3 Rams players whose contracts I’d extend before Ernest Jones’

Who are the Rams’ 2025 free agents, and which players are worth keeping around?

With the 2024 free agent period and NFL Draft now squarely in the rearview mirror, we can take an early peak at the Los Angeles Rams’ 2025 crop of free agents. The following players are in the last year of their deals and are set to hit the open market at the conclusion of the upcoming season:

• Ernest Jones, MLB
• Alaric Jackson, LT
• Tutu Atwell, WR
• Bobby Brown, NT
• Jimmy Garoppolo, QB
• Joe Noteboom, OL
• Demarcus Robinson, WR
• Tre White, CB
• Michael Hoecht, OLB
• Christian Rozeboom, MLB
• Hunter Long, TE
• Boston Scott, RB
• Larrell Murchison, DT
• Tyler Johnson, WR
• Troy Reeder, MLB

Is Ernest Jones worthy of a contract extension?

I’ll start by saying that middle linebacker is becoming impossible to play in modern football. Offensive play callers like Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, and the various branches of their coaching tree have become very adept at targeting and manipulating linebackers with motion, play action, misdirection, and the illusion of complexity. The modern game requires off-ball linebackers to have the size and frame to hold up in the run game and to fill interior gaps, all while possessing the athleticism to run sideline-to-sideline and carry receivers, tight ends, and backs in the passing game. There are very few human beings on earth that were given such ability, but that’s why Fred Warner and Roquan Smith are highly compensated by their respective teams. It’s unfair to task most NFL linebackers with the duties that Warner and Smith make seem easy.

The Rams’ Ernest Jones, for example, is a good off-ball linebacker and deserves to be a starting player in the NFL; however, there are boxes that he just doesn’t check in order to be considered among the top of his position group. Jones holds up in the running game and is excellent as an interior pass rusher, but he struggles mightily as a coverage player and that is flatly keeping him from taking his game to the next level.

In Jones’ first three seasons, he’s allowed a completion percentage when targeted of 79.6% and a passer rating of 90.4. His best Pro Football Focus (PFF) coverage grade came in his rookie year (69.5) and graded below average in the two subsequent seasons.

The Rams seem to understand this is a limitation of his game and are instead leaning into his strengths. During 2021 and 2022, roughly 4.7% of Jones’ snaps were spent rushing the passer. This ratio spiked to 14.3% in 2023. As a result, Jones produced 33 pressures which led all NFL off-ball linebackers.

Still, the question remains how valuable a player of that profile is. Can the Rams find an affordable free agent or draft prospect that also doesn’t check all the boxes, and then deploy them in a way that best suits their skillset? It may not be worth re-signing Jones and giving him top dollar if he’ll never an all around linebacker like Warner or Smith.

Three Rams I’d rather see extended before Ernest Jones

(in order of my preference)

Bobby Brown, NT

As our own Jake Ellenbogen wrote on Monday, Brown is still younger than members of the Rams’ latest draft class. From the very beginning of his career he was meant to be a developmental player. Los Angeles should extend his contract and reap the benefit of keeping him stashed on the roster for the better part of his rookie deal. Keeping him in LA next to Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner would give the Rams a formidable defensive interior for the foreseeable future.

Alaric Jackson, LT

Jackson was thrust into action as an undrafted rookie in 2021 and then again in 2022 before he was shut down for an unusual injury, but we can’t take for granted that the 2023 season was his first real chance to prove that he’s a starting caliber player in the NFL. Sure, last year started off rocky for the big left tackle; however, Jackson showed improvement throughout the year. It may be no coincidence that Jackson’s improvement coincides with the general uptick in the Rams’ offensive production around the midpoint of the season.

While Jackson might have a ceiling that makes him susceptible to poor outings against the best pass rushers in the NFL, there are few left tackles that can slow those rare breeds down. He shouldn’t break the bank and he’s worth committing to as the LT of the future. The earlier the Rams extend his contract, the better off they’ll be. If they wait until the conclusion of the regular season, his price tag could grow outside of their comfort zone.

Tutu Atwell, WR

Atwell’s inclusion on this list probably surprises most fans; however, the speedster has shown that he has what it takes to be an impact receiver in the NFL. While he might not be an every-down starter, he’s capable of stretching the defense and is consistently able to get behind them to score touchdowns. There have been times where Atwell is also involved as a gadget player and/or rusher, and he’s made his speed felt there as well.

I wouldn’t be surprised one bit to watch Atwell sign with the Kansas City Chiefs or Buffalo Bills if the Rams let him walk if free agency. He’d immediately be a difference maker with the likes of Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen, and sooner or later he’d become a fan favorite of those teams.

Sean McVay and the Rams need to utilize Atwell and his talent better. If they don’t, someone will sign him in free agency and turn his flashes of ability into a consistent role.