Looking into LA Rams rookie extension candidates and what they might get

The LA Rams certainly put on a display of just how good this team can be to close out the 2023 NFL season. Despite some glaring weaknesses in the team's roster, the team put up a run of 7-2 in the final nine games, including going on the road and pushing the Baltimore Ravens into overtime, and falling on the road to the Detroit Lions by one point.

That is the kind of success that is too great to fall to the wayside in the following year. It will carry over, and there are many rookies and first year starters from that 2023 season who are already hitting the gyms and the practice field in hopes of getting back to the team, playing even better, and earning an even larger role with the team.

Rams changed their pattern in 2021

But the team had to start somewhere, and if you truly want to dig deep enough to find the wellspring from where the Rams' success for this chapter truly begins, it was the 2021 NFL Draft. It was that year that the Rams changed their pattern, and finally looked at under-addressed positions and skillsets to introduce a bit of complexity to the roster and complicate the job of opponents. Of course, some players selected in that draft did not work out, but it was the team's first attempt to expand boundaries and dabble in areas that were outside of their comfort zone.

While some rookies did not show up that year, the overall performance of the 2021 NFL season culminated in the LA Rams winning their first Super Bowl for the city of Los Angeles, California. It was the small contributions of so many players that year that truly propelled the entire team to the highest peak of NFL glory.

Some players flashed brilliance for the Rams since being drafted. Others have been a bit less impactful. Still, the team has viewed the 2021 NFL Draft class with some disdain. Five of nine players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft are no longer with the team. Still, four players remain, and they will be eligible for rookie contract extensions. The question is, will any player be offered an extension? If so, how much?

That's what we are here to discuss. After all, the Rams success has not been born solely by the three 'pillars' of DT Aaron Donald, QB Matthew Stafford, and WR Cooper Kupp. Rotational players who can step into a game and make plays are vital as well. So too are those players who put in the effort and show up as starters, just to ensure that the stars of the team can get their spotlights. So which Rams rookies are up for extensions this year?

LA Rams rookie extension candidates and what they might get

1. How to rookie extensions work in the NFL?
2. WR Ben Skowronek
3. WR Tutu Atwell
4. DT Bobby Brown III
5. ILB Ernest Jones

How to rookie extensions work in the NFL?

Believe it or not, the LA Rams are rather restricted as to what the team can do in terms of securing their rookies. In fact, the very matter of NFL teams first opportunity to offer a contract extension to drafted and undrafted rookies is so important that the NFL and NFL negotiated specifics of how that would take place.

Rookie extensions are spelled out in detail in the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). the rules for drafted rookies vary from those of undrafted rookies. Drafted players cannot renegotiate their contracts or even alter the terms in any way until after the last regular-season game of the third contracted year. That means that four Rams players are now eligible for renegotiated contract terms.

Undrafted rookies can renegotiate or extend their contract one year earlier, which means that they must wait until after their second season to amend the contract. Most importantly, any rookie contract that is renegotiated or extended in any way is no longer considered a rookie contract and is not restricted by the rules governing such contracts.

Why would a team seek to extend or renegotiate a contract early? Well, NFL team front offices love to stagger contracts in such a way that the team is not facing too many contracts expiring simultaneously, or even to have too many contracts expire simultaneously from the same position group. An NFL team that must extend all five starting offensive linemen in the same offseason is at a terrible disadvantage.

But extending a promising rookie can also have the added bonus of reducing the average per year cost of that extension. For example, when WR Puka Nacua is eligible for a contract extension after the last game of the 2025 season is played, the Rams may want to lock him in right then and there. Unless he regresses in the next two years, Nacua will be a red hot free agent if the Rams allow him to test his market value in the 2026 NFL Free Agency market. Extending him after the 2025 season puts more money into his pocket in 2026, and that could reduce his salary demands in future years.

WR Ben Skowronek

When the LA Rams selected Notre Dame Ben Skowronek with the 249th selection in Round 7 of the 2021 NFL Draft, the believe was that he would immediately show up as a blocking wide receiver who could catch the football. The 6-foot-3 224-pound wide receiver boasted a unique blend of wide receiver, fullback, H-Back, power back, Y-Back, and tight end that he has become a very versatile weapon in the team's offense.

Skowronek has lined up virtually at every spot in the Rams offense at one time or another. Despite that versatility, and a career catch rate of 62.4%, Skowronek has only been targeted 93 times (100 if you factor in playoff games) and caught 58 passes (3 more in postseason) for 575 yards and one touchdown. Despite the fact that the team traded away WR Van Jefferson and fought through the absence of WR Cooper Kupp, Skowronek's workload on offense plummeted in 2023. While I believe his proficiency on special teams will put him in line for a contract after the 2024 season ends, there is simply too much uncertainty for the team to seek locking him in with an extension.

Extension verdict: None will be offered this year.

WR Tutu Atwell

Fans are still a bit befuddled with the addition of WR Tutu Atwell with the 57th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. While the vitriol aimed at the player has subsided substantially, the confusion over why the Rams reached for the 5-foot-9 165-pound wide receiver out of Louisville is still a bit of a mystery. Of course, that same year the team signed free agent WR Desean Jackson, and the hope for the offense to show up as a quick strike scoring machine was never more plain to see than when the roster boasted Jackson, Atwell, and WR Van Jefferson.

Atwell is a victim of underuse, through no fault of his own. He has been earning more playing time, and his production has improved as he sees more playing time. He stepped up very well to start the 2023 NFL season with Cooper Kupp's injury, and racked up 270 yards and a touchdown in the first four games. After Kupp returned to health, Atwell's workload plummeted. He was only targeted five times in the final five games of the season.

Extension verdict: None will be offered this year.

DT Bobby Brown III

When the LA Rams drafted DT Bobby Brown III, his body of work at Texas A&M showed an incredibly strong interior defensive lineman who could bring pain and pressure to opposing quarterbacks. Unfortunately, BB-III has taken some time to get on track in this defense. He was injured in his rookie season, impacting how quickly he earned playing time. In 2022, he was suspended for six games. When he was finally reinstated, he needed time to return to the rotation. Even in 2023, he was injured for four weeks, but he was able to get 313 defensive snaps under his belt.

While some may not appreciate what Brown brings to the defense, I view his contribution as far greater than his 31 tackles, four tackles for a loss and one quarterback hit. Brown played 313 defensive snaps, giving teammate NT Kobie Turner a chance to rest during the games. And Brown is a true blocker gobbler, as he is strong enough to command the attention of two or more offensive linemen when he is on the football field. His progress was significant in 2023, and with significantly more playing time, I believe that he could play a significant role in the team's success in 2024. But he is not there just yet.

Extension verdict: None will be offered this year.

ILB Ernest Jones

I truly believe that inside linebacker Ernest Jones is completely underestimated in the defense, and by the NFL at large. Jones accounted for 145 tackles, 4.5 quarterback sacks, 14 tackles for a loss, and six pass deflections. He was a one-man wrecking crew and his presence ensured that the defense was always capable of making a stop.

Jones is on track to earn $1.4 million in 2024. Still his progress over his first three season has been phenomenal. Let's turn to a data table to show exactly what I mean:

While the team has not prioritized extending inside linebackers in the past, I believe that Jones has earned the exception to the rule. He has delivered more and more over time, and has truly been one of the key defenders of the group. He was the defensive signal caller in 2023, and that mantle is likely to be placed on him in 2024 as well. Jones is a no nonsense player who loves to tackle and hit ball carriers, and it shows. Have the Rams seen enough to justify extending him? I think so. He has been a quality defender who never backs down.

Extension verdict: The Rams may view Jones as a critical keystone to the defense going forward. Over the Cap projects his value at $13 million APY. That appears to be fair value.