Rams Signing Free Agent Edge Rusher Brian Burns Alongside Aaron Donald? An 'Enticing' Idea
The Los Angeles Rams surprised a lot of people this season, as they were expected to be in the rebuilding - or, as they termed it, "remodeling'' - stage. But now that the team has seen that they can contend, is it time to sign a big-time free agent?
One of the holes that the Rams have in their lineup is at edge rusher, and one player that the team could go get is Carolina Panthers' defensive end Brian Burns.
Burns lining up alongside Aaron Donald? That was once the vision around here. It can be again.
Ryan Anderson of LAFB Network sums it up in a recent article as he talks about why signing Brian Burns would be advantageous for the Rams.
"Burns will likely fetch between $25-$30 million per year which puts a dent in the Rams current $41.5 million in cap space. But the Rams have the dead weight that they will likely part ways with this offseason in addition to the contract restructuring wizardry they are known for," Anderson writes. "The Rams have the means and the focus to land this free-agent big fish and it will go a long way to helping them get back to playing competitive football into 2025."
The team has shown interest in Burns in the past, specifically at the 2022 trade deadline when the Rams offered two first-round draft picks for the 6-5, 250-pound former first-rounder. Now the team has another chance to get Burns, and Rams are a bit more enticing as an employer than the Panthers at the moment.
And the idea of Burns and Donald in the same D-line is pretty enticing, too.
If Burns were to come to Los Angeles, he would immediately be one of the best players on defense, which is exactly the kind of situation that he would thrive in. It would also fill the only real hole in the defense of the Rams, and we can envision that he would fit right in with the rest of the team's young talent.
