The Los Angeles Rams have done a nice job addressing their needs in free agency, notably bringing in wide receiver Davante Adams, defensive tackle Poona Ford and linebacker Nate Landman, among other smaller moves.
One position the Rams have not yet addressed to this point is cornerback, which was one of their biggest weaknesses for a majority of the 2024 season.
That unit improved in the back half of the year though and a big reason for that was the play of Ahkello Witherspoon, who began starting in Week 15 and into the postseason. In 13 games (five starts) for the Rams in 2024, Witherspoon recorded 31 total tackles, nine passes defensed and an interception, which helped seal a victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
Witherspoon was playing on a one-year contract though, which means he went into this offseason as a free agent. Witherspoon did not sign right away when free agency began but according to Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports, he has now reached an agreement to return to the Rams on another one-year deal:
Source: The #Rams are re-signing CB Ahkello Witherspoon to a 1-year deal. pic.twitter.com/Zp8sZbDjiR
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 19, 2025
This helps bring clarity to the cornerback position for the Rams as they now have Witherspoon and Darious Williams on the outside with Cobie Durant likely to see in the slot. They can still use some more depth behind that trio though as Derion Kendrick is coming off a serious knee injury and Josh Wallace lacks experience.
With the addition of Witherspoon though, the Rams don’t necessarily need to target a cornerback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. They likely will add to their defensive backfield at some point, but considering the work they did in free agency, the Rams have the luxury of taking the best player available when they first get on the clock with the 26th pick in the first round.
Rams designate Cooper Kupp as post-June 1 cut
After failing to find a trade partner for Cooper Kupp, the Rams decided to release the franchise icon and give him a chance to choose his next team.
The team opted to designate Kupp’s release as a post-June 1 cut, which will free up $15 million in cap space after that point. That will give L.A. some wiggle room to continue signing free agents and their draft picks.
Kupp has since joined his hometown Seattle Seahawks on a three-year, $45 million contract in free agency. He chose them over other teams and will now be part of a new-look Seahawks squad that recently signed Sam Darnold to be their starting quarterback.
