves some credit. His 65.7 PFF grade on a defense as bad as Las Vegas is a sign he can be a decent, or even a good corner in the right system.
With all this in mind, Ya-Sin would fit in well in Los Angeles. Aside from just being a cornerback, he would be a nice injection of youth for a relatively old team.
Sportrac projected Ya-Sin's market value at $10.8 million annually. While that is more than the Rams can currently afford with their $8 million in cap space, it shouldn't be too hard to make it work.
All things considered, Los Angeles should absolutely make a push for Ya-Sin this offseason.
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