The Los Angeles Rams have a few roster holes to fill this offseason as they try to assemble another playoff-caliber roster. After falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs, the Rams aim to improve their roster and make another run for the Lombardi Trophy.
The Rams built a strong defense through the most recent NFL Draft and could add veteran leadership to a group of talented but young defenders. As much as the Rams would like to continue building through the draft, they have several options available in free agency.
Sterling Xie of the Pro Football Network recently released one move he believes every team in the league should make this offseason.
“The Los Angeles Rams fielded a boom-or-bust defense in 2024. While the Rams came alive towards the end of the season, the lack of talent in the secondary led to trouble defending the deep ball. The Rams gave up 12 touchdowns on throws of 15+ air yards last season, one shy of tying the [Jacksonville] Jaguars and [Los Angeles] Chargers for the league lead,” Xie said.
“Justin Reid is one of the top defensive free agents on the market and will be 28 years old for the 2025 season. His durability is a plus, as he’s never played fewer than 13 games in a season and was on the field for at least 90% of the defensive snaps in all three seasons with the [Kansas City] Chiefs.”
Xie noted that Reid excelled in various roles for the Chiefs during his time in Kansas City, displaying versatility the Rams could undoubtedly use next season. Reid would be a solid veteran presence for one of the youngest defenses in the NFL.
“In Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, Reid emerged as one of the more versatile safeties in the league. Last year, Reid played 56% of his snaps as a deep safety, 26% in the box, and 18% in the slot or outside cornerback,” Xie said.
“Adding a versatile and dependable DB would be a nice boost for second-year defensive coordinator Chris Shula. Starting safeties Kam Curl and Kamren Kinchens are both under contract, but it’s worth adding competition and increasing the talent of the secondary in general.”
