These 5 NFL teams need to contact LA Rams for OLB Leonard Floyd

Option II: Minnesota Vikings

Yes, there is a theme developing in this article. Truth be told, the most likely market for a veteran like OLB Leonard Floyd is among the teams who worked most closely with him, and that definitely includes for Rams OC and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.

The NFC North is a wide open division, particularly with the expectation that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will either be traded or retire. And so, the window is wide open for teams that can instantly upgrade their roster and jump out of the blocks quickly in 2023. One team that is positioned to do exactly that is the Minnesota Vikings.

O'Connell knows Floyd's impact

Like other teams appearing on this list, the Minnesota Vikings are an NFL Playoff team that can put up points, but struggles to bring down opposing quarterbacks. The problem is, why would the Vikings have any interest in adding veteran Leonard Floyd to a rost that already boasts Danielle Hunter and Za'Darius Smith? Simply stated, rotational integrity.

Of the 38 quarterback sacks in 2022, the pairing of Hunter and Smith accounted for 20.5 sacks. Hunter played in 906 defensive snaps, or 76 percent, while Smith played just 771 defensives snaps, or 70 percent. That means of the 2322 snaps available, nearly 650 defensive snaps did not benefit from either player on the field. That 'extra spot' of nearly 60 percent of the defensive snaps, or 650 snaps, could easily be played by Floyd with no degradation to the pass rush.

The LA Rams discovered that adding a veteran pass rusher like Von Miller was all that was necessary to amplify the effectiveness of the entire Rams defense, a lesson that Kevin O'Connell is not likely to have forgotten. A fresh pass rush could make all the difference in the world, and is certainly worth the risk of a Day 3 draft pick to find out.