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The Los Angeles Rams will have some decisions to make this offseason as it pertains to the secondary, specifically the cornerback position. Last offseason, the Rams put a band-aid on the issue, signing Darious Williams and Tre White in free agency. After White didn’t work out, the Rams brought back Ahkello Witherspoon who was a good fill in over the back half of the year.
From a logistical standpoint, there will be plenty of opportunity to finally address the secondary for the first time since the team traded away Jalen Ramsey. Williams will be 32 going into next season while Witherspoon will also be on the wrong side of 30. The Rams need to get younger at those spots and the 2025 offseason should allow them to do just that.
Cutting Williams would save the Rams $3.8-million and it’s very possible that the team looks to move on this offseason. Williams was a steady presence last year on the boundary, but his smaller frame isn’t going to allow him to age well.
Bringing back Witherspoon is also an option, but let’s play a little Rams guessing game.
Player A in this scenario is Derion Kendrick in 2023 while Player B is Ahkello Witherspoon last year. The point here is that the Rams were disappointed when they lost Kendrick last season. Despite giving up two more touchdowns and 11 penalties, Kendrick only had an EPA per target of 0.08 higher than Witherspoon. With a better pass-rush and more development, it’s fair to wonder how Kendrick would have performed.
It’s worth noting that most of Kendrick’s penalties and both of his touchdowns allowed came before Week 11 in 2023. After his snaps got lowered for three weeks, he played much better when he returned to a full-time role.
That’s not to say that the Rams should insert Kendrick back into the starting lineup. However, it doesn’t make sense to bring Witherspoon back for depth and he’s a player that the Rams can look to find an upgrade.
Again, the Rams need to upgrade on the boundary and find players there that fit their current timeline. It’s impossible to fix everything in one offseason which is why applying duct tape on the cornerback last year made sense while they re-built the pass rush.
With money to spend in free agency, the Rams will be able to invest more in that position and this is a deep free agent class at cornerback. There are three players that the Rams could especially have their eyes on in free agency.
There are certainly flaws when it comes to Samuel, especially when it comes to his size. He’s not a huge help in run support and he is coming off of a shoulder injury that limited him to four games in 2024. The injury is something that...
