Rams Make Second Bold Move to Reinforce Secondary

The Los Angeles Rams have a clear plan for free agency and are executing it without hesitation

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay reacts after a defensive stop against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams continue to load up before the 2026 campaign. The team knew they needed to fix their secondary and have done so, adding another cornerback from a familiar place.

The Rams Add Watson

During the first day of the legal tampering period, the Rams have signed cornerback Jaylen Watson as reported by NFL Insider Tom Pelissero.

"The Rams are signing two-time Super Bowl champion CB Jaylen Watson to a three-year, $51 million deal with $34M guaranteed, sources tell The Insiders," stated Pelissero. "Collin Roberts of @excelfootball negotiated the deal."

Nov 27, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson (35) returns an interception against Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (87) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Watson, who was Trent McDuffie's teammate in Kansas City for the last four seasons, is the exact fit they needed at cornerback to complete the room. Watson, who stands at 6'2, is able to battle against bigger-bodied wide receivers, giving the Rams every skillset needed to win within their defensive backs room.

Like McDuffie, Watson is a two-time Super Bowl champion who brings a tremendous amount of veteran leadership and poise to the Rams' locker room.

Why This Move Makes Sense

After trading for and then extending McDuffie, I wondered how the Rams would address the outside cornerback position, as A.J. Brown and others remain a top threat in the NFC. Watson not only fills that need perfectly, he also provides the one thing Rams general manager Les Snead was looking for from free agency.

Oct 27, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Washington Commanders tight end John Bates (87) carries the ball defended by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson (35) during the second quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Snead made his intentions for free agency clear during his presser in early March. Snead was asked how the team decides which positions to focus on in free agency versus the draft.

“Just as you asked the question, I think the part that we don't know is…here's what we know, we identify players in the draft but you're not necessarily certain if they're going to be there when you pick. A lot of times, our macro philosophy is if we can use free agency to not be desperate in the draft, we more than likely will be better drafters because we're not reaching and we're not desperate. We're not going in there with a major void or major hole that has to be filled. That's usually the approach."

Aug 17, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"It’s not always the case, but we would love to approach it where when the draft starts that Thursday night that we could pencil in a starting lineup or an opening day batting order on paper. At that point in time, we could get through that game. We could be competitive in that game. We'd like to be able to say ‘We'd have a chance to win that game more times than not.’ Then we use the draft to improve from there but not necessarily be desperate going into the draft. There's a possibility that desperation could cause you to make ‘less than decisions’ in the draft.”

With Watson's signature, the Rams do not have to reach for a cornerback in the draft, allowing the team to move forward with the freedom to select the player they want.