Rams land All-Pro LB in free agency. He capped off his terrific season with an interception in the Super Bowl. linebacker to quarterback the defense and immediately place Los Angeles near the top of the early winners list for the offseason.

The Los Angeles Rams’ defense finished the 2024 NFL season on a strong note, but with free agency approaching, there’s still room for improvement.

While acquiring a star like Myles Garrett would take Chris Shula’s defense to another level, general manager Les Snead has other options to consider. One potential target is All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun, who is coming off a breakout season with the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles. If he doesn’t receive a franchise tag or contract extension, he will hit the open market.

According to Ben Rolfe of Pro Football Network, the Rams are expected to sign Baun this offseason to strengthen their linebacker corps, even though they have other roster needs. Currently, L.A. lacks a clear plan at inside linebacker, as both Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom are set to become free agents.

Baun, Rozeboom, and Reeder are close in age—Baun and Rozeboom are 28, while Reeder is 30—so the decision may come down to playing style and expected production. The Rams could opt to retain their current linebackers, who performed well but weren’t exceptional. Reeder recorded 46 tackles in six games before a season-ending hamstring injury, while Rozeboom led the team with 135 tackles.

However, Baun was arguably the best middle linebacker in the NFL last season. He finished with 151 tackles (tied for sixth-most in the league), along with 3.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, four pass deflections, and one interception. He also contributed six tackles and a fumble recovery in the Rams’ 28-22 Divisional Round loss to the Eagles.

In short, Baun was a do-it-all playmaker in 2024.

Despite his stellar season, Baun was previously overlooked during his time with the New Orleans Saints before thriving under Vic Fangio in Philadelphia. Some teams may be wary of whether his production was a one-year anomaly, especially given his projected market value of $9.7 million per year, according to Spotrac.

Baun is an intriguing option, but it remains to be seen if the Rams will pursue him with their estimated $44 million in salary cap space for the 2025 offseason.

Other potential free-agent targets Rolfe mentioned for the Rams include former L.A. linebackers Bobby Wagner and Ernest Jones, offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr., and wide receivers Amari Cooper and Marquise Brown.