With offseason action ramping up across the league, the Los Angeles Rams have already made a few significant splashes in free agency. One of the Rams’ key additions was former Chargers defensive tackle Poona Ford, who signed a three-year deal to join the other LA team. While Davante Adams has rightfully stolen the headlines in Hollywood, one outlet particularly praised the addition of Ford.
Yahoo Sports writer Charles McDonald listed Ford among six members of his “all-value team,” consisting of players that didn’t break the bank and should provide immediate relief to their new squads:
“The Rams’ young defense showed a lot of promise later in this past season, ranking seventh in expected points added per play (-0.06) over the final four weeks of the regular season, according to TruMedia. However, they were a below average defense when factoring in their full-season results with a clear need to improve their run defense.
In comes Poona Ford from the Chargers, who has been a fantastic run plugger for every team he’s been a part of. The Rams defense ranked 23rd in defensive success rate versus the run (41%) and 30th in stuff rate (15.3%). Ford will immediately improve their run defense, allowing the rest of their defensive line to play to their strengths, which is largely being upfield penetrators.”
Ford was included alongside D.J. Reed (Lions), Dre Greenlaw (Broncos), Joshua Palmer (Bills), Grady Jarrett (Bears) and Patrick Mekari (Jaguars).
The Texas product is the lone defensive signing the Rams have made thus far, and it was a BIG one—literally. Ford was Pro Football Focus’ fifth-highest graded interior defender during the 2024 season and should immediately pay dividends for a unit that got shredded on the ground—not just by Saquon Barkley.
According to ESPN, LA allowed at least 100 rushing yards in 15 games, including in both playoff games against the Vikings and Eagles. This was an issue that had to be addressed after watching Barkley run wild in both meetings last season. Ford provides the Rams with an opportunity to clog running lanes while allowing the unit’s other young stud D-linemen to primarily focus on taking down opposing quarterbacks.
Now the Rams need to address linebacker or cornerback, and this free agency haul will only improve.