4 options for LA Rams edge rusher: re-sign, sign, draft, or promote?

The LA Rams have quite a few projected roster needs heading into the 2020 season. So let’s review the team options for . Sign a free agent? Draft a prospect? Or Promote a backup player.

The LA Rams need to make very difficult decisions very soon. With the conclusion of Super Bowl 54, all 32 NFL teams are now focused on the next season, and what it takes to win Super Bowl 55. For the Rams, that will most certainly mean a great deal of deliberation over key positions on both offense or defense.

The team must decide which players to sign, and how to fund the contracts, for those positions.  After all, the team stands to lose as many as 10 players to free agency this off-season. While we believe the Rams have solid options for each potential free agent loss, that much turnover cannot lead to positive outcomes.

Solid options is by no means a guarantee. After all, OLB Dante Fowler Jr. did not deliver immediately for the Rams.  And we’d be missing a huge component if we ignored the obvious: any defender not named Aaron Donald on the LA Rams defense inherits a huge advantage of getting the attention of just one blocker.  That’s because offensive lines double and triple team DT Aaron Donald more than any other NFL player.

For the first position, let’s lay the scenario so we’re all very clear.  The LA Rams will be in need of a solid edge rusher for 2020.  As we know, the Rams OLB Dante Fowler will be seeking the highest bidder in an auction of sorts among 32 NFL Teams.  That’s not surprising, considering the team signed Fowler to just a one-year extension in 2019 for a hefty $14 million. What are the Rams options?

Re-sign

Fowler arrived to the Rams via trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the deal, the Rams sent a 2019 third and fifth round pick to the Jags in exchange for an expiring contract of edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr.

The original 2018 deal added Fowler to the Rams for just 8 games. It wasn’t until 2019 that Fowler delivered with 11.5 sacks.

With new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley calling the defensive plays, Fowler’s role factors to grow even larger.  Staley has coached both Von Miller and Khalil Mack, so you can bet that he wants to have a chance to work with Fowler as well. With another year or two in the Rams defense, we expect Fowler would be nearly at the same prestige as some of the NFL’s best current edge rushers.  And then there is the consensus among some very asturt Rams pundits who rank Fowler as the Rams number one free agent target this off-season.

Of course, we share the same belief that Fowler is a great fit for edge rusher for the team in 2020 and beyond.

However, a funny thing happened on the way to the 2020 free agency market.  Pro Football Focus Tony Pauline suggests that Fowler wants to play for the Atlanta Falcons.  That means the LA Rams may need to move on to other options.

Sign a Free Agent

The LA Rams may not be able to attract or afford the bidding war which is almost certain to erupt as soon as the 2020 NFL Free Agency season begins. So the team will likely need to focus on other outside linebacker edge rushers this year.  Fortunately for the LA Rams, there are many edge rushers to choose from in this free agent market, and several ranked near or higher than Fowler by PFF.

More from Rams Draft

• 4 needs that Rams must address in 2023 NFL Draft
• LA Rams projected to be awarded 4 comp picks in 2023 NFL Draft
• 4 reasons why LA Rams trading back in 2023 NFL Draft seems likely
• Latest PFF mock draft exhausts rookie QBs before LA Rams pick
• LA Rams last game carries huge impact on their 2023 NFL Draft

This season, the market will swell with the likes of OLB Jadeveon Clowney, OLB Shaquil Barrett, OLB Bud Dupree, and OLB Matt Judon.  If the Rams would like to bargain hunt, they could explore the likes of OLB Jason Pierre-Paul, OLB Vic Beasley, OLB Yannick Ngakoue, OLB Marcus Golden, OLB Jordan Jenkins, OLB Bruce Irvin, OLB Terrell Suggs, OLB Aaron Lynch, OLB De’Vondre Campbell, OLB Kyler Fackrell ,and even OLB Kamu Grugier-Hill.

We did an expose on a quality outside linebacker from the Green Bay Packers, Nick Perry, who was injured in 2018 and did not heal in time to catch on a roster in 2019.  In that article, we pointed out that Perry had averaged 9.0 sacks and 45 tackles over the 2016 and 2017 NFL seasons.

The free agent market will rush to pay a select few free agents instantly out of the gate. If the Rams show constraint, and wait for free agency to become a buyer’s market, the team can find tremendous value. There are plenty of free agents hitting the edge market in 2020. Only the LA Rams offer an opportunity to play alongside DT Aaron Donald.

Draft

Of course, however the LA Rams address the vacancy of Dante Fowler Jr.’s exit, the team will need to add depth to the edge position in the 2020 NFL Draft.  Luckily, we have already begun the arduous task of determininn which NFL worthy prospects will align with the LA Rams draft picks.

We are happy to report that the Rams will have multiple worthwhile players to choose from throughout the NFL Draft.  Let’s review some OLB Prospects who we’d mocked to the Rams:

Alabama OLB Anfernee Jennings

Of three mock drafts to date, OLB Anfernee Jennings showed up in two mocks.He first appeared in Mock 2.0, where the Rams drafted to add depth to free agency vacancies.  He also appeared independently in Mock 1.1, where he fell to the Rams in round three.

In both mocks, Jennings 6-foot-2 and 252 pound size was a great start to handling the pressure at playing edge rusher in the NFL.  He has the right production for a outside linebacker starting in the SEC, recording 8.0 sacks in 2019. While he is a bit raw in his technique, he has a constant push to the quarterback which oftentimes yields positive results.

Draft Network Analysis Anfernee Jennings

Miami OLB Trevon Hill

OLB Trevon Hill first appeared in Mock 1.0 in round 6.  Of course, a prospect on day 3 may not be an immediate starter from the season opener, but there is a log to like about Hill. He stands 6-foot-3 and weighs in at 233 pounds. What he lacks in raw power, he makes up for in agility and quickness.

He’ll need to bulk up a bit for a three-down role with the Rams, but look for him to rotate in on passing downs to get some playing experience.

Draft analysis Links:
The Draft Network
Draft Scout
Walter Football
Youtube video

Fresno State OLB Mykal Walker

OLB Mykal Walker is a round seven option for the Rams at edge rusher.  He appeared in Mock 1.0 as the last pick for the Rams.  As such, he is by no means a plug-n-play type prospect, but he delivers all the right fundamentals for a player who very well could enjoy a long NFL career on the edge.  He stands 6-foot-3 and tips the scale at 227 pounds.

Walker was a gifted tackler for Fresno State, and may fall to day three simply due to the fact he played for Fresno State and did not face the top competition in the NCAA.  He stood out in the East-West Shrine game frequently.

Draft analysis Links:
The Draft Network
Draft scout
Walter Football
Youtube video

Promote

Each NFL team’s goal when facing losing players to NFL Free Agency is to have a logical back-up ready to promote into a starting role for the team.  While that is the best case scenario, it may not prove true foe the Rams at edge rusher in 2020.

More from Ramblin' Fan

• NFL Trade Rumors: Would Rams trade for Jonathon Taylor?
• Look for 49ers players to follow DeMeco Ryans to Texans
• Ryans to the Texans, will Rams Raheem Morris be next?
• Broncos mimic LA Rams, go All-In pairing Payton with Russell
• Need a new Los Angeles Rams hat for less than $10?

That is not to say that the LA Rams did not have sufficient time to prepare.  From the moment the Rams traded for Dante Fowler Jr., the front office had to begin the succession plan of “who takes over at OLB next?”  That would have proven to be doubly important for the Rams after signing Fowler to a one-year extension in 2019. With that in mind, the starting edge rusher position for 2020 will likely fall to the competition between either Justin Lawler or Samson Ebukam.

DE/OLB Justin Lawler is a massive presence on the outside for the Rams. He stands 6-foot-4 and tips the scale at 265 pounds. A seventh round pick in 2018, Lawler was on track for significant playing time in 2019, he suffered a foot injury early in 2019 which derailed his opportunity. Now, he is returning to health just in time to compete for a starting role at outside linebacker.

Of course, he’ll face stiff competition from OLB Samson Ebukam.  Ebukam was a 2017 fourth round pick by the Rams, and has grown into an ever increasing role on the defense.  Ebukam stands 6-foot-3 and weighs in at 245 pounds.  He started five games for the Rams in 2019, and played in 51 percent of the defensive snaps.  He accounted for 47 tackles, four passes defended, and five stuffs in 2019. He blitzed 57 times, coming away with five hurries, five knockdowns, 4.5 sacks, and 15 pressures.

However the Rams address the starting edge rusher, there are upsides and downsides. The team has many many options to sort through.  In the end, it would be wrong to judge individual moves by the team this offseason with so many moving and interrelated parts. By the time the team settles into preseason, we believe the Rams will field a very competitive team.