Inspired by @robertmays and @FieldYates excellent discussion on the message teams sent us in the draft, I looked at how teams spent their draft capital as well as how they spent money in free agency based on the percent of each they allocated to the offense: pic.twitter.com/TMbAVkb3jn
— Sam Hoppen (@SamHoppen) April 30, 2025
The Los Angeles Rams head into the 2025 season after a whirlwind series of offseason decisions.
Between bringing back Matthew Stafford, Alaric Jackson and Tutu Atwell to signing Davante Adams and letting others walk, L.A. made slight adjustments to the entire roster. The Rams will also now add six players they selected in 2025 NFL Draft as well as a bevy of undrafted free agents.
ESPN’s Sam Hoppen decided to see which side of the ball teams spent more of their offseason capital one by comparing each team’s free agent signings and draft picks. The ensuing scatterplot showed the Rams skewed more toward the offense, especially with their free agent pickups.
This all makes sense when you look at the Rams’ roster. L.A. needs to capitalize on Matthew Stafford’s closing window in 2025, which necessitated the Adams, Jackson and Atwell deals. Meanwhile, the Rams’ young defense is solid enough on its own without the need for too many additions. Les Snead still shored up a few positions of need on the defensive front, but otherwise made sure to focus on the offense first.
What’s also interesting is a lot of the Rams’ NFC foes went even more toward the offensive side of the ball with their respective draft picks and free-agent signings. Meanwhile, the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and the NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers paid more attention to the defensive side of the ball.
We’ll see if this strategy pays off in a few months.