The St. Louis Rams have a special visitor on Monday, and it has nothing to do with April Fool's Day. There is nothing to laugh about in the NFC West anymore (you should pity Arizona, not laugh at them). Jaguars free agent linebacker Daryl Smith is at Rams Park on Monday for a visit.
Jaguars free-agent LB Daryl Smith visiting Rams today.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 1, 2013
It's no secret the Rams could use a little help at the linebacker spot, on the strongside. James Laurinaitis and Jo-Lonn Dunbar have the middle and weakside nailed down.
Smith, 31, dealt with a groin injury that limited him to just two games last season. He obviously is not a long-term answer for the Rams, but, if healthy, would give them some veteran depth, probably at a cap friendly price. In fact, it's hard to see him signing for much more than the veteran minimum given the status of the free agent market this year.
For more insight on Smith, I asked Alfie, the editor at Big Cat Country, our Jaguars blog. Here's what he told me about Smith:
Daryl Smith is a do-it-all linebacker in a 4-3 defense. He can play at all three positions and does everything well. He typically would play the weakside linebacker position for the Jaguars and is a three-down linebacker. He's excellent in coverage, can blitz if called upon, and is stout against the run. Despite his age and groin injury last season, he still has a few years left in the tank.
The Rams probably have a few free agent moves left to make, moves like this to get veteran depth at minimal prices to shore up the roster. Don't overlook these kinds of moves. Last year, the Rams ended up leaning pretty heavily on Rob Turner as a backup center. Veteran depth has a knack for finding its way into the lineup.