The Los Angeles Rams have been aggressive in their pursuit of improvement this offseason. Coming off a year in which they made it all the way to the NFC title game and nearly took down the eventual champions, the Rams knew they needed to get better on defense and special teams. And thus far, they’ve checked off a lot of boxes.
They re-signed some of their top free agents, added an All-Pro cornerback in a trade with the Chiefs and signed his former teammate to a $51 million deal. Not to mention, they also brought in one of the top long snappers in the league to help on special teams.
We’ll be grading every move by the Rams as they happen, continuously updating this story with the latest grades.
Sign Joe Cardona to 2-year deal
Grade: A
We don’t yet know the numbers on his contract, but the Rams were wise to add such a veteran, reliable long snapper. Cardona is a two-time Super Bowl champion and as a graduate of the Naval Academy, he’s an exceptional leader on special teams, too. He was a multi-year captain for the Patriots, which shows how highly regarded he was in New England.
Sign Jaylen Watson to 3-year deal
Grade: A
Watson was the Rams’ first splash of free agency, agreeing to a three-year deal with the former Chiefs cornerback within the first hour of the madness starting. They’re giving Watson $51 million for three years, including $34 million guaranteed, effectively making it a two-year contract worth $34 million.
That’s not a huge price to pay for a starting cornerback, especially one who fills a need as a big, physical boundary corner. His addition to the secondary will help the Rams improve considerably and allow them to run more man coverage instead of being so zone-heavy.
Re-sign Kam Curl to 3-year deal
Grade: A
What’s not to like about this signing? Curl played like one of the best safeties in football last season and the Rams still managed to sign him to a deal worth just $12 million per year. Like Watson, Curl’s contract is essentially a two-year deal with a team option in 2028, but there’s no reason to believe this signing won’t work out for L.A.
Curl was an integral part of the secondary last season, both as a run defender and in coverage on the back end. He can do everything as a safety, allowing Chris Shula to mix and match personnel often.
Re-sign Tyler Higbee to 2-year deal
Grade: B+
Higbee wasn’t a major contributor last season, partly because he missed time with an ankle injury, but his presence as a leader and reliable veteran makes him valuable in a relatively young tight end room. With a max value of $8 million for two years, it was worth the Rams re-signing him, giving him another shot to win a ring in 2026 – which could be his last season in the NFL.
Hopefully this move doesn’t prevent the Rams from adding someone like Kenyon Sadiq in the draft, knowing they have so much depth at tight end already.
Trade and contract for Trent McDuffie
Grade: A-
We originally gave the trade for McDuffie an A-, and his $124 million extension won’t change that. As rich as that contract is, and as much as the Rams gave up, both were smart decisions by the front office. The Rams badly needed cornerback help and they now have a proven veteran with All-Pro credentials who can play in the slot or on the outside. He can blitz, tackle and cover, bringing toughness and an attitude to the secondary.
When you consider the Rams are only paying him $13.6 million on the fifth-year option in 2026, it makes his four-year extension more palatable because it brings the total value up to $137.6 million for five years, which works out to $27.5 million per year.
And, it’s important that the Rams traded the 29th pick instead of No. 13, allowing them to still add a blue-chip talent in the draft.
Tender Xavier Smith, Justin Dedich and Harrison Mevis as ERFAs
Grade: A
There’s really no reason to be upset about any of these moves. Sure, Smith had a costly muffed punt in the NFC title game, but he still has value as a receiver. Dedich is a quality backup to have at guard, and Mevis only missed one kick all season, going 51-for-52 in the regular season.
The best part? All three of them will each cost around $1 million in 2026, none of it being guaranteed. So if things don’t work out this summer, they can cut any of them for no penalty.
Re-sign David Quessenberry to 1-year deal
Grade: B
This one was a little bit puzzling, but for $1.5 million, it’s not a terrible bet by the Rams. Quessenberry played sparingly last season but could now compete to be the swing tackle. It’s a low-risk signing by Los Angeles but it shouldn’t preclude the front office from trying to add another veteran tackle or drafting one in April. Offensive tackle is still a roster need.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Grading every offseason move by the Rams so far
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
