Rams Suffer 2nd Loss Along the Defensive Line

Shortly thereafter, the Vikings made it official:

Jonah Williams’ Background

28-year-old Jonah Williams was signed by Los Angeles as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2020.

From 2016 through 2019, Williams played for Weber State University. He was a four-year starter there, and, in his final year, he “earned All-America honors while being named the Big Sky Defensive MVP.”

Per Rams Wire:

“[After] originally sign[ing] with the Rams in 2020[,] [Williams] … was waived before the season, which led to the Vikings claiming him off waivers. However, he failed his physical so he never wound up landing in Minnesota.”

After re-signing with L.A., Williams appeared in eight games during the 2021 season. He started six games during the 2022 season and 16 games during the 2023 season. He finished the 2023 season with “the 11th-most snaps” of all Rams defensive players.

Two Defensive Line Departures in Less Than One Week for the Rams

Aaron Donald’s retirement on March 15, 2024 was a major earthquake. Jonah Williams’ departure on March 18, 2024 is an aftershock.

Rams Wire reports:

“The Los Angeles Rams have now lost multiple defensive linemen in a span of five days. Following Aaron Donald’s retirement on Friday, Jonah Williams is now leaving to sign with the Minnesota Vikings.

“Williams was a starter up front alongside Donald and Kobie Turner, mostly playing the defensive end spot as a run stopper. He recorded two sacks, a career-best 49 tackles and four quarterback hits, also batting one pass at the line of scrimmage.

“He was by no means a star on a defensive line that featured Donald and Turner, but he was an effective run defender who also mixed in a little bit of pressure on occasion.”

In Minnesota, Williams will reunite with Vikings defensive line coach Marcus Dixon, who was with Williams and L.A. during the 2021-2022 Super Bowl Championship season.

Sports Illustrated reports:

“The Los Angeles Rams have signed a fair amount of players since free agency started. With that being said, they have also lost a fair amount of players, and that was once again the case on Monday.

“Defensive lineman Jonah Williams met and signed with the Minnesota Vikings, an NFC team that is looking to rebuild a bit….

“Williams’ snap count has been steadily increasing over the course of his career, and the Rams will have to find someone to take those snaps this upcoming season.

“Whether the team decides to sign someone in free agency or take a defensive line prospect in the upcoming NFL Draft, that is a part of the team that needs to be addressed if they want to contend this season.”

The Need for L.A. to Re-Tool the Defensive Line

As noted by Sports Illustrated, the Rams do indeed need to re-build their defensive line in the wake of the departures of Donald and Williams.

The current members of L.A.’s defensive line are second-year players Kobie Turner and Bobbie Brown III, along with fourth-year player Desjuan Johnson. According to ESPN’s depth chart for the Rams 2024 roster, Turner is the starting nose tackle, and Brown and Johnson are the likely starting defensive ends.

Analysts and Rams enthusiasts believe L.A. needs to bring in some star power along the defensive line in order to make up for the loss of Donald. The loss of Williams enhances that need.

Because the number of defensive linemen in free agency has rapidly dwindled, L.A. may be relegated to addressing the need through a trade and/or the draft.

Here are some possibilities:

Turf Show Time suggests the Rams make a move to acquire Haason Reddick from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have given Reddick permission to seek a trade. Reddick is