The Los Angeles Rams could lose impending free agent offensive tackle Alaric Jackson in the wake of their season-ending loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. An undrafted free agent following the 2021 NFL Draft, the Iowa product overcame his humble beginnings to establish himself as one of the league’s top offensive tackles. Starting and appearing in 14 games last year, Jackson finished the season with a 78.4 PFF grade, the 18th-best mark out of 81 eligible players.
Now set to become a free agent, Alaric Jackson should earn a massive raise on the open market. Good offensive tackles are hard to find, and Jackson is arguably the second or third-best name on the market. With Matthew Stafford contemplating retirement, Jackson might follow the highest bidder and land with any of these tackle-needy teams.
Rams Could Lose Free Agent Alaric Jackson
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots have the two most important pieces of their rebuild in quarterback Drake Maye and head coach Mike Vrabel. Now, it’s time for the organization to rebuild the rest of the roster, as almost every other position needs help. Vederian Lowe and Demontrey Jacobs were arguably the two worst tackles in football last year, and third-round pick Caedan Wallace did nothing to inspire hope as a rookie. Armed with over $120 million in cap space, New England has the financial resources to fix their offensive line with a player like Jackson.
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans will have a new quarterback in 2025, but they must do something about the offensive line if they want their next passer to fare better than Will Levis. JC Latham had his moments as a rookie, and it’s too early to completely give up on the Alabama product. Nicholas Petit-Frere, however, has no business starting for this team. The former third-round pick has been a disaster since entering the league and signing Alaric Jackson as a free agent will immediately fix one of the biggest weaknesses on this roster. Plugging Jackson in at left tackle will also allow Latham to revert to right tackle, where he thrived in college.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs can hope second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia rebounds in Year 2, but they shouldn’t bank on it. While they have the best interior offensive line in football, their tackle position is worrisome. After Suamataia and Wanya Morris failed, the team had no choice but to move guard Joe Thuney out wide. While this strategy is a fine short-term fix, Alaric Jackson would provide stability at the position in 2025 and beyond.
Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati’s neverending quest to field a competent offensive line will continue into 2025. Orlando Brown had a rough go of it in 2025 and has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract. The Bengals can cut him with a post-June 1st designation and save just north of $7 million. Regardless of whether or not the team re-signs Tee Higgins, effectively replacing Brown with Alaric Jackson as a free agent would make life easier for Joe Burrow and company next year.
New Orleans Saints
On paper, the New Orleans Saints do not have the money to sign Alaric Jackson as a free agent. However, General Manager Mickey Loomis knows how to manipulate the salary cap better than anyone and could free up the space to address the offensive line. Ryan Ramczyk isn’t coming back, which means this team desperately needs another tackle. Jackson could play left tackle and allow promising first-round pick Taliese Fuaga to revert to the right side.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
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