from FREE-AGENCY GRADES FOR 49ERS, CARDINALS, RAMS, SEAHAWKS
Analyst Thomas Maney assigns free-agency grades thus far to every NFC West team.
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/03/24/pro-free-agency-grades-for-the-49ers-cardinals-rams-seahawks/
…
Los Angeles Rams
Grade: C+
Key additions: DE Quinton Coples, CB Coty Sensabaugh
Key retentions: DE William Hayes, CB Trumaine Johnson, S Mark Barron, C Tim Barnes
Key losses: S Rodney McLeod, DT Nick Fairley, CB Janoris Jenkins, DE Chris Long
The Rams are paying a steep price for potential over-production with Mark Barron. He was much improved in 2015, finishing the year as our 20th-ranked linebacker, but that was also the first season he’s produced an above-average overall grade.
Bringing back Hayes at defensive end for three years ($17.5 million) was a no-brainer after four straight seasons of solid play, while Quinton Coples could be a decent-upside signing. Coples hasn’t lived up to expectations as a top-20 draft pick (-7.1 career overall grade), mostly struggling in run defense, but he’s had stretches of above-average play in both facets, and his recent stint with the Dolphins looked promising.
In the secondary, they let safety Rodney McCleod and corner Janoris Jenkins walk for big money elsewhere. Both graded well last season, but neither has shown the consistency that you’d expect given the contracts they received. Instead, the team retained Trumaine Johnson at corner, who was the better player last season and is a year younger than Jenkins. However, we’re not as high on Sensabaugh, who brings experience playing both outside and in the slot from Tennessee, but was PFF’s 88th-graded corner last season and has graded positively in coverage just once in four years (2013).