The Los Angeles Rams have taken steps to replace players such as Darious Williams and Austin Corbett, but they have yet to make any meaningful additions to the defensive line after losing Sebastian Joseph-Day.
Greg Gaines is going to be the starting nose tackle, which lessens the pain of losing Joseph-Day, but the defensive line could still use some added depth. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell predicted where 10 of the top free agents will land and he paired Eddie Goldman with the Rams.
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 has spent the last seven years with the Bears, playing 14 games for Chicago last season. He finished with a career-low 0.5 sacks and only 22 tackles, but as a nose tackle, he’s more of a run defender than pass rusher.
He was effective back in 2019 when he finished with an overall grade of 70.7 from Pro Football Focus, recording 15 pressures and only missing three tackles compared to only eight pressures and eight missed tackles in 2021.
