4 pending free agents with connections to Rams DC Raheem Morris
The Los Angeles Rams hired Raheem Morris as their defensive coordinator, replacing Brandon Staley at the helm of the NFL’s top-ranked defense in 2020. Morris comes over after five years with the Falcons, including this past season when he was their defensive coordinator and interim head coach.
Morris worked with several of the Falcons’ pending free agents, some of whom could interest the Rams as they work through the offseason roster-building phase.
After watching Staley lure Leonard Floyd from the Bears to Los Angeles last offseason, which players could Morris do the same with from the Falcons? Here are four ideas.
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The Rams had one of the best cornerback groups in the NFL this season, led by Jalen Ramsey. But Troy Hill’s contract will expire in March and Darious Williams is set to be a restricted free agent. Williams should be back but Hill isn’t a sure bet to return. Wreh-Wilson is an athletic corner with good size, too (6-foot-1, 190), so he's an intriguing player on the free-agent market. And with Morris being a former defensive backs coach, he knows all about coaching cornerbacks. Wreh-Wilson is 31 years old, so he isn't a player the Rams can build around for four or five years, but as a veteran who won't break the bank, he's someone Los Angeles should consider if Hill or Williams leave. In 2020 with the Falcons, he picked off three passes as a part-time player in 15 games.
EDGE Steven Means
(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Means played 16 games and started 11 for the Falcons this season and was a productive player in limited action. He recorded three sacks, which equaled his career total, and made 38 total tackles (three for a loss). He shouldn’t be viewed as a potential starter for the Rams, but in the event that Leonard Floyd and Samson Ebukam leave in free agency, they’ll need help at edge rusher alongside Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Terrell Lewis, Justin Hollins and possibly Derek Rivers. Means, 30, would be a low-cost option with experience playing for Morris. Brandon Staley brought Floyd to Los Angeles after coaching him in Chicago, so Means could be a cheaper version of that move.
EDGE Charles Harris
(AP Photo/Danny Karnik)
Harris started the season strong for the Falcons, recording two sacks in his first two games. But as the season wore on, his playing time diminished. In 13 games played, he recorded three sacks, three tackles for loss and five QB hits. A former first-round pick of the Dolphins in 2017, Harris had potential coming out of Missouri. He didn’t test well at the combine, though, and isn't the most explosive pass rusher available. But if Morris likes what he saw from the 25-year-old in Atlanta, he could be a candidate for a one-year contract with the Rams. In his career, Harris has 6.5 sacks and 28 QB hits but has never started more than five games in a season.
(AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
Safety isn't exactly a pressing need for the Rams, given the depth they have at the position. But John Johnson could be on his way out, leaving a host of younger players to fill the void. Kazee has four years of experience and 10 career interceptions, but he was limited to just four games this season before landing on injured reserve. He’s a versatile safety who can cover the slot, play deep and line up in the box, and his ball skills are clear after picking off seven passes in 2018 after taking over for Keanu Neal. Kazee was coached by Morris in the secondary for the last four years and given the way he’s played, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Rams give him a look in free agency – as long as the price is right. Johnson could price himself out of their range, making Kazee a cheaper option if there’s a lack of confidence in Taylor Rapp or Terrell Burgess as Johnson’s replacement.
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