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Jamel Dean of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
One of the biggest concerns about the Los Angeles Rams ahead of the 2026 offseason was whether Matthew Stafford would return for another season.
The quarterback revealed at the 2026 NFL Honors ceremony, after winning the Most Valuable Player award, that he will return for an 18th professional season.
With the Super Bowl-winning MVP behind the center for another season, the Rams can begin adjusting other parts of the roster with free agency coming up.
Getting Reinforcement In the Secondary
GettyThe Rams could be in the market for one of the best defenders in free agency
The Los Angeles Rams have one of the best rosters in the league on all sides of the board, but there are still questions. One of the concerns for LA is the secondary group, particularly the cornerback group.
LA was in the upper half of passing yards allowed and pass touchdowns allowed in the 2025 season.
A good defensive front helped eliminate some of that problem, but it was too much in the playoffs — allowing over 800 passing yards in the three-game playoff run.
Needing to bolster the cornerback room, Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus revealed the top landing spots for the best free agent cornerbacks, naming the Rams as the best place for Tampa Bay Buccaneers defender Jamel Dean.
“The Rams’ coverage efficiency plummeted late in the year, a significant contributing factor to their inability to reach the Super Bowl. From Week 13 onward, Los Angeles ranked 23rd in yards per attempt allowed (7.6) and 19th in explosive pass percentage allowed (15.1%). Over that span, none of the Rams’ cornerbacks with at least 75 coverage snaps earned a PFF coverage grade above 52.0, presenting a clear need for the defense,” Cameron wrote.
“Dean, having never produced a season with a PFF coverage grade below 72.0, profiles as one of the game’s stalwart cornerbacks on the outside, with his 86.9 outside PFF coverage grade over the past three seasons ranking in the 94th percentile. His instincts in zone coverage earned him the fifth-highest zone PFF coverage grade (85.9) among cornerbacks this past season, making him an excellent fit for a zone-heavy Rams defense.”
When quarterbacks targeted Dean, they had a passer rating of 46.9% and a completion rate of 49.2%, with the CB only allowing 424 passing yards on the season.
Dean registered 9 pass deflections and 3 interceptions in his 14 games played with Tampa, while also logging 46 tackles and a sack in the 2025 season.
The defender, who won Super Bowl LV with the Buccaneers, recorded over 60 pass deflections and 10 interceptions throughout his career.
Jamel Dean does have some injury concerns, as he has yet to play a full season throughout his seven-year career, but he will bring quality to the Rams secondary.
Cap Space Worries
GettyThe Rams will likely focus on retaining one of their key offensive weapons
After another monstrous season, Puka Nacua now finds himself in a position for a massive payday.
The former fifth-round pick is eligible to begin contract extension as he enters his fourth season with the Rams.
Nacua is projected to get a four-year, $154 million contract extension in the upcoming offseason.
The Rams currently have around $45 million in cap space, which would make it hard for LA to keep Puka another four years and make some big free agent signings.
PFF named Jamel Dean as the fifth-best free agent and projects the cornerback to receive a three-year, $55 million deal.
Jason Garcia Jason Garcia is a sports contributor for Heavy Sports who joined the team in 2025, covering the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. More about Jason Garcia
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