3 reasons why LA Rams should re-sign FA ILB Bryce Hager

Reason III – He can be signed to a modest multi-year deal

We’d talked about the path of Bryce Hager in the NFL so far – special teams player who is returning from a pinched nerve in his neck and shoulder. A promising share of limited starts in 2019, but mostly a special teams contributor who has been patiently awaiting an opportunity to earn significant playing time.

He’s barely on the LA Rams radar for 2020.  What that means is that he’s completely off the radar screen of 31 other NFL teams.  And that creates a buyer’s market for Hager’s services in 2020 and beyond.

With the price of ILB Cory Littleton likely in the $14-16 million range based on the number of teams which have been reported to target him, his backup Hager can be had for the bargain price of about $700,000 per year. That’s just $3.5 million over five years, and is quite inexpensive for a player who had earned a starting role on the team.

Of course, Hager has limits in pass defense. Many linebackers do not score highly on pass defense.  Beyond that, most defenses can disguise coverages and send the inside linebacker on blitzes through the A gap, or simply swap him out for a defensive back on nickel and dime defense packages.

As long as the Rams continue to concentrate salary dollars in the hands of just a handful of players, the team simply cannot afford to compete for marquis free agents. ILB Bryce Hager is a player on the cusp of being a solid producer for the LA Rams.  But much like Cory Littleton before him, he is a player who arrived unheralded, made a name for himself on special teams, and earned his way into the starting lineup.  The Rams must re-sign him so that this story, and Bryce Hager’s NFL career, has a happy ending.