4 players the Rams should let walk in free agency this year
There will most likely be more departures than additions for the Rams in free agency this offseason, which is typically the case each year. They have a long list of players hitting free agency and they don’t have much money to go out and spend big on outside players.
When it comes to their own free agents, the Rams should let these four players walk. That’s not to say they aren’t good players, but the Rams can use their resources in better ways.
Darious Williams
The Rams opted not to sign Williams to a multi-year extension last offseason, keeping him as a restricted free agent. That looks to have been the right move because Williams went from being a budding star in 2020 to a mid-level starter last season.
He didn’t have a single interception, had issues tackling at times and allowed a passer rating of 95.9 in coverage. The Rams don’t tend to sign their own defensive backs to lucrative extensions, and this could be another example of that. They should let him test the market rather than giving him a big-money deal.
Sony Michel
Michel did a nice job filling in for Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr. for a stretch of last season, but he faded as the year progressed and was the third-best option at running back to finish the season. Akers and Henderson will both be healthy in 2022, and Xavier Jones is also waiting in the wings as a quality backup.
Michel could get a deal in the range of $5 million per year, which is too much for the Rams to pay for a player at a position where they already have good enough depth. Paying running backs isn’t good business.
Troy Reeder
The Rams aren’t tendering Reeder as a restricted free agent, which means he’ll be able to hit the market. And based on the fact that they passed on the chance to retain him at around $2.4 million, it’s likely that the Rams are going to let him leave. That’s not a bad decision because Reeder simply wasn’t good enough last season or the year before.
The Rams can get equal or better play out of Travin Howard next to Ernest Jones, and there are better options available in free agency and the draft. Reeder should be suiting up with another team next season.
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
It might be time for the Rams to give up on Okoronkwo. He’s had encouraging moments as a pass rusher, but there hasn’t been any level of consistency from him since being a fifth-round pick in 2018. That was in Wade Phillips’ tenure, too, and the Rams now have a much stronger preference toward bigger edge rushers – as evidenced by Leonard Floyd, Justin Hollins and Terrell Lewis.
Okoronkwo has played only 33 games in four seasons and always seems to be nursing some type of injury. That’s not his fault, but it’s become frustrating to see him in and out of the lineup. He’s not likely to be more than the Rams’ No. 3 or 4 edge rusher anyway.
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