Grading the Rams' first seven (re-)signings in 2024 free agency

How well are the LA Rams doing so far? After all, the first 48 hours are typically so rapidly paced that it's difficult to stay updated, even if you make every effort to do so. If you need to catch up now, check out our LA Rams Free Agency Tracker. We update it regularly, focus on inbound and outbound Rams players, and even do a quick analysis to help understand why the team chose (or did not choose) to have that player on this year's roster.

Having said all that, just how well are the Rams doing?

Instant gratification. Instant analysis. Perhaps it all started when Polaroid set about to market a camera that took instant pictures. Before smartphones and digital imagery, people took pictures on film, had them developed, and then carefully placed photos into a book known as the photo album.
Now, everything about imaging is instantly available. Instant images can be shared with family, friends, and the internet, well . . . instantly.

As Rams fans, we want that same level of service for the team. Whether we see the image of the new Rams roster form in our minds, we want to know what it looks like, and how well the team appears to have done so far. While any instant grading is imperfect, we can assess various free agency signings in terms of what the team needed to do, what the team did, and what other teams are doing in comparison.

Let's start, and you will see what I mean.

Rams extended ERFA RB Ronnie Rivers Tender Offer

The team returns a young and promising contributor from 2023 at minimal cost. RB Ronnie Rives may not be an NFL Pro Bowler, but his ability to slide into the offense and rest feature RB Kyren Williams throughout the game is vital to the offense. Much like Williams, Rivers is a bit smallish for an NFL running back, but he did rush 32 times for 129 and four first downs in 2023. And he caught all five passes thrown his way for another 22 yards. That's not bad for 93 offensive snaps.

Rivers is back on the team, not to run for 1000 yards, but to ensure that Kyren Williams can. With the value of early running backs signed to rosters rebounding in 2024, the NFL seems to be correcting itself as to the intrinsic value of the position. No running back signed for less than Rivers, not even lightly used Miami Dolphins RB Salvon Ahmed. Good value. Niche role. Rivers makes complete sense.

Our grade: B+

Grading Rams Free Agency moves so far

1. Rams re-sign WR Demarcus Robinson
2. Rams re-sign IOL Kevin Dotson
3. Rams sign IOL Jonah Jackson
4. Rams sign TE Colby Parkinson
5. Rams sign DB Darious Williams
6. Rams extend 2nd-Round Qualifying Tender Offer for OT Alaric Jackson

Rams re-sign WR Demarcus Robinson

While WR Demarcus Robinson is another player who did not set any records in 2023, he did fill his niche role in the LA Rams roster as a third or fourth option for starting quarterback Matthew Stafford with pinpoint precision. While some fans are driven to vote yay or nay on players based on how well they perform for their fantasy football teams, it's so refreshing to witness how well the team and fans have embraced and appreciated the job that Demarcus Robins did for this team.

Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 203 pounds, Robinson is a solid size for the team. He appeared in 16 games, started four games, and caught 26 of 39 passes (59.0 percent completion rate) for 371 yards and four touchdowns. Not impressed? Well, he did all of that on just 396 offensive snaps. His four touchdowns on the year ended just two less than rookie sensation Puka Nacua, and just one less than All-Pro Cooper Kupp.

Robinson sat on the bench through the first eight games of the 2023 NFL season. Just . . . waiting. He caught his first and only pass on Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers. But you could make a strong correlation between the team's post-BYE success and the skyrocketing production from Robinson. At one point in the season, he scored a touchdown in four consecutive games (games 12-15).

Backup quarterback Carson Wentz did not throw the football his way in Week 18. His 371 yards and four touchdowns occured in just eight of 17 Rams games. The coaching staff clearly did not recognize just how effective Robinson was in this offense until after the BYE. When that epiphany occured, the team got red hot. Robinson not only returns on a team-friendly contract of one year and $4 million but is incentivized with up to an additional $1 million, but he gets assurances from HC Sean McVay for a larger role on the offense.

Robinson is worth much to the Rams than his contract pays him. I love the fact that he's back.

Our grade: A-

Rams re-sign IOL Kevin Dotson

One of the biggest factors for the LA Rams' success in 2023 is the fact that the team finally enjoyed some chemistry and continuity on the offensive line. While the early iterations of the offensive line did not 'take,' the team did begin to rally when they settled in with LT Alaric Jackson, rookie LG Steve Avila, C Coleman Shelton, RG Kevin Dotson, and RT Rob Havenstein.

Not only was the offensive line quite formidable in protecting starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, but the group tore open running lanes for featured RB Kyren Williams. Protecting Stafford was paramount, because he suffered a thumb injury on his throwing hand before the BYE, and any further injury would have derailed the team's season.

But protect they did, and the Rams rallied from a 3-6 record to finish the year at 10-7. This team went 7-1 in the final eight games, including sitting starters and still defeated the rival San Francisco 49ers team in Week 18.

Kevin Dotson was viewed by nearly all fans as the keystone for the 2024 NFL season. His surprisingly vicious and effective performance as the team's right guard not only locked down his role, but powered his teammates to elevate their game as well.

The Rams locked up Dotson before he could test his value in the 2024 NFL Free Agency market. He signed a 3-year contract worth $48 million (an average of $16 million per year). But compared to the contacts signed by former Miami Dolphins guard Robert Hunt (5 years, $100 million) and New England Patriots guard Mike Onwenu (3 years, $57 million), the Rams got great value.

Dotson is back. And he returned at a better than average value, too.

Our Grade: A+

Rams sign IOL Jonah Jackson

Believe it or not, rookie IOL Jonah Jackson started all 16 games in 2020 for the Detroit Lions, the last season that QB Matthew Stafford would call Detroit, Michigan home. The following season, offensive lineman Jacob Jackson was honored with a Pro Bowl selection. But over the past two seasons, nagging minor injuries have forced Jackson to miss some games. He missed four games in 2022, and five games in 2023.

In 2024, he became a free agent, one that the LA Rams were more than happy to sign.

Jackson is an NFL left guard who is tremendously effective. Kevin Dotson is an NFL right guard, who is equally effective. So what happens to rookie IOL Steve Avila? Well, as suspected weeks ago, he will almost certainly move to assume the starting center role for the Rams in 2024. So what does that look like?

Imagine a herd of angry rhinosceri bearing down on you:

The Rams have nearly half a ton of angry and vicious offensive linemen between the tackles. While nothing 'known' about the 2024 NFL season, I believe that it's a safe bet to view the team's offensive line as pushing hard to be among the Top-5 offensive lines in 2024.

There is always a question of a player returning to peak performance after injury. Complicating the matter is how well with Jonah Jackson flourish with the LA Rams culture. But he reunites with his former QB, and he fits what the Rams are trying to do now.

Our Grade: A-

But wait . . . there's more.

Rams sign TE Colby Parkinson

Some fans were completely taken by surprise by the team when they addressed the tight end position early in free agency. But should it have been a surprise? Well, not if you consider the fact that the timeline for starting TE Tyler Higbee is completely up in the air, and he may miss some, if not all, of the 2024 NFL season. We know that backup tight end Hunter Long, who was part of the return on trading Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins, is too injury-prone to be counted on in 2024.

And despite flashes of brilliance in a very limited role in 2023, the team won't put all of their eggs in the basket of second-year tight end Davis Allen. Allen played 192 offensive snaps last year, catching 10 of 11 passes for 95 yards, seven first downs, and one touchdown. Even if Allen does earn a starting role in 2024, the team needs depth in the tight end room for 12-personnel packages, and for depth through OTAs and Training camp.

We went out on a limb and targeted Seattle Seahawks TE Will Dissly as the best option for the Rams. He was the TE2 in the Seahawks' offense and seemed to be the best value at the position. He is planning to sign with the Los Angeles Chargers on a 3-year $14 million deal, which is tremendous value. While I had the right team and nearly predicted the right player, I was off by one. The Rams opted for the Seahawks TE3, Colby Parkinson.

Colby Parkinson is no slouch. Standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 251-pounds, the guy is just 40 more pounds of muscle from the gym away of becoming a mauling offensive tackle. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in Round 4 of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 133rd overall pick. By all angles, he places the future of TE Hunter Long with the LA Rams very much in danger of ending this season.

Parkinson is a California native, and played for Stanford University. That connects him for three years to Rams RB Coach Ron Gould, who coached at Stanford from 2017 through 2022. Parkinson played through the 2019 football season.

Parkinson's ability to block is elite among tight ends. He is big enough to neutralize defensive linemen, and agile enough to outflank and slam swift edge rushers. He is in his wheelhouse when he leads a run downfield, as he is gifted to pop multiple pursuing defenders.

The instant analysis of this addition is that the Rams believe that HC Sean McVay can amplify Parkinson's offensive production. In four seasons, Parkinson caught 57 of 78 passes (56.4 percent completion rate) for 618 yards and four touchdowns. For a tight end who is among the most expensive signings this year at that position, you could see this as a significant overpay. From his history, you are on the right track.

But veteran Tyler Higbee (6-foot-6, 255 pounds) is 31 years old, is coming off a major injury, and the high-water mark of his career happened in 2019. Higbee's career completion rate is 55.4 percent. And right now, Higbee is in the second year of a three year extension that has not panned out as favorably as the team hoped it might.

Parkinson's current contract makes obscure sense if the team is merely taking a flyer on his competing for a role in 2024. It makes some sense if the team plans to usurp Hunter Long's spot on the roster with Parkinson. But the only way paying an average of $7.5 million over the next three seasons is if he is now the heir apparent for TE Tyler Higbee's starting role, and if Higbee's return to the team in 2024 is indeed in serious question.

There are far too many connect-the-dots on this signing to give a fair and objectiive grade that makes complete sense today. If he is just a TE2 who never sees the football field in 2024? This is a bad overpay. But if he holds down the fort in 2024 until Higbee returns to the lineup, or if he has to cover for the rehabbing Higbee for a majority of the 2024 NFL season, this could be a remarkable deal for the team. For now? I'll just split the difference.

Our Grade: C+

Rams sign DB Darious Williams

The reception for former Rams defensive back Darious Williams was surprisingly lukewarm by fans. Surprisingly, because DWill was one of the most effective and productive defensive backs available in the 2024 NFL Free Agency market, and the team seemed to get a home-town discount from him, adding him on a three-year $22.5 million contract.

That's incredible value, folks.

Compare that contract to that of DB Chidobe Awuzie (3 years, $36 million) or DB Kenny Moore (3 years, $30 million), neither of whom had a season as good as Williams 2023 season, and the value of Williams' deal begins to become obvious.

Williams started every game for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023, playing 1035 defensive snaps. Despite his being present for so much of the season, he allowed just 55 of 100 passes to be caught. Of those 100 passes, he allowed two touchdowns, but intercepted four, and generated his own score with a pick-six. He put up 53 tackles, and even record three tackles for a loss.

The biggest complaint with Darious Williams is his size. He stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 189 pounds. But that is missing the point. This guy casts a much larger shadow in the secondary, outplaying, outhustling, and outperforming both receivers and other defensive backs in his passion to claim that football whenever it is in the air.

Best of all, he knows the Rams coaches, players, and defensive scheme, and everyone knows him.

Not only does DWill return to help the Rams appear (and win) another Super Bowl, but he will serve as an ideal mentor to the team's young defensive backs (and I can't help but point out how critical he will be in helping second-year DB Tre Tomlinson step up in 2024).

We lobbied hard for the team to reunite with Darious Williams after his release from the Jacksonville Jaguars. He instantly upgrades the secondary. If the team can extend Ahkello Witherspoon, they will be in good shape. If the team re-signs either Jordan Fuller or John Johnson III as well, they will be in even better shape. Finally, if the team finds a bargain veteran edge rusher, the team will be set up perfectly to draft the Best Player Available (BPA) this year.

You may or may not like this signing. I love it. But don't trust me. Trust the Rams front office and coaches:

Our Grade: A+

Rams extend 2nd-Round Qualifying Tender Offer for OT Alaric Jackson

The debate over how to extend offensive tackle Alaric Jackson seemed like filler to me. Added rhetoric to create background noise on the topic simply intended to break the utter silence. How so?

The 2023 NFL season was more like a rookie season for Alaric Jackson than not. He was designated as the team's starting left tackle, arguably the most important position on the offensive line, for the first time in his NFL career. Now, I cannot lie. Alaric Jackson became one of my favorite players on the Rams roster in early 2022 when he responded to questions about his official weight. But what locked him in was after he took to social media to lay out two OL configurations in 2023.

I was not 100 percent sold on either of his iterations. But what I love about the effort is that long before he was named the starting left tackle for the LA Rams offensive line, he had already begun to claim ownership of the entire groups performance, and he put himself out there to defend his teammates and reassure fans that better times were on the horizon.

He was right. They were.

Alaric Jackson is a powerful offensive tackle. Standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 330 pounds (he told us himself), he is brutally effective on the offensive line. Due to early injuries in 2023, and an unsettled offensive line until the mid-point in the season, fans did not see the optimal performance on the offensive line until later in the season.

Simply from the perspective that the team has a starting left tackle who was undrafted is mindblowing. We loved him then, and we love him more now. He does not seek the spotlight. He is not looking to be interviewed, praised, or even featured in articles. He is an approachable, personable gentleman off the football field that I enjoy interacting with.

But when he is on the football field, he is a snarling block-happy offensive tackle who does not rest at blocking or looking for defenders to block until the whistle blows the play dead. He is going to up his game in 2024. And at a cost of just under $5 million, he is arguably one of the best bargains on this roster, if not for the entire NFL.

Our Grade: A+

Overall, the Rams are attacking the 2024 NFL Free Agency market aggressively. This is a team that has abandoned considerations for 2024 compensatory picks, and is laying it all out there here and now. While the team has not traded picks for game-changing players, the team has committed significant 2024 salary cap dollars to sign veteran players to vital roles on the team.

Our Overall Offseason Grade: B+