With free agency a week away, NFL clubs are lining up their plans, aiming to fill glaring holes and bolster rosters before turning full-bore to the draft in late April.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead laid out how many clubs approach the open market, using it as the first step to fill the gaps.
"Our macro philosophy is, if we can use free agency to not be desperate in the draft, we more than likely will be better drafters," he said on Tuesday, via the team’s official website, "because we're not reaching, we're not desperate. We're not going in there with a major void, major hole that has to be filled."
It's the philosophy most teams do and should take when approaching roster-building, helping best avoid a glaring need that could pigeonhole them on draft day. Snead noted that the Rams hope to "pencil in a starting lineup" before the draft, allowing them to take the best players on their board regardless of position.
"There is a possibility, if you reach for a need when it's all said and done, you still have a need, but you used a draft pick on it," Snead said.
The biggest hole on the Rams' roster ahead of free agency is in the defensive backfield, specifically the cornerbacks, where Cobie Durant, Ahkello Witherspoon, Roger McCreary and Derion Kendrick will hit the market. Snead said they are "working through those scenarios" to possibly retain one or more of those corners, but will allow them to "get a feel for what their market is." Safety Kamren Curl is also a free agent who the Rams will try to retain.
On offense, backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is also a free agent. The Rams would like to bring him back as Matthew Stafford's backup, but the veteran could have a chance to start elsewhere.
How the Rams fill out their secondary and backup QB position in the coming weeks will have significant repercussions on how they utilize their draft capital, particularly the two first-rounders.
