LA Rams Von Miller, Darious Williams in PFF’s 2022 Top 50 FAs

The LA Rams make moves to improve the team each year. But sometimes, the Rams make moves to improve their projected award of compensatory draft picks into the future. Now, the trick is, which is it for LA Rams projected unrestricted free agents OLB Von Miller and DB Darious Williams?

Well, it could be both. Per the latest PFF Top 50 NFL Free Agent Rankings listing, the market will be red hot for both Miller and Williams. Miller is the fifth-hottest free agent in that ranking, while Williams is the 25th-hottest free agent.

Why is that important now?  Well, in the past, the LA Rams have not entered the bidding wars to retain such hot-market players in the past. The team lost OLB Dante Fowler Jr. to the Atlanta Falcons, who signed on with his former Florida coach Dan Quinn. The team also lost ILB Cory Littleton to the Las Vegas Raiders, after he was dubbed the ninth hottest player in the 2020 NFL Free Agent market. Finally, the LA Rams lost defensive back John Johnson III to the Cleveland Browns, after having an incredible final season with the Rams defense.

Rams Free Agency: Value-added bargain shopping

In short, the front office shops for bargain-priced, not top-shelf, free agents. That rule applies to their own players on expiring contracts as well. Admittedly, that can be rather frustrating to teams that would love nothing more than to welcome players who have contributed for several seasons back to continue their careers with the team.

The LA Rams have a number of potential free agents to discuss in the weeks ahead, but perhaps no time is more pertinent than right now. You see, I expect that both veterans outside linebacker Von Miller and defensive back Darious Williams will play very well in the playoffs this year, enhancing the market value of either player before the 2022 NFL Free Agent opens for business on March 8, 2022, at 1:00 pm PT.

So let’s explore the options available for the LA Rams to restock the roles that Darious Williams and Von Miller have filled for the Rams in 2021.  In any NFL roster options, the team will consider re-signing the player, signing another free agent to take his place, drafting a replacement rookie player, or promoting a reserve player already on the roster to assume a larger role for the team in 2022.

Okay, that seems simple enough. So who should we start with? Why not defensive back, Darious Williams?