What to Expect from the Rams When Legal Tampering Begins

The Los Angeles Rams have a straightforward approach to free agency

Sep 18, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead watches players warm up before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The NFL's legal tampering period begins at midnight on Monday. As soon as the East Coast transitions from the weekend to the work week, despite it being 9 P.M. in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Rams will have an opperutnity to open discussions with impending free agents.

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay in the first half during the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The tampering period then ends on Wednesday at 4 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, as that is when the new league year will begin, opening up free agency and the mad dash to secure top players on the open market.

Within the 52-hour period, teams are not only able to discuss potential deals, but also make a massive step towards signing them, offering deals that would be able to be confirmed once the new year begins. With such a rush, here's what to expect from the Rams when legal tampering begins.

What To Expect

Don't expect a variety of massive signings as the Rams have already spent a significant portion of their available cap space for Trent McDuffie, Tyler Higbee, and Kam Curl. While we do not know yet how the numbers will work out for Higbee and Curl, if their money is spread out evenly over the course of their deals, that's already about $16 million, on top of McDuffie's fully guaranteed fifth-year option, which is $13.6 million.

Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) makes a catch against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) in the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Darious Williams' retirement freed up $7.5 million, but the Rams also need to have enough money to sign their 2026 draft class. Thus, expect maybe one big signing but mostly veteran players as depth pieces, so the Rams aren't desperate in the draft.

Les Snead Shares His Vision

Rams general manager Les Snead recently spoke about which positions he prioritizes in free agency and then the draft, stating the work they do in free agency is fluid but is meant to set up freedom in approaching the league's annual selection process.

“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," stated Snead. "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."

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

"That's usually the approach. 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.”