The Los Angeles Rams have clearly signaled their intentions to compete for another Super Bowl by signing veteran wide receiver Davante Adams and restructuring the contract of quarterback Matthew Stafford.
LA’s offense now looks strong enough across the board to get over the hump with Stafford and star receiver Puka Nacua leading the charge. However, bolstering the defense, especially the cornerback room, before the start of the 2025 regular season is something Los Angeles needs to do to give them the best chance for a Super Bowl run.
Rams Projected To Sign Asante Samuel Jr.
The Rams didn’t do much to address the cornerback position this offseason, though, outside of retaining Ahkello Witherspoon. That’s a bit concerning for a unit that struggled with inconsistency against the pass for much of last season, and PFSN’s Brandon Austin predicts Los Angeles could take a swing at free agent Asante Samuel Jr.
“The Los Angeles Rams will return pretty much the same secondary from a season ago after a quiet offseason on that front, outside of re-signing cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon,” Austin wrote. “General manager Les Snead and the front office should be looking to upgrade a unit that ranked 27th in pass defense success rate in 2024.
“Even though the Rams retained Witherspoon, he certainly wasn’t at his best last season. The 30-year-old veteran has good size, but he gave up 8.5 yards per target last season and has been above 7.0 yards per target allowed in three straight seasons. Witherspoon’s best days are behind him, while Samuel’s are most likely ahead of him.”
Samuel, who entered the league in 2021, was limited to just four games in 2024 due to stinger issues. While he reportedly felt better by January, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, the 25-year-old underwent neck surgery in April.
“Samuel’s 2024 shoulder injury was so unfortunate because he was playing well and continuing to make strides with the Chargers,” Austin added. “He recorded at least two interceptions and 11 pass breakups in each of his first three NFL seasons. Samuel has great ball skills and instincts, and as long as he’s healthy, his presence would immediately elevate the Rams’ secondary.”
Update on Asante Samuel Jr. He just got surgery last month: https://t.co/N9gzuNQ9nI
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) May 13, 2025
Samuel was coming off a career-best season in 2023, where he racked up 63 tackles, two interceptions, and eight passes defended. In his first two seasons with the Chargers, he tallied 100 tackles, four interceptions, and 22 passes defended, and could now get a chance to get back to his best while staying in Los Angeles.
For the Rams, a low-risk signing like Samuel might be a smart play. However, they won the Super Bowl in 2021 by not being afraid to go all-in for proven talent regardless of the cost attached, and someone like Jalen Ramsey might be a better fit if Los Angeles truly wants to take a big stride in defense.