PHOENIX – First, internal pending free agents were addressed. Then the external free agency landscape.
Now, the attention turns to members of the Rams' 2023 draft class who are extension-eligible this summer.
"I mean traditionally, we do most those around training camp and whatnot, right?" chief operating officer Tony Pastoors, who partners partners with general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay in the development and implementation of the club's strategic plans for player signings and player acquisitions, told local reporters at last week's NFL Annual Meeting. "This time of the year, it's not abnormal, but it is – I think (Los Angeles Times reporter) Gary (Klein) mentioned it, right? JSN (Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba) coming that quick, is probably, from a league perspective, a little abnormal. I think we're happy to talk to anybody at any time, but ultimately, it's got to make sense and work into the calculus today and over the next few years."
Extensions had resurfaced to the top of offseason conversation in part because of Seattle signing Smith-Njigba to a multi-year contract extension on March 25, one that reportedly made him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL and bears relevance to wide receiver Puka Nacua's extension talks.
However, to Pastoors' point, Los Angeles has typically knocked those early extensions out in training camp or the preseason. Running back Kyren Williams, a 2022 draft pick, signed a three-year extension on Aug. 5 last year. Safety and fellow 2022 draft pick Quentin Lake did not get an extension during that window, but eventually signed a three-year one on January 1 earlier this year. The first extensions for current tight end Tyler Higbee (2019), former quarterback Jared Goff (2019) and former wide receiver Cooper Kupp (2020) were announced the first week of September in the seasons they were entering final year of their respective rookie contracts.
Nacua is coming off a career year in which he led the league in receptions (129), finished second in receiving yards (1,715); his 10 receiving touchdowns were tied with Smith-Njigba for second-most in the league – all of which contributed to being a finalist for the Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year award that ultimately went to Smith-Njigba. Nacua finished third in voting for the award.
Meanwhile, defensive end Kobie Turner started in every regular season and playoff game, posting seven sacks, 17 quarterback hits, 53 total tackles and one interception. His peers voted him a team captain each of the last two seasons.
Outside linebacker Byron Young also had career-best season in 2025 with 12.0 sacks, becoming the first Ram to register at least 11 in a season since Aaron Donald in 2021. Starting all 17 regular season games plus all three playoff games, he also posted a career-high 82 total tackles on his way to his first Pro Bowl nod of his career.
Offensive lineman Steve Avila started 13 of the 15 regular-season games he played in, while offensive lineman Warren McClendon Jr. became a crucial piece to upholding the offensive line. With ankle and knee injuries limiting offensive lineman Rob Havenstein to just seven games, McClendon started the other 10 in the regular season plus L.A.'s three playoff games.
In terms of being in the part of the team-building cycle where it's time for the Rams to start giving out contracts similar to the one Smith-Njigba received, and applying the lessons learned from that period between the two Super Bowls to how this next iteration of contracts are structured to avoid another salary cap reset like the one that followed the 2022 season, Pastoors said this next iteration is about "trying to find what makes the most sense for the team and the organization."
"Didn't we make the playoffs, what happened in '23? Wasn't this a good thing?" Pastoors jokingly said in response. "I think you've seen a trend league-wide. A lot of people are taking shorter deals. I think the players want that flexibility, and I think it's helpful for teams as well, right? So it's probably a win-win. And the shorter deals obviously don't create the proration and things that can get you into a little bit of trouble. Obviously, the first Super Bowl build looked very different than the second Super Bowl build. And so I think this is probably just the next iteration. And so it's trying to find what makes the most sense for the team and the organization based on where we are. We have a lot of really good young players, and like you said, we were fortunate to be able to go trade for an All-Pro corner who's 24 years old. Those things don't happen often, and so you hope you have him for a number of years. And so that's why his deal looked the way it did, versus some of our other free agent deals that are, or even some of our (deals), (like) Quentin Lake's and some of these other deals that we've been able to get done that are a little shorter-term. It all just depends on the person, right, and the situations."
