Rams off-season notes: the front 7

Jourdan Rodrigue, from https://theathletic.com/5378295/2024/04/02/los-angeles-rams-contracts-free-agency/?source=emp_shared_article

Building defensive line differently

The Rams were one of just a few teams in recent history who have invested in their defensive line “inside out” instead of “outside in,” meaning they had Donald and paid a defensive lineman the top contract instead of an edge player. Donald’s departure means they will, over time, decide which of those positions is worth premium investments and what the contractual balance of the defensive line will be.

“One of the things that we adjusted very quickly in that was, ‘Hey, it’s not interior versus (exterior). Everyone has a pass rusher, just figure out where they are,’” Pastoors said. “As you look back through history, you look at teams that have won Super Bowls, they are all built differently. … What they all have in common (is) they have a way to get after the quarterback.”

Because they weren’t active in the top pass-rusher markets in free agency, the Rams seem to be taking a methodical approach to determining which of those positions will demand the higher investment when the time comes. For example, the contract of outside linebacker Byron Young, who started in his rookie season in 2023, will come up at the same time as the contract of defensive tackle Kobie Turner — another productive rookie starter. Both were third-round draft picks in 2023.

The Rams did closely monitor the middle and lower tiers of the outside linebacker market (as previously reported, they had some interest in Andrew Van Ginkel).

Here, it’s important to again look at the idea of “cost control” as it applies to the entire roster, not just the offense or the defense.

The Rams have about $195 million invested into their offense (and Donald’s lingering 2024 cap number), in large part because $49 million quarterback Matthew Stafford can significantly elevate the entire team when he A) is protected and B) has a supportive run game.

Last season, Stafford ranked No. 4 in The Athletic’s “Quarterback Betrayal Index,” yet the Rams finished with 10 wins and a top-seven offense. The index means Stafford was among NFL quarterbacks whose defense and special teams units performed the worst in accordance to TruMedia’s EPA model (the Rams’ 32nd-ranked special teams unit in turn “betrayed” a 17th-ranked defense). Stafford’s contract runs through 2026.

If Stafford and the offensive line are the priority investments for the team through the same period of time, other positions must stay cost-controlled through that time. Conversely, a rookie quarterback on a rookie deal would flip that math. That is not a discussion for this season, though.

So, it would be logical to see the Rams use higher draft capital (rounds 1-3) to fill out their defensive line and outside linebacker positions. Both groups have to improve. Those players, if successful picks, would then be on cost-controlled deals through 2027, and a first-round pick would have a fifth-year option.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if a Rams team with a strong start to 2024 made a trade at the deadline, either. That has since been pushed back to the Tuesday after Week 9.