7 key players LA Rams could lose to Lions or Chargers via FA

Defensive backs

We know first hand that one of the key strategies of the Staley 3-4 defense is disguised coverages.  That is, showing one look to the quarterback, but rotating coverages to defend in a completely different fashion.

Perhaps no single player benefitted more from the bait-and-switch tactics of the Rams secondary as defensive back Troy Hill. Hill earned a reputation as a steller zone defender from 2019 but was not nearly as lauded when he had to revert to press-man coverage.

That all changed in 2020, as the Rams interchanged DBs Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, and Hill in a kaleidoscope of coverages that allowed Hill to pick the quarterbacks three times. On two of those interceptions, Hill ran it in for a pick-six touchdown. What defensive coordinator wouldn’t want a player in the secondary who can turn a game around with multiple touchdowns scored?

DB Williams

One of the most pleasant surprises in 2020 was the excellent play of DB Darious Williams. While he flashed brilliantly in 2019, he truly came into his own in 2020. He was a thief, the type of defensive back scoundrel who seemed to have circus-like moves to appear just in the nick of time to bat the ball away or show up to pick off a pass. While it’s true that he is a restricted free agent this off-season, that will not stop a determined team from making him an offer.

To protect the right of first refusal, and trigger the protections afforded through restricted free agent status, the LA Rams will need to submit a qualifying tender offer to Williams before free agency starts. But even if the Rams offer a first-round tender offer,  a determined team can propose a contract to steal Williams out from under the Rams. Should that happen, the signing team will transfer a draft pick to the Rams. Is Williams worth a first or second-round draft pick? To some defense? Most definitely.