The Los Angeles Rams took a leap of faith last offseason by landing Ndamukong Suh in free agency after he was cut by the Miami Dolphins. His fit in the Rams’ 3-4 defense was questionable after playing in a 4-3 his entire career, but he made it work with great versatility.
Suh was disappointing as a pure nose tackle during the regular season, but he played well as a defensive end and stepped up in the playoffs when the Rams needed him most. With Suh being a free agent this offseason, though, Los Angeles will be looking for a replacement.
The free-agent class is chock full of options at nose tackle and the Rams could not only get younger at the position, but also cheaper. Continuing our positional breakdown of free agency, we take a look at six nose tackles the Rams should target.
Bennie Logan, Titans
Logan’s usage in Tennessee was certainly strange. After being a starter for the Eagles and Chiefs in the past, Logan didn’t start a single game for the Titans in 2018. He recorded just 14 tackles and didn’t have a single sack or tackle for loss in 15 games played. He has experience playing nose tackle in a 3-4 defense, doing so when the Eagles deployed that front from 2013-15 before switching to a 4-3 in 2016.
He’d step in right away as a starter at nose tackle, replacing Ndamukong Suh and likely upgrading the run defense. He was phenomenal for the Chiefs in 2017 at that very spot, recording 52 tackles (nine for loss) and 1.5 sacks in 15 games, 12 of which he started.
Johnathan Hankins, Raiders
Hankins was available for a long time last offseason after the Colts surprisingly cut him and the Rams didn’t pounce. He wound up signing a one-year, $2 million deal with the Raiders in September and while he didn’t have a great season, he still offers plenty of upside as a run defender.
He’ll be 27 in March and has played well in the Colts’ 3-4 scheme in 2017, so there’s little concern about how he’d fit with the Rams. Los Angeles needs a to improve its run defense this offseason and there are few better ways to do that without breaking the bank than by signing Hankins. He’d be a great addition.
Danny Shelton, Patriots
The Rams are very familiar with Shelton’s game after he helped shut down Los Angeles’ running game in Super Bowl LIII. He didn’t play a whole lot in the regular season, but when called upon, he stepped up for the Patriots.
As a former first-round pick and someone the Patriots traded a third-round pick for, he has the pedigree of a solid starter in the NFL. His size is something the Rams should covet, too, at 345 pounds. After seeing what he did to their ground game, the Rams should be all over Shelton when free agency begins, at the very least trying to sign him to a one-year deal.
Mike Pennel, Jets
Pennel was one of the best nose tackles in the league last season, earning an overall grade of 87.1 from Pro Football Focus – 14th among all interior defenders in the NFL. The Jets declined Pennel’s contract option for the next two years, making him a free agent in March – one year after signing him to a three-year contract.
Pennel is also stout at 332 pounds and offers versatility as both a nose tackle and potentially a defensive end in some situations. His best asset is clearly as a run stopper, given that he only has one career sack in five years.
Domata Peko, Broncos
Peko turned 34 in November so there are obviously concerns about his age and longevity, but he’s only missed two games since 2010. He’s a prototypical nose tackle in a 3-4 defense, boasting good size at 6-foot-3, 325 pounds.
Given his age, he’d be affordable for the Rams, too. His last contract was two years for $7.5 million, so it’s possible the Rams could get him for around $3 million for one season. Peko would be far cheaper than Suh in that regard and while he doesn’t offer the same value as a pass rusher, he’s still a stout run defender.
Zach Kerr, Broncos
Kerr has never been a full-time starter in the NFL but he brings ideal size as a run-stopper in a 3-4 defense. He’s 6-foot-2, 334 pounds and is difficult to move off the ball in the middle of the defense. He’ll be 29 in August so he’s still relatively young, too, and isn’t among the top defensive tackles in terms of cost.
Like the others on this list, he’s played in a 3-4 defense before and is coming off a career-best 33-tackle season with 1.5 sacks in 2018.
