8 edge rushes from free agency the LA Rams should invite for tryouts

Honorable mentions

The Rams are not the only team in the NFL shopping for help.  In fact, the NFC West as a whole has been shopping NFL Free Agency quite hard this year.  The Seattle Seahawks have been kicking the tires on any NFL veteran with pass rush abilities, while the San Francisco 49ers, due to a wave of injuries to the team, have been signing free agents en masse so far.   So what?

That means that the free agency market is picked clean. One of the remaining viable free agents still available now is former LA Rams outside linebacker Clay Matthews. While his presence would be a huge plus for the Rams, I’m willing to bet that being cut from the team without warning and then filing a grievance over money owed to him has pretty much ended future relations between player and team. So the search goes on.

Los Angeles Rams

Two worth a look

Honorable mention – ILB/OLB Jake Ryan is one of those low-risk high reward veterans who could most likely turn out to be nothing but could become something very substantial.  He was a former Green Bay Packer for three years, before injuring his knee in 2018 and missing the entire season. He signed on with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019, but aggravated his knee and was released once more.  He was given a chance with the Baltimore Ravens in 2020 but was released once more after they were able to draft inside linebackers.

Ryan is 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds. In three NFL seasons, he has 213 tackles and just one sack. While he has been primarily an inside linebacker, he can shift outside to rush the quarterback. He has been a liability in pass coverage in the past, which would be very limiting to his role with the Rams.

Honorable mention – ILB/OLB Darron Lee was a former New York Jets linebacker who can play both inside or outside. When he plays, he can be very effective. He had 38 starts over four NFL seasons, resulting in 272 tackles and four quarterback sacks. He last played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 but was inactive throughout their playoffs and Super Bowl victory.

He won’t be able to join an NFL team until week 5, having already been suspended for the first four weeks.  Once that time is up, he will no doubt draw some interest.  He is versatile enough to play both inside or outside linebacker. Even in a limited role, he gives starters a breather while continuing to pressure the quarterback. He is not a hot commodity, but for a Rams team in need of some spark opposite Floyd, he could provide that.