There’s no denying that the Los Angeles Rams were bad against the run last season. They ranked last in the league in yards allowed per carry (5.1) and although they stepped up in the playoffs, the Patriots were able to move the ball successfully on the ground in Super Bowl LIII.
Those struggles can’t be pinned on one player or position, but the Rams need better play out of their linebackers. Mark Barron is overpaid and could be a cap casualty, while Cory Littleton is a restricted free agent and should return in 2019.
If the Rams address the inside linebacker position in free agency, there are countless options. Here are nine players they should target, some of which will be more expensive than others.
Anthony Barr, 26, Vikings
Barr comes with a caveat with regards to his fit in Los Angeles. He’s been an off-ball linebacker his whole career, but many believe he could thrive as a full-time pass rusher. With the Rams, he could do both. In base defense, he can play inside next to Cory Littleton, providing plenty in the way of run defense.
In passing situations, he can kick outside and rush the passer as an outside linebacker. His versatility makes him an intriguing free-agent target for Los Angeles, especially if the price is right. Although he struggles in coverage at times, he’d give a big boost to the run defense, which is the Rams’ biggest weakness defensively.
Brandon Marshall, 29, Broncos
Marshall isn’t yet a free agent, but the Broncos are declining his option in 2019, allowing him to hit the open market in March. He’s a former staple in Wade Phillips’ defense with the Broncos and would fit perfectly in the Rams’ scheme. He’s a great run defender who has trouble in coverage at times, while also coming with some durability questions after missing five games in 2018.
At 29 going on 30, Marshall won’t be among the pricier linebackers on the open market. That obviously benefits the Rams, and with his connection to Phillips, perhaps he’d take even less in L.A. to reunite with his former defensive coordinator.
C.J. Mosley, 26, Ravens
Mosley may not escape Baltimore as the Ravens would certainly prefer to keep their four-time Pro Bowler, but if he does become available, the Rams should be all over him. He’ll be expensive at around $10 million per year, but if you take into account the fact that Mark Barron has a cap hit of $9.7 million in 2019, it’s reasonable to expect L.A. to be OK with paying Mosley slightly more.
The Rams can save $8 million by cutting Barron after June 1, too, and Mosley would be a significant upgrade over the safety-turned-linebacker. The Ravens’ inside linebacker has 597 tackles, nine interceptions and 43 tackles for loss in his five-year career and could solidify the middle of the Rams’ defense for years to come.
K.J. Wright, 29, Seahawks
Wright has been Mr. Reliable for the Seahawks since coming into the NFL in 2011, aside from 11 missed games in 2018. He has four seasons of 100-plus tackles, is great against the run and rarely misses tackles.
He isn’t the best linebacker on this list, but if the Rams are seeking a stout run defender who also has countless years of experience as a starter, Wright should be a target. He’d provide veteran leadership, as well, and wouldn’t force the Rams to break the bank in free agency. He probably won’t command more than $6 million per year this offseason.
Kwon Alexander, 24, Buccaneers
Alexander is one of the riskier linebackers available, given his price tag and injury history. He’s played all 16 games in a season just once and missed 14 games combined in the last two years – including just six games played in 2018. However, he’s just 24 years old, can cover sideline to sideline and showed in 2016 that he’s a tackling machine. He led the NFL that year with 108 solo tackles and added 12 stops behind the line of scrimmage.
One question with Alexander is his fit in a 3-4 defense after he played middle linebacker in the Bucs’ 4-3 scheme the last four years. That’s not a huge concern, but it is something the Rams have to think about, especially with Alexander probably earning a deal worth more than $10 million per year.
Denzel Perryman, 25, Chargers
Perryman’s injury history makes Alexander’s look like a non-concern. The Chargers linebacker has played just 42 of a possible 64 games in the NFL, missing seven last season and nine in 2017. When healthy, he’s a well-rounded linebacker with the skill set to be an every-down player.
He’s reliable in coverage, doesn’t miss many tackles and certainly fits at inside linebacker in the Rams’ defense. He’ll be cheaper than Alexander, Jordan Hicks and C.J. Mosley, but that’s largely because there are concerns about his durability.
Preston Brown, 26, Bengals
With many of the above players being on the costly side, we now get into some cheaper options. Brown was all over the field for the Bills from 2014-17, racking up 505 tackles in that four-year stretch. He didn’t miss a single game in Buffalo, but he ran into a season-ending knee injury that caused him to miss nine games in 2018.
A better run defender than coverage linebacker, Brown would be a nice complement to Littleton in the middle of the defense. It’s just a matter of whether he can bounce back from that knee injury and stay healthy. He signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Bengals last year, so that should be his price range.
Jake Ryan, 26, Packers
Ryan didn’t play a snap in 2018 after tearing his ACL in August and while he should be ready for the 2019 season, that injury will give some teams pause and lower his price tag. That’s good news for the Rams, who might be on a budget when it comes to the linebacker position. When healthy, Ryan is a solid player who can blitz and cover.
He’s not terrible against the run, but that’s one area of his game that could use improvement. He’d still be an upgrade over Barron, though, and would likely cost the Rams less than Barron’s $9.7 million cap hit.
Joe Thomas, 27, Cowboys
If the Rams want to get really cheap at linebacker, Thomas could be their guy. He’s never been a 16-game starter and mostly contributed on special teams last year in Dallas, but he’s a rangy linebacker who can hit and make plays against the run.
In seven starts with the Packers in 2016, he had 68 tackles, five passes defensed and an interception, while also making three tackles for loss. Again, he’s a few tiers below the top free-agent linebackers, but the Rams may not want to spend a ton at the position this year.
