3 LA Rams free agents who should sign one-year deals for 2021

Fox

6-foot-3 275-pound defensive end Morgan Fox is one of the success stories validating signing prospects from smaller schools. He played college ball at Colorado State-Pueblo, and since arriving at the LA Rams roster in 2016, he has earned an ever-increasing role with the LA Rams. Now, he is at the cusp of becoming a bonafide NFL starting defensive end.

But the difference in terms of annual dollars of ‘at the cusp’ and actual consideration as a bonafide starter at the defensive end can be as much as millions per year in any potentially signed NFL contract. So the trick is either to sign a one-year deal to prove that he deserves such a lucrative contract, or split the risk between team and player and settle for less.

Of course, a one-year deal can be signed with any ole team. But for the player hoping to land a huge deal the following year, does it make any sense to sign with any team? Or would it make more sense to play next to Aaron Donald and get that ‘Aaron Donald effect’ one more season, propelling Fox’s career to the big payday much like Cory Littleton, Dante Fowler Jr, and what will likely be the outcome for OLB Leonard Floyd?

Fox is caught in the same ‘What are we really buying?’ limbo. He’s been a solid but unremarkable rotational player on the LA Rams defense for three seasons. Suddenly, he broke out with career-high numbers in 2020. NFL teams will absolutely factor the one-shot-wonder into any contract terms. It would be smarter for Fox to lay-low one more year on the Rams roster, and look for a lucrative deal in 2022.