3 reasons why LA Rams should re-sign ILB Travin Howard

The LA Rams need linebackers this year. Of course, the team is projected to lose inside linebacker Travin Howard to the NFL Free Agency market due to an expired contract. I expect that the LA Rams will re-sign Howard, perhaps for a one-year contract valued at under $1 million.  Why? Let’s discuss.

Within the first 30 minutes of any investment course or seminar, you will most likely hear the phrase ‘Buy low, sell high’. It’s a common-sense principle, and it is the fundamental rule when trying to accumulate wealth. In a depressed market, when the prices are reduced, buy. When the market is strong, and the prices are at their peak, sell.  So that simple method buys at a discount and sells at a premium.  Makes sense, right?

So why is it that fans argue the opposite when it comes to the NFL Free Agency market? Why do fans lobby long and hard for their team to pay top dollar for a player who produced the previous season while urging the team to cut players on a down year? Sell low and buy high?  That’s a good way to ruin an NFL team.  So let’s not have any of that for this discussion.

Instead, let’s buy low. Inside linebacker Travin Howard has put up a good showing for himself, so good that the LA Rams had every intention of starting him alongside teammate Micah Kiser for the 2020 NFL season.  A poorly timed injury sent him to injured reserve for the entire season. Now, he’s looking to sign one with an NFL team for the 2021 season. That should be the LA Rams, and for these three reasons.

Reason I – He is bargain priced.  After a season-ending injury, and with just one season (2019) with defensive snaps, he won’t show up on the radar of other teams.  That means the market will turn to other players.  With no competition, it makes sense for him to re-sign with the Rams for a one-year ‘prove-it’ deal to improve his market and to compete for a starting role on the Rams defense.

Reason II – He could earn a starting role on the LA Rams defense. After all, he earned the right to start in 2020, and the Rams haven’t added any competition to the position for the 2021 NFL season. Howard is a 6-foot-1 219-pound inside linebacker who plays like a big safety. He was a former safety with the TCU Horned Frogs but moved to the middle of the defense for his NFL role. He brings excellent versatility, and even in a rotational role would be a fierce competitor on all four downs.

Reason III – The LA Rams need depth at the position. Even if the Rams draft a bone-jarring thumper in the 2021 NFL Draft, the rules of engagement have not changed. NFL business practices have adopted virtual reality, and there is no end currently in sight. That means that the Rams will not have the opportunity to work with any new players until the last possible minute. Why chance it? Re-signing a familiar face gives the Rams a safety net, and forces new additions to earn their playing time.

The LA Rams operate under the same business principles as any other company. Buy low and sell high are great concepts to use in deciding who to add or trade. Right now, the Rams need to add depth to the linebacker position, and Travin Howard makes all the sense in the world to return. He knows the team. He played well enough to be considered for a starting role in 2020. And he should be available at the right price.