The Los Angeles Rams went into this offseason with a number of needs and have not wasted any time addressing them at the start of free agency.
On the first day, the Rams bolstered their interior offensive line with the signing of Jonah Jackson and then helped make up for the injury to Tyler Higbee with the signing of Colby Parkinson.
The Rams’ biggest needs come on the defensive side of the ball though and they did not address that on Day 1. The Rams still need to add to their secondary and defensive line, although they of course can do that in the draft as well.
L.A. kicked off the second day of free agency with another big addition though, finally addressing their defense. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Rams are bringing back a familiar face in former Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Darious Williams:
Former #Jaguars CB Darious Williams is finalizing a deal to play for the #Rams, sources say, the place where he won a Super Bowl. It’s expected to be a three-year.
A mockup of what it will look like: pic.twitter.com/3el1g7XTwK
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2024
Darious Williams gets a 3-year deal worth $22.5M, source said, up to $30M. https://t.co/g83cPQN1de
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2024
Williams was a breakout player for the Rams from 2018-21 after going undrafted out of Alabama-Birmingham. He was a big piece of their Super Bowl team in 2021, starting at cornerback opposite of Jalen Ramsey.
He was able to parlay that into a nice three-year, $30 million payday with the Jaguars, where he continued to improve as a player.
The 2023 season was Williams’ best as he started all 17 games and had 19 passes defensed, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and 53 total tackles. He was one of the best corners in the league, although he still wound up being a cap casualty for Jacksonville, allowing him to hit free agency again at the age of 31.
While the Rams still have more work to do in the secondary, the adding of Williams gives them a corner they can count on moving forward. The team also has Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick on the roster although they have struggled with the former more suited for the slot.
Rams get five compensatory picks
The Rams could continue adding to their secondary in free agency and the draft as they still have a need for a safety and one more corner.
They have plenty of draft picks at their disposal to keep adding though, especially with the recent announcement that they earned five compensatory picks.
