The Los Angeles Rams have made plenty of improvements this offseason to their roster, and that includes some free agents making their way to Los Angeles. The two biggest things they did in free agency were retain Matthew Stafford and sign Davante Adams, but those aren't the only two moves that matter.
I think signing Poona Ford from the Los Angeles Chargers is one of the most underrated signings of the offseason and helps out their run defense tremendously, which is an area this Rams' otherwise great defense struggled in last season.
They also signed Nathan Landman out of free agency, and after letting some of their impactful players walk for other teams to pick up in free agency, Landman will fill in that role and rack up tackles, which is exactly what they need him to do.
Bringing back Coleman Shelton, a player who's blocked for Stafford before, will be good for their continuity and brings in a player with a lot of familiarity with the Rams organization. However, the most underrated move for the Rams this offseason may have been their re-signing of Alaric Jackson to a three-year deal.
Jackson had his best year last year as a starter in the NFL, and would've gotten a bag from another team if the Rams weren't quick to jump on him and not allow him to touch free agency. The Kansas City Chiefs just lost a Super Bowl due to their offensive line, the Rams must avoid that same fate if they want to bridge the gap between them and the Super Bowl winners, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jonathon Macri is a sports writer for Pro Football Focus, and he recently published an article where he discusses the most underrated player on each NFL team heading into next year. For the Rams, the answer should come as no surprise, as they chose Jackson.
"Jackson was a 2021 undrafted free agent, so his emergence as a 1,000-plus-snap player in 2023 probably wasn’t viewed as an ideal path for the Rams, considering past contributors at the position, Andrew Whitworth and Joe Noteboom.
While Jackson had his ups and downs in 2023 as a first-time starter, he really came into his own in 2024, delivering a 78.4 PFF overall grade, which ranked 18th at the position, while leading the team in PFF pass-blocking grade (79.2).
He ranked 22nd in PFF pass-blocking grade among all offensive tackles in 2024 while playing more than 1,000 snaps for the second straight season — way more mileage than any team can expect to get out of a former UDFA offensive lineman".
Jackson is a significant factor in the Rams' rising stock, and it's crucial that they signed him to a multi-year deal. As good as Stafford is, he's closer to retirement than he's ever been. Jackson has an opportunity to block for Stafford, as well as the next quarterback the Rams draft.
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