It’s clear the Los Angeles Rams’ biggest priority in free agency was to retain Leonard Floyd. Despite the Giants and Broncos showing strong interest in the edge rusher, the Rams were able to re-sign him to the tune of a four-year, $64 million deal.
But simply bringing back Floyd doesn’t fill the Rams’ outside linebacker void. It certainly helps, but as of now, Justin Hollins, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo or Terrell Lewis will be the starter opposite him.
The Cowboys aren’t bringing back Aldon Smith, who’s a free agent, and he could be a good target for the Rams. Smith returned to the NFL last season after a five-year absence due to off-field issues and he played better than many expected.
The Cowboys’ $2 million bet on Smith paid off as he recorded five sacks, 14 QB hits, 48 tackles and five tackles for loss. He played 73% of the defensive snaps and though his production faded a bit down the stretch, he was still productive – especially considering he was playing on a one-year, $2 million deal.
For comparison, Samson Ebukam and Justin Hollins combined to play 69% of the defensive snaps and had a total of 59 tackles, 7.5 sacks, six tackles for loss and 12 QB hits. Smith’s numbers weren’t far off from their combined totals, which puts into perspective his 2020 season.
Smith will be 32 in September and has played just one season since 2016, but he showed promise last year with the Cowboys. And with his size and length, he could potentially provide some flexibility at outside linebacker and defensive end.
He has the size (6-foot-5, 255 pounds) to move inside to defensive end in obvious passing situations, allowing the Rams to get another edge rusher on the field opposite Floyd. His primary position would be outside linebacker, but Smith held up at defensive end in the Cowboys’ 4-3 scheme last season.
There are still other edge rushers out there, including Justin Houston, Jadeveon Clowney and Melvin Ingram. But it’s likely that none of them will come as cheap as Smith – which is critical for the cap-strapped Rams.
He would fill a need at a low cost and bring versatility to the defensive front, helping to replace both Ebukam and Morgan Fox.
