One of the easiest ways to improve as a sports team is to sign new players who enhance a previous area of weakness.
Easy in theory, at least. But it doesn’t always work out that way.
It’s the concept that Les Snead, Sean McVay, and their recruitment staff at the Los Angeles Rams have opted for. They have splashed the cash on the marquee signings of cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, who will surely stiffen the resolve of the Rams’ defensive line.
Will they go one step further than last season and make it to the Super Bowl accordingly?
Hail to the Chiefs
Those two trades, allied to a strong campaign in 2025-26, have seen the Rams installed as the +800 favorites in the BB Gold sports betting for Super Bowl LXI, ahead of the defending champions Seattle Seahawks (+900) and the ever-strong Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens (both +1000).
A score in the final quarter of the NFC Championship game last season would have seen the LA franchise make it to Super Bowl LX instead of the Seahawks.
Championship Sunday Dub
Presented by Muckleshoot Indian Tribe pic.twitter.com/uRceM6PjM3
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 26, 2026
That’s conjecture, of course, but the key is that the Rams have moved to solve one of the obstacles that held them back last term – they shipped 17, 31, and 31 points in their three playoff matches, which is asking a lot of your offensive players to keep you in touch.
So, bolstering the defence has taken precedence in the off-season. The solution? Raiding the Kansas City Chiefs for a pair of two-time Super Bowl-winning cornerbacks.
Double Delight
McDuffie is the most eye-catching of the signings.
This is an All-Pro defensive leader who, in his halcyon year of 2023, delivered 80 combined tackles in Kansas’ charge to the rings at Super Bowl LVIII.
There has been some drop-off in McDuffie’s output since, while Rams fans will be hoping that the knee injury that ended his 2025 campaign prematurely will have no long-term ramifications.
The bullishness within the Rams’ camp is represented by a deal that makes McDuffie the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL – $124 million over four years is a significant outlay… and perhaps something of a gamble, given the seriousness of that hyperextended knee suffered in December.
ESPN sources: Rams and Trent McDuffie reached agreement today on a record four-year, $124 million extension that includes $100 million guaranteed and makes him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. McDuffie gets a trade and a new deal days apart as the Rams and CAA Football… pic.twitter.com/53cisV7oG8
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2026
But at 25, McDuffie has time on his side. And heading to LA with his friend, Watson, should also help his transition to new surroundings.
Picked up as a free agent, Watson has been a solid partner to McDuffie in the cornerback department in Kansas. The 27-year-old had become a regular starter last season, recording 64 combined tackles – with 42 of those solo – in the best campaign of his career to date.
Both Watson and McDuffie are very adept at disrupting opposition plays, with the latter in particular showcasing versatility – and no shortage of talent – on the outside and in the nickel spot.
All of which is not to say that the Rams are a complete slam dunk. Can Matthew Stafford replicate his career-best season at the age of 38? Do they have enough offensive depth to maintain their form across the entire campaign?
One thing is for sure: Los Angeles have upgraded in the cornerback department. And that’s certainly an excellent starting point…
