Turf Show Times
Make yourself better while making a rival worse? Rams can do that with 49ers in free agency.
The San Francisco 49ers are entering a stage of their roster build that will make it difficult for them to retain free agent talent, especially if/when they re-sign quarterback Brock Purdy to a contract extension.
That gives the Los Angeles Rams the opportunity to pilfer talent from a division rival—making themselves better and at the same time leaving San Francisco worse off.
These are the 49ers set to his the open market in March. On the surface, some of these individuals make sense for LA given their positions of need.
Don’t get me wrong, Ward has been one of the better players at his position over the last few seasons with the 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. However, it’s reasonable to expect that an age 29 corner will have a difficult market. He’s probably not going to earn top dollar or a longer term contract. Still, Ward can contribute right away and be a difference maker for at least 2025 and 2026. He seems like someone a team will overpay and regret sooner than later.
Hargrave broke the bank when he signed with San Francisco and left the Philadelphia Eagles, making an average of $21M per year. He’s now hitting the free agent market again at age 32 but interior defensive linemen have a longer burnoff on the downhill slope of their careers. While Hargrave likely won’t command a huge deal, he could be an important contributor for a contender.
The Rams also have Bobby Brown, Neville Gallimore, and Larrell Murchison hitting free agency, so Hargrave makes sense as a veteran short-term option.
LA has a history of watching players not look like their old selves after an Achilles injury: Cam Akers & Tre White, especially.
That may make a pairing with off-ball linebacker Greenlaw unlikely, but he’s still better than any option the Rams currently have at the position. At age 28, Greenlaw is likely looking for his last big NFL pay day.
There’s no sense talking about the quarterback position for the Rams until we know for sure Matthew Stafford will be back. If LA simply needs a backup option to Stafford, either of Dobbs or Allen make sense and both will probably be cheaper than Jimmy Garoppolo, for example. If the Rams need a veteran bridge option after a Stafford trade, then Dobbs or Allen probably won’t be on their radar.
The Rams don’t really need a safety and Hufanga is someone overrated (his best season was his rookie year). Still, the free agent safety is just 25 years old and there are worse gambles you can make in free agency. I’d rather have Hufanga over Kamren Curl, but that’s just my opinion.
