ESPN Predicts Rams to Sign Veteran Nose Tackle
While the Los Angeles Rams have made major strides in improving an already Super Bowl-winning roster, ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell is predicting that another top free agent will find his way to the team: longtime Chicago Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman.
Goldman isn’t exactly the sexiest signing out there, but it takes only one look at the game film from the Super Bowl to see how players like Sebastian Joseph-Day and A’Shawn Robinson controlled the line of scrimmage and helped slow down Cincinnati running back Joe Mixon. Joseph-Day left for the Chargers in free agency, and while the Rams might give more reps to 2021 fourth-rounder Bobby Brown, Goldman’s size and experience in a Vic Fangio-style scheme would make him a valuable rotational piece for the Rams.
Goldman was drafted by the Bears 2nd round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He has been a starter for the Chicago defense since his rookie season and was one of the keystones of a defense that ranked amongst the league's best in the later 2010s.
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Goldman has accumulated 175 total tackles, 116 solo tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 13 sacks in his seven-season career. His low sack totals shouldn't be a deterrent; Goldman's primary role as a nose tackle is to plug the A gap against runs. It makes sense that his sack totals would be low since his run fits in the Bears' defense often rely on maintaining control with proper hand position and eye discipline, two responsibilities that make focusing on pass-rushing difficult.
Despite an excellent offseason from the Rams front office, the defense is still relatively weak at the defensive tackle position. Aside from having arguably the best defensive player of all time in Aaron Donald (although he technically spends a lot of time at 3-technique and not as a true inside defensive tackle), the team doesn't have a consistent run stuffer who can eat double teams and plug power runs down the middle.
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Goldman can be a value signing for a Los Angeles defense that needs additional muscle on the internal line. While his previous contract was a four-year $42 million behemoth, his current status as an unsigned player this deep into the offseason could make him a bargain pickup.
