LA Rams 6+ Plan B options as team must now ‘move on from Von’

Plan B

Okay, so now what can the LA Rams do? Well, the last thing the Rams should do is pack up their toys and go home. Trading for a player on an expiring contract more often ends this way than not. So now the Rams, who were willing to spend as much as $16 million per year for the guy, have to find ways to replace that type of production in the no-more-than $16 million per year range.

While many will immediately jump to a conclusion of just loading up on edge players, that will not get the job done. The Rams will start OLB Leonard Floyd in 2022. So the best the Rams can do is to sign one veteran outside linebacker who can generate 10+ quarterback sacks in 2022 in the Rams defense. For many free-agent veterans, that is not going to be difficult.

But the trick is to pivot from this disappointing pursuit of one free agent outside linebacker and sign up a combination of defensive players who can get the job done. The LA Rams were wise not to follow the Buffalo Bills into borderline insanity of a six-year $120 million deal. That contract will carry Von Miller to 38 years of age. If not for the opportunity to play with the Rams in 2021, his production had been on the decline.  In fact, he missed all of 2020 due to an injury.

Now, that may sound like sour grapes, and in a way, it is. But the foundation of the thought process is this: The LA Rams added a promising but no delivery Dante Fowler Jr., who had a monster year with the LA Rams and got paid. The LA Rams added a promising and fundamentally sound Leonard Floyd who had a monster year and got extended. The LA Rams added a former All-Pro outside linebacker on the decline who had a monster year and got paid.

It’s a wash-rinse-repeat process. So who should the LA Rams sign now?