With eight draft picks and 19 undrafted free agents joining the team, the Los Angeles Rams have added some talent to an already strong roster. They addressed the majority of their primary needs, but a few positions could still use some attention.
Fortunately, beginning May 7, unrestricted free agents no longer count toward the compensatory pick formula. That’s often what prevents the Rams from signing players at the start of free agency, but next week, that won’t be an issue.
Here are six free agents the Rams should consider signing.
C Ryan Groy
The Rams actually tried to sign Groy two years ago when he was a restricted free agent with the Bills. Buffalo matched the Rams’ offer sheet, retaining him for two years. He’s mostly been a backup since then, starting just seven games but suiting up for 31 since 2017.
Groy wouldn’t be a lock to start at center if the Rams did sign him, but he’d be a cheap addition and could at least give Brian Allen some competition inside. Sean McVay clearly likes his game, enough to sign him to an offer sheet before landing John Sullivan, so he might be worth another look.
NT Danny Shelton
The Rams drafted Greg Gaines, who figures to be the nose tackle in base 3-4 packages. He’s plenty big at 312 pounds, but Shelton is a proven player with the ideal size to play nose tackle. The 345-pound defender helped the Patriots shut down the Rams’ running game in the Super Bowl and would be perfect in Wade Phillips’ scheme.
If Los Angeles could get him for around $3 million for one season, he’d be a worthwhile addition, helping develop Gaines for a year, too.
OLB Shane Ray
Ray is surprisingly still available, but the Rams should consider changing that. He won’t get more than his teammate Shaq Barrett, who signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Buccaneers. Ray has familiarity with Phillips after playing in his scheme with the Broncos, which makes this pairing easy to like.
The Rams don’t have dominant pass rushers who will play every snap, instead going with a rotation of Samson Ebukam, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Clay Matthews opposite Dante Fowler Jr. Adding Ray to the mix couldn’t hurt, especially if the price is right.
ILB Zach Brown
Brown would be the ideal target, but he might be out of the Rams’ price range. It’s somewhat surprising that he’s still available at this point in the offseason, but the Rams should consider giving him a call. He’d be an upgrade over Mark Barron from last year and a more stable option than Micah Kiser, albeit a more expensive one, too.
He’s a great run defender and really an all-around linebacker, ranking third on Pro Football Focus’ charts from a season ago. He didn’t allow a touchdown in coverage, which only eight other linebackers can say.
OLB Nick Perry
Perry has had serious trouble staying healthy the last few seasons, playing just 21 games since 2017 and never appearing in all 16 in a single season. However, when he’s not battling injury, Perry has proved he can make an impact as a pass rusher. In 23 starts from 2016 to ’17, Perry had 18 sacks, 30 quarterback hits and 18 tackles for loss.
His 2018 season was a disaster from a production and injury standpoint, but that might work in the Rams’ favor. They might be able to get him for a few million dollars for one season, bolstering the pass rush with a veteran.
LB Jamie Collins
Collins has had his effort questioned and only played six games due to injury in 2017, so there are major question marks about his game. But if the Rams can get his mind right and have him playing with 100 percent effort, he can be a Swiss army knife on defense. He can drop back into coverage, play the run and rush the passer, largely thanks to his athleticism at linebacker.
The Rams shouldn’t give him more than $4 million per year at this point, but he can be an impact player when he’s playing hard. Collins is at least worth exploring at this point in the offseason for a team like L.A.
