Yesterday the Rams announced that they will pick up defensive stud Aaron Donald’s fifth year option and are committed to locking him up longer term. This is all welcome news but it does come with a set of looming questions. Locking up Donald would obviously necessitate the Rams making him the highest player in he league. He is definitely deserving of it but what about the looming extensions the rest of the defensive starters are seeking. Extensions are pending for the majority of the defensive starters including Alec Ogletree, Trumaine Johnson, Connor Barwin, EJ Gaines, etc. A lot of the Rams decision making will come down to which players fit best in Wade Phillips’ new defense and while they can’t let all of them walk, there is a chance that most of the starting defense will not receive lucrative extensions next year because there’s only so much cap space. This financial quandary the Rams find themselves in is something every team faces in one form or another but due to a rash of bad drafts the Rams don’t have the depth to declare anyone expendable.
Aside from determining which extensions to grant, the Rams may need to figure out their draft strategy. Obviously, their 2nd round pick will be dedicated to a receiver unless there is a pass rusher or defensive back they can’t pass up. Beyond that, they have to decide whether they want to prepare for defensive departures now or continue to build the offense either with more weapons or blocking. In all likelihood they aim towards building up their offensive line where they can but make safety a priority because that’s where they have the least amount of depth. They shored up the corner back position in free agency and the odds of Trumaine Johnson being with the team next year will vary depending on how well he plays and how much he believes he can get elsewhere. The most likely candidate to receive an extension would be Ogletree because he’s set to hit his prime and with the way Wade Phillips uses linebackers he’s due for a big year assuming he grasps the scheme. The Rams will probably put linebacker at the bottom of the totem pole because they can always find depth.
Offense will still be paramount and rightfully so but the Rams can’t ignore the potential mass exodus they could experience on defense. They did a solid job giving themselves a buffer in the off-season but all eyes will be on the defensive starters, particularly the younger players that have yet to make an impact. Aaron Donald is the cornerstone on defense and deserves to be paid as such but that also means management is in for some difficult choices ahead. Barring a major setback Ogletree is safe but next year the defense will look drastically different.
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