After a very successful 2023 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams seemed to be a shoe-in for another run at post-season competition. All that this team needed was some shrewd veteran free agent signings to fill in some depth concerns on the roster, and the hot streak that carried the team into the 2024 NFL Playoffs would get the team off to another hot start this season.
Only that never happened.
I love what LA Rams GM Les Snead is capable of giving the team. He repeatedly manages crises that propagate throughout the season by identifying and acquiring the right fit at the right position to help the team weather the storm. And as we have witnessed in 2019, 2021, 2022, and even 2024, he still has a knack for salvaging impossible situations and turning them into some version of positive outcomes.
But sometimes the chances that the front office have taken have not panned out. Here are three such Rams free agency signings that have, as of yet, not panned out:
(3) – IOL Jonah Jackson
When the team reportedly signed former Detroit Lions IOL Jonah Jackson, the hope was that he would reclaim his former Pro Bowl form, and be one of the upgrades for the team in 2024. But he has not only not been an upgrade, but he is also a bit of a no-show. You see, he has suited up for just two of the five games played in 2024 so far. And even when he is on the football field, he has not delivered what the Rams and Rams fans hoped for. Per his Pro Football Focus grade of 56.6, Jackson has not delivered to his potential. And right now, he is on Injured Reserve and is not eligible to return to the active roster before Week 8.
Better alternatives:
The Rams pivoted from extending starting center Coleman Shelton to signing Jonah Jackson to a three-year contract worth up to $51 million. Conversely, Shelton signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears for only $3 million. So far, Shelton is not only more durable, but he is outperforming Jackson as well.
While the team had no way of seeing into the future, the team did draft rookie center Beaux Limmer, who is currently playing on his rookie contract of four years worth up to $4.158 million. So far, Limmer has been playing very well, and for the sake of continuity, should retain his starting role for the team even if/when Jackson is healthy enough to return.
(2) – TE Colby Parkinson
While the Rams had plenty of time to strategize the optimal method of covering the absence of starting tight end Tyler Higbee, the signing of free agent tight end Colby Parkinson to a three-year contract worth up to $22.5 million felt very much like a knee-jerk reaction. Parkinson was testing his market value after a limited role with the Seattle Seahawks, a role that never rose higher than a rotational backup.
While Parkinson had been efficient in his Seahawks role, his efficiency has plummeted as the Rams have tried to integrate him into the offense. His current catch percentage (59.4 percent) is significantly lower than his career catch percentage of 69.1 percent. He has been targeted 32 times, nearly equal to his career season highs in both 2022 and 2023. But while he has caught 19 passes for just 165 yards, his previous two seasons showed 25 catches, two touchdowns, and at least 247 yards.
Better alternative:
Parkinson’s teammate, TE Will Dissly, signed a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers worth up to $14 million. So far in 2024, Dissly has caught nine of ten passes thrown his way for 85 yards. And Dissly is every bit the blocking tight end that Parkinson has proven to be.
The Rams seemed to skip past the part where they opened competition up to either veteran TE Hunter Long or second year TE Davis Allen. So far, Long has caught both passes thrown his way, while Allen has failed to catch either pass thrown to him. But their combined catch rate of 50 percent rivals that of Parkinson’s 59.4 percent. And they were already on the roster.
(1) – DB Tre’Davious White
When the LA Rams signed former All-Pro defensive back Tre’Davious White, the team was wise enough to make the contract incentivized with performance clauses that escalated the value of the contract. That is the only saving grace to White’s addition to the team so far in 2024. The base contract is one year worth $4.25 million. But that contract skyrockets to $8.5 million if White plays in 60 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.
I’m all about paying a player what he’s worth. But Tre White is not worth that escalator.
As is the case with many players appearing on this list, White’s performance in 2024 has been horrendous, particularly compared to his NFL career prior to arriving to the Rams. For starters, White is averaging one touchdown allowed per game. He has already tied his season worst of touchdowns allowed in 2020, a season in which he started in 14 games.
So far, White has not intercepted a single pass. That too is the first time in his NFL career that has happened. And while he has never been exceptional at tackling, his 25 percent missed tackle rate in 2024 is one again a career worst.
Better alternative:
The Rams front office seemed to take their eye off the ball on this one. DB Ahkello Witherspoon, while having his own faults, was already familiar with the team’s secondary, and he played far better in 2023 than expected. While he faded as the season wore on, he only allowed five touchdowns in 17 games last season.
But the team was also welcoming back DB Cobie Durant, a young defensive back who has only gotten better in coverage as he builds more and more experience. I understand taking a chance on a veteran who is trying to reclaim his glory days after several significant injuries. But the team failed to secure the secondary with a backup plan in case White struggled. And right now, White is struggling horribly.
Summary
You win some, you lose some. That’s the nature of the NFL. But I have to admit that the team’s frugal and patient approach to the 2023 NFL Free Agency market that yielded WR Demarcus Robinson, WR Tyler Johnson, DB John Johnson III, and DB Ahkello Witherspoon seems to have been far more successful than free agents signed in the 2024 NFL Free Agency market. Granted, five games in the 2024 NFL season is a small sample. And yes, any of the players mentioned here could turn their seasons around and prove to be key contributors.
The thing is, so far they are not. That is significant for the fans who are calling for the team to fire coaches. Of course, injuries play a huge part in why this team has struggled so far. But three of the team’s main free agency additions have not met expectations. That’s pretty significant, as all three were projected to be starters this season.
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