The Los Angeles Rams’ tackle spots look set on paper, but a name from Matthew Stafford’s past could still add insurance for a Super Bowl-hopeful roster.
NFL.com’s Grant Gordon pegged 34-year-old Taylor Decker, who played 71 games with Stafford with the Detroit Lions, as a fit for Los Angeles in his latest roundup of top remaining free agents.
Decker spent his entire 10-year career with the Lions, starting 154 of a possible 160 games and missing extended time just once, in 2017. Decker earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2024 at age 31, a testament to how well he’s held up as he’s aged into his 30s.
With Alaric Jackson having emerged from legal troubles and Warren McClendon having acquitted himself well in relief of a now-retired Rob Havenstein last season, the Rams’ Super Bowl push seems set at the tackles. However, considering Havenstein’s departure and the previous uncertainty with Jackson, a need for solid depth on a team with such high hopes has been underscored. Rookie third-rounder Keagen Trost bodes well for future plans, but adding Decker, who previously protected Matthew Stafford’s blind side in Detroit, would be a luxury fitting for what L.A. is trying to put together.
Signing Decker wouldn’t be about unseating Jackson or McClendon, but it would make sure the Rams aren’t exposed at tackle if either situation — Jackson’s legal circumstances or a McClendon regression — becomes a bigger issue than currently expected. For a team built to win now, that kind of proven depth is a low-cost, low-risk luxury.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Former Matthew Stafford teammate could offer Rams insurance at OT
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
