After the Los Angeles Rams spent the last couple of offseasons revamping their defensive front, it’s probably about time for them to give the secondary the same level of attention.
No Rams corner ranked better than 57th out of 99 players at the position who took at least 242 snaps last season according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). That’s simply not good enough.
Cobie Durant is probably the best of the bunch, but he’s entering a contract year in 2025 and the coaching staff seems reluctant to start him full time. Ahkello Witherspoon will hit the open market in March. It makes a lot of sense to save $3.8 million and release veteran Darious Williams. Same goes with Derion Kendrick, whose release would open up $3.2M after he missed the entirety of last season due to injury. There’s also former first rounder Emmanuel Forbes who is an unknown commodity.
That leaves LA with more questions than answers in the secondary, at least to put it mildly. There’s one free agent from the cross-town rival Los Angeles Chargers that fits the Rams’ mold at corner and makes sense:
Asante Samuel, Jr. fits Rams’ preferences at corner
These are recent the listed heights and weights of recent Rams starters and draft picks at corner:
- Cobie Durant: 5-11, 182 lbs. (fourth round)
- Darious Williams: 5-9, 192 (signed as free agent, twice)
- Tre Tomlinson: 5-9, 176 (sixth round)
- Derion Kendrick: 6-0, 199 (sixth round)
Is this the Rams’ preferred type at corner or a product of not having a first round pick in recent years in order to invest in the larger bodies that also have the athleticism to play such a challenging position? The obvious exceptions to the rule are Ahkello Witherspoon at 6-2, 195 and Jalen Ramsey at 6-1, 208.
Assuming that the Rams have stuck with slighter frames at the position because it fits their intended mold, then it makes sense to link them to free agent corner Asante Samuel, Jr. who is 5-10, 180.
Samuel had a fast start to his NFL career under then-HC and former Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, though he fell out of favor quickly when Jim Harbaugh took over the reigns and Jesse Minter was calling the shots on defense. You might think he’s best-suited to play in the slight given his listed height and weight; however, he’s played 2,853 snaps at outside corner in four seasons versus just 40 inside. That just screams “Rams corner”.
Betting on pedigree
Samuel is a former second round pick and PFF’s 26th rated member of this free agent class. The outlet has pegged his potential value on the open market at three-years, $43.5M ($14.5M average).
That’s certainly would not be a bargain signing for LA, though these days corners can get expensive in a hurry.
In the three years under Staley and as the nearest defender in coverage, Samuel was targeted 241 times allowing 149 receptions (61.8% completion) for 1,981 yards, 14 touchdowns, nine interceptions, and 30 pass breakups. There’s enough to work with there.
The Rams defensive scheme is a blend of the Fangio-type concepts that Staley implemented as the defensive coordinator, with added elements from Chris Shula’s backgrounds under Wade Phillips and Raheem Morris. If Samuel can play at a high level under Staley, it’s not a leap to think he’d also be successful under Shula.
One key area for improvement
Samuel must get better in the tackling department of he wants to resume his days as a full-time starter in the NFL. He’s missed 16.7% of his career attempts according to PFF, which accumulates to 36 misses in what amounts to three full seasons. These issues make sense given his smaller stature, but you have to be willing to stick your nose into traffic and bring down the ball carrier—especially if you are the last line of defense on the outside.