Rams offseason moves
Les Snead entered the 2024 offseason with several priorities. He wanted to beef up his offensive line – especially in the middle where aging QB Matthew Stafford – never the most mobile of signal callers – was another year older. He also wanted to address concerns in the defensive backfield. But his biggest mission was to replace Aaron Donald, the defensive lineman who anchored the Rams’ defense for the better part of the last decade.
Snead signed interior offensive lineman Jonah Jackson from Detroit and re-upped his own starters, Kevin Dotson and Alaric Jackson. He brought in veteran cornerbacks Darious Williams (who had been with the Rams from 2018-2021) and Tre’Davious White. He also plucked the hard-hitting safety Kamren Curl from the Washington Commanders.
You don’t simply replace a player like Aaron Donald. He is one of the greatest defensive tackles of all time. Snead was wise not to overspend for a veteran who would not be able to match Donald’s production. Instead, he turned to the draft, bringing in Braden Fiske early in round two and Tyler Davis a few rounds later. He also invested in a couple of edge players – Florida State’s highly touted Jared Verse in the first round and Brennan Jackson on day three.
Oh yeah, he replaced one other starter via free agency. Longtime tight end Tyler Higbee needed knee surgery following a serious injury in last year’s playoffs, so Snead scooped up Colby Parkinson, who had mostly been languishing in Seattle’s offense for several seasons.