Los Angeles Rams: This offseason plan could come back to bite
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Rams have made several free agent signings this offseason and there is reason to be skeptical about the results the signings may produce.
The Los Angeles Rams were very aggressive in the offseason a year ago and it paid off. Los Angeles represented the NFC in the Super Bowl, and although the team came up short against the New England Patriots, it could have served as the seeds to start a dynasty.
Things have been a little bit different this offseason. With not as much cap flexibility, the Los Angeles Rams have been unable to make the same big moves, although the team has brought in two very recognizable names.
Before getting to them, the front office did a great job of re-signing outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. Although it was just a one-year deal, it is nice knowing that the Rams will get at least one more year out of the player that the team traded a second-round pick for.
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Fowler was not a world beater but certainly made a difference on the defensive side of the ball and even had the big hit on Drew Brees in overtime of the NFC Championship that led to the Rams win.
The other two names that the Los Angeles Rams have brought in are the more recognizable ones — safety Eric Weddle and linebacker Clay Matthews; both signed for two years.
On paper, these signings make a lot of sense. The Rams needed to find a replacement for Lamarcus Joyner at safety and Weddle was picked up immediately after he was released. LA is also pretty thin at linebacker, especially after releasing Mark Barron, and bringing in a veteran presence such as Clay Matthews helps.
The biggest concern with these two is their age. Neither is on the right side of 30, which is usually the turning point of a non-quarterbacks career in the NFL. Both have been reliable, I will give them that, but it is more likely that their best days are behind them.
This is already a roster that is fairly thin and Weddle and Matthews only serve as protective Band-Aids. If anything happens to either guy and they get injured or their production drops off, just like Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib‘s did, then the defense is going to be exposed.
There is nothing wrong with bringing in Weddle and Matthews if it is not the only move that the team makes.
However, because of the nature of the deals being two years each, it indicates that the Los Angeles Rams are biding time and will not target these positions high in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Instead, the team is likely going to focus on the offensive line or even trade the pick away or down in the draft.
The only problem with that is there is a fall-off from the top lineman in the draft to the next tier and the Rams might not get a huge difference-maker with the 31st overall pick.
You would think the Los Angeles Rams would have learned from Peters and Talib that players can decline quickly in the NFL.
Next. Pros and Cons of Clay Matthews. dark
And while we hope that is not the case for Matthews and Weddle, if it does happen, we certainly will not be surprised.