LA Rams tipped to sign Cardinals OG in free agency

To say the LA Rams need help along their offensive line is an understatement. A unit decimated by injuries and some questionable personnel decisions has allowed 46 sacks so far during the 2022 NFL season. Whether it is attributed to a lack of talent, a lack of cohesion, or simply a lack of luck, the team needs to infuse some durability into the group that has more versions than the Marvel Comic Universe multi-verse.

This season is not a formula the LA Rams can afford to repeat in 2023 when they’re trying to rebound from a historically woeful Super Bowl defense. Fortunately, Rams’ general manager Les Snead can fortify the wounded front by signing a durable guard during free agency. His name? IOL Will Hernandez is a player who is projected to test the NFL Free Agency market after this season ends. He signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals and looks to sign a multi-year deal this off-season.

This player has reinvented himself after switching teams the last off-season. He’s already familiar with the Rams after joining the NFC West, where he’s improved significantly as a pass protector.

The second-round pick back in 2018 would also add some nasty to a Rams line that’s been bullied too often this year.

Rival the blocker Rams need

Arizona Cardinals guard Will Hernandez is a natural fit for the Rams, according to Bo Wulf of The Athletic. He highlighted how the former New York Giants starter has stayed healthy for the majority of his career:

"“Not quite the splash Hollywood is used to, but boy could the Rams use some healthy offensive linemen — and Hernandez is usually that. The 2018 second-round pick had only missed three games in four seasons entering this year before suffering a chest injury that landed him on short-term injured reserve. He entered Week 14 ranked eighth in ESPN’s pass-block win rate among all guards.” – per Bo Wulf of The Athletic"

Durability should be Snead’s go-to attribute in free agents after the Rams have sent five linemen to injured reserve this season. They’ve also used 12 different combinations up front, a streak Gilbert Manzano of the Orange Country Register noted came to an end for Week 14’s 17-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Hernandez is in a three-player tie, along with New England Patriots guard Mike Onwenu and Pittsburgh Steelers’ starter James Daniels as the eighth-most effective pass-blocker at his position in the league. Every member of the trio has a 94 percent win rate against pressure, per ESPN Analytics and Next Gen Stats.