The National Football League’s legal tampering window opened at 12 pm EST on Monday, unleashing a tidal wave of transactions. Big-name running backs like Travis Etienne and Kenneth Walker III both found new homes, and so too did a plethora of wide receivers. But some franchises made hay much more than others.
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According to Chris Simms, it was the Los Angeles Rams who truly won the day. Just a few days after the NFC runner-ups managed to finalize a trade for Kansas City’s All-Pro DB, Trent McDuffie, they’ve now acquired yet another one of the Chiefs’ secondary defenders, Jaylen Watson.
Watson, a four-year veteran, inked a three-year, $51-million deal with the Rams. That move left Simms with no other choice than to applaud Los Angeles. “I think that was brilliantly done by the Los Angeles Rams,” the former quarterback turned analyst noted during his latest broadcast on NFL on NBC.
“Watson is big, he’s long, he can take on those bigger receivers… McDuffie is rare in that you can put him outside against the best receiver in football. He could also play the slot. He’s a nickel guy. He can play the jitterbug guy, which is rare to have,” added Simms.
It seems the damage that was caused by Jaxson Smith-Njigba and the rest of the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game was enough to make the Rams want to ensure that it never happens again. According to Simms, they’ve been successful in taking care of the weak links. “They are going to be able to match up with anybody,” Simms said.
“[McDuffie] does it all. He blitzes, he tackles in the run game… Jimmy Lake being there, who coached him at Washington, they know him. They know what kind of guy he is. That’s why they were happy to make him the highest-paid corner in all of football,” he added.
Of course, no one will know for certain until we get to see the two feature in regular-season outings in 2026. Until then, however, there can be no denying that Los Angeles has been one of the most productive teams of the offseason so far.
The Rams’ recent uptick in activity is likely an indicator that Matthew Stafford will be returning for at least one more playoff run. The franchise likely wouldn’t have pushed its chips toward the middle of the table like this unless it was certain about going for the top prize in 2026.
Even if Stafford were to change his mind at the last minute, there’s still no issue to be found in having one of the best defenses in football. And that’s exactly what Los Angeles has now, thanks to these two signings.
