It’s evident from the Los Angeles Rams’ current roster that they desperately need an edge rusher and a cornerback. The Rams are in dire need of a stronger pass rusher to complement Byron Young at outside linebacker, and Ahkello Witherspoon is a free agent that is expected to become available.

Coincidentally, two Miami Dolphins players who would be ideal free agents for the Rams are being released. In an effort to free up contract space, Miami is parting ways with edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah and cornerback Xavien Howard for purely financial reasons.

The Rams will have a chance to address two significant deficiencies prior to the draft since they will be available at the beginning of the next league year. Thus, should the Rams consider signing one (or both) of the soon-to-be-released veterans from the Dolphins? Both of them are worthy of thought.

For Los Angeles, Howard is the more interesting player. As a ball hawk in the secondary, he has amassed an incredible 29 interceptions over the course of eight NFL seasons. The past two years, he has only had one, but he has also had 12 passes defensed in each season.

Although Howard’s play declined last season and he missed four games as a result of injury, Los Angeles shouldn’t be overly concerned about it. Jalen Ramsey tweeted cryptically about Vic Fangio not “utilizing our full skillset” after hearing of Howard’s impending dismissal, claiming he “won’t ever forgive” him for it. That implies that in 2023, he and Howard weren’t utilized appropriately.

Zone coverage is a major part of the Rams’ game, and it works well for Howard. He can deflect or intercept passes because of his exceptional ball tracking and attention to the quarterback. Within the Rams’ blueprint, he would fit right in.

Regarding Ogbah, his influence on defense is still possible. Despite having just 5.5 sacks in 15 games the previous season, Miami hardly employed him. The fact that he only participated in 25% of the defensive snaps makes his 5.5 sacks appear much more noteworthy than they actually are. With 20 pressures in 172 pass-rush snaps, he has a solid pass-rush grade of 63.6.

During his first two seasons with the Dolphins in 2020 and 2021, he was very good, totaling 127 pressures, 18 sacks, and 45 quarterback hits. Ogbah, who is 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds, is a nice example of the type of edge rusher the Rams have been searching for—they are looking for bigger defenders with good outside length.

Though he generally lines up as a defensive end in Miami’s scheme, there wouldn’t be any major issues if he played outside linebacker. When he is officially released, the Rams should definitely explore signing him because they need help in the pass rush.