When it comes to the Los Angeles Rams, the team may have pivoted from the 2025 NFL Free Agency market to the 2025 NFL Draft, but are there hidden gems remaining in the free agency market? After all, this tends to be the time of shopping for players that frequently results in pleasant surprises.. The Rams found veteran cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon late in the 2023 market, and he has returned to suit up for the team in his third year in The Horns.
The team enters the draft with needs. The problem is, does the team swing at filling those few remaining needs with talented rookies, or line up some veteran assistance to optimize the remaining shelf life of veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford?
While I'm tempted to lobby for young help on defense, the Rams roster is bursting with young talent right now. It may be that the abundance of so many young players' careers would benefit greatly from veteran leadership. That is what makes the recent news about the Miami Dolphins' openness to trade veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey so intriguing. Ramsey brings a work ethic and elite level of play to a large group of cornerbacks who could benefit greatly by witnessing how he works for a season.
So why limit defensive leadership to one position? With the Rams roster approaching the inside linebacker position like a hole that needs to be patched on a road, why not upgrade that section and replace it with an upgrade?
Pro Football & Sports Network suggests one free agent to sign with each NFL team. Typically, these one-size-fits-all type of articles have too little intimate knowledge about the Ram's true needs to make much sense. But in this case, the article may be onto something.
Their suggestion for the Rams free agency is former New York Jets veteran ILB C.J. Mosley. Of course, it's caveat emptor. Mosley was injured for almost all of 2024. He suited up for just four games last season. But he was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro as recently as 2022.
"C.J. Mosley only played 110 snaps for the New York Jets last season in an injury-riddled campaign. With that being said, the last time he was fully healthy (2023), he played out of his mind with a 90.6 coverage grade, 105 tackles, a missed tackle rate of just 8.8%, and made the Pro Bowl.Pro Football & Sports Network
This should help bolster the Los Angeles Rams’ linebacker crew, which looks to be their weakest defensive position group heading into 2025."
Mosley was rendered unavailable in 2024 due to a combination of a herniated disk in his neck and a nagging toe injury. So any contract offer by the Rams will need clauses that add production and availability clauses. But the fit of an elite linebacker on the Rams roster is more than on-field production. The benefit begins as soon as Mosley begins to interact with his teammates.
Mosley has earned All-Pro honors with both the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets. Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 231 pounds, Mosley brings a no-nonsense physicality to the defense that allows him to refute attempts to gain yards on the ground or in the air.
Even if Mosley does not crack the team's starting lineup, his sage wisdom and mentor role are just as effective in the locker room or sidelines. But unless Mosley is on crutches or in a body cast, I would expect that he earns a starting role quickly in training camp. If that happens, his presence on the football field will aid the development of the young linebackers on the Rams roster.
Will the Rams' front office adhere to this suggestion? Probably not. But unlike many offseason scenarios, this one has sound logic behind it. Perhaps Pro Football & Sports Network reads Ramblin Fan, as this was an early March 2025 topic we covered when Mosley was released. Great minds think alike. Or perhaps this scenario is so logical that it's tough not to envision the Rams doing it.
As always, thanks for reading.
