Aiming to Enhance Secondary with All-Pro Talent

Matthew Stafford threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns in Seattle and the Rams sacked Sam Darnold three times, but the Seahawks quarterback and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba tore their defense apart when he had enough time to throw. Darnold and Smith-Njigba hooked up 10 times for 153 yards and one of Darnold’s three touchdown passes, so it wasn’t surprising to hear Rams General Manager Les Snead prioritizing help in the defensive backfield on Tuesday.

“Is there an All-Pro that you could add?” Snead said, via Nate Atkins of TheAthletic.com. “That would be nice.”

There aren’t any All-Pros available in free agency, but a trade could be a possibility and the chances of making one are helped by the Rams holding a pair of first-round picks this year. Snead’s well known for saying “f—k them picks” while building the Rams’ Super Bowl LXI winners and he said on Tuesday that he’s looking for “a player who is going to give us an edge and make an impact.”

The Rams’ front office has openly acknowledged the need for top-tier secondary talent. General Manager Les Snead highlighted the team’s intent to add impact players in the defensive backfield, specifically mentioning All-Pro talent as a priority to bolster a unit that has been a weakness in crucial games.

This strategy mirrors broader NFL offseason trends. Other franchises, such as the Dallas Cowboys, have been linked to pursuits of high-caliber defensive backs — including potential draft targets at the safety position — as they aim to close coverage gaps and improve overall defensive consistency.

Atkins suggests Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie as a Rams target as he is looking for a new contract and played for Rams defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake while in college. McDuffie has been named an All-Pro and the coming days should bring more of an idea about whether Snead will be pushing to bring him to Los Angeles.