5 LA Rams 2020 FA targets nobody is talking about

The LA Rams must aim salary cap dollars at undervalued players. Here are 5 targets in NFL Free Agency the Rams should target which nobody is talking about

The LA Rams have spent money rather quickly on player contracts. Whether wisely or foolishly, there is no chance to sign the more expensive players in the 2020 free agency market until the Rams negotiate some contractual concessions with their highest-paid players.  We’d laid out a straight-forward 5 step plan to free up over $80 million salary-cap space for this offseason, but until that happens, the Rams do not have sacks of cash to hand out.

So the Rams must take a different approach to spend more wisely than 31 other teams. That can mean several things, but the bottom line is seeking out undervalued players who are off the radar scopes of other teams.  The Rams can either focus upon young players poised at the cusp of a breakout season, or veterans whose waning production has been outpaced by receding contract offers.

For young players, one fact to key on is to aim at backups to NFL marquis players.  Oftentimes, some very good players are benched when starting time means dethroning an NFL elite player.  Think quarterback Jimmy Garapolo playing behind Tom Brady. That’s one of the keys to look for.

The other key is a veteran who has made salary demands which proved too costly for their former team. DT Ndamukong Suh is a good example of that sort of player.

Offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai – (formerly Philadelphia Eagles)

Offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai is an extremely versatile offensive lineman who can spot start at practically any offensive line position. He is a true plug-and-play caliber lineman and has been instrumental in sustaining the Philadelphia Eagles’ ability to play into the playoffs despite multiple injuries along the team’s offensive line.

Versatility is the name of the 2020 Rams game.  A player like Vaitai can play in a traditional role on offense, but be added as an additional blocker for specific running plays.  He is agile enough to be added to the backfield to block for goal-line offensive sets.

Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 320 pounds, he is large enough to line up out at the offensive tackle but agile and physical enough to play interior offensive line as well.  Despite a reserve role, he has averaged no less than 31 percent of the offensive snaps in his four years with the Eagles. He peaked in 2017 when he played 73 percent of the offensive snaps.  That was the year the Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl. While Vaitai’s PFF ranking for 2017 was just 56.6, his 2019 PFF ranking improved dramatically, coming in at 72.8.  For comparison purposes, that is the same 2019 PFF ranking of 72.8 for Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth.

Vaitai has played just four seasons in the NFL and is a young player poised to breakout with solid NFL play going forward. We had projected Vaitai as a target to play right tackle at an estimated cost of $3 million / year.  That may be a high salary estimate. Vaitai is a solid young offensive lineman who can be locked up for an inexpensive multi-year contract. Rams would be very wise to do so.

Offensive center Ben Garland (formerly San Francisco 49ers)

The San Francisco 49ers did a great job with their running game in 2019. That was due in large part to their offensive line.  And each offensive line’s running game begins with a solid offensive center.

The 49ers enjoyed depth at their center position in 2019, a luxury many analysts project them discarding in 2020.  In doing so, center Ben Garland will be free to test the free agency market. Garland played in nine games for the 49ers in 2019, starting three of them. While his 2019 PFF score was a very modest 59.1, he replaced starter Weston Richburg in the playoffs and earned an impressive 82.8 grade for his effort.

It’s that type of performance that suggests that Garland is ready to play at the next level.  He played a one-year contract with the 49ers at $805,000.  He should be signable for about $1,500,000 per year and will be strongly competitive for starts in 2020.

Defensive lineman Danny Shelton (formerly New England Patriots)

When the name Danny Shelton comes up in conversations about potential free agent signings, there is a strong urge to question his affordability.  But the funny thing is, he nearly matched outgoing defensive end Michael Brockers‘ production but did so at just 1/10th of the cost.

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Shelton is an NFL veteran with plenty of production left but finds himself caught in an NFL where young prospects are overvalued.  That means veterans who still have plenty of snaps in them are conversely undervalued. Shelton’s 2019 PFF grade came in at a healthy 71.6, reflecting 49 percent of the defensive plays. Shelton recorded 61 tackles, 3 sacks, and 6 quarterback hits and did not benefit from playing alongside DT Aaron Donald.

On the Rams defensive front, you can expect Shelton to put up better numbers.  Spotrac estimates Shelton can be signed for approximately $4.7 million / year,  which remains just 1/3rd of the cost of Brockers contract.

Versatility on defense is a huge plus. Shelton gives the Rams that versatility.  He can line up at any of the three down linemen positions which defensive coordinator Brandon Staley will use very effectively.

Inside linebacker Patrick Onwuasor (formerly Baltimore Ravens)

The Baltimore Ravens defense played outstanding in 2019. A defense that dominated opponents, benefitting from a wealth of depth up and down the starting lineup.  Depth is something the Ravens must now weigh the benefit against the cost.  One such backup player likely to be a casualty of shaving depth is inside linebacker Patrick Onwuasor.

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Onwuasor has played inside linebacker for the Ravens for four seasons, appearing in 57 of 64 possible games and starting in 32 of those games. The number of his starts in 2019 dropped to just six games, and his PFF grade for 2019 dropped as a result, scoring just 49.2.

Despite that score, Onwuasor played 49 percent of the defensive snaps for Baltimore, delivering 61 tackles, three sacks, and six quarterback hits.   His pass coverage is not close to that of Cory Littleton, but the Ravens compensated by sending him on numerous blitz packages.

Spotrac estimates his 2020 market value at $4.8 million per year, but I believe that the Rams could sign him to a multi-year deal averaging $3,700,000 per year.
And I believe that can be because he will benefit from playing in the shadow of Aaron Donald.  After all, with so much attention by offensive linemen upon Donald, linebackers have nearly an uncontested path to the ball on virtually each play.

Outside linebacker Sean Lee (formerly Dallas Cowboys)

Linebacker Sean Lee brings two completely different images to mind when his name is mentioned. Either he appears as the player who makes outstanding plays on the defense, or he shows up as a player grabbing a knee, ankle, or other body part and writhing in agony.   The challenge is that both images are fairly descriptive of his NFL career so far.

The good news is that Lee did not miss any games in 2019.  More good news is that Lee is a versatile linebacker who can play both outside or inside linebacker.

A veteran of seven seasons, Lee has had more than enough struggles trying to remain on the field. 2019 was his first 16 game season of his career. And his career had been almost filled with a starting role for the defense.

His 2019 production was down on his PFF grade, landing at just 61.5 for the year. That can be explained by his move out of inside linebacker to a less familiar outside linebacker role. Despite playing in unfamiliar territory, he accounted for 86 tackles, one sack, and four passes defended.  He’s lost a step in pass coverage, allowing an 80 percent completion rate. But those passes averaged just 7.2 yards per completion and 5.8 yards per target.

He is coming off a contract worth $3,500,000 per year. His 2020 contract would likely come in on or about that amount as well. One added bonus is Lee is extremely versatile as well.