Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead is about action, swinging a trade for Trent McDuffie. Snead has doubled down on the team’s greatest area of need during the legal free agency tampering period with McDuffie’s former Kansas City Chiefs teammate Jaylen Watson.
LA ranked 10th in scoring defense and 17th overall on that side of the ball.
They ranked 19th against the passing, though, underscoring Snead’s decision to raid the Chiefs’ secondary.
Rams Reunite Trent McDuffie With Super Bowl Champion Teammate
GettyJaylen Watson #35 of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up before Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Another former Chiefs CB in LA: former KC cornerback Jaylen Watson reached agreement today on a three-year with the Los Angeles Rams, per Collin Roberts of Excel,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on X on March 9. “The Rams now will have two former Chiefs CBs, Watson and Trent McDuffie. The KC Rams.”
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported it is a three-year, $51 million deal with $34 million guaranteed.
The fact that the Rams bookended McDuffie with Watson was not lost in NFL circles, as the news made the rounds on social media.
Watson was coming off a four-year, $3.7 million rookie contract with the Chiefs. Spotrac projected a three-year, $37.4 million deal ($12.5 million annually), but Watson, who had $6 million in career earnings before this deal, outpaced that handily.
Rams Land Top-50 Free Agent
GettyJaylen Watson #35 of the Kansas City Chiefs in action during the game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Watson, who turns 28 in September, was the 33rd-best free agent, per The Athletic. The outlet ranked him the third-best corner on the market. They projected a four-year, $73 million pact for the two-time Super Bowl champion.
“Watson is a sticky press corner who is excellent at the line of scrimmage, mirroring releases and taking away space from receivers,” The Athletic’s Daniel Popper wrote in February. “He has outstanding route recognition and reactions. He is very rarely out of phase early in downs. Watson is also physical in run support. He lacks the long speed of the truly elite corners.”
Watson started a career-high 15 games for the Chiefs this past season.
He joins a Rams secondary that only had Emmanuel Forbes under contract following Darious Williams’ retirement.
The 6-foot-2 Watson brings size to a group where McDuffie is shorter and could frequent the slot, while Forbes is notoriously slight of frame. The Rams can play three corners more in nickel. They used multi-safety groupings this past season.
That was due to injury woes.
Rams Built for Versatility
Gettyaylen Watson #35 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after recovering a fumble against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl LVIII.
The Rams could still lean on their exotic looks, even with McDuffie, with safeties Kam Curl and Quentin Lake both back in the mix for 2026.
Both have experience playing nickel. This time around, though, the Rams can use those looks and calls as a change-up to a more traditional personnel grouping. Snead has crossed a major need off the Rams’ list, with the bulk of free agency and the 2026 draft still to come.
That is all part of why the moves for McDuffie and Watson are being received so well.
“The Rams came into the offseason with a cornerback problem,” ESPN’s Field Yates posted on X in reaction to the news. “Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson have fixed that problem.”
Rams Reach Contract Agreement With Super Bowl Champion Playmaker