Los Angeles Rams: There’s no reason not to sign Domata Peko
By Jason Reed
Many fans probably thought that the Los Angeles Rams’ offseason moves were over but the team could make a late signing for a veteran nose tackle.
This offseason was not as prolific for the Los Angeles Rams as the previous offseason was but the team still made some additions to help fill in some gaps on the depth chart.
Most noticeably, the Rams signed veterans Eric Weddle and Clay Matthews to help fill the voids at safety and linebacker, respectively. The team also drafted safety Taylor Rapp out of Washington, which should give the defense a nice, deep positional group at safety.
Another area that the team addressed during the NFL Draft was at nose tackle by selecting Greg Gaines, also out of Washington. Without Ndamukong Suh, the Rams needed to add a run-stuffing nose tackle to play alongside Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers.
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Veteran nose tackle Domata Peko presents an opportunity for the Rams to do what they did with Matthews and Weddle and add depth to the nose tackle position. Peko recently stated that he would love to play in his hometown Los Angeles with the Rams and there is no reason for the Rams not to pursue the veteran.
The salary cap has been a puzzle for the Los Angeles Rams, which has been the one limiting factor of the team. Once the team trims the roster down, though, there will be space to fit new pieces in, although it is marginal space.
Peko fits into that marginal space as he is not going to get a large salary as a late-offseason free agency pickup that is 34 years old. There are no worries about Peko pushing the team’s salary over the edge and he won’t present any long-term hurdles as it will likely be a one-year deal.
Peko’s numbers are not overly appealing on paper as he has just 1.5 sacks the last three years combined but that is not where his usefulness lies. He is most useful as a run stuffer at the middle of the line and that is what has led him to be the productive nose tackle that he has been for 13 years.
Better yet, he is durable. The Rams roster is thin at points and if Gaines does not work out or gets hurt then the team will be scrambling to figure out what to do. Peko has missed just two games this decade and only has one season in his career in which he played less than 14 games in a season.
That is exactly what a team needs out of a veteran: someone who can come in on specific downs and do what they need to do while also being reliable. Not only is he going to have a direct impact on the defense itself but he is going to have a massive impact on Gaines’ progression as well.
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Does this mean that Peko is a lock to be a huge contributor? Not at all. However, with virtually no risk involved, the Rams have no reason to be opposed to signing the veteran nose tackle.