6 LA Rams players who could be playing their last season in horns

Defense (11)

1. CB (1) – David Long Jr.
2. DL (4) – A’Shawn Robinson, Greg Gaines, Michael Hoecht (ERFA), Marquise Copeland (ERFA)
3. OLB (1) – Justin Hollins
4. ILB (2) – Travin Howard (RFA), Christian Rozeboom (ERFA)
5. S (3) – Nick Scott, Taylor Rapp, Jake Gervase (RFA)

At the heart of the LA Rams’ success is the fact that All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald keeps doing his thing. As long as he does his thing, other defensive players line up next to him, have outstanding seasons, put up career-best numbers, and when their contract expires, they go off and get themselves paid ridiculous sums of money. Seems like a wasted effort for the Rams, right?

Don’t judge so hastily. Those lucrative contracts trigger compensatory picks to be awarded to the LA Rams the following year. And comp picks are the fuel that is powering the LA Rams’ 2022 NFL Draft. So it’s a mini-NFL ecology. The Rams create NFL players who create lucrative contracts and trigger awarded comp picks that become talented prospects who the Rams use to create NFL players.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

In 2023, the Rams’ defense will once more be depleted, with the most attrition hammering the team’s defensive line. While the team will almost certainly extend Michael Hoecht and Marquise Copeland, there will be some wait and see for both veterans A’Shawn Robinson and Greg Gaines. Not so much from a sense of performance, both players are exceeding expectations. The challenge will be the team’s ability to afford both projected free agents in the same year.

The Rams will undoubtedly have defensive linemen and safeties on the brain in the 2022 NFL Draft. Will the team be able to reinforce those positions while trying to shore up other more immediate thin spots on the roster? I think so, yes.