The perfect player just fell into the LA Rams laps, and here are 6 reasons why:

Over the history of the LA Rams under the combined reign of GM Les Snead and HC Sean McVay, the team has shown a great deal of interest in five positions: Quarterback, offensive tackle, wide receiver, pass rusher, and cornerback. When it comes to extensions, contracts, free agency signings, blockbuster trades, or high draft picks, the team has not hesitated to invest in those positions when the opportunity presented itself.

This week, an opportunity presented itself.

Of course, that happened the day before the LA Rams travelled to face the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Louisiana. But the event was noted, and I had already begun to assess the advantages of the team reaching out to Forbes agent to see if the team could add him on a team-friendly contract. But the window for such an article has passed.

Instead, I have an opportunity to write about why the Los Angeles Rams claiming cornerback Emmanuel Forbes off the Washington Commanders waiver wire was the right move.

Let's start with a basic foundation of acknowledging that not all released players make sense to sign to the team. There is always the temptation of believing that a player who is not competing for the team is an upgrade over players who are competing for the team. Of course, there is little risk of believing in Forbes stepping in and immediately contributing to the Rams secondary woes.

Forbes was selected with the 16th overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. That is earlier than the Rams' 19th overall selection used to name OLB Jared Verse in the 2024 NFL Draft. While that may have been a bit sooner than some draft profiles earmarked for the Mississippi State defensive back, it was not an overreach.

Unfortunately, Forbes did not live up to a Round 1 rookie, and has been released by the Washington Commanders in less than two seasons. Is his NFL career in peril? Before we start forming conclusions about his NFL career, let's first discuss why he is the perfect player to fall into the Rams lap at this point of the season.

(6) - Sean McVay knows what Rams are getting in Forbes

The first stop in this feature article is the most compelling aspect as to why the Rams may have the perfect player just fall into their lap. You see, the LA Rams do not simply shoot from the hip. The team, knowing how precious salary cap dollars and roster slot become this time of the season, does a great deal of vetting to determine whether or not in makes sense to place a waiver claim for a released player.

After the Washington Commanders released second-year cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Sean McVay did not hesitate in his support of submitting a claim.

Here is what Coach McVay shared about Forbes once the team learned that he was awarded to the Rams:

"Player that we liked as part of the evaluation process coming out a couple years ago out of Mississippi State. (Forbes) Had a lot of ball production, had some good tape out there, even when we played them (Commanders) last year. Showed versatility, showed competitive toughness on the edge, good ball skills. And so (a) guy that, don()t know too much about personally, (safety) Kam Curl was excited to be able to reunite with him. But we()ll get him in here, get him acclimated to the building. But he was a guy that we liked and had a familiarity with, just based on the evaluation coming out of Mississippi State. And then I thought there was some good tape that he()s put out there when we've gone against them, particularly later in the year last year.""

Ramjs HC Sean McVay

From his assessment, it's obvious that the team had viewed Forbes during their 2023 NFL Draft process, and kept tabs on him as they faced the Commanders that season. Of course, McVay remembers everything, so the fact that he recollects Forbes is not as significant as you may think. But the truth is that McVay did give a favorable overview of him.

The Rams know that their secondary, particularly with cornerbacks, needs work. Can Forbes be part of the solution? Perhaps. He has a lot of ground to make up quickly if he is to see any playing time for the Rams in the remaining five games. But the team has him now, and nas two more years (2025 and 2026) to work with him. That should give the Rams plenty of time to know how well he can play in pass coverage.

(5) - Don't fall into the trap of believing 'what was' dictates his future

It seems to be a common misconception for NFL fans to believe that what was automatically translates to a new team, a new system, and the same level of production. While the cream does often rise to the top, it's a mistake to accept the presumption of what happened in a player's past will resurface in the future.

Elite players will find a way to stay elite. But many players are not elite, and are subject to the whims and opportunities afforded them by an unfamiliar coaching staff. That is particularly true for a seldom-used NFL young veteran who was just released from a solid NFC team. Even as he joins the Rams roster, he does not know the team or the plays. More importantly, the coaching staff and the players do not know him either. (more on that later).

So Emmanuel Forbes comes with a blank slate. While he has earned plenty of NFL experience, if only from competing in training camp, he has a new opportunity to prove his worth, forge friendships, and apply everything he has learned to earning his role with a new team.

Let's agree that the Commanders have no motivation to release a former Round 1 rookie prospect if he showed any development or potential in their system. It simply never happens. That is confirmed by the grade assigned to Forbes by Pro Football Focus, 35.4 for 2024 regular season play, which is deeply disappointing.

But sometimes a change of scenery, new coaching techniques, and the realization that competing in the NFL takes a lot of work makes a significant difference. A new opportunity is just that, a new opportunity. The Rams secondary is clearly not performing to expectations. Perhaps Emmanuel Forbes can change that.

(4) - He was a respected rookie prospect for good reason

The first challenge of assessing Forbes's potential is dialing back to his draft profile in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was the second of four cornerbacks chosen in Round 1 and was viewed as one of the Top-10 cornerbacks available in 2023. The Rams did select a cornerback, TCU rookie prospect Tre Tomlinson, in Round 6, Tomlinson was considered to be the 22nd best rookie prospect of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Emmanuel Forbes was highly regarded because he had the right height and optimal wingspan to project as an excellent rookie prospect for the NFL. His production at Mississippi State confirmed his projection. He recorded 14 interceptions in three seasons in college, six of which were pick-sixes.

Ironically, his college career is spot on to the type of cornerback the Rams front office has been targeting this season. He was a pass-defense specialist. With a confident mindset and the reach of a superhero, Forbes could smother receivers trying to create separation against him. That ability to stick like Velcro kept him in position to steal passes intended for another.

Six pick sixes over the span of three college football seasons is a jaw-dropping feat.

Forbes remains a ball-hawking cornerback, despite limited action with the Commanders. He played just 591 defensive snaps before his release, but managed to pick off two passes for interceptions. That could very likely be due to his 79-inch wingspan, a statistic that ranks him among the top 10 percent of NFL cornerbacks. It's that Stretch Armstrong reach that allows him to defend the biggest receivers in the game.

He simply needs to refine his technique.

(3) - Rams slumbering secondary needs help

Yes, the defense is young. Yes, the secondary was rebuilt for the 2024 NFL season. And yes, the free agents signed to start and fill significant rotational roles in the secondary have not lived up to expectations. But the Rams pass defense is ranked 15th overall in the NFL. In terms of takeaways (interceptions), the Rams secondary is ranked 11th. But in terms of passing touchdowns allowed, the team comes in as the 21st ranked secondary, allowing 20 touchdowns.

The reason is simply. The team has a solid core of ball-hawking safeties on the roster. But in terms of cornerbacks, the secondary is still looking for someone to step up. Former Rams cornerback Darious Williams is back, but he is nothing like the version of the past. QB ratings are nearly 140 when targeting him this season, double his career average. CB Cobie Durant has been the best corner on the roster so far. But quarterbacks tend to throw elsewhere. Ahkello Witherspoon re-signed with the team, but he is still nowhere near the defensive back of the past.

And that has combined to create problems.

The Rams have a lopsided roster, and the lack of available slots for cornerbacks has limited the team's ability to experiment with the best combination. As soon as the team confirmed the healthy return off IR for Darious Williams, and had signed Ahkello Witherspoon off the practice squad, the team dealt CB Tre'Davious White away for a bag of pretzels and two used movie ticket stubs. That is particularly problematic when you consider how few young cornerbacks have been added to the team in recent years.

(2) - Never pass up a free lunch

Emmanuel Forbes was chosen with the 16th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. Having played just three seasons of college football, Forbes arrived a bit young. He had just turned 22 years old when he heard his name at the podium by the Washington Commanders. And he has nearly two years of NFL experience now.

Forbes official record indicates that he stands 6-foot-0 and weighs 180 pounds. But he has been recorded at 6-foot-1 and 166 pounds. That is pretty light weight to compete at the level of physicality needed to flourish in the NFL. And he has had two training camps, and all that time in the gym, practice field, and weigh room to pack on the muscle.

So yes, there is still work to do in order to help Emmanuel Forbes realize his optimal playing weight.

But let's step back for a moment. The LA Rams did not have a Round 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Yet, here they are, less than two years later, with a player who was selected in Round 1 of that draft. The great news is that he no longer needs to live up to the expectations that come with a Day 1 rookie. Now, he merely needs to live up to the need to compete in the NFL.

Will Forbes excel with the Rams? Who can say? But the cost of putting in a waiver claim and picking him up at his rookie contract is a pittance compared to the cost of signing a veteran free agent defensive back or the use of a draft pick to select an elite cornerback prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. We had cited cornerback as an NFL Draft need early in the season. Two months later, we doubled down on cornerback as a draft need.

I'm not anointing Forbes as a starter in 2025. But over the next five games, the team will have a pretty solid handle on how Rams-ready he can develop for next season. And that will serve the team well in determining just how urgent choosing a rookie cornerback will be. And how many cornerbacks must be added.

(1) - Forbes has history with this solid Rams secondary performer

Did you realize that Emmanuel Forbes played his entire rookie season alongside current Rams safety Kamren Curl? And Curl is excited to welcome Forbes to the Rams roster. That is a significant positive sign for both the team and for Forbes. Teammates can be biased in a positive manner to former teammates, but Curl is solid in the Rams' secondary. He played alongside Emmanuel Forbes in 14 games in the 2023 NFL season alongside Forbes.

Although Forbes competed in 14 games for the Commanders, he only started six games, and played just 482 defensive snaps. While he surrendered three touchdowns in 2023, he only allowed 60.7 percent of passes targeting his receiver to find their target. Quarterbacks targeting Forbes had a rating of 103.0 in 2023, and just 64.1 in 2024.

Just as a reminder, that 64.1 quarterback rating is even better than that of starting CB Cobie Durant. And Forbes has not allowed a touchdown in 2024.

I don't think that enough emphasis is placed on how important it is for a young NFL player to forge a bond with another player quickly. I don't know how Forbes was welcomed by his teammates in 2023 with the Washington Commanders, but I know that Rams players take great pride in reaching out to new and young teammates to ensure that they feel welcomed.

Sometimes, something as minor as feeling wanted can make all the difference in the world to a young man and his NFL career.

The Rams have not effectively addressed the cornerback position since trading away All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey. Claiming young cornerback Emmanuel Forbes may end up being another swing and a miss. But I love this strategy. Doing nothing to improve the cornerback position is a fail by default. Forbes may not pan out, leaving the Rams where they started.

If he does pan out, the Rams may improve significantly in the secondary simply from the perfect player falling into their laps. By the way, the Rams claimed DB Darious Williams off the Baltimore Ravens waiver wire years ago.

Sometimes the best tricks are the oldest tricks in the book. As always, thanks for reading.

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