The Rams are one move away from flipping the NFC playoff race on its head

Los Angeles Rams GM Les Snead is no stranger to theatrical drama when it comes to the team’s roster, and he knows first-hand just how impactful the right mid-season addition can be to the team’s success. When the team needed pass rush help in 2021, he pried Denver Broncos legendary OLB Von Miller away. When help was needed at wide receiver due to an injury-riddled offense that same year, he signed veteran WR Odell Beckham Jr.

Neither roster shortfall that developed over the course of the season was anticipated. But as the year wore on, evidence that someone was needed to aid the team began to mount. The Rams released veteran WR DeSean Jackson, and younger receivers were unable to step up quickly enough. The pass rush was good, but not great.

One move is all that’s necessary to turn this team into an obvious Super Bowl LX contender. Currently, the roster appears amply stocked with duplicitous talent across the board. But in the midst of the season, reinforcements may be needed in the secondary. When that time comes, the Rams should be prepared to add young cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.

Why signing CB Asante Samuel Jr. can be that one move

Even as the team readies for Week 1 against the Houston Texans, few NFL analysts are truly on board with the belief that this team can win it all. The future is shrouded in a fog of uncertainty that descended throughout training camp and the preseason. The back pain of starting QB Matthew Stafford and the medical condition of LT Alaric Jackson are simply the latest pockets of unknown.

Long before those two stories were headlining the NFL, the Rams had concerns about leaving the 2024 secondary relatively intact from one year ago. HC Sean McVay even confirmed rumored trade talks for former CB Jalen Ramsey were taking place with the Miami Dolphins. So even before training camp, the front office was clearly aware of the need for help in the secondary.

But the value of that trade simply did not pan out for either side.

The Rams didn’t exhaust every possible avenue for upgrading the secondary — it’s just that after the Ramsey deal fell through, the team was no longer interested. Curiously, it was around that time that the NFL learned veteran CB Asante Samuel Jr. would undergo surgery to repair a neck injury, one that would require several months before returning to action.

Samuel’s timeline may appear prohibitive to many teams, but it aligns with the Rams’ secondary strengths. Samuel, much like the plan for Tre’Davious White in 2024, can ease into work with this defense. After all, the team is ready to roll as the 2025 schedule opens. But this is a team that will need help for the late-season playoff push, and that’s when Samuel will earn his keep.

When healthy, the young defensive back averaged two interceptions and 12 pass deflections per year in his first three NFL seasons. Over those same three years, he allowed a completion rate of less than 59 percent. While he shouldn’t be viewed as a plug-and-play starter right out of the gate, he brings a presence to the secondary that will amplify the ability of everyone else on defense.

Ultimately, the Rams will need reinforcements along the way, and the strategy to conduct such a timely roster reinforcement is one the team deployed last season. Right strategy, wrong timing. But Les Snead learns his lessons, reloads, and tries again. He is one move away from flipping the NFC playoff race on its head. And you can bet he’ll get it right this time.

As always, thanks for reading.

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