The new consensus seems to assert that the Los Angeles Rams now enjoy the most well-rounded roster in football. LA has taken their cornerback room—a position of weakness—and made it into a strength following their aggressive first week of the offseason.
Out goes Cobie Durant, Roger McCreary, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Darious Williams (at least for now). In comes Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Kamren Curl is also set to return on a new multi-year deal.
It’s an important change that should help the
Rams keep pace with a competitive NFC West division and NFC confernece.
But even after an aggressive first wave of free agency, is there still more work for Los Angeles to do? Let’s take a look at a few remaining positions of need.
Quarterback
We can say that the Rams really have two differing needs at quarterback. How you prioritize them is the billion dollar question.
Can LA find a bridge between Matthew Stafford to the next franchise quarterback? This is more of a draft topic than free agency concern, but it’s still valid that the Rams must keep an eye towards the future. A looming contract extension for Stafford could also change the team’s salary cap outlook in 2026 and beyond.
The more urgent need is Stafford’s understudy. Jimmy Garoppolo was tied to the Arizona Cardinals even before the free agency legal tampering period kicked off. Arizona instead chose to stick with Garoppolo’s former teammate in Jacoby Brissett as their starter and sign Gardner Minshew as his backup. The Rams could reasonably reunited with Garoppolo for a third season. They could also pivot in a different direction. It’s still an uncertainty that needs addressed sooner than later, if the team continues its recent investment in the backup sot. They used to not care that much.
Receiver
I’ve maintained for a while that the Rams need a new second receiver. While Davante Adams was a welcome addition last year—especially in the red zone—he would be better served playing a limited role that can keep his legs fresh into the back stretch.
The best options in free agency are off the board. This is likely a need that will be addressed in the first two rounds in next month’s NFL Draft. Los Angeles has previously been connected to the likes of Brock Bowers, Dalton Kincaid, and Tetairoa McMillan as trade up targets. The Rams now sit pretty at #13 overall and could potentially land a gamechanger without an aggressive move up that comes at the cost of future draft capital.
Offensive tackle
We know LA is set for at offensive tackle for at least 2026 with Alaric Jackson and Warren McClendon as bookends. Who their backups are and whether this duo can stick together beyond this season are looming questions. The Rams re-signed David Quessenberry a few weeks ago. He’s solid depth but doesn’t have much experience on the left side. Coming up with a plan B for Jackson should be a priority. The LA offense would be much less potent if the blindside protector misses time.
Off-ball linebacker
Fair or not, when you look across the depth chart at the 22 starting players one sticks out as a potential weak link. That’s MLB Omar Speights. One could build a convincing argument that an upgrade for Speights is already on the roster in Shaun Dolac. If that held true, it would be a perfectly acceptable outcome for the Rams.
However, this draft class brings a deep pool of talent. If the Rams want to take a flyer in the middle rounds, they could land a better athlete and contributor relatively easily. LA tried last year when they selected Ole Miss’ Pooh Paul. Dolac made the 53-man roster over Paul.
Corner
The numbers game at corner cannot be ignored. The Rams entered the offseason behind the 8-ball at corner.
The only outside corners under contract currently are Trent McDuffie, Jalyen Watson, and Emmanuel Forbes. Quentin Lake and Josh Wallace are the slot corners. Whether the Rams are comfortable with Forbes and a rookie as the third and fourth perimeter players remains to be seen. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them pick up one more veteran free agent ahead of the draft.
