For 2nd time in 2022, LA Rams FA swing and miss. Gilmore to Colts

If the LA Rams start to get a complex this off-season, they may be justified. For the second time, the LA Rams had their sights on signing an elite NFL player to this defense, only to lose once more. This time, the Rams lose out on highly coveted cornerback Stephon Gilmore, a player who had been the subject of multiple rumors in recent reports linking him to the LA Rams.

The Rams know that they will need to address their secondary at some point, and Gilmore was the type of ‘set it and forget it’ veteran who certainly would have made the Rams’ defense one of the most intimidating in the NFL throughout the 2022 NFL season.

But money talks, and it seems somewhat obvious that is what turned the tide over the bidding for Gilmore on this occasion.

Gilmore would have solidified the Rams’ defense, allowing the team to focus almost exclusively on developmental talent through their 2022 NFL Draft process.

Now the question is, will the Rams front office pivot to another FA defensive back to target and sign before the 2022 NFL Draft? Or will the Rams retreat now, focus all their efforts on the draft process and selecting the best defensive backs available, only to revisit roster needs in May 2022?

And will this latest development heat up the Rams’ interest in free agent defensive back Tyrann Mathieu? In many ways, Mathieu can replicate many of the advantages of adding Gilmore to the Rams’ secondary, plus a bit more versatility in the process.

Whatever moves the Rams make next are up in the air. Gilmore has cast his lot with the Indianapolis Colts. The money was probably more. But will the chance at playing in the NFL Playoffs be as great?