Just today: Rams engage in a $91.7 million trade deal to replace Brian Allen

CBS Sports named Lloyd Cushenberry as an ideal match for the Rams in free agency

The first significant move of the 2024 offseason for the L.A. Rams was releasing center Brian Allen. Cutting Allen was not a surprising move whatsoever as he never lived up to the $18 million extension he signed back in 2022.

LA will have to replace its starting center from Super Bowl LVI. A promising option might be available for the Rams entering free agency should the front office go that route.

In his March 5 article, Jared Dubin of CBS Sports played free agency matchmaker for NFC teams and named Broncos center Lloyd Cushenberry as an ideal replacement for Allen.

“L.A. released starting center Brian Allen earlier this offseason, and so has an opening in the middle of the line. Cushenberry is a player on the rise, and with Denver likely to incur a massive dead cap hit by parting with Russell Wilson, there should be an opportunity for another team to swoop in and land him,” per Jared Dubin of CBS Sports

Denver spent a third-round pick on the LSU product in the 2020 NFL Draft. Cushenberry, 26, has started 57 games since entering the NFL, including all 17 games for the Broncos last season. He is a young and reliable presence along the O-line and might just be the most underrated free agent option in the upcoming FA class.

The best part for the Rams is that the fourth-year player will likely be a cap casualty for the Broncos following the Russell Wilson debacle. Quick PSA to any aspiring NFL general managers out there: never re-sign a star to a massive contract before they ever take a snap for your team. The player you traded for might not be the player you expected to get. I was a great Madden GM so you can trust my expertise. Learn from those Rocky Mountain high doofi and you’ll be fine.

What was I saying? Oh right! Denver is in cap hell thanks to the Wilson contract. So the Broncos’ loss could be the Rams’ gain. TST’s Blaine Grisak listed Cushenberry 19th on his list of best player fits for LA in free agency. Grisak projected the LSU product could see a four-year $57.1 million deal, which is seemingly on par with what other experts are predicting.