Omar Speights #48 of the Los Angeles Rams reacts against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Los Angeles Rams have bucked some of their trends in recent offseasons. The 2025 free agency period offers another opportunity as the Rams need to replenish their linebacker room.
ESPN's Aaron Schatz projects them to sign Las Vegas Raiders veteran Robert Spillane.
"The Rams don't spend money on off-ball linebackers, period. But they also didn't use first-round draft picks. A new strategy worked very well for them in last year's draft, so how about a new strategy when it comes to off-ball linebackers as well? Spillane is a somewhat unknown, very underrated linebacker who can play both the run and the pass," ESPN's Aaron Schatz wrote on February 28.
"Last season, Spillane was involved in 19.2% of Las Vegas' defensive plays, third in the NFL behind Budda Baker and Zaire Franklin. Spillane was sixth in the NFL with 29 defeats, a stat that counts big plays including turnovers, and was also one of the top linebackers in my coverage DVOA metric. Both Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom are free agents, so the Rams can easily bring in Spillane and play him next to last season's rookie surprise, Omar Speights."
The Athletic's David DeChant, Jourdan Rodrigue and Vic Tafur ranked Spillane as the No. 46 overall free agent. He is their LB6 as a "Tier 3" free agent.
"Even Raiders fans yawned when the team signed Spillane from the Steelers two years ago. But Spillane worked hard on his coverage skills and his reading of offenses, becoming much more than a downhill run-stopper," The Athletic's staff wrote on February 24.
He also became a team leader and started 34 of a possible 34 games. In 2024, he finished with 158 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and seven pass breakups. It's hard to see defensive coordinator Patrick Graham letting him walk away, but maybe the Raiders let the market dictate his price."
Spillane ranks fourth in combined tackles over the past two seasons, per Stathead. He is tied for the most sacks among that top-four group.
Spotrac projects Spillane's value at a two-year, $20.8 million pact.
That would make Spillane, who has earned $12.4 million in his career, the seventh highest-paid player on the Rams' roster in average salary including Jackson and Kupp if they signed him in free agency. Rams stars Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua are also coming due for new deals.
The Rams have turned their roster over in recent seasons, utilizing the draft more than free agency. They project to have four players who are 30 years or older by the end of the 2025 season.
Part of the reason there was uncertainty around Stafford was the QB's age.
"I think Matthew probably disturbed our rejuvenation period," Rams general manager Les Snead told reporters in January. "I think we did play in the Divisional Round that year. And then maybe a week later is when it leaked that, 'Hey, he would like to be traded,' and the Lions were thinking of trading him. So we had to get back to work a little bit quicker than we wanted to."
Similar sentiments are part of the thinking behind looking to trade Kupp. The Rams potentially signing Spillane in free agency would be antithetical to their current approach.