Winners and losers of Rams' first wave of moves in free agency
The first week of free agency is just about in the books and the Los Angeles Rams were as active as any team early in the process. From re-signing their own players to bringing in outside free agents, they unquestionably got better this offseason.
They should feel good about where the roster stands heading into the draft next month and there are players who should also feel more secure in their roles as a result of the first week of moves. On the flip side, some current players on the roster could be in danger of seeing their roles reduced in 2025.
Here are the early winners and losers of the first wave of free agency.
Winner: Matthew Stafford
How good has Stafford’s offseason been so far? He got a raise from the Rams, which will keep him in L.A. for another season. His left tackle, Alaric Jackson, will be with the team in 2025 after signing a three-year extension. The Rams also signed Davante Adams to a two-year contract and brought back Tutu Atwell with a one-year deal, bolstering the receiving corps.
Even the addition of Coleman Shelton will help Stafford if he winds up beating out Beaux Limmer at center. The only negative for Stafford has been the departure of Cooper Kupp, his trusty receiver on the field and good friend off it. Otherwise, the Rams have set their QB up for success.
Winner: Tutu Atwell
Who knows what Atwell would’ve gotten on the free-agent market had the Rams not signed him beforehand. Maybe he would’ve gotten $10 million guaranteed for one year. But there’s also a chance he wouldn’t have made that much with another team.
By re-signing with the Rams, he not only gets a nice payday, but he also remains in an offense he’s familiar with. It’s reasonable to think Sean McVay has a better plan for utilizing Atwell after the team gave him $10 million, which should lead to a career year. If the Rams don’t add a receiver early in the draft, he could be the No. 3 wideout with Kupp and Demarcus Robinson gone.
Winner: Alaric Jackson
From undrafted free agent to $57.75 million left tackle. Jackson’s rise with the Rams has been terrific to watch, becoming a building block for an extended period of time. At $19.25 million per year, Jackson is now the 11th-highest-paid left tackle in the NFL, which rewards him for playing well the last two years but also doesn’t handcuff the Rams financially.
The Rams were smart to re-sign him, just as Jackson was wise to stay in Los Angeles where he’s become a key cog at left tackle. It was a win-win for both parties.
Winner: Omar Speights
The Rams let not only Christian Rozeboom walk, but they also lost Jake Hummel. That’s two inside linebackers gone, making Speights the clear-cut favorite to be a starter as of now. He was already a starting linebacker last season but that was mostly on run downs; he wasn’t an every-down player.
Now, the Rams could view him as their LB1 – for the moment, at least. They could still draft someone and there are other free agents still on the market, but the fact that they haven’t added anyone yet is a good sign for Speights.
Winner: Brennan Jackson
Michael Hoecht left to sign with the Bills, opening a spot on the depth chart behind Jared Verse and Byron Young. Hoecht was the only edge rusher who played consistently after those two, but that role could now go to Jackson – a second-year defender who barely played as a rookie.
Like Hoecht, Jackson is a bigger edge rusher who is stout against the run. He still needs work as an all-around pass rusher but he could be poised for a big jump in Year 2.
Winner: Every cornerback
The Rams haven’t done anything at cornerback yet, aside from cutting Tre Tomlinson. That’s a somewhat surprising development given the team’s need at the position. It’s still possible they’ll add someone like Asante Samuel Jr. or Ahkello Witherspoon, but they haven’t done anything yet.
That benefits the likes of Cobie Durant, Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Darious Williams. Even a player like Josh Wallace or Derion Kendrick could benefit from the Rams’ inactivity at cornerback. Williams could still be a cut candidate but he’s safe for now.
Loser: Beaux Limmer
The Rams brought back Coleman Shelton with a two-year deal worth a reported $12 million with $9 million guaranteed. That’s not an insignificant amount and it could be a sign that the Rams view him as a starter for them.
Shelton can play all three interior spots but his natural position is center. That’s not good news for Limmer, who replaced Jonah Jackson last season and held onto the starting job for the remainder of the season. He’ll have some competition in camp and the Rams may lean toward starting Shelton instead.
Loser: Jordan Whittington
By no means should Whittington be written off and he could still play a role on offense, but it’ll be harder for him to rise up the depth chart with Adams signed and Atwell coming back. Obviously the departure of Robinson helps but the fact that the Rams gave Atwell $10 million guaranteed signals he’ll have a bigger workload.
Whittington should be at worst the No. 4 receiver on the depth chart this season but it looked like he would have a chance to be a starter with Kupp leaving and Robinson on his way out.
Loser: Tyler Davis
The Rams let Bobby Brown III and Neville Gallimore leave in free agency but they also signed Poona Ford to a $27.6 million deal. He’s clearly going to be the starting nose tackle, which means Davis will remain a backup behind Ford, Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner.
Few people were expecting Davis to be the starting nose tackle in 2025 but now it’s almost certain he’ll remain a backup.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams free agency: Winners and losers from first wave of moves
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