5 free agents LA Rams must target for offensive line

Honorable mention – Redskins OT Donald Penn

Another name to keep on the list is Washington Redskins left tackle Donald Penn. He is the 6-foot-4 315 pound backup to starting left tackle trent Williams.  Williams was placed on the non-football injury list, which translated into Penn defaulting to the starting left tackle.

As a whole, Penn performed well. He’s a sage veteran of the NFL, once the blind-side bookend of the Oakland Raiders. His play contributed to that offensive line being arguably the best of its time.  But Penn got older and the Raiders wanted to go younger and cheaper.  It was the Washington Redskins who persuaded Penn not to retire and instead play for them.

The Rams would be very wise to place 36 year-old Penn on their call up list this offseason.  He is two years younger than outgoing free agent Andrew Whitworth. And his play at Washington confirms that he still has plenty of play left in him.

In the end, the outlook for the Rams to sign inexpensive free agent offensive linemen for the 2020 season appears to be a very realistic scenario. We’ve only scratched the surface and found a solid crop of free agents with solid starts left in them who would be solid signings for the LA Rams. Doing so allows the team to draft for the Best Player Available (BPA) and not draft for need.  After all, the rule for NFL roster building remains – sign free agents for needs, draft for dept.  Signing these players, or others like them, definitely fills the needs of the team heading into the 2020 season.