ICYMI, 5 significant LA Rams FA adds who the team should bring back

Free Agent IV: Interior defensive lineman

DT Larrell Murchison may seem like a player who just exploded out of the blue, but he has been on the LA Rams’ radar since the 2020 NFL Draft.  And for good reason. The 2020 draft class was particularly deep and talented at the defensive line. So much so that the Rams felt comfortable not even selecting a defensive lineman during the draft.

Instead, the team loaded up on defensive linemen after the 2020 NFL Draft, signing five defensive linemen among the 22 UDFAs signed that year. Two of those players, defensive end Jonah Williams and defensive tackle/outside linebacker Michael Hoecht are still on the Rams roster with ever-increasing roles on the defense. Now, the 6-foot-2 297-pound Murchison joins them.

Murchison making things happen already

So far, Murchison has played 16 defensive snaps for the LA Rams. After all, he was just claimed off the waiver wire from the Tennessee Titans. As such, he is the lone player on this list who was a Rams free agency signing who will automatically return for the 2023 NFL season. And that is fantastic, because this guy showed up in a huge way in his 16 snaps, putting up four tackles and recording 2.0 sacks in his LA Rams debut.

Will it always be that easy? Probably not. But as opposing offenses take him into account and dedicate additional resources to stop him at the line of scrimmage from sacking the quarterback, his teammates will face fewer obstacles. And keep in mind, Murchison is doing this without the Aaron Donald Effect, so he is not assured of getting single blocking on each play.

Murchison is the equivalent of a Day 2 prospect, as he is already NFL-ready and productive. With his return, and his surprising performance in just his first game, the Rams certainly have more wiggle room in terms of how they address the defensive line in the offseason.