The Los Angeles Rams made one splashy move in free agency when the team signed star receiver Davante Adams, but otherwise mostly opted for small, inexpensive options to fill out the roster.
One of those signings, though, is already making waves. Linebacker Nate Landman, who signed with the Rams on a one-year, $1.1 million deal, is earning a lot of praise this offseason from coaches and analysts alike.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon agrees, and named Landman one of his top free agency steals of the offseason.
The 26-year-old went undrafted in 2022 but stood out with 110 tackles, three forced fumbles, two sacks and an interception as a sophomore in Atlanta. A calf injury marred his 2024 campaign, but he’s looking to rebound on a prove-it deal with the Rams in 2025.
Landman appears to be sporting the vaunted green dot in practice, meaning the Rams consider him to be the play-caller of the defense already. That’s huge for a unit that has been undervalued in recent years for L.A. Landman looks to be the leader for a starting insider linebacker role alongside Omar Speights. The other players in this include include veteran Troy Reeder and fifth-round rookie Chris Paul Jr.
This is the type of efficient free agency scouting the Rams need when they’re locking up in-house veterans like Matthew Stafford, Kyren Williams and Alaric Jackson. L.A. will also need to start thinking about extensions for other top internal stars like Puka Nacua, Byron Young and Kobie Turner. So, spending less on other positions but still finding stars is crucial for the team’s short- and long-term success.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: New Rams defender named free agency steal in training camp
Reporting by Tyler Greenawalt, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
